Content curation should be an important part of your content creation strategy as it can save you time, improve engagement, establish you as a helpful source of information, and can even improve your SEO. Nonprofits can curate content lots of different ways, but let’s talk about some basics first for those of you who have never curated content before.

Nonprofit Content Curation Basics

Content curation is simply gathering relevant content – that may or may not be yours – and sharing it with your followers.

In order to do it effectively, you need to:

• Know your audience and what is relevant to them
• Schedule time to look for content to share
• Share a variety of content from different sources
• Credit your sources*

*Linking to original content doesn’t automatically save you from copyright violations though. See my post Curating Content Versus Stealing It to learn more. 

When trying to find the right kind of content think about the type of content you are known for now. Then ask yourself:

What would the same people who come to you for that advice also want to know?

That’s the content you want to share.

For example, you as a nonprofit communicator are very likely to be interested in changes on a social media channel. But Kivi and I don’t want to write a new post every time social media platforms update something (we wouldn’t have time for anything else!). But there are people who devote all of their time to tracking social media changes so we will curate that content from those places and share it with you.

If you’re an animal rights organization, you are an expert in ending animal suffering. But it would be logical to assume that a lot of your followers would be interested in vegan/vegetarian recipes. Curating these types of recipes for your followers makes sense.

How to Look for Curated Content

Your main goal is to look for quality content that is relevant to your followers. Ask yourself:

• Is this content published by a reputable source?
• Will my audience be informed or entertained?
• How does this content relate to our own content?
• Does this content offer a unique perspective on a topic within our cause?
• Will I be able to add my own point of view/commentary to this content?

Where to Find Content to Curate

• Your social media newsfeeds
• Subscribe to newsletters
• Ask AI
• Google (BUT be aware that the top content has probably already been shared a lot)

Here are some tools you can use to help find content and keep it organized

• Feedly
• Hootsuite
• Google News Alerts
• Curate by UpContent
• TrendSpottr

How Nonprofits Can Share Curated Content

• Social Media

Share links to content from other people and share why you think your readers need to see this. Repost others’ content.

• Link Roundups

Put together a list of posts, articles, videos, etc on a particular topic related to your cause. These can be news roundups or features like “Things You Need to Know This Week/Month” or “What We’re Reading”

• Add Your Own Spin

These posts require a little more thought, but should still be part of curating content especially if you are interested in establishing yourself as an expert source. You could breakdown data from reports or surveys. Share why you agree or disagree with another piece. Or you could combine several different posts on a similar topic into a single comprehensive post to make it easier for your readers to find everything they need to know about that topic. But remember, it’s important you explain why the content is important to your readers.

For an example of this, see my post Can You NOT Be a Morning Person AND Be Successful?

• Curate Your Own Content

Yep, you can even curate your own content like we did with this post combining all of our resources on annual reports.

From our previous Nonprofit Communications Trends Reports, we know less than 20% of nonprofits say they frequently curate or share content from other organizations. We think that’s a missed opportunity as curating content will help you save so much time while still sharing useful information with your followers.

To talk more about content curation and other nonprofit communications best practices, join our private community. It’s free and give you access to discussion boards, resource libraries, special events and more!

Need social media and newsletter ideas for September? Then you are in the right place! You can also use these writing ideas for blog posts, videos and more. These writing ideas for September come from our Monthly Nonprofit Writing Prompts email newsletter. Fill out the form below to get October’s prompts emailed to you the week of September 4th.

On the Calendar

You’ll find events with specific dates on the shared Google Calendar.

9/02: Labor Day. Is your organization helping find jobs for those out of work? Interview a volunteer on how they juggle a career and volunteering.

9/06: Read a Book Day. Review a book that highlights your cause. Suggest books to your volunteers that will help them get fired up. (International Literacy Day is on the 8th)

9/08: Grandparents Day. If you work with seniors, do a photo spread of them with their grandchildren. Or have people who have lost their grandparents write letters to them.

9/09: National Boss/Employee Exchange Day. Swap roles with your boss (or vice versa) and document the day for Reels, TikTok, etc.

9/10: Swap Ideas Day. Find another nonprofit to collaborate with to share ideas on a common problem. Find a staff member who works in another area and ask them their thoughts on a problem your area has (like what should we include in our content).

9/12: National Day of Encouragement. Get those quotes ready and give your followers a boost of confidence. Or share how your clients have overcome the odds to show others they can do it too.

9/13: Positive Thinking Day. Share how you WILL eradicate the issues your cause faces. Or talk about toxic positive thinking as it relates to mental health issues.

