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Poor Nonprofit Communications is Costing Your Community​

4 communications problems that limit nonprofit impact — and how funders can help address them​

Free Live​ Webinar

Sept. 30, 11:00 AM CST​

Can't make it live? Register, and we'll send the recording after the webinar.

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For Community Foundations, Regional Foundations, and Capacity-Building Funders

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Presented by Lori Bower, President of BowerComm​

REGISTER NOW

Poor Nonprofit Communications is Costing Your Community​

4 communications problems that limit nonprofit impact — and how funders can help address them​

Free Live Webinar

Sept. 30, 11:00 AM CST​

For Community Foundations, Regional Foundations, and Capacity-Building Funders

REGISTER NOW

Lori-Headshot-Cropped_Square.jpg

Presented by Lori Bower, President of BowerComm​

Your nonprofits address important community needs every day. But when people don’t understand that work, know it exists, or recognize why it matters, your entire community pays the price.​

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People miss services that could help them. Donors and volunteers don’t know where their support could make a difference. Boards struggle to advocate for organizations they care about. And nonprofits remain dependent on the same small circles of supporters and funders year after year.​

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The cost is significant: fewer people access needed services, fewer community members contribute their time or resources, and important solutions struggle to reach the people and places that need them most. Over time, nonprofits have less capacity to grow, respond and create lasting change.​

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That means poor nonprofit communications isn’t just a marketing problem. It limits the impact your community can achieve.​

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Funders see the effects firsthand: strong programs that remain relatively unknown, organizations that struggle to build support beyond grant funding, and important work that never gains the visibility or momentum it deserves.​

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In this free webinar, Lori Bower will unpack four common communications problems that limit nonprofit impact, show what they may be costing your community, and explore practical ways funders can help organizations build the visibility, trust and support they need to make a greater difference.​

Included With Registration: The Communications Capacity Scorecard​

All attendees will get access to a simple Communications Capacity Scorecard designed to help funders recognize the communications challenges that may be limiting a nonprofit’s reach, engagement and long-term support — and identify what kind of help could make a difference.​

In This Webinar, We'll Cover

1. How to recognize when communications is the real capacity gap

We’ll look at the patterns many funders already see:​

  • organizations that constantly re-explain themselves​

  • boards that care but don’t know what to say​

  • inconsistent community understanding​

  • donor relationships that never deepen​

  • communications that only happen when there’s time​

We’ll also discuss how these issues differ from branding, marketing, or tactical outreach problems.​

2. How to match support to the actual need

Not every nonprofit needs the same kind of communications support.​

Some need strategic clarity. ​

Some need message alignment.​
Some need a repeatable communications system.​
Some need implementation support and coaching.​

We’ll walk through a practical framework for identifying the right type of support before time and funding are invested.

3. How funders can structure communications capacity support

We’ll explore several practical models, including:​

  • direct sponsorships​

  • cohort programs​

  • communications capacity grants​

  • shared technical assistance​

  • parallel cohort structures​

The goal is to make communications capacity support practical and fundable without requiring foundations to manage custom marketing projects themselves.

4. What your community gains when nonprofits communicate well

The goal is not simply better communications. It is stronger capacity to make progress. We’ll look at how stronger communications systems help nonprofits:​

  • build broader donor support​

  • improve community understanding​

  • strengthen board ambassador confidence​

  • reinforce trust over time​

  • create more consistent visibility​

  • reduce dependence on a small funding base​

Because awareness does not build through isolated moments. It builds through consistent reinforcement over time.

You Should Attend If...

  • You fund nonprofits that struggle to build broader community awareness or donor support​

  • You’ve seen organizations repeatedly return for the same funding without gaining momentum​

  • You want a clearer framework for discussing communications capacity internally​

  • You are exploring cohort models, technical assistance, or nonprofit capacity-building initiatives​

  • You believe strong nonprofit work deserves stronger public understanding and support

Who This Webinar Is For

  • Community foundations​

  • Regional foundations​

  • Family foundations​

  • Rural philanthropy leaders​

  • Program officers​

  • Capacity-building funders​

  • Foundation CEOs and presidents​

  • Associations and intermediary organizations supporting nonprofits​

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Especially those asking:​

"Why isn’t the community more engaged in the work we’re investing in?​"

What You'll Leave With

By the end of the session, you’ll have:​

  • a practical Communications Capacity Scorecard​

  • a clearer definition of nonprofit communications capacity​

  • a framework for identifying communications infrastructure gaps​

  • examples of support and funding models​

  • language you can use with boards, staff, and grantees

About the Presenter

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Lori Bower

Founder & President, BowerComm

Lori Bower has spent more than 25 years helping mission-driven organizations clarify their message, strengthen community understanding, and build communications systems that support long-term momentum.​

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Through BowerComm, Lori has worked with nonprofits, community foundations, healthcare organizations, rural communities, and regional funders across the U.S. Her work focuses on helping organizations move from scattered communication efforts to structured systems that reinforce trust, visibility, and support over time.​

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BowerComm’s signature frameworks help organizations build stronger communications infrastructure, not just more communications activity.

Reserve Your Spot

Free Online Webinar​

Sept. 30, 11:00 AM CST​

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