How to Market Your Nonprofit

Most nonprofit leaders assume they know where their donors come from, which marketing channels are working, and what's standing in the way of growth. Some of these assumptions are right. But wrong assumptions can lead you down the wrong path, with your team optimizing the wrong things.  This is part two of Lee Wochner's walkthrough of the discovery questionnaire that Counterintuity uses wi...

Part 1: Who you are and who you're for  If a stranger asked why your organization deserves to exist, could you answer in one sentence? No grant-speak. A real answer, one that stops them in their tracks and makes them want to help.  Most nonprofit leaders can't effectively answer that question. Not because they don't know their organization, but because they’ve never sat down and put it...

How one nonprofit leader's absolute focus, discipline, and determination are winning the day despite enormous challenges. Nikki Beasley, executive director of Richmond Neighborhood Housing Services, has spent 10 years turning a dormant organization into a force for housing equity in the San Francisco Bay Area. In this episode, she walks through how RNHS helps first-time homebuyers bust the myt...

If your nonprofit's funding isn't growing the way it should, the problem may not be what you think it is.  In this episode of How to Market Your Nonprofit, host Lee Wochner makes the case that most fundraising challenges are really marketing challenges in disguise. The organizations that raise the most money have simply reached more of the right people: donors, funders, and advocates who h...

If your website traffic has softened, your email open rates have slipped, or you're wondering whether your Google Ad Grant is still worth it, you're not imagining things. The marketing landscape has fundamentally shifted, and AI is driving most of it.  Counterintuity CEO and Creative Strategist Lee Wochner cuts through the noise to explain what's actually happening and what nonprofit l...

From a $25,000 grant to a $50 million organization.  Twenty years ago, the Coalition for Responsible Community Development started with a single city contract for graffiti removal in South LA. Today, it's one of the city’s most respected nonprofits, with workforce development, housing, social enterprise, and real estate development all operating under one roof.   That kind of growth doesn'...

When the phone rings at 3 a.m., the story is out, and a narrative is forming. What you do in the next five minutes may be the most important thing you ever do for your organization.  PR veteran Mike Swenson, who spent more than 30 years advising nonprofits and corporations through crises, says the organizations that come out stronger are almost always the ones that were ready before anything start...

On this episode, host Lee Wochner talks with Lori Carmona, CEO of YWCA Greater Los Angeles, about what it takes to lead effectively when everything around you is shifting. With over 25 years of nonprofit leadership experience, Lori brings hard-won wisdom about strategic focus, sustainable revenue, and why great missions need great marketing.    Strategic planning is your North Star  When Lori step...

Instagram has fundamentally changed in the past year. Many of the "best practices" that social media managers have relied on are out the window: Hashtags don't work the way they used to, the algorithm is now powered by AI, search behavior has replaced social discovery, and reels dominate everything else.  If your team uses Instagram (especially if they use it the same way they have f...

What does marketing really mean for organizations working to make the world better?   In this deeply personal episode, Lee Wochner reveals why Counterintuity focuses on helping nonprofits amplify their impact (and why that work matters more than ever).  Drawing on influences from Star Trek to Buckminster Fuller, Lee explains how marketing and strategy become tools for positive change when applied...

Most nonprofits don’t have a marketing problem. They have a clarity problem.   In this episode of How to Market Your Nonprofit, Lee welcomes branding and nonprofit strategist Anika Jackson to explore how unclear identity, hesitant leadership visibility, and scattered messaging quietly decrease impact and support.  Drawing on their work with mission-driven organizations, Anika and Lee reveal why br...

Is your nonprofit ready for the seismic shifts reshaping how donors find and support your mission?  Lee sits down with marketer Tom Malesic to explore how nonprofits can thrive amid unprecedented change. From the rise of generative AI and zero-click search to the freeze in federal funding, this episode tackles the challenges keeping nonprofit leaders up at night and reveals the opportunities hidde...

The world has changed — and so has the way people connect, give, and get inspired.  In this episode of How to Market Your Nonprofit, we take a clear look at what’s shifted since 2020, from fractured attention spans and donor fatigue to new expectations around transparency, personalization, and AI-driven search.  You’ll learn why the old rhythm of a few big campaigns a year no longer works, and how...