9/22: Autumn Equinox. Relate the changing of the leaves or fall trends to your cause. Or just make fun of the pumpkin spice everything that’s coming.

9/25: National Comic Book Day. What comic book hero would stand for your cause? What villain would be against you? Can you compare these characters to real-life people in you organization? You can also create your own comic book hero!

9/28: Ask a Stupid Question Day. Is your organization one that’s hard to explain? Know some people who are embarrassed to admit they don’t know the answers? Do a top-ten list of stupid questions you have received. Or turn this idea upside down and take an “apathetic” question like “How can we possibly make a difference, so why bother?” and tell how you will.

September is also:

• Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15th – October 15th)
• National African Immigrant Heritage Month
• National Preparedness Month
• Baby Safety Month
• Self Improvement Month
• Classical Music Month
• Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
• Hunger Action Month
• Ovarian Cancer Month
• National Prostate Health Month
• Pain Awareness Month
• National Recovery Month
• Suicide Prevention Awareness Month

Other Dates in September:

• International Day of Charity is the 5th
• International Literacy Day is the 8th
• Stand Up to Cancer Day is the 13th
• World Suicide Prevention Day is the 10th
• 911 Remembrance Day is the 11th
• International Day of Democracy is the 15th
• Mexican Independence Day is the 16th
• Talk Like a Pirate Day is the 19th
• International Day of Peace is the 21st
• Business Women’s Day in the 22nd
• World Rivers Day is the 22nd
• Native American Day is the 27th

Metaphor of the Month

This month’s metaphor is School. Think about classrooms, virtual learning, textbooks, a syllabus, principals, teachers, students, tests, desks, chalkboard, smartboards, recess, dress codes, subjects, computers, detention, field trips, homework, back-to-school shopping, and report cards.

How can you relate these things to your organization?

Pop Culture, Events, and News

This NFL season kick offs on the 5th.

The US Open for tennis will wrap up the 8th.

There is a Presidential Debate scheduled for the 10th.

The MTV Video Music Awards are the 11th.

The Emmy Awards are the 15th.

The 37th Hispanic Heritage Awards are on the 27th.

Oktoberfest in Germany happens as well as local fests in the US.

Movies coming out in September include Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Transformers One, Speak No Evil, The Killer’s Game, Megalopolis, The Wild Robot, Lee, and Never Let Go .

On streaming platforms, we have Apollo 12: Survival, Uglies, Wolfs, and Rez Ball.

TV Premieres include English Teacher, Last One Standing, Slow Horses, Tell Me Lies, The Perfect Couple, Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist, Power Book II: Ghost, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, Selling Sunset, Whose Line Is It Anyway?, Bob’s Burgers, Billionaire Island, Emily in Paris, The Old Man, How to Die Alone, Three Women, The Great North, Universal Basic Guys, My Brilliant Friend, Sister Wives, Tulsa King, Halloween Baking Championship, Dancing with the Stars, High Potential, Agatha All Along, The Golden Bachelorette, Survivor, Frasier, The Penguin, 60 Minutes, Matlock, Rescue HI-Surf, 9-1-1: Lonestar, Brilliant Minds, The Voice, Murder in a Small Town, Penelope, Chicago Fire, Med, and P.D., Grotesquerie, The Masked Singer, 9-1-1, Doctor Odyssey, Grey’s Anatomy, Hell’s Kitchen, Nobody Wants This, The Simpsons, and The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon – The Book of Carol.

Source of the Month

Blog Round Up. Pick a topic related to your cause and create a blog post with links to recent articles, studies or blog posts.

If you would like these ideas sent to your inbox a month in advance, sign up for our Monthly Nonprofit Writing Prompts. I send this email newsletter the first week of every month with prompts for the following month. For example, I will email the prompts for October around September 6th.

Sign up now to get prompts emailed to you in advance monthly.

Can’t see the form? Try this.

Earlier today I presented a brand new webinar Easier Content Creation for Nonprofits: Mastering AI, Repurposing and Curation. In addition to tips on repurposing and curating content, I included a whole section on writing better AI prompts for your communications.

Want to watch the recording of this webinar? Become an All-Access Pass Holder! You can watch this webinar and hours of other recorded webinars, PLUS attend as many live webinars as you want for 365 days.

What Is Generative AI?

Think ChatGPT. Generative AI is a type of artificial intelligence that can create content based on a user’s request.  That request is called a prompt. And how well your prompt is written is the key to getting the best results from generative AI.

(If you aren’t familiar with AI, see How Marketers Are Using AI (Plus 4 Helpful Tips) to get started.)

