March 18, 2025

Make It Seen, Make It Simple: How to Make Your Nonprofit’s Story Shareable [Panel Discussion]

Today, your audience is more aware than ever before of injustices impacting our world. They’re eager to help, but unsure of the best way to make a difference. As a nonprofit leader, it’s your job to channel their passion into action. How? By sharing your story—and making it easy for others to amplify it.

On Future Nonprofit, we often explore how to improve the way your organization operates. But without a strong growth strategy that amplifies your story, even the most noble nonprofit is like a sports car without gas in the tank—it’s got amazing potential, but it can’t go far.

The good news: Tools like social media and crowdfunding platforms present your nonprofit with an unprecedented opportunity to expand your reach and broadcast your message.

The challenge: All the freedom these tools offer can feel overwhelming. And with countless others vying for attention online, how can you make your message and your cause cut through all the noise?

In this special episode, I’m sitting down with not one, but four guests to answer this key question. First, Krista Lamp—Senior Director of Nonprofit Communications at GoFundMe—gives us the inside scoop on what, why, and how modern audiences are supporting causes they care about.

After that, three leading voices in the nonprofit space—Jared Walker of Dollar For, Mike McDonald of BibleProject, and Nate Rittenhouse of OneHope—offer hard-earned insights shaped by their distinct experiences in inspiring their audiences to action.

In this conversation, you’ll learn what “impact creators” are and why they often have more actual influence than “influencers,” how you can empower trusted online voices to mobilize their communities for your cause, one large mistake that’s causing nonprofits to miss out on a ton of potential support, and much more.

If you’ve been looking for ways to accelerate your growth without sacrificing authenticity, this one is for you.

Key Takeaways

Bring your audience into your story. Donors and volunteers want to turn their passion for a cause into action, but they need to trust that their time or money is going to be spent on something meaningful. It’s your job to build that bridge through authentic storytelling. As Jared’s strategy with Dollar For illustrates, real-life stories of impact are often more powerful than influencer endorsements. Consider how you can share your nonprofit’s story in a way that reaches both those in need and those who want to give. Then, once you’ve shown people your story, make them active participants in it. Just like Krista said, follow-up is key—people want to see the real impact of their donations. That’s why GoFundMe has introduced impact links—so that people can see how much money they helped raise just by sharing a link with their community or on social media.
Focus on the pull just as much as the push. Every nonprofit leader is passionate about pushing their message out there, getting it in front of as many new eyes as possible, and motivating people to give more. But Michael’s restaurant analogy is a great reminder—a food server’s job is not to go out and drag people in off the street. Their job is to create an amazing experience for the guests already dining inside, so they’ll keep coming back—and then they’ll bring their friends with them, too. The same principle applies to donor relationships. Instead of always pushing for more, focus on nurturing the supporters you already have. How can you create an experience that makes donors excited to stay engaged and even to bring others along?
Adaptability is a necessity. What works today for boosting your engagement and budget may be outdated tomorrow. The digital landscape is always evolving, and we have to remain agile enough to adapt to these shifts in real-time. As Nate pointed out, you could have a major influencer promote your cause, but if you aren’t equipped to accept donations through preferred payment platforms like Venmo, you’re going to miss out on a huge wave of support. Crowdfunding platforms like GoFundMe have made the practice of nonprofit fundraising more flexible—they free you from relying on a handful of large donors and encourage a more sustainable, community-driven approach. The question is, what steps can you take to meet people where they are and remove every barrier between their generosity and your cause?

Meet Our Guests

Krista Lamp

Krista Lamp is the Sr. Director of Nonprofit Communications at GoFundMe. She has spent the last several years leading GoFundMe’s Public Benefit Corporation, Classy.

As an award-winning marketing leader, she has consistently delivered strategic campaigns and integrated marketing initiatives that have garnered significant national press coverage, earning features in prestigious outlets like the Wall Street Journal, The Today Show, Forbes, and Elle Décor.

Jared Walker

Jared Walker founded Dollar For in 2012 in Portland, Oregon. Dollar For was born out of a desire to help folks in medical crises after watching his own family’s experience. Jared is on a mission to crush as many medical bills as he can while making charity care known, easy, and fair.

Mike McDonald

Michael McDonald is the Chief Strategic Relationships Officer for BibleProject, a crowdfunded non-profit creative studio dedicated to communicating a single, powerful message to the world: the Bible is one unified story that leads to Jesus. Celebrated for its captivating, animated YouTube videos outlining and simplifying each book of Scripture, BibleProject is a fan-driven, fan-funded movement that provides its resources worldwide, free of charge.

Nathan Rittenhouse

For more than 20 years, Nathan has been spearheading marketing & communications for global nonprofits, and is now the Director of Advancement Strategy at OneHope. With rich experience in video production and storytelling, Nathan has a heart for positioning the end-user at the center of every decision. He's most happy when he's solving problems or building solutions that move people towards action.

Mentioned in this episode:

Presented by Classy

Are you a nonprofit feeling the pressure of constant change and evolving supporter expectations? Are you searching for new ways to engage your community in this new era of fundraising? At Future Nonprofit we seek out the top technology helping propel our sector forward, which is why Classy by GoFundMe is a trusted partner of ours