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Page 2: 170 - Wired Impactwiredimpact.com/.../04/...Ideas-for-Your-Nonprofit.pdf · outside of your organization (ex. a tutor that became a teacher) Collect a group of short testimonials

2170 Blog Post Ideas for Your Nonprofit | wiredimpact.com

We Build Websites for NonprofitsWe know a website can and should be more than simply a pretty place for people to see what you do. It should have a meaningful impact on your organization, such as boosting fundraising, increasing volunteerism, raising awareness, and serving your community.

We are always looking to help new organizations. If you are interested in working with us on a project visit us at wiredimpact.com/get-proposal to request a proposal.

The folks who made this guide

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3170 Blog Post Ideas for Your Nonprofit | wiredimpact.com

IntroductionA blog can be an enormous asset to your nonprofit. It’s a great way to establish your authority around your mission. It can have a significant impact on driving more traffic to your website from search engines. It can also serve as a valuable resource to the community you serve.

But blogging takes a lot of time. And one of the hardest parts of consistently maintaining a blog is coming up with ideas to post day after day.

It’s our hope this guide will spur your thinking and get those creative ideas flowing. While you’ll need to tailor many of these topics to your audience and organization, hopefully some of them will become meaningful additions to your nonprofit’s blog.

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4170 Blog Post Ideas for Your Nonprofit | wiredimpact.com

Blog Post Categories

Donors and Fundraising Blog Posts 1 – 43

Volunteers and Serving Your CommunityBlog Posts 44 – 89

Your Nonprofit’s EventsBlog Posts 90 – 114

Relevant News and ResourcesBlog Posts 115 – 147

The Problem You’re AddressingBlog Posts 148 – 157

Your Nonprofit’s ImpactBlog Posts 158 – 170

About Wired Impact

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Click on any article name to jump to its page.

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5170 Blog Post Ideas for Your Nonprofit | wiredimpact.com

Donors and Fundraising

Posts 1 – 43

Showcase Donor Impact

Show how donation dollars are being spent in your community

Showcase the overall impact your donors have had in the past year

Share the story of one individual in your community and the impact a donation had on their life

Thank corporate donors and talk about their impact Roundup a campaign, sharing the results of that specific campaign

Publish a yearly report of the donation amount and types you’ve received and how they affected the year

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6170 Blog Post Ideas for Your Nonprofit | wiredimpact.com

Info For & About Your Donors

Thank individual donors7.

Q&A with one of your donors

Discuss a big donation from someone famous

Feature 3 different types of donors to your organization, why they chose to donate and their impact (ex. small one-time giver, monthly donor, corporate donor)

Give tips for being a better donor

Provide tips on how to choose a nonprofit to donate to

Share questions donors should ask before donating to a nonprofit

Outline all the various ways people can give based on what feels right to them

Tell the story of one of your donors meeting someone they helped

Ask donors for feedback on campaigns they’d be interested in supporting

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Preview an upcoming campaign, explaining the focus and how donations will be used

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7170 Blog Post Ideas for Your Nonprofit | wiredimpact.com

Write about how donors can determine the right amount to give

Share a breakdown of who is giving to your nonprofit including age, gender, etc. along with an explanation of the data and key takeaways

Honor a Donor of the Year

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Highlight Community Needs

21.

22.

Provide a wish list of items you need at that moment

Outline what items are needed at particular times throughout the year with an explanation of why they’re seasonal

Share what your nonprofit can purchase with different donation amounts and the impact each

has for folks in your community

23.

Organizational Info on Donations

Show the process from donation to delivery of your goods or services

Describe how you decide where to spend donation dollars

Discuss your future fundraising goals

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8170 Blog Post Ideas for Your Nonprofit | wiredimpact.com

Share your difficulties with reaching a fundraising goal and what you’re doing to address those struggles

Highlight unusual or surprising ways folks can give to your nonprofit

Talk about some early donations that helped your organization get started

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28.

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Describe a new donation process that you’ve introduced

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9170 Blog Post Ideas for Your Nonprofit | wiredimpact.com

Show ways you have thanked donors in the past (ex. an event, thank you notes)

Discuss your organization’s approach to financial responsibility and accountability as well as any accreditations you may have

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32.