There are several different types of AI prompts including:

• Creative – when you’re asking AI to create or compose
• Informational – you’re asking for details, facts or other information
• Reasoning – you’re asking AI to draw thoughtful conclusions about a subject
• Listicle – you’re asking AI to give you the results in a list format
• Instructional – you’re asking AI to give you the results in a step-by-step guide
• Differing Viewpoints – you’re asking for AI to take the opposite side of an argument (AI can’t actually give you an opinion)
• Summary – you’re asking AI to summarize a larger amount of information
• Keyword – you’re asking AI to focus on specific words or phrases and include them in its results

If you have tried using generative AI like ChatGPT, but just don’t like the results you are getting, it may be time to work on your prompts.

Writing Better AI Prompts

Use these tips to write better AI prompts that give you the BEST results:

1. Provide as much context as possible
2. Be specific and detailed
3. Explain what you want to achieve
4. Give the platform
5. Define tone of voice (and use it)
6. Give desired length
7. Ask for more than one result

When writing your AI prompts, be as specific and detailed as you can. And provide as much context as you can including where the content will be posted, how long it needs to be, and the tone/voice you want. And be sure to use that tone and voice even in the prompts. AI pays attention to everything you input.

For example, instead of just saying “I need a blog post about hiking safety,” your prompt should be something like:

I need a 400 to 500-word blog post written in a casual friendly tone about the dangers of hiking the Pacific Coast Trail during summer. Make it a top 10 list. The target audience is people in their 30s.

The second prompt will give you more tailored results meaning you don’t have to work as hard to edit it. And don’t be afraid to refine the prompt based on the results you get.

And be sure to ask for more than one result especially if you are using it for email subject lines or titles.

If you didn’t like the content AI comes back with, follow up with a prompt that explains what you liked about the results and what you didn’t. If you didn’t like the tone, give it an example of something written in that tone and ask it to try again.

Think of generative AI as a freelancer and give it the same feedback you would give a graphic designer. It’s really just a conversation.

But remember:

DOUBLE-CHECK EVERYTHING!

Harmful content, racial bias, copyright violations, and misinformation are all real issues. If your organization doesn’t have an AI policy, then go do that first! (And yes, Pass Holders have access to our AI policy webinar recording and templates)

AI is here to stay whether you like it or not. And it can be a helpful tool in your content creation process if you use it right.

Want to work together on your prompts? Join us for a Community Study Hall: Creating Better AI Prompts. Not a member of our community? Join now! It’s free.

Need some help coming up with ideas for your August social media updates, blog posts, or newsletter articles? We have you covered. These writing ideas for August come from our Monthly Nonprofit Writing Prompts email newsletter. Fill out the form below to get September’s prompts emailed to you next week.

On the Calendar

08/04: Friendship Day. Give a big shout to friends and supporters of your cause or highlight staff, volunteer or client friendships.

8/09: Book Lover’s Day. Review a book or suggest books to your followers that shed some light on your cause.

8/12: International Youth Day. What role do young people play in your cause?

08/17: National Nonprofit Day. Create awareness for your cause by using the hashtag #nationalnonprofitday, thank supporters, or kick off fall fundraising a little early.

8/18: Bad Poetry Day. Have a little fun and write a (bad) poem about your nonprofit.

08/19: World Photography Day. Perfect for Instagram and other social media channels, this is a chance to post your best pictures.

8/21: Senior Citizen’s Day. Does your cause help older people? Honor an older volunteer or staff member.

8/22: Be an Angel Day. Do you have a special person working with you who always goes above and beyond? Who in your field are real angels to people in need?

8/26: Women’s Equality Day. How has women having the right to vote affected your cause?

Also in August:

• National Minority Donor Awareness Day (1st)
• Sisters Day (4th)
• International Cat Day (8th)
• National Women’s Day (9th)
• International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples (9th)
• International Youth Day (12th)
• World Humanitarian Day (19th)
• International Dog Day (26th)
• Family Fun Month
• National Breastfeeding Month (United States)
• Water Quality Month
• National Immunization Awareness Month
• National Wellness Month

Metaphor of the Month

This month’s metaphor is Sports. Teams, teaming up, scoring, winning, losing, competition, practice, game face, slam dunk, heavy hitting, goal, touchdown, three strikes, penalty, take aim, best shot, marathon, sore loser, gold medal, training, cancellations.

How can you relate these things to your organization?

Pop Culture, Events, and News

August is back to school time for lots of folks.

Preseason NFL games will start back in August.

The 2024 Black Girls Rock! Awards take place on the 1st.

The 73rd Miss USA Pageant is on the 4th.

