I spent the first half of 2025 working with a growing nonprofit. I crafted a custom organizational strategy which laid out a roadmap for short and long-term growth. The plan focused on these areas:
- improving internal processes
- fundraising
- marketing
- programming
- succession plan to a new ED
This particular organization has been around for thirty years and works with the homeless, specifically young mothers and their kids. Over three decades the organization has developed a very unique approach to helping the moms get back on their feet and support their families on their own.
You’ll notice in the above paragraph I used the word “unique.” That was a messaging technique they used in their fundraising and marketing. They wanted people to know that no one in their geographical region did what they did.
But is that true?
In fact, their approach WAS unique on the local landscape. But that’s not the question I’m asking:
Did their audience view their mission and program as unique?
Here is where things got a little muddy and not very clear. When I asked donors and people in the community, here’s what I found: People viewed them like other homeless shelters in the area.
Problem. Suddenly they’re not so “unique” and people in the community view them the same as their “competition.” They’re not “the only” ones doing what they’re doing.
That is a big messaging problem. Donors have lots of choices of where to give their hard earned dollars. And if they see you as just one of a bunch of the same type of service…
This is something many nonprofits don’t consider. Internally you know that your services are unique, your programs yield great results, your impact is huge.
But externally: Do you know how others view you? And just as important: What do you know about your local competition?
(And yes, 99.9% of nonprofits have a competitor. Again, this is not about you. This is about how others view you as compared to other charities.)
(And yes, they’re not “competitors.” They’re also trying to solve a problem and doing their best to impact the lives of those in your community. This isn’t Coke vs. Pepsi. There’s potentially enough to go around for everyone but then again, the number of households giving annually continues to dwindle which means lots of competition for the donor dollar…)
Any audit/analysis I conduct includes a competitive landscape analysis. Here’s what I’m looking for:
- How competitors present themselves- messaging, branding
- How they conduct their fundraising (who they’re targeting, what language they use, channels etc.)
- What they tell their audience on their website, social channels, email
- Programs and services they offer
Before year-end you should conduct your own analysis of the local scene. Look for similarities and differences in how you present your organization, programs and services, audience you’re turning to, what they do better than you and where you excel. All of that is important to the messaging and content you’ll be publishing over the next 12 weeks.
Given the content overload we all experience and the huge amount of causes a person can give to, you need to know how your nonprofit can stand out in a sea of information.
I’d also survey donors, email subscribers and others in your audience. See what they know about your mission and work. Just as important, find out what they don’t know or what misconceptions they have. Given the volume of what you’ll be producing until Dec. 31, you have a chance to fix perceptions and sharpen who you are and how you want people thinking and talking about you.
But this isn’t just about year-end. I’m thinking ahead to 2026 and how you can grow next year.
Your new word for 2026
One of my favorite words is “coopetition.” It means to cooperate with your competitors.
Example: As a consultant I have a lot of competitors. In fact, I’m friends and colleagues with a whole bunch of them and we talk and discuss shop often.
But wait: Why would you do that?! You’re potentially both competing for the same contracts!
When a colleague shared that word with me about 15 years ago, he explained it this way: You’re not giving away your awesomesauce. You’re not giving away the secret ingredients to how you do what you do. But you and your competitors work in the same space. Sit with them, exchange thoughts on the latest innovations, discuss market changes, enrich each other with particular experience and knowledge.
That’s why I talk to my competitors. I learn from them. And yes, on certain projects we cooperate. Two minds are better than one and all that.
For 2026, I want you to consider coopetition. Talking and potentially working with local organizations operating in the same space you do. The advantages:
1️⃣ I was a grant writer and I also spent time working for a global family foundation. I learned that there are foundations and donors who are more likely to say yes when more than one organization applies for a grant/donation.
We know that foundations are being inundated with grant applications. (I blame The Big Three for this.) That means your application has to stand out.
One of the best ways to do that is to submit a joint request. Two or more organizations joining forces and requesting funding which will impact even more people than if you went in alone. Those types of applications may have a better shot at passing the first round and making it up the chain of decision makers.
2️⃣ Given the huge amount of causes out there that donors are exposed to, raising money gets harder and harder. What would happen in 2026 if you joined forces with a similar organization and combined your fundraising and marketing powers to run a joint campaign? Double the impact, double the people being helped.
Know who would love messaging like that? Donors!
3️⃣ In 2026 I suggest your organization (if this doesn’t already exist) host a quarterly meeting of local organizations with similar missions. A chance to discuss challenges and pain points, consider joint advocacy efforts, talk about the needs of the local community and how best to help them. When you put a bunch of experts in the same room and start exchanging ideas, great things happen.
Nooooooowwwwwwwwww…. having been in this sector for 25 years, I am well aware how everyone guards their turf like they’re fighting a war against an enemy. “But what if we say something that helps them raise money that we could’ve gotten?!”
Yes, I’ve heard that before. My response: “Is this about the money or about impacting people’s lives at a point when they need it most?!”
Growth happens when you do everything that’s best for your beneficiaries. But when you close your doors to outside “interference” and refuse to cooperate with others, learn from their experiences and try to collectively make the world a better place, I firmly believe you’re not following your mission and doing right by those who need it.
So as you dive into year-end and plan for next year, here are two things to do:
- Check out your competition. Know how to differentiate yourself out there.
- Now that you know which organizations are similar to yours, reach out and talk to someone. Get a conversation started. Make 2026 a year where coopetition HELPS your organization grow and thrive.