Our Digital World: Getting In Front Of Your Nonprofits Supporters, hosted by NXUnite!
Kanopi’s Director of Strategy and Creative, Cliff Persaud, speaks to this topic as one of the expert panelists. NXUnite connects leaders in the mission-driven space with the resources and people they need for their organization to thrive. From hosting panels with industry experts to providing curated listings of nonprofit learning opportunities, NXUnite helps organizations get their important questions answered. Gain insight, share knowledge, and connect with the people you need to accomplish your mission. NXUnite brings nonprofit leaders together in an unstoppable community that facilitates valuable connections.
Digital is no longer a “nice to have” for nonprofits. It’s how supporters discover you, learn what you stand for, and decide whether to take action. In this panel, nonprofit marketing leaders share practical, budget-friendly ways to strengthen your online presence, attract new supporters, and measure what’s working, even with limited staff and resources.
What you’ll learn
Why digital presence matters more than ever
- Supporter habits have shifted to “online-first”, and those behaviors have stayed.
- Your website is your front door and your business card: it’s often the first and most important touchpoint.
- Digital channels help nonprofits scale reach beyond local communities and connect with supporters anywhere.
- A strong digital presence provides data you can use to improve messaging and engagement over time.
Budget-friendly strategies that work
- Clarify your value proposition quickly and clearly on your website.
- Use social media strategically, not just for announcements: market to different supporter personas with clear next steps.
- Strengthen email marketing, including list-building and segmentation, to turn supporters into advocates.
- Lean into organic marketing by sounding like yourself: distinctive messaging costs nothing, but helps you stand out.
- Take advantage of nonprofit-specific programs and discounts (including tools and platforms available at reduced cost).
How to get in front of new supporters
- Focus on two key levers:
- Discoverability (search + social visibility)
- Social proof (recommendations, sharing, community validation)
- Build partnerships with digital ambassadors and “street teams” to reach new audiences through trusted voices.
- Create interactive content on your site and bring in guest contributors (blogs, webinars, podcasts) to expand reach and credibility.
What to track and how to use metrics
- Avoid vanity metrics that don’t connect to mission outcomes.
- Track meaningful conversions: donations, event registrations, volunteer signups, and other mission-forward actions.
- Measure success across the full supporter journey, from first engagement to conversion, then refine what’s working.
- Look for warm segments you can re-engage, including one-time donors and highly engaged “quiet supporters.”
How to get leadership buy-in
- Center decisions on user needs, not internal preferences.
- Clearly explain:
- What you want to do
- Why it matters
- How it advances mission outcomes
- Make room for experimentation: growth requires trying new approaches and learning from results.
- Build the business case with clear ROI thinking, using discipline and data to support investment decisions.
Advice for very small nonprofits
- Start by getting your website “dialed in”: performance, navigation, messaging, and clear calls to action.
- Don’t feel pressured to create content everywhere. Choose channels you can sustain.
- Use partnerships and ambassadors to grow reach without relying solely on your own follower count.
- Get clear about who you serve and where, and make that obvious across your website and social profiles.
What’s next for nonprofit marketing
- Personalization and tailored experiences will become increasingly important.
- New tools are lowering the barrier to entry for effective marketing, data collection, and content creation.
- AI can help small teams move faster, but it must be used responsibly and ethically.
- Owning your digital presence also protects your organization against misinformation and imitators.
Speakers
- Colleen Carroll, Content Publishing Coordinator, Nexus Marketing (Moderator)
- Christina Edwards, Founder, Splendid Consulting
- Cliff Persaud, Director of Strategy and Creative, Kanopi Studios
- Ellen Bristol, President, Bristol Strategy Group
- Jessica King, Business Leader, Getting Attention