The 2024 Summer Olympics will be wrapping up with the closing ceremony will be held on the 11th.

The Perseids Meteor Shower will peak on the 12th-13th.

The Democratic Convention will be held the 19th – 22nd.

The US Open in tennis starts the 26th.

Movies coming out in August include Harold and the Purple Crayon, Kneecap, Trap, Borderlands, It Ends with Us, Cuckoo, Flint Strong, Alien: Romulus, Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 2, Blink Twice, The Crow, The Forge, Slingshot, Afraid, Reagan, You Gotta Believe, They Listen and Kraven the Hunter.

On streaming platforms, we have Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie, One Fast Move, The Instigators, Daughters, Jackpot, The Union, Incoming, The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat, and The Deliverance.

TV Premieres include Batman: Caped Crusader, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, Hard Knocks: Training Camp With the Chicago Bears, The Umbrella Academy, Industry, Houses of Horror: Secrets of College Greek Life, Bel-Air, Emily in Paris, Reasonable Doubt, Only Murders in the Building, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, and Terminator Zero.

Source of the Month

Recent Reports or Studies. Look for reports and case studies relating to your cause and highlight the key findings from those papers and what they mean to your cause or your clients.

If you would like these ideas sent to your inbox a month in advance, sign up for our Monthly Nonprofit Writing Prompts. I send this email newsletter the first week of every month with prompts for the following month. For example, I will email the prompts for September around August 4th.

Sign up now to get prompts emailed to you in advance monthly.

Can’t see the form? Try this.

If this summer heat is causing writer’s block, then look no further! We’ve got you covered for social media, blog post, or newsletter ideas for July. These July writing ideas come from our Monthly Nonprofit Writing Prompts email newsletter. Fill out the form below to get August’s prompts emailed to you next week.

On the Calendar

7/1: Canada Day. For our friends to the North, this is a day to celebrate Canadian heritage and pride.

7/1: International Joke Day. Make fun of yourself a little. Have a funniest joke contest. Share your best “Dad” jokes or if you deal with kids, then have them share their favorite jokes.

7/4: Independence Day (U.S.). What do you want your readers to declare their independence from? Or share your favorite summer recipes.

7/7: Tell the Truth Day. Create social media posts with truths about your cause that supporters can use on their networks or counter any lies your detractors are spreading.

7/13: Embrace Your Geekness Day. Perfect for those orgs who deal with training or other “geeky” causes. “How to” posts would also work here.

7/17: World Emoji Day. Can you communicate your mission or other aspects of your organization just using emojis? Great idea for social media.

7/18: Nelson Mandela International Day. How can the legacy of Nelson Mandela inspire your supporters to take action?

7/21: National Junk Food Day. Do an expose on all those so-bad-but-so-good treats your staff has squirreled away in their desks. Or if you deal with nutrition issues, share healthy alternatives.

7/30: International Day of Friendship. Highlight “friends” of your mission even if they are other nonprofits.

Other important dates in July:

• American Zoo Day (1st)
• National Workaholics Day (5th)
• Hijri New Year (8th)
• World Population Day (11th)
• Parent’s Day (28th)

It’s also:

• Parks and Recreation Month
• National Picnic Month National
• Cell Phone Courtesy Month
• National Ice Cream Month
• National Lost Pet Prevention Month
• National Make A Difference to Children Month
• National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month
• UV Safety Awareness Month

Metaphor of the Month

This month’s metaphor is Cooking, Food, and Beverages. Think about recipes, foodies, cookbooks, grills, ingredients, barbeques, shopping lists, bar tabs, chefs, chopping block, culinary school, juice, winemaking, baking, mixed drinks, burning, boiling, beer, raw, mocktails, utensils, fruits, meats, vegetables.

How can you relate these things to your organization?

Pop Culture, Events, and News

Fireworks celebrations will be held around the United Stated for July 4th celebrations.

Summer travel will continue to heat up.

Wimbledon runs the 1st through the 14th.

Shark Week on the Discovery Channel starts the 7th with host John Cena.

The 2024 ESPY Awards will be presented on the 11th.

The Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards 2024 are on the 13th.

Major League Baseball’s All-Star game is July 16th in Arlington, TX with the annual Home Run Derby being held the day before.

The Tour de France ends the 21st.

The Summer Olympics opening ceremony is on the 26th in Paris.

In movie news, Despicable Me 4, MaXXXine, Fly Me to the Moon, Longlegs, Touch, Twisters, and Deadpool & Wolverine will be released in July.

