Charities and nonprofits need efficient staff and volunteer communication to efficiently operate. Internal communication with volunteers, employees, and stakeholders is just as crucial as communicating with beneficiaries and donors. Teams that operate remotely or in blended home-office environments also need clear and efficient internal communications to succeed. 

Charities with a strong communications strategy guarantee that all communications are carried out responsibly and according to the organisation’s principles. Policies must cover privacy and security concerns for governance and other legal compliance, and information that volunteers and employees are not permitted to reveal must be clear.

How internal communications boost morale

Regularly communicating praise for employee and volunteer accomplishments convey what people do on the front lines. Team members feel valued and encouraged and know their efforts are recognised. It helps build loyalty. People who feel appreciated will continue to invest their time and make valuable contributions to the team. Every employee and volunteer should feel informed, motivated, and empowered due to an engagement strategy built on communication.

With social media playing an increasingly significant role in our lives, the distinction between internal and external interactions can become hazy. So, nonprofit executives must learn how to communicate with personnel, supporters, and potential funders using social media tools. This can strengthen internal messaging by publicly endorsing the team and promoting the charity’s projects.  

Creating an internal communications strategy

Charities should produce and distribute material that piques readers’ interests to keep staff members informed and involved with the organisation’s endeavours. When curating material, consider its value before publishing a video or article. Does it simply fill a void or offer something of significance?

• Content needs to have a connection with your team. Keep employees and volunteers updated on the nonprofit’s news and advancements using material from your website, blog, or other media. 

• Include job postings and volunteering opportunities. It show there is room for growth and engagement within the organisation.

• Promote upcoming events and provide updates afterwards, which demonstrates dedication to the charity’s mission and objectives. Employees and volunteers can share this news with their networks, helping to expand the organisation’s reach.

• Distribute industry articles that allow your staff to develop personally. Through growth, they can become established as reliable sources of high-quality knowledge. Sharing relevant information can open discussions and trigger new ideas within the team.

• Designing an internal corporate newsletter can bind dispersed teams together as a central information centre. Also, they consolidate what may have been a number of emails into a straightforward, simple-to-read structure. Newsletters can also be a vehicle to get employee and volunteer feedback. 

Charities and nonprofits should consider if they need to rededicate their focus to a frequently ignored audience. More productivity and profitability through achieving goals are all outcomes of an effective internal communications plan, which can help your charity succeed as you build cohesiveness in your team.

A solution fit for all

Many free apps can help employees, volunteers, and stakeholders stay engaged, communicate, and collaborate on projects. However, you can benefit from having one system to send customised and automated campaigns to different audiences. The Donor Management System from Story Resonate can help charities and nonprofits target external audiences and internal stakeholders with tailored content ensuring internal communications are given the same priority as communications with donors, supporters, and partners.