Program on the Environment

Nonprofit organizations are incredibly important in combatting environmental issues, as they connect communities with environmental action and act independently from the government to quickly implement change. However, these organizations have historically struggled with developing marketing/communications strategies in our for-profit world, limiting their impact. With the rise of social media, all nonprofits, including environmental ones, have had to alter the formats with which they communicate to their audiences, adding another hurdle to developing their marketing plans. The purpose of this study was to understand how to utilize social media to create effective communication strategies for environmental nonprofits such as Sustainability Ambassadors (SA). To accomplish this, I completed an internship with SA and personally curated content for them and their grant-holder, Cascade Water Alliance, as well as conducting an interview with an expert in nonprofit marketing and a literature review on environmental communication. I also analyzed the Instagram pages of various environmental non-profits across the country, their content formats, and their engagement levels. Findings show that to engage a broad online audience most effectively, environmental nonprofits should develop a clear target audience, focus on curating positive messaging, and adapt to trends and format shifts on their social media platforms. Through developing a more effective communications strategy, environmental nonprofits can institute more sustainable change.