Streaming movies coming out include Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, Space Cadet, The Imaginary, Skywalkers: A Love Story, Tyler Perry’s Divorce in the Black, Descendants: The Rise of Red, My Spy The Eternal City, and Find Me Falling.

TV Premieres include Hard Knocks: Offseason With the New York Giants, The Man With 1000 Kids, All American: Homecoming, The Bachelorette, Claim to Fame, Million Dollar Listing, Sunny, Impractical Jokers, Mastermind: To Think Like a Killer, The Real Housewives of Orange County, Sausage Party: Foodtopia, Vikings: Valhalla, Exploding Kittens, Me, The Serpent Queen, Mammals, The Black Widower: The Six Wives of Thomas Randolph, Homicide: Los Angeles, The Ark, Big Brother, Cobra Kai, How I Caught My Killer, Those About to Die, Lady in the Lake, Snowpiercer, Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta, Time Bandits, The Decameron, Futurama, and Unsolved Mysteries.

Also Hallmark will be doing a “Christmas in July” schedule.

Source of the Month

AI. Ask ChaptGPT (or whatever you use for generative AI) for writing ideas based on your mission.

Did you like these writing ideas for July? If you would like these prompts sent to your inbox a month in advance, sign up for our Monthly Nonprofit Writing Prompts. I send this email newsletter the first week of every month with prompts for the following month. For example, I will email the prompts for August the July 5th.

Sign up now to get prompts emailed to you in advance monthly.

Can’t see the form? Try this.

We’ve got you covered for social media or newsletter ideas for June! These writing ideas come from our Monthly Nonprofit Writing Prompts email newsletter. Fill out the form below to get July’s prompts emailed to you the first week of June.

Your Nonprofit Writing Prompts for June 2024

On the Calendar

6/1: Official Start of Hurricane Season in the US. If you work anywhere near the Gulf or Atlantic Coasts, you know all about Hurricane season, which starts June 1st and goes through November. How can you relate your work to hurricane preparedness, or the power of water and wind?

6/3: Repeat Day. Use this day to resend an email to people who didn’t open it the first time or republish a blog post that did well.

6/3: Repeat Day. Use this day to resend an email to people who didn’t open it the first time or republish a blog post that did well.

6/5: World Environment Day. It’s sort of like a global Earth Day headed by the United Nations Environment Programme. This year’s focus is on land restoration, desertification and drought resilience under the slogan “Our land. Our future. We are #GenerationRestoration.”

6/8: Best Friends Day. Who are your organization’s best friends? Feature your most passionate supporters and volunteers.

6/14: Flag Day. Design a flag for your organization. If you serve kids or families, hold a contest asking them to draw a flag that represents your cause. Veterans groups can take a more literal view of the holiday and ask their clients what the American flag means to them.

6/15: Smile Power Day. This screams photo spread! Get the camera out and take some pics of your staff, volunteers or clients.

6/16: Father’s Day. Just like Mother’s Day in May — plenty of opportunities here. Who is the “father” of your cause or organization? How can your supporters honor their fathers in a way that’s consistent with your cause?

6/18: National Splurge Day. What would you do if you could suddenly purchase anything you wanted for your cause?

6/21: First Day of Summer. Think about ways to relate your cause to summer vacations or anything else summery.

6/24: Take Your Dog to Work Day. This one speaks for itself. Post pics of your pups or ask your supporters to share some of their dogs at work.

Other special events in June include D-Day (6th), World Oceans Day (8th), Loving Day (12th), Juneteenth (19th), and Social Media Day (30th).

It’s also:

• Great Outdoors Month
• Gay Pride Month
• Caribbean American Heritage Month
• National Adopt a Cat Month
• National Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Month
• Student Safety Month
• Zoo and Aquarium Month

Metaphor of the Month

This month’s metaphor is Travel. Think about vacations, planes, trains, cars, cruise ships, tickets, souvenirs, exploring, delays, road trips, tourists, GPS, luggage, business trips, language barriers, and maps. This year, you might also think about canceled trips, refunds, and online tours.

How can you relate these things to your organization?

Pop Culture, Events, and News

The NBA and NHL playoffs will continue through June.

Music Festivals are also starting to return this summer.

The 51st Daytime Emmy Awards will be the 7th.

The French Open ends June 9th.

The Tony Awards are on the 16th.

The U.S. Open of golf will be held June 13th-16th in Pinehurst, NC.

The BET Awards are the 30th.

Movies being released include Bad Boys: Ride or Die, School of Magical Animals 2, Inside Out 2, Watchers, Kinds of Kindness, The Bikeriders, A Quiet Place: Day One, Horizon: An American Saga, and Daddio,

Streaming movies include Under Paris, Baki Hanma VS Kengan Ashura, Hit Man, and Fancy Dance.

