13 Great Instagram Tips for Nonprofits

It’s hard enough trying to keep a nonprofit going under tough economic conditions. When you struggle to make an impact on social media, to boot, it becomes near impossible to stay afloat.

Fortunately, Instagram is a lifeline for all nonprofits and charities with its seemingly endless features and tools that will help you create highly compelling content for your online audience.

When you’ve set up a bio using keywords, hashtags, and relevant links and decided on the stories you want to tell, use the following 13 tips to expand your nonprofit’s reach on Instagram:

1. Raise a Community

You won’t get far on Instagram if you don’t have an active community supporting your nonprofit.

Keep in contact with your followers by promptly replying to comments, questions, and direct messages. Always thank users for their support and tell them how to contact you if they want to get involved with your projects.

2. Go Live

Running a nonprofit is exceptionally time-consuming but try to find an hour here and there to go live on Instagram.

Connect with your audience in real-time to inform them about fundraisers and updates on your nonprofit’s activities. You can even schedule interviews with beneficiaries and create hype by announcing the live sessions beforehand.

Be sure to save the live videos on your profile for those who can’t watch the live broadcast.

3. Create Shoppable Posts

If you sell merchandise and products via your nonprofit to raise funds, you should use Instagram’s shoppable posts to tag your for-sale items in your posts. Use this feature to showcase branded products or highlight specific fundraising campaigns.

By enabling your community to donate directly or purchase items, you can drive traffic and conversions to your website.

4. Collaborate With Other Nonprofits

As a nonprofit, visibility is one of the most important factors to consider when creating content for Instagram.

By collaborating with other nonprofits, you can increase your visibility and make a bigger impact on the social media platform. Identify nonprofits that share similar goals and plan joint campaigns or co-host fundraisers.

5. Share Quotes and Stories

You don’t have to bombard your followers with requests. Sometimes, you can use something as simple as inspirational quotes or real-life stories to motivate action from your audience.

Share powerful stories about your work or quotes that make people think about those less fortunate.

Touching narratives always resonate with people, and as these posts foster empathy, they drive action and engagement. You can even include stories and quotes from beneficiaries and volunteers.

Furthermore, you can showcase your volunteers’ hard work by featuring them in spotlight posts.

Share their stories and experiences by posting a series of photos or videos that celebrate their contributions. Doing this may encourage others to become part of your nonprofit.

6. Promote Volunteer Opportunities

Speaking of volunteers, Instagram is an excellent platform to recruit and engage volunteers for your nonprofit.

Place a spotlight on your volunteer programs by posting content related to your existing volunteers’ experience and how their contributions make a difference in the lives of others.

Use visually appealing images and videos to capture volunteerism in action. End your posts with clear instructions on how to sign up to volunteer at your nonprofit.

7. Share Educational and Informative Content

Instagram may be all about eye-catching visuals, but in the case of nonprofits, it is also a platform for education and awareness. You can share information about your nonprofit’s mission using infographics, tips and statistics.

Doing this can help your audience understand the issues your nonprofit faces and provide actionable steps they can take to support your cause.

8. Use Instagram Ads

The first prize for your nonprofit is organic reach but there is nothing wrong with allocating a small portion of your available budget for Instagram ads to expand your visibility.

Instagram’s ad feature allows you to target specific demographics, interests, and locations to ensure you reach your ideal audience.

Create outstanding images and combine them with calls to action to increase your donation rate, drive traffic, and find more support for your campaigns.

9. Time Your Ads

As with all your content, you should strike a balance in terms of ad frequency to maintain a constant Instagram presence without overwhelming your audience.

Study the times your followers are most active on Instagram and test several posting schedules. You can also use online scheduling tools to plan and automate your posts.

10. Monitor and Respond To Trends

Just because you’re a nonprofit with a serious mission doesn’t mean you can’t have fun on Instagram now and then.

Find a trend that is easy to follow and incorporate it into your content. Challenge your followers to put their own spin on the trend to encourage further engagement on your feed.

11. Post Exclusive Content

You can make your followers feel like part of your nonprofit by giving them a behind-the-scenes look at your operations.

Share snippets of team meetings, fundraising preparations, and project updates. This type of insider perspective goes a long way in making people feel connected with your ongoing journey.

12. Involve Local Artists

Tap into the artist community in your area by collaborating with painters, photographers, writers, and singers. You can commission artwork, songs, and writings to further your cause and even ask artists to collaborate on your campaigns.

While working together, you can also host Instagram takeovers to allow an artist to take over your Instagram account for a day.

Doing this will allow them to share their perspective and stories directly with your audience, creating a new opportunity to gain new followers and even volunteers.

13. Express Gratitude

As you go about each day promoting your nonprofit, you will find loyal supporters, donors, and volunteers.

Express your gratitude to them by creating posts that thank them for their contributions. Tag individuals and organizations, and feature user-generated content where appropriate.

This process will help you strengthen your relationship with your audience and encourage ongoing support.

Take Your Nonprofit To New Heights With Instagram

By implementing these strategies, you will be well on your way to expanding your nonprofit’s reach, connecting with more supporters and volunteers, and taking your fundraisers to new heights.