The article below is inspired by a Changemaker Conversations episode with Prosper Strategies principals Alyssa Conrardy and Lindsay Mullen. Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts.
Quick Summary
Strength-based communication helps nonprofits shift from deficit-based messaging that emphasizes the “needs” of the people they serve to narratives that honor the strengths, agency, and humanity of the communities they engage with. In a climate of restricted language and heightened scrutiny, it offers a way to stay mission-aligned, inspire donors and foster dignity through storytelling.
Why the Words We Use Matter More Than Ever
The nonprofit sector in 2025 faces new language challenges. Federal guidelines restrict certain terms, DEI-related language feels fraught and many organizations are unsure how to communicate about their work and stay true to their mission and principles without crossing invisible lines.
As communications strategists at Prosper Strategies, we’ve seen how this uncertainty can silence powerful stories. But what if, instead of focusing on what we can’t say, we turned our attention to what we can say — and how we say it?
That’s the essence of strength-based communication: representing people and communities with dignity, agency, and authenticity even in difficult climates. It’s a tested, data-backed approach that works — for audiences, funders, and the people you serve.
What Is Strength-Based Communication?
Strength-based communication focuses on what’s possible rather than what’s broken among the people and communities your nonprofit serves. It acknowledges challenges but frames them within the context of potential, growth and resilience.
Think of communication on a spectrum:
Stereotype-Based Communication (left side of spectrum): This type of communication exploits the condition of groups experiencing disadvantages. Think “poverty porn”—those heart-wrenching ads showing destitute children or abused animals with voices talking over them about how helpless these populations are. Words like “vulnerable,” “needy,” or worse characterize this approach.
Need-Based Communication (middle of spectrum): This is what most nonprofits have historically leaned on, especially in fundraising contexts. It emphasizes the needs and challenges of individuals or communities. For example: “People rely on food stamps to get through the week.” While more respectful than stereotype-based communication, it can still be othering and focuses primarily on deficits.
Strength-Based Communication (right side of spectrum): This approach focuses on opportunities, potential, and the power of individuals and groups. It represents people positively with agency in ways that feel true to who they are. For example: “When kids get the food they need, they have the energy to thrive.”
Why Strength-Based Communication Still Works Today
After years of progress toward more inclusive storytelling, many communicators are now hesitant — fearful that certain words could trigger backlash or compliance issues in today’s political climate.
But strength-based communication isn’t about restriction. It’s about liberation. It gives nonprofits the tools to:
- Tell true stories the way people want to be represented
- Lead with strength, not scarcity
- Use tone and framing that celebrate human dignity
Even within regulatory limits, organizations can stay true to their values through careful word choice, tone and asset-baesd framing.
This approach helps nonprofit leaders communicate clearly, compassionately, and confidently — without compromising compliance or conviction.
Core Principles of Strength-Based Communication
- Use Individual Preferences and Be Specific.
Describe people the way they prefer to be described, using as much specificity as possible to avoid overgeneralizing the identity of a group or identity. - Use Person-First Language
For example, say “a person experiencing homelessness” rather than “a homeless person.” Notable exceptions include the Deaf community and some Autistic people (per the first core principle, always use individual preferences!) - Avoid Saviorism and Extreme Exceptionalism
Avoid “one hero” stories that make success seem rare. - Emphasize Strengths Over Needs
While you may sometimes want. to mention a need that a donor or supporter can help with, avoid leading with that need or overemphasizing it. Instead, talk about the strengths inherent in the people and communities you serve. - Avoid Coded Language Be mindful of phrases like “inner city” or “at-risk” that carry hidden connotations.
Proof That It Works
Boards often ask, “Will this softer messaging hurt fundraising?” The data says the no!
- McCormick Foundation saw donor engagement rise after adopting a strength-based approach.
- Feeding America experienced measurable gains in brand health and fundraising after working with us to rewrite their brand book and reframe their campaigns through this a strength-based lens. (see before: Feeding America Need-Based Example: “I am Hunger in America” and after: Feeding America Strength-Based Example: “The Full Effect” PSA )
- Boys & Girls Clubs of America reported higher audience trust and stronger alignment with mission and community values.
These outcomes confirm what we’ve seen time and again: people give more when they feel hope and authentic connection, not guilt and saviorism.
Getting Started: First Steps for Nonprofit Communicators
- Audit Your Language
Review your website, appeals, and social posts for deficit-based or coded language. - Engage Stakeholders
Ask the communities you serve how they want to be represented in your communication. - Test with Donors and Boards
Share examples and data showing why this shift works. - Document Guidelines
Build internal messaging and brand guidelines that reinforce strength-based principles. Strength-based communication comes through not just in the words you choose, but also the images you use and the way you frame the stories you tell. - Train Organization-Wide
Everyone — from programs to leadership — should understand the why and how of this approach, because ultimately, everyone is a communicator. - Start Small, Learn Fast
Update one story or campaign, then scale once you begin to see results.
Common Misconceptions
“It’s too positive.”
Strength-based messaging acknowledges real challenges but refuses to define people by them. It doesn’t have to be Polly-Anna-ish, but it should feel like it represents the real, whole reality of the people you serve.
“It won’t motivate donors.”
In practice, donors respond better to hopeful narratives that emphasize outcomes and progress.
“It’s too wordy.”
It takes practice to write concisely while honoring dignity and strength-based best practices — but it’s absolutely doable.
Moving Forward with Confidence
Strength-based communication isn’t about avoiding hard truths — it’s about telling the full story with respect and integrity.
In this moment of heightened scrutiny, it offers nonprofits a path forward: one rooted in truth, empowerment and shared humanity. Organizations adopting this approach aren’t backing down; they’re stepping up — choosing authenticity over fear and dignity over compliance anxiety.
This approach transcends politics. It’s about people.
Key Insights
- At its core, strength-based communication isn’t about avoiding hard truths — it’s about telling them in ways that empower people rather than define them by challenge.
- Strength-based communication helps nonprofits move from deficit-focused messaging to storytelling rooted in dignity, agency, and possibility.
- This approach aligns with values-driven leadership and is compatible with new regulatory environments in 2025.
- Data from organizations like Feeding America and McCormick Foundation shows that strength-based language can increase donor engagement and trust.
- Successful implementation starts with auditing existing communications, centering community voices and building internal guidelines.
More Resources On Strength-Based Communication
These resources were mentioned in Changemaker Conversations Episode 7: Strength-Based Communication: What It Is, Why It Matters, and How to Do It Well
- Prosper Strategies Strength-Based Communication 101 Guide
- Prosper Strategies Strength-Based Communication Resource Library
- Examples:
- FrameWorks Institute
- A Progressive’s Style Guide
About Changemaker Conversations
Changemaker Conversations is a podcast for nonprofit leaders who are ready to build smarter, more strategic organizations with less friction and more joy. Join hosts Alyssa Conrardy and Lindsay Mullen, Principals at Prosper Strategies, every other week as they pull you out of the day-to-day grind and refocus your attention on the big picture through candid conversations about the challenges facing nonprofit leaders today.
Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and visit changemakerconversations.com for show notes and additional resources. If you have ideas for future episode topics or guests, or if you’d like to discuss strength-based communication for your organization, email us at hello@changemakerconversations.com.