Posts Written by Your Donors

Why I decided to donate originally

Why I’ve continued to donate

How my donations have been used

Why I think this organization is different than others

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When I realized I cared about this cause

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10170 Blog Post Ideas for Your Nonprofit | wiredimpact.com

My advice for potential donors

How I know I’m making a difference

How I organized a fundraiser for this nonprofit

Ways donating led me to be involved with this nonprofit’s cause (ex. became a volunteer after, signed up for weekly updates)

Why I choose to contribute to my community by donating (can also talk about other organizations they give to)

How my family donates in ways other than financial gifts

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11170 Blog Post Ideas for Your Nonprofit | wiredimpact.com

Volunteers and Serving Your Community

Posts 44 – 89

Showcase Volunteer Impact

Highlight an individual past event, and focus on the difference your volunteers made

Share the story of one member of your community who’s been helped by volunteers

Share short thank you messages to volunteers from those that have been helped in the community

Thank individual volunteers

Thank your volunteers as a whole for all they’ve done

Calculate total volunteer hours throughout the year

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12170 Blog Post Ideas for Your Nonprofit | wiredimpact.com

Info About Volunteering with Your Organization

Discuss how you envision your volunteers will make a difference in the future

Share specific goals when it comes to quantity and impact of growing volunteerism

Highlight upcoming volunteer opportunities

Tell volunteers what they need to do to prepare for a volunteer event

Explain the role that volunteers play in your organization

Tell volunteers other ways they can help even when not volunteering

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51.

52.

53.

54.

55.

56.Provide ways children

can be involved in giving to your organization

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13170 Blog Post Ideas for Your Nonprofit | wiredimpact.com

Ask volunteers how you can make your volunteer activities better (share some ideas and ask for their feedback)

Ask volunteers for opportunities they’d be interested in supporting Q&A with one of your volunteers

Publish “a year in volunteering” and post photos from volunteer events throughout the year

Describe an introduction or orientation process you use to get volunteers involved in your organization

Write about the steps needed to become a volunteer with your organization

Promote a new volunteer season or application process

Describe the different volunteering opportunities available through your organization

Post photos of your volunteers on the job and describe the work they are doing

Interview a volunteer and a person in the community they have helped side by side

Promote your most popular volunteering opportunities

Promote your least popular volunteering opportunities, focusing on why they matter and what you’re doing to make them more desirable to volunteers

Write bios of some of your newest volunteers describing why they have decided to help your cause

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14170 Blog Post Ideas for Your Nonprofit | wiredimpact.com

Write bios of some of your longest standing volunteers describing the impact they have had

Talk about some volunteers who have gone on to support your cause outside of your organization (ex. a tutor that became a teacher)

Collect a group of short testimonials by volunteers describing their favorite part of your organization

Give potential volunteers questions to ask an organization when deciding which nonprofit to support

Outline ways to choose the right nonprofit to volunteer with

Post frequently asked questions you always get about volunteering

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Honor a Volunteer of the Year

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15170 Blog Post Ideas for Your Nonprofit | wiredimpact.com

Posts Written by Your Volunteers

Why I give my time to help this organization

Why volunteers matter in the community we serve

My favorite volunteer event I’ve attended

How I plan to support this cause in the future

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78.

79.

80.

A particularly powerful moment I’ve had while volunteering

81.

When I realized I cared about this cause

What I’ve learned by volunteering

How volunteering has changed my life in various ways

What this organization does well and what they could do better

My day volunteering (the entire post in photos they took)

Unique challenges and benefits to being a volunteer with this organization

What I look forward to each time I volunteer (ex. when patients’ families visit)

What I look forward to each year (ex. holiday donation drive)

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16170 Blog Post Ideas for Your Nonprofit | wiredimpact.com

Your Nonprofit’s Events

Posts 90 – 114

Info About Your Events

Highlight an upcoming event

Discuss what makes your events unique

Showcase who you’re partnering with for an upcoming event and share why they’re so awesome

Thank event attendees and remind them of the difference they’ve made

Ask event attendees to share events they’d be interested in attending

Highlight an upcoming speaker for your event

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17170 Blog Post Ideas for Your Nonprofit | wiredimpact.com

Highlight an upcoming breakout session for your event

Highlight the event you just had by the numbers including the number of attendees, number of hours spent learning, number of speakers, etc.