TV premieres in June include Trixie Motel: Drag Me Home, Couples Therapy, Fixer Upper: The Lakehouse, Mayor of Kingstown, The Real Housewives of Dubai, The 1% Club, American Ninja Warrior, Erased: WW2’s Heroes of Color, Gypsy Rose: Life After Lock Up, Name That Tune, The Acolyte, Clipped, Hitler and the Nazis: Evil on Trial, Criminal Minds: Evolution, Sweet Tooth, Power Book II: Ghost, Queenie, The Lazarus Project, Deadliest Catch, Presumed Innocent, The Boys, Bridgerton, House of the Dragon, Orphan Black: Echoes, The Real CSI: Miami, My Lady Jane, That ’90s Show, Zombies: The Re-Animated Series, and The Bear

Source of the Month

People just love a good quote. You can create a blog post around a quote or simply post one to social media. To make it more share-worthy, lay the text from the quote over an image related to your cause. Goodreads has a popular quotes page, or you can simply search “famous quotes.” Just make sure you double-check your source! Lots of quotes are ascribed to famous people who didn’t actually say them.

How will you use these writing ideas for June? If you would like these ideas sent to your inbox a month in advance, sign up for our Monthly Nonprofit Writing Prompts by filling out the form below. I send this email newsletter the first week of every month with prompts for the following month. For example, I will email the prompts for July the first week of June.

Sign up now to get writing ideas emailed to you in advance monthly.

Can’t see the form? Try this.

During our Master Class on the seven different styles of nonprofit writing, we talk a bit about editing too, and knowing ourselves as writers.

As we close the workshop, I asked participants to pick one of the six quotes about editing as their own personal mantra to remember as they write and edit at work.

We’ve done this workshop several times, and while some people skip the question, 127 nonprofit communicators have answered in the last three years.

The most popular editing matras are clear. Maybe other nonprofit editors like yourself should adopt these too?

With 32% of the vote:

“The secret to editing your work is simple. You need to become its reader instead of its writer.” ~Zadie Smith

With 28% of the vote:

“You can always edit a bad page. You can’t edit a blank page.”  ~Jodi Picoult

With 17% of the vote:

“Write without fear. Edit without mercy.” ~Tom Albrighton

Which one is the best reminder for you? 

Need to fill some gaps in your editorial calendar? We have ideas for newsletters, social media, blog posts, and more. These writing ideas for May come from our Monthly Nonprofit Writing Prompts email newsletter. Fill out the form below to get June’s prompts emailed to you next week.

Your Writing Prompts for May 2024

On the Calendar

5/1: National Mother Goose Day. Write a fairy tale or nursery rhyme about your nonprofit.

5/4: Star Wars Day. Who are the good guys and bad guys in your epic battle to make the world a better place? Who in your office is the naïve but brave Luke Skywalker, the cocky, but loyal Han Solo, the fierce Princess Leia, or know-it-all C-3PO? Incorporate other characters too like Ahsoka, Din Djarin, Grogu, Rey, Kylo Ren, Poe, and Finn.

5/5: Cinco de Mayo. Though many seem to use it as an excuse to go out for Mexican and margaritas, this date is a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride, commemorating the Battle of Puebla. Note that it is NOT Mexican Independence Day, which is on September 16. Can you make any connections to the Mexican community, or to Mexican restaurants or services in your community?

5/7: National Teacher’s Day. Who are some of the great teachers in your field? Can you honor a teacher who is also a great volunteer or donor for your cause?

5/11: Twilight Zone Day. Does it feel like you’re living in the Twilight Zone sometimes? This day celebrates the mysterious show. Have your readers enter the Twilight Zone by writing about how eerie and scary the world would be without your nonprofit.

5/12: Mother’s Day. Do you have that certain someone who is a “mom” to all those in your organization? How can your supporters honor their mothers in a way that’s consistent with your cause? But be sensitive to those who may have lost their mothers.

5/18: International Museum Day. Does your cause have a museum associated with it you could encourage people to visit? Or could you partner with a local museum? If not, create a virtual museum based on your mission.

5/18: Armed Forces Day. Does your cause have any connections to the military, or local military bases?

5/24: National Scavenger Hunt Day. Can you create a scavenger hunt for your followers? It can be a digital one where they submit pictures or do quests based on your mission.

5/28: Amnesty International Day. Is your organization involved with protecting human rights? Can you call on supporters to get involved with a related issue?

5/27: Memorial Day (US). Officially marks a day of remembrance for those who have died in military service to our country. Unofficially marks the beginning of summer.

