Why do so many ministries and non-profits, the organizations filled with helpers, dedicated to serving others, have such a difficult time maintaining success in that mission? It’s not for a lack of people who want to help. No, it’s been my experience that it’s for a lack of people who either don’t know, or have gotten distracted from, what it takes to really help people through a stable, mission-effective organization.

One of the key elements that allows any organization to maintain success, especially nonprofits, is effective communication. It’s here that the majority of nonprofits fail and a major reason why so many nonprofits struggle to build sustainable missions.

Consider these statistics:

Only two-thirds of nonprofits send a follow up email to new sign-ups within 30 days of collecting their information. Of those, less than half offer the opportunity to donate or make a commitment to the organization within the first three months. James says we “don’t have because we don’t ask” (James 4:2=3). That’s true not just in our prayers to God, but to our pleas to people as well.
On nonprofit websites, 65% require three or more clicks to make a donation. By contrast, Peter presented only two things that needed to be done (Acts 2:38) to gain eternal salvation. Why are nonprofits making it so difficult for people to help them?
A staggering 84% of nonprofits have web pages that aren’t mobile-friendly. As we discussed here, that’s a great way to frustrate users and lose their interest. When nonprofit web pages and donation forms are optimized for mobile, they convert 34% more often than those that aren’t.

Like many business aspects, nonprofit creators and their boards often fail to set forth a plan for successful communication. They get caught up in the “evangelical fervor” at the outset, and indeed, that enthusiasm among the original disciples is often enough to get a mission off to a good start. But without a plan for sustainability, those days can go by pretty quickly.

Consider the growth of the early church. They started with only 12 enthusiastic supporters. They all did many great works, both miraculous and compassionate, that attracted new followers. One of them, Peter, was a tremendously persuasive speaker. Another, Paul, was not only zealous for the cause, but brought his experience as a Roman citizen to the table and mapped out a plan for spreading the gospel across the Roman Empire. He was also a pretty fair communicator, penning numerous letters of encouragement to churches he’d already established across Asia Minor. You could say Paul also had an effective plan for member retention.

All of this effort, much of it concentrated on what we would today consider effective marketing and communication of the message, ultimately multiplied those original twelve into a global movement that transformed civilization as we know it.

I’m confident the mission of your nonprofit can make a difference in people’s lives. That’s why you’re doing it. But if you’re leaving your communication to chance or not employing a strategy for sustainability, all that work may be for naught.

Knuckleball Digital was started by two veterans of nonprofit ministry. We have over a half century of combined service to schools, churches and ministries of various sizes, great and small. We understand the unique needs of the nonprofit and want to help you develop a digital communications strategy that will maximize the reach of your work.

Contact Knuckleball Digital today for a free consultation about your nonprofit. Taking the step to modernize your communications strategy isn’t just about having nice digital bells and whistles. It’s about establishing a legacy for your mission.