New Nonprofit Trends in 2022 and How to Prepare

The past two years have been tough for nonprofit organizations so we are looking into new nonprofit trends to get prepared. Looking back to 2020, many nonprofits struggled to stay afloat. Covid-19 put a massive strain on businesses of all types. We saw this a lot in nonprofit organizations that didn’t have a large reserve fund to fall back on. As a result, nonprofits have found themselves in an entirely new climate lately with respect to raising money. Many smaller donors now have less money to spare. At the same time, our society continues to become more socially conscious and value-focused. Consumers, in general, are much more aware of where they’re spending money these days. This heightened consciousness lends hope to nonprofits navigating a complex and uncertain future. 

To survive and thrive, nonprofits must continue to adapt to new ways of fundraising in a hybrid work environment. In addition, there is increased focus on finding new ways to connect with donors in an entirely digital landscape.

Let’s explore some of the top trends for nonprofit organizations in 2022, along with the marketing strategies we recommend to succeed.

Workplace Culture

A new nonprofit trend is a large focus on workplace culture. If we’ve learned anything from the past two years, it’s that workplace culture is hugely important. The culture must attract talent and make employees feel valued and respected. This topic is even more vital to nonprofits who cannot fall back on a huge paycheck to help gloss over other inadequacies their staff may experience. By and large, people who choose to work at a nonprofit do so because they are extremely passionate about what that nonprofit supports. Those missions may include an arts establishment, local community organization, or global charity. 

Secondly, Nonprofits need to demonstrate their appreciation and respect for their employees in an ongoing way. Nonprofits can adopt generous hybrid and flex work policies as we slowly move back to in-person activities. Expectations should be outlined clearly and come. Use respectful communication that allows employees to bring forth suggestions, concerns, questions, or recommendations. Another vital element is adopting better hiring practices that result in an employee base representing diverse backgrounds, skillsets, and opinions.

Digital Payment Technologies

Our second nonprofit trend of 2022 is how people and organizations can donate. The pandemic expedited the global transition to entirely digital payment methods, equally affecting nonprofits. 

In 2020, there was a 20% decline in donations via check. Previously, this was a common transaction method for nonprofits. Now, we see a push towards digital forms of payment. Latching onto this new commerce method will be crucial for nonprofits looking to thrive in 2022. As a result of this shift, give your supporters options to pay via credit card, digital payment service, and digital wallet. This makes the donation process as easy and streamlined as possible while maintaining donor privacy. Incorporating additional user-friendly payment options like QR codes can get you one step ahead while making it easy for people to donate online and in-person. 

Many nonprofit organizations also sell editorial magazines related to their cause or industry and use the proceeds of these sales to raise funds. Issuu’s Digital Sales feature can help boost these sales, enabling nonprofits to sell copies of their publications directly within the Issuu platform.

Social Media Strategy Nonprofit Trends

As these two prior nonprofit trends indicate, the nonprofit sector is rapidly changing. Nonprofits must focus on retaining their valuable employees, attracting donors in new ways, and engaging with their audience via new strategies and tactics that appeal to more people. This is where social media comes in! 

Many nonprofits recognize the importance of social channels. However, it can be challenging to allocate resources and budget for a full-fledged social media strategy. Nonprofits that have adopted thoughtful social media strategies recognize the massive benefits of using these platforms. You can reach new and younger audiences. There are fewer barriers to donating directly. You can discover exciting trends that can launch your nonprofit into viral status. Also, loyal followers who have the potential to act as brand representatives. 

The first step in this process is to digitize all current content. For marketing materials, editorial content, brochures, and program guides, transferring this static content into an immersive, digital format is a great way to share engaging content with followers on social media. Having access to digital long-form content also provides an extensive library of assets to repurpose into social media content for months to come. For example, check out this publication by the Greater New Orleans Foundation. It’s a great example of how a nonprofit can create long-form digital content that’s easily shared via social media.

Clear Communication

This year, our final trend for nonprofits is to focus on clear, concise communication. This is vital for helping community members, potential donors, and stakeholders understand exactly what they are supporting. In a vast sea of philanthropic options, clear communication can be the differentiator that sets one nonprofit apart from the rest. It makes it clear as to which specific niche an organization falls into. Mission and impact are at the heart of every nonprofit. Impactful content with clear messaging can reach the right donors at the right time.

Content to Grow & Thrive

Nonprofits benefit us all by furthering social causes that matter. In a world that’s filled with a host of social, economic, and political issues, nonprofits of all sizes play a vital role in helping support people and institutions in need across the globe. The nonprofit sector is shifting with the tides of global needs and business. The trends identified above can help your business adapt. Also, it will help you overcome modern challenges to grow in 2022 like never before. 

This spotlighted blog post is courtesy of Issuu, a digital publishing platform that helps organizations do more good by amplifying their message online. With Issuu, you can further your cause by transforming your PDFs and printed materials into an immersive online publication – instantly creating a dynamic reader experience that your donors will love.