Highlight an event from more than 20 years ago so people can see what the organization used to do

Discuss an event by an organization relevant to your field that your nonprofit supported

Summarize a recent event by sharing the positive feedback of attendees and the people in your organization who contributed to it happening

Share the top three things you’re going to change in next year’s event based on feedback you’ve received

Post a list of your 10 must-go-to events of the year put on by your organization

Post a list of must-go-to events in your community supported by your organization

Do a monthly or yearly wrap up describing the highlights of all of your events

Promote the release of a new calendar of events

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Posts Written by Your Event Attendees

My favorite event I’ve attended

My favorite breakout session I’ve attended

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107.

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18170 Blog Post Ideas for Your Nonprofit | wiredimpact.com

Why I’d likely attend a future event

What I’d like to see in future iterations of an event

My key takeaways from attending an event

108.

109.

110.

Why I decided to attend an event

111.

What makes these events unique

One of the coolest people I met at this event

How attending this event will make me a better donor/volunteer/supporter

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113.

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19170 Blog Post Ideas for Your Nonprofit | wiredimpact.com

Relevant News and Resources

Posts 115 – 147

News Related to Your Mission and Organization

Share news of local citizens who are giving back to your community in a helpful way

Highlight local or state legislation that impacts your cause and encourage your readers to take action against or in support of the legislation

Share national news regarding your cause

Share international news regarding your cause

Showcase the impact that a famous individual has had on your cause

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20170 Blog Post Ideas for Your Nonprofit | wiredimpact.com

Celebrate a holiday and talk about how it connects to your cause

Share organizational news

Share when your organization has been recognized for its work

Celebrate when a major milestone or goal has been reached (discuss what got you there and where you’ll go from this point)

Share unexpected good news from your community

120.

121.

122.

123.

124.

Knowledge and Resources Related to Your Cause

Provide ways people can make a difference in their everyday lives

125.

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21170 Blog Post Ideas for Your Nonprofit | wiredimpact.com

Share a relevant research study or report and summarize the key findings

Share relevant blogs you routinely read and explain why you like them

Respond to blog posts written by others, sharing what you agree and disagree with

Highlight the work of partner organizations

Answer common questions you get asked about your organization or mission

Share relevant accounts you follow on social media and explain why you like each

Discuss a topical book and highlight your key takeaways

Discuss a topical movie and give your take on the themes it addresses

Embed a YouTube video related to your mission and give your thoughts on it

Create an infographic that quantifies something related to your mission

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Share resources for those interested in learning more about the problem you’re addressing

126.

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22170 Blog Post Ideas for Your Nonprofit | wiredimpact.com

Announce the release of your Annual Report and share key information

Interview an expert in your field

Q&A with members of your staff Q&A with members of your board Announce board changes and the impact they’ll have on your organization Ask board members to write about their involvement with your nonprofit Summarize board meetings and discuss what changes are to come in the near future Congratulate new hires, share some biographical info and highlight their reason for joining the organization

137.

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Share a relevant quote and discuss how it relates to the work you’re doing

145.

Provide a critical review of one of your programs including what worked and what needs to be improved

Feature other organizations who are following your model or using your resources

146.

147.

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23170 Blog Post Ideas for Your Nonprofit | wiredimpact.com

The Problem You’re Addressing

Posts 148 – 157

Tell the story of someone facing difficulties in your community (but end by showing there’s hope)

148.

Share photos or videos from members of your community

149.

Talk about what would happen in your community if your nonprofit disappeared tomorrow (but again, wrap it up with hope)

150.