May also has:

• Asian American Month
• Pacific Islander Heritage Month
• Haitian Heritage Month
• Jewish American Heritage Month
• National Bike Month
• National Pet Month
• National Physical Fitness and Sports Month
• Mental Health Month
• Older Americans Month
• Foster Care Month
• American Wetlands Month
• National Nurse’s Week (6th – 12th)
• National Women’s Health Week (12th – 18th)
• International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (17th)
• Victoria Day (Canada, 20th)
• World No Tobacco Day (31st)

Metaphor of the Month

This month’s metaphor is Parenting. Think about moms, dads, growth spurts, stages, giving birth, pregnancy, nursery, family dinner, sibling rivalry, discipline, adoption, empty nest, sleepless nights, divorce, packing school lunches, blended families, soccer moms.

How can you relate these things to your organization?

Pop Culture, Events, and News

The end of May is the unofficial start of summer, so you’ll see lots of discussion about outdoor and warm weather activities.

May is also the beginning of graduation season for high schools and colleges. What words of wisdom can you give seniors as they enter college or the workforce right now?

The Eta Aquariid meteor shower peaks on the 4th-5th.

The Kentucky Derby is May 4th.

The 2024 MTV Movie & TV Awards is the 7th.

The Eurovision Song Contest starts the 7th.

The 59th Academy of Country Music Awards is the 16th.

The Cannes Film Festival starts the 14th.

The French Open tennis tournament begins the 20th.

May TV premiers include Jeopardy! Masters, Hacks, A Man in Full, Welcome to Wrexham, Selling the OC, Zillow Gone Wild, The Real Housewives of New Jersey, Dark Matter, Black Twitter: A People’s History, Bodkin, The GOAT, Love Undercover, Pretty Little Liars: Summer School, The Chi, Doctor Who, Interview With the Vampire, Bridgerton, Don’t Forget the Lyrics, Weakest Link, Trying, Evil, The Kardashians, Houses of Horror: Secrets of College Greek Life, America’s Got Talent, Beat Shazam, The Quiz with Balls, MasterChef, and Eric.

Movies coming out in May include Turtles All the Way Down, The Fall Guy, I Saw the TV Glow, Unfrosted, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, Tarot, We Grown Now, If, Back to Black, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, The Garfield Movie, Sight, Robot Dreams, and Ezra

Source of the Month

Your Social Media Platforms. Look through Facebook/Instagram/LinkedIn/X, etc. posts and see what got the most attention. Talk more about that in an article or blog post. Or ask your followers how to solve a problem, then post their answers on your blog.

Sign up now to get writing ideas emailed to you in advance monthly.

Can’t see the form? Try this.

Not sure what to write about next month? We have ideas for newsletters, social media, blog posts, and more. These writing ideas for April come from our Monthly Nonprofit Writing Prompts email newsletter. Fill out the form below to get May’s prompts emailed to you next week.

Your Writing Prompts for April 2024

On the Calendar

4/1: April Fool’s Day. Today is a great opportunity to do something a little light-hearted or humorous, even if that’s not usually your style. Try to pull these little stunts in the morning, so you can follow up in the late afternoon with a “retraction” or “gotcha!” Use Instagram Stories, etc so they don’t stick around on your feed.

4/2: International Children’s Book Day. Find a good kid’s book related to your cause and use that as a springboard to talk about your work. This works especially well if you have lots of parents with small children on your mailing list.

4/4: Tell a Lie Day. Use this day to dispel any myths or rumors about your cause. Or point out lies people have told about your cause.

4/7: World Health Day. This year’s theme is My health, my right.

4/11: National Pet Day. Share your staff pets or ask your supporters to share theirs.

04/14: International Moment of Laughter Day. Create or share a funny meme or video.

04/15: World Art Day. Have supporters create art based on how your cause has helped them or how you make them feel. Or showcase your staff’s artistic talents.

4/15: Income Tax Day in the U.S. How do tax dollars support your cause? Make your supporters feel a little better about paying up by knowing how it helps you. Or maybe you can point out that you don’t use any tax dollars at all!

4/17: International Haiku Poetry Day. Create a haiku about your organization or your cause especially if your organization dals with nature. (In case you forgot, it’s 3 lines with 5 syllables for the first line, 7 for the second and 5 for the third line)

4/22: Earth Day. How can you connect what you do with protecting the environment, even if your core mission isn’t environmental? This year’s theme is climate action.

04/23: Take a Chance Day. Write about something you’ve been thinking about, but have been too afraid to share. Start a campaign with an audacious goal, or encourage your supporters to take a next step.