Every nonprofit has stories to tell — but how do you keep your content fresh, engaging, and mission-driven week after week?   In this episode, host Lee Wochner introduces a powerful tool: content buckets.   Think of them as storytelling themes that help you stay consistent, save time, and connect more deeply with your supporters.  You’ll hear how to use buckets like:  Impact spotlights – real stor...

Did you catch the Emmy Awards?  The big winner was the Boys and Girls Club, which got more than a few moments in the spotlight — receiving a generous donation and a few lighthearted mentions from presenters.   For any nonprofit, that kind of national visibility is a gift.  What doesn’t make headlines, though, is the hard work happening every day.   As the largest youth-serving organization in the...

Environmental justice isn't just a concept — it’s a call to action that protects kids from toxic environments. CEO Jill Buck and Go Green Initiative, a nonprofit dedicated to environmental justice in schools, are making an impact for kids across the country. In this episode of “How to Market Your Nonprofit,” Counterintuity CEO & Creative Strategist Lee Wochner, Buck shares the personal sto...

Who? What? Where? When? Why? How? These key questions for journalists are vital for nonprofits to answer as well. Why? To create a content strategy that increases awareness and boosts revenue from donations, grants, and service offerings. Having a well-defined identity is crucial for building trust, inspiring action, and fostering long-term relationships with your supporters. In this “solocast” ep...

"We get through things."  Resilience and optimism are hallmarks of American success. In this powerful episode, public affairs luminary and fundraising titan John Gile reminds us of that — and instructs us in how to succeed in fundraising. John should know: in his work with the public affairs firm John Gile & Associates, he has tackled some of society's toughest challenges.  Whether your work i...

On this essential episode of "How to Market Your Nonprofit," we tackle the urgent question: What can your organization do, right now , not just to survive, but truly thrive in today's rapidly changing world? Counterintuity CEO & Creative Strategist Lee Wochner breaks down everything 10 things you need to do now to succeed in our changing world. The 10-point plan Lee’s 10-point plan offers acti...

The show must go on. That’s not just a saying in showbiz. More and more, it’s become a mantra for nonprofits, as they pivot to find their next act. Deborah Reed, Managing Director of Moving Arts, a nonprofit theater company, knows this all too well. From stepping into leadership at the height of COVID, to an expected grant suddenly vanishing, Deborah has tackled major socio-political and economic...

Will your nonprofit survive – or thrive?   Socioeconomically, culturally, politically, geopolitically — things are changing so quickly that we all need to reassess — to determine what’s important, how best to survive, and how best to thrive.   Stuart McFaul understands.   He's dedicated to transforming organizations with cutting-edge technology and a powerful sense of social purpose. Stuart McFaul...

Why worry? For many nonprofits, fundraising has become fund- losing , as grants that had been awarded have suddenly evaporated. Adding to the crazy: tariffs, social upset, consumer sentiment, machine intelligence… fanny packs being unironically fashionable. It's okay to worry. Worry helps alert us to danger. But obsessing about worry isn't helpful. And worrying without doing anything isn&#...

Nonprofits are dealing with a tsunami of change. We are too. Counterintuity’s podcast has a new name and focus: real-world solutions for nonprofit leaders who are ready to take action. In this episode, our CEO & Creative Strategist Lee Wochner lays it all out: the challenges you face, the changes you need to make, and the chutzpah you need to plan for success. Lee takes a deep dive into: Why w...

In this episode, Lee speaks with Celeste Mergens, founder of Days for Girls, which since 2008 has helped millions of women and girls have access to something we don't usually talk about: menstrual care resources and health education. Celeste has ensured her organization's long-term success by facing a truth many founders don't:  What happens to this place when I'm no longer here? ...

In this episode, John David Graham, founder of Good Samaritan Home, shares his extraordinary story of overcoming homelessness and building a nonprofit that rebuilds lives.     From starting a shelter in his own home to managing 19 houses today, John discusses the power of community-driven solutions, the role of accountability in rehabilitation, and how his personal journey shaped a mission of hope...