20 nonprofit blog ideas

20 ideas for your nonprofit blog

Maintaining a blog for a nonprofit can showcase an organization's accomplishments and share useful content for a community. However, we know from talking with over 300 nonprofit and health advocacy partners that time and resource restraints can make it difficult to blog regularly.

From talking with our Partner Network and former nonprofit professionals on our staff, we've collected ideas for saving time while publishing fresh content. By striking a balance between organization posts and input from other experts, it's possible to create quality posts with much less stress. Plus, experimenting with different types of content makes it possible to learn what topics resonate and prioritize the topics the audience responds to most. In the below list, we've shared various ideas to inspire your next content calendar brainstorm for your nonprofit blog.

Ideas for nonprofit blog content

  1. Share a research update related to the nonprofit's disease area. Research updates can provide helpful, regular blog content if the nonprofit funds studies or clinical trials. Blogs can cover when a new drug passes another milestone toward FDA approval or a new research project gets off the ground. For major research updates, content can go more in-depth about the research, explaining more complex medical terms and giving additional background information.
  1. Curate a roundup of recent research in the nonprofit's disease area. Even if the nonprofit isn't funding its own research, a roundup of recent research developments can make for an engaging post. By linking to other news coverage and sharing a summary of each, a blog post can be both well-optimized for SEO ranking and engaging to a target audience.
  1. Make a list of easy fundraising tips. For nonprofits that run peer-to-peer fundraising or sponsored athletics programs, supporters may seek advice on raising funds to meet their personal goals. A bog can include tips on types of events to host, like silent auctions and bake sales, and suggest helpful messaging when sending out emails and creating Facebook posts for individuals seeking support.
  1. Collect community comments on relevant topics. Asking community questions can engage social media followers while simultaneously creating useful content for a blog post. For example, start a conversation by asking followers for advice on coping with a particular symptom or having tough conversations with friends and family about living with their condition, and share their responses as part of a larger blog with their promission.
  1. Host a guest blogger. Featuring a story from a guest blogger is another way to share content relatable for a community. To find bloggers, it may be helpful to put out a call on social media for anyone that may be well-received in the condition area. 
  1. Feature an inspiring volunteer's story. Writing about a star volunteer is a great way to thank a supporter while showing the community how they can get involved. When interviewing the volunteer, ask them about why and how they got involved, their connection to the cause, and any tips they have for others who are interested in volunteering.
  1. Create a blog post around a frequently asked question related to the condition. If there's a researcher or doctor on staff who's an expert in the nonprofit's condition, enlist their help in creating a useful piece of content that answers a frequently asked question. Checking comments on Facebook and Twitter and common Google searches can be a good way to get ideas about what questions the community may have; for example, the community may wonder whether a particular condition has a genetic component or what a disease's earliest symptoms are.
  2. Advise on having a better conversation with doctors. Include questions to ask, tips on tracking symptoms, and other guidance on getting more out of a doctor's appointment.
  1. Share a timeline of research progress related to the nonprofit's disease area. Research progress often feels slow for members of disease communities, so compiling a timeline of research progress can help show how far scientists have come in better treating or understanding a condition. 
  1. Create a list of ways supporters can get involved. This list may be particularly useful around the holidays or during a disease awareness month, and can include monetary options, such as a one-time gift, and non-monetary ways, such as volunteering for clinical research or sharing content.
  2. Write a list of common misconceptions about the nonprofit's disease area. This is another engaging content idea, especially during a condition awareness month. The community can provide feedback on what they find to be the most common myths and misconceptions surrounding the condition, and supporters can then share the blog post to help dispel myths among their family and friends.
  1. Share how to get involved in clinical research. Even if a patient is interested in participating in clinical research, they may not know how to begin the search for a clinical trial or what to look for. If Antidote's Match tool is on the nonprofit's website, it can be helpful to write a guide on how to use the tool, explain what clinical research terms mean, a guide to phases of a trial, and how to read clinical trial listings.
  1. Host a Q&A with an expert and share the conversation in a blog post afterward. Interview a scientist, doctor, or staff member about the latest research in the disease area or discuss another popular topic on Facebook Live or via a webinar. Then, share a summary of the chat along with the video on the blog for those who weren't able to tune in.
  1. Create blog posts for caregivers. If the nonprofit works with a condition that involves the support of a caregiver, consider creating content that speaks to that audience in particular. Caregivers can experience stress and burnout from providing support, be confused on how to best provide their loved one with care, or have questions about the legal aspects of caretaking, and blogs can be a good resource for addressing these concerns.
  1. Post write-ups of press hits the nonprofit receives. Press coverage can not only provide a helpful boost to site traffic, but can also raise awareness about avenues the organization is involved in. Build on that success by featuring the coverage in a short story write-up and include a link to the original piece in case people would like to learn more.
  1. Interview a clinical trial volunteer and share their experience. One way to help demystify the clinical trial participation experience is to interview a volunteer and share their story. Ask them what went into their decision to participate, what expectations they had going in, and what they would say to others considering participating.
  1. Tell a story that demonstrates the nonprofit's impact. For organizations that are research-based, communicating their impact can be more difficult than it is for nonprofits that provide direct care. A blog post can virtually take readers into the research lab with the blog, or explain the complexities of how a new potential treatment reaches the market and where the organization comes in. 
  1. Share information on finding or starting a support group. If the organization hosts support groups online or in person, share information about how to connect with them, or share relevant support groups from other organizations that may be of use.
  1. Interview a physical therapist or other professional for tips on daily living with a particular condition. If the community deals with physical symptoms that can benefit from the help of a physical therapist, ask an expert how their services can help and how a patient should go about finding one that works for them.
  1. Make a list of travel tips for patients. Especially in the summer and around the holidays, many individuals may be planning a vacation with their condition in mind. Travel-related blog posts can include tips on what to pack, ways to make travel easier with physical symptoms, and other advice. 

Interested in connecting your community with clinical research opportunities for your organization's disease area? Get in touch to learn about the benefits of Antidote's partner network for you and your community.