4/25: Take Your Kid to Work Day. Get some of your staff to bring their kids to work and share what the kids learned about your cause. Or have volunteers bring their kids. If you work with kids ask them to explain what their parents or guardians do for work.

4/27: Tell a Story Day. Time to share stories from your clients or be more creative and tell a fairy tale about how much better the world would be with your org (or a horror story about the world without it).

4/29: International Dance Day. Great for social media videos, you can join in the latest TikTok dance or show your staff getting down to take a break.

April Also Has:

• World Autism Awareness Day: 2nd
• Day of Silence: 12th
• National Volunteer Week: 21st – 27th
• Gathering of Nations: 25th-27th
• Passover starts the 22nd
• Arbor Day: 26th
• Celebrate Diversity Month
• Arab-American Heritage Month
• National Poetry Month
• Stress Awareness Month
• National Garden Month
• Sexual Assault Awareness Month

Metaphor of the Month

The metaphor for this month is weather. Think about rain, wind, tornadoes, heatwaves, humidity, cold spells, snow, thunderstorms, light showers, sun, clouds, fog, climates, floods, forecasts, and radar.

How can you relate these things to your organization?

Pop Culture, Events, and News

You’ll see all kinds of news and events related to Spring like fashion, gardening, etc

Local festivals will start popping up on everyone’s calendar. Google “(your state) festivals” and you’ll see what’s coming up nearby.

Presidential primaries will continue in several states.

The 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards take place on the 1st.

Despite it being called March Madness, the NCAA Basketball Championship Games actually take place in April with the women playing on the 7th and the men on the 8th.

The CMT Music Awards are on the 7th.

The Masters in Augusta, GA takes place April 11th – 14th.

The White House Correspondents’ Dinner is the 27th.

The NFL Draft starts on April 25th.

Many TV shows and miniseries premier or return in April including Lovers and Liars, Vanderpump Villa, Lopez vs Lopez, Weakest Link, Walker, Ripley, Parasyte: The Grey, Sugar, Say Yes to the Dress, Chucky, Fallout, Franklin, The Sympathizer, Under the Bridge, Welcome to Wrexham, The Spiderwick Chronicles, and The Veil.

Movies premiering either in theaters or streaming include The First Omen, Monkey Man, Wes Is Dying, Civil War, Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead, Sweet Dreams, The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare, Villains, Inc., Sasquatch Sunset, Hard Miles, and Challengers.

Source of the Month

Read! Whether it’s a novel you picked up for Spring Break or a favorite industry blogger, reading can spark your creativity and show you new ways to look at the world.

Sign up now to get writing ideas emailed to you in advance monthly.

Can’t see the form? Try this.

We recently asked more than 50 nonprofit communicators about their top problems with their style guide or brand book.

The first answer was that the style guide was outdated.

The second answer was that the style guide was incomplete.

The rest of the answers are in the graphic above, which includes the style guide being inconsistent, too complicated, and not followed.

Here are three recommendations to get your nonprofit style guide back on track.

Pick a Default Style Guide

First, you should choose a default style guide so even if your style guide is outdated, you have one that is more frequently updated to follow.

AP Stylebook

Chicago Manual of Style

CMOS Shop Talk is a great resource that often covers both Chicago and AP.

You might also like:

Buzzfeed Style Guide

Microsoft Style Guide

Pick a Specialized Style Guide

Next, you might want to use another specialized style guide that better matches your specific work.

Specialty Guides (Many Are Written by Nonprofit Advocates, Often for Journalists)

Our recommendation: Cite these as sources for decisions in your own style guide, so that you can review and update language choices as these guides update their recommendations. 

A Progressive’s Style Guide

Language Please

Radical Copyeditor

Conscious Style Guide

Diversity Style Guide

APA General Principles for Reducing Bias

National Center on Disability and Journalism Style Guide

Trans Journalists Style Guide

Race Forward Reporting Guide

GLAAD Media Reference Guide

Global Press Journal Style Guide

International Council on Active Aging Style Guide

A11Y Project Style Guide

Mailchimp’s Guide to Writing for Accessibility

Identify the Words or Phrases That Still Need Conversation

Your default and specialized style guides will help you start the process of updating your own guide.

Of course, you still have work to do specifically related to how you talk about your organization’s program and services. This includes how you talk about the people you serve or otherwise interact with.

We know that nonprofits are currently debating many of these phrases. 

We suggest picking just a few to start with. Do your research on what the various style guides say and how others in the sector are talking about the same things. Then lead those conversations within your nonprofit about the right choices as you update your style guide.