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24170 Blog Post Ideas for Your Nonprofit | wiredimpact.com

Run a pop quiz about your area of focus and take submissions via comments (don’t publish them until they’re all submitted - the first person with all the right answers wins a prize)

Run a campaign through your blog such as “7 Days to Save the Environment” and post a new action each reader should take every day

Outline what your work has taught you about your mission

Explain an innovation you’ve made to your field of work

Describe your process when addressing problems in your community

Post news stories that highlight or explain the problem you’re addressing

Share photos or videos recording the problems your organization is helping to solve

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25170 Blog Post Ideas for Your Nonprofit | wiredimpact.com

Your Nonprofit’s Impact

Posts 158 – 170

Tell the story of how your organization has positively impacted an individual person’s life

Showcase the completion of a project and discuss the journey to get there

Post a photo-heavy showcase of your services being distributed to the community

Post a photo-heavy showcase of the creative work those you serve have done such as art or photography

Share the impact important organizational news will have on your nonprofit and community

158.

159.

160.

161.

162.

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26170 Blog Post Ideas for Your Nonprofit | wiredimpact.com

Illustrate the fulfillment of your mission through a story from your community

163.

164.

Provide the history of a particular program and discuss what’s changed over the years

164.

If you’re a national office, link to stories of impact from your local branches

Share statistical change in your community that your nonprofit contributed to

Explain how your organization has changed as a whole to have the most impact on your community

Share accolades other people have given your organization’s work and thank them for the recognition

Discuss in detail some of the most important changes your nonprofit has made in your community

Describe your 1, 5 and 10 year plans for improving your community

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27170 Blog Post Ideas for Your Nonprofit | wiredimpact.com

We know a website can and should be more than simply a pretty place for people to see what you do. It should have a meaningful impact on your organization, such as:

• Boosting fundraising by inspiring website visitors to become donors and helping you maintain relationships with past donors

• Increasing volunteerism by connecting you with new volunteers and easing the process of managing volunteer events

• Raising awareness of your organization by publishing content that resonates with potential supporters and making information easy for them to find

• Serving your community by sharing educational content or offering tools your community members rely on

Your website shouldn’t just be an online brochure. It should be helping your nonprofit do more good in the community.

About Wired Impact

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28170 Blog Post Ideas for Your Nonprofit | wiredimpact.com

A Bit About Our Team

The following folks at Wired Impact collaborated on this guide:

Jonathan GoldfordJonathan spends the majority of his time focused on web programming and is passionate about encouraging nonprofits to

use the web as a tool to impact the community.

David HartsteinDavid spends most of his time helping nonprofits tell their stories in a more compelling way and using data to measure the benefits an organization can glean from its website.

Twitter | @wiredimpact

Facebook | fb.com/wiredimpact

Nonprofit Tech Blog | wiredimpact.com/blog

Website | wiredimpact.com

Phone | (314) 801.1328

We’re social and quite friendly, so if you have any questions or just feel like reaching out, we’d love to hear from you.

wiredimpact.com/get-proposal

About Wired Impact

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Photo Attributions

Cover Page: “Bandung Trip” by Zhao available at http://www.flickr.com/photos/kodomut/8005745359/ under a Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike 2.0. Full terms at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/

Page 3: “Day 148: The end of the Line” by Bruce Guenter available at http://www.flickr.com/photos/10154402@N03/8421806383/in/photostream/ under a Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike 2.0. Full terms at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/

Page 16: “2013 Warrior Games” by EJ Hersom available at http://www.flickr.com/photos/dvids/8744881674/ under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0. Full terms at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Page 19: “United States Capitol Building” by Jeffery Zeldman available at http://www.flickr.com/photos/zeldman/9659664634/ under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0. Full terms at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

This guide includes photos from the following sources.

Page 20: “Don’t Forget to Recycle!” by James Wang available at http://www.flickr.com/photos/10037058@N08/3696670712/ under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0. Full terms at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/

Page 23: “Sharing Smiles II” by Lovin’ Scoopful available at http://www.flickr.com/photos/lovinscoopful/4457542455/ under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0. Full terms at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Page 25: “IMGP7258” by PWRDF available at http://www.flickr.com/photos/45005153@N07/8199960565/ under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0. Full terms at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/