5 Steps to Build a Community Outreach Strategy That Works

Fundraising

Nov 9

5 Steps to Build a Community Outreach Strategy That Works

Your nonprofit’s community is essential for sustaining your mission. With effective outreach, you can create a win-win situation by aiding your local community while spreading awareness of your nonprofit’s work.

Sincere outreach requires transparency and genuine interest from your organization. You need to show your community members that you are committed to being a force for good in the local area. In this guide, let’s take a look at actionable steps you can take to develop a community outreach strategy that enhances your efforts and deepens your community relationships.

1. Pay attention to community needs

When planning your community outreach, it can be tempting to rely on previous engagement efforts or tried-and-true ideas. However, to make an impact, you need to think big and meet community members where they are.

Uncover how your organization can provide meaningful help by asking these questions:

What challenges is your local community facing? Research recent data and news sources, and interview community leaders to understand the top challenges in your area. Then, plan ways to address your community’s most pressing problems.
What makes seeking help for these challenges difficult? Understanding how your community struggles to seek help enables you to deliver outreach services more strategically. The answers to this question give you an idea of how to address your community’s challenges effectively.
What gaps exist in the programs or services that are currently available? Maybe your community benefits from existing outreach programs, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be improved. For instance, perhaps existing community educational programs can be enhanced to be more inclusive and meet individual learning needs.
How can I engage my community to address these needs collectively? After identifying primary needs, consider ways to engage the community to take the next steps. Gather feedback from existing committees or focus groups to ensure your community feels heard and valued.

Being attuned to your community’s evolving needs is the foundation of successful outreach. By keeping tabs on gaps and structuring your efforts to address them, you’ll pave the way for a more collaborative environment focused on driving positive change, all while boosting your nonprofit’s visibility. Plus, you’ll build trust with your community, as they’ll understand your genuine intentions to assist them.

If you have the bandwidth, addressing your community’s interests in addition to their needs is another way to upgrade the value of your outreach. For instance, if you know that your community is extremely passionate about environmental sustainability, you can adjust your programs to include it. Your nonprofit could host eco-friendly events (such as shoe drive fundraisers), implement waste reduction initiatives, and even track your community’s carbon footprint.

2. Create measurable goals

Before implementing your community outreach plan, draft measurable goals. Start small to build momentum as your organization becomes more engaged with the community. Here are a few goal-setting tools to keep handy:

SMART framework: Keep your community outreach goals specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. That way, instead of relying on vague goals like “increase volunteer recruitment rate,” you can have a SMART goal, such as “Recruit 60 community volunteers to help in the environmental cleanup in two months.”
Benchmarks: Establish baseline measurements to keep your team on track. For instance, if your goal is to improve community health and wellness, you could plan to host several outdoor fitness days by the end of each month.
KPIs: Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) provide quantifiable metrics to gauge success. If your goal is to increase employment rates, your KPIs might be related to job training access and job placement rate.

Having these goals parsed out ahead of time will help your team better understand your progress toward them, enabling you to measure impact and course-correct if needed.

3. Choose relevant solutions

Identify solutions that make sense for your organization and the community’s needs, are accessible to everyone, and make it easy for your audience to learn about your nonprofit’s work. Depending on your goals, you may try the following outreach methods:

Workshops and training. Offer hands-on opportunities for community members to give back. This could include practical training for homelessness outreach or recycling 101 workshops to inform community members of environmental initiatives.
Fundraising events. Structure a fundraising event that your community members would enjoy. Dinner parties, cookouts, car washes, auctions, and even gala dinners can easily accomplish two goals at once by developing community relationships and raising funds for your cause. For instance, a community with many young families might enjoy a sports fundraising field day.
Advocacy campaigns. Social media campaigns, public demonstrations, awareness walks, petitions, and letter-writing campaigns are all ways your nonprofit drives real change while engaging your community in your work. Choose opportunities that align with your audience’s preferences and passions to ensure maximum participation.

While planning these community events, keep an active social media presence to expand your reach and offer real-time engagement opportunities for members who cannot attend or are interested in learning more about your work. For instance, you could livestream a fundraising concert and follow up with an Instagram and blog post detailing the outcomes and your thoughts following the event.

4. Join forces with other organizations

One of the best ways to maximize your community impact is by working alongside other organizations. They can benefit from a larger nonprofit’s experience and expertise, and you can benefit from spreading your cause. Here are a few ways you can expand your network:

Tap into CSR opportunities. Common corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts include volunteer grants and matching gift opportunities. Both of these initiatives can help you gather financial and volunteer support. Double the Donation also recommends working with companies for event sponsorships to access more funding, resources, and credibility.
Team up with other nonprofits. Nonprofits have the same goal: to increase social good. Look for other nonprofits in your area with which you can partner to meet community needs and spread your collective messages.
Reach out to civic and social groups. Civic organizations, clubs, and social groups such as PTAs, governments, faith-based organizations, or environmental groups can provide meaningful assistance, such as event sponsorships, volunteers, or in-kind donations.

Reaching out to other groups may also provide additional perks or assistance. For instance, if your organization is focused on environmental community outreach, you could contact local governments for grants, permits, and access to public spaces for your events.

5. Finalize your outreach schedule

Develop a comprehensive calendar that details where and when you’ll deploy community outreach efforts, making sure to consider:

Communication strategy. Discuss how you’ll promote your outreach efforts to spread awareness and deepen relationships. For example, you need to give yourself time to produce a community event promotional video well before you need to start marketing your event to build hype and introduce your organization.
Contingency planning. Have backup plans ready, in case any unexpected challenges or emergencies arise. For example, a nonprofit planning an outdoor series of community events should have an indoor alternative in case of inclement weather.
Seasonal trends. Funds2Orgs’ fundraising guide suggests structuring fundraising and awareness outreach around times of heightened generosity, such as holidays and Giving Tuesday. Strategic outreach during these times can result in greater support for your nonprofit’s cause.

When planning your outreach schedule, stay open and ready to adapt to changing community needs. For instance, if your neighboring communities need emergency response aid, use your resources to help out. That way, you can provide meaningful help while representing your organization.

Community outreach is the ultimate way to communicate your nonprofit’s mission while aiding and listening to your community. Stay connected with key stakeholders and your community members to ensure that you understand how to engage community members and cultivate relationships by filling important needs and showcasing your nonprofit’s values.

Wayne Elsey, CEO of Elsey Enterprises

Wayne Elsey is the founder and CEO of Elsey Enterprises (EE) and a member of the Forbes Business Development Council. Among his various independent brands, he is also the founder and CEO of Funds2Orgs, which is a social enterprise that helps schools, churches, nonprofits, individuals and other organizations raise funds while helping to support micro-enterprise (small business) opportunities in developing nations.