Fundraising Communication Plan

"Content is king" – a widely quoted phrase originally from Bill Gates, highlighting that high-quality content is more valuable than advertising. The same applies to nonprofits: engaging and relevant content excites donors, supporters, and followers.

But what’s a king without a queen? The queen who holds the content kingdom together behind the scenes? That queen is – drumroll – the editorial plan.

What is an Editorial Plan?

An editorial plan helps you structure the content you publish across your channels – online and offline – making your communication efforts more predictable and consistent. In this guide, you’ll learn why editorial planning is worth the effort, how to create and use the plan, and what benefits it offers your organisation’s overall communication.

Why Is an Editorial Plan Important?

Communication is essential – not just for fundraising, but also for staying in touch with members, donors, supporters, the media, and sponsors.

You probably already use various tools and channels, from classic fundraising mailings to social media posts on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn, to email marketing, advertorials, and events.

An editorial plan helps you keep track of all these channels, maintain consistent messaging, and manage challenges such as:

• Limited staff: You’d like to cover more channels but don’t have enough time or trained personnel.
• Disjointed teams: Different communication teams aren't aligned – an editorial plan supports better coordination.
• Content gaps: Not enough ideas? Your editorial plan helps generate themes.
• Content overload: Too many ideas? The plan helps you prioritise what to publish.
• Avoiding content conflict: Ensure your messaging doesn't contradict itself across channels.

YOUR Communication Plan in 3 Steps 

1. Preparation

Like with a fundraising concept or strategy, developing an editorial plan takes time and effort.

Start by asking:

• What are our goals with our content strategy?
• What time period should our plan cover?
• Who are our target audiences?
• What themes should we focus on?
  
  

3. From Plan to Execution: Making It Work

Your editorial plan is ready – now it’s time to bring it to life.

• Use the right tools: Free or affordable tools like Google Calendar, Sheets, Notion, Trello, Asana, Canva or Figma can support the planning, creation, and coordination process.
• Prioritise content: With many ideas in the pipeline, decide what to publish first. Use tools like the Eisenhower Matrix to separate the urgent from the important.
• Structure your workflow: Define a clear process: ideation → content creation → approval → publishing. Assign tasks and timelines for each phase.
• Assign responsibilities: Avoid confusion by clarifying who is in charge of what – content creation, visual assets, uploading, approvals, media outreach.
• Test and optimise: Plan time to A/B test emails, ads, or CTAs, and use the results to refine your messaging.
• Ensure relevance: Regularly check whether your content is still useful and engaging for your audiences. Focus on quality over quantity.

Remember: your editorial plan should always align with your fundraising strategy. One provides the direction; the other drives the execution.

A Powerful Collaboration Tool

To avoid overwhelming your organisation, start with a quarterly or semi-annual plan and expand as needed. Bring all stakeholders to the table early – editorial, design, development, social media – and clarify lead times and responsibilities.

Once your editorial plan is in place, it brings structure and clarity to your content processes. But that doesn’t mean it stifles creativity. On the contrary, a well-structured plan creates room for creativity and flexibility.

So, establish your editorial queen – and enjoy the harmony she brings to your content kingdom.