Clarify your story
Name the problem, the people at the center, your approach, and the change supporters can help create.
GLAS — Echo everywhere
GLASGuidance·Leadership·Advocacy·Storytelling
Make your mission
impossible to miss.
A clear, human guide to earning attention, building trust, and turning more supporters into action—without a huge team or budget.
Explore↓Start herePromotion is not about shouting louder. It is about helping the right people understand why your work matters—and how they can be part of it.
The promotion framework
Before you post, pitch, or print—build these five foundations.
Show proof
Pair human stories with specific evidence: people reached, outcomes achieved, and lessons learned.
Build trust
Be transparent about your team, finances, partners, safeguarding, and how donations are used.
Meet people online
Choose the channels your audience already uses and publish consistently—not everywhere, all at once.
Invite one next step
Every message should make one action obvious: donate, volunteer, partner, attend, or share.
Team training
A four-week promotion sprint.
Run these sessions with staff, volunteers, and board members. Each week combines a focused workshop with a practical output your NGO can use immediately.
Week 1Message & audience90 min+
✓ Define 2 priority audiences
✓ Write your one-sentence story
✓ Choose one clear call to action
Week 2Content that connects2 hours+
✓ Build 3 content themes
✓ Create a story-gathering routine
✓ Draft one month of posts
Week 3Digital essentials2 hours+
✓ Improve your homepage
✓ Set up email welcome messages
✓ Make donation pages easier
Week 4Measure & improve90 min+
✓ Pick 4 meaningful measures
✓ Review what people respond to
✓ Plan your next experiment
Practical playbooks
Four conversations that can change your organization's trajectory.
Open each playbook for an action plan, an adaptable message, and the common pitfalls to avoid.
01FundraisingHow to build a campaign that turns empathy into donations
+
How to build a campaign that turns empathy into donations
Goal: raise €15,000 in 30 days to equip three learning centers.
Define the need
Connect the total goal to tangible outcomes: €25 funds one kit; €500 equips one learning group.
Prepare the proof
Use a real story, impact data, a simple budget, and images shared with informed consent.
Activate your core
Ask staff, volunteers, and close supporters to secure the first 20% before the public launch.
Create momentum
Share the launch, progress, a field story, a midpoint milestone, and a clear final call.
Close the loop
Thank donors within 24 hours and return in 30–60 days with proof of how the funds were used.
Sample message
“With €25, one student receives every material they need for a semester. We aim to equip 600 students by September 1. Fund one kit—or share the campaign with someone who can help.”
Avoid
Avoid vague appeals, imagery that exploits vulnerability, and requests with no deadline or defined outcome.
02Corporate partnershipHow to speak with a corporate funder
+
How to speak with a corporate funder
Goal: secure a 30-minute discovery meeting and agree on a measurable pilot project.
Research the company
Understand its ESG or CSR priorities, key communities, brand values, and existing partnerships.
Find shared interests
Connect the social issue to genuine company priorities without forcing a match that is not there.
Propose—do not plead
Offer two or three involvement options with budgets, timelines, roles, and success indicators.
Show capacity
Bring previous results, the responsible team, key risks, visibility guidelines, and a reporting plan.
End with one next step
Ask for a concrete decision: an introduction, feedback on the concept, or a follow-up meeting.
Sample message
“We noticed that you invest in education and local communities. In 90 days, we can pilot a program for 120 young people and measure attendance, progress, and feedback. Could we explore whether the outcomes and type of involvement fit your priorities?”
Avoid
Do not open with a long organizational monologue or promise visibility and results you cannot control.
03Participant recruitmentHow to promote a program and attract the right participants
+
How to promote a program and attract the right participants
Goal: generate 80 eligible applications for 30 places without creating unnecessary barriers.
Describe the benefit
Explain what participants will be able to do afterward—not only what the program contains.
Remove friction
Clarify the cost, schedule, location, criteria, accessibility, and time needed to apply.
Use trusted messengers
Involve alumni, teachers, community leaders, and organizations the audience already knows.
Combine channels
Use local partners, relevant groups, social media, email, and short information sessions.
Track conversion
Measure views → visits → applications started → eligible applications, then adjust the message.
Sample message
“Are you 16–20 and ready to turn an idea into a project for your community? Over six weeks, you will receive mentoring, practical tools, and a €500 microgrant. Participation is free, and applying takes eight minutes.”
Avoid
Avoid project jargon, posters without a clear next step, and long forms before people understand the benefit.
04PR & mediaHow to build a useful relationship with the press
+
How to build a useful relationship with the press
Goal: offer a timely public-interest story supported by evidence, credible voices, and fast access to information.
Find the news
Start with what is new, locally relevant, data-backed, or solution-oriented—not your need for visibility.
Choose the journalist
Read their recent work and contact the person who covers the relevant issue or region.
Send a short pitch
Use a clear subject, lead with the idea, explain why now, and state what evidence and access you offer.
Prepare your spokesperson
Agree on three key messages, difficult-question responses, examples, and confidentiality boundaries.
Respond quickly
Confirm the request, agree on the deadline, and provide verified data, approved photos, and available contacts.
Sample message
“Hi Ana—we have new data from 12 communities showing that four in ten teenagers stop attending extracurricular activities because of transport. On Thursday, we launch the first free mobile service. We can offer the dataset, field access, and interviews with a parent, a young person, and an independent expert.”
Avoid
Do not send mass releases without an editorial angle, ask to approve the article, or share personal stories without consent.
Online essentials
Small digital improvements. Meaningful results.
Focus on the basics that make your NGO easier to find, understand, trust, and support.
Website
Answer three questions above the fold: What do you do? Who benefits? What can I do next? Add recent proof and a visible donate or get-involved button.
Social media
Lead with people and progress. Use one idea per post, write in plain language, add captions to video, and reply to every genuine comment.
Send a useful, human update at least monthly. Use a specific subject line, one main story, one action, and a real person as the sender.
Search
Create pages around the needs people actually search for. Use clear page titles, local details, descriptive headings, and accurate organization listings.
Partnerships
Give partners a ready-to-share pack: a short description, approved images, sample posts, key facts, and a tracked link.
Online fundraising
Make the need concrete, explain what different amounts enable, reduce form fields, offer recurring giving, and thank donors immediately.
What to publish
Use the 40 / 30 / 20 / 10 content mix.
40%30%20%10%
40% ImpactStories, outcomes, progress
30% UsefulAdvice, insights, resources
20% CommunityPeople, partners, thanks
10% AskDonate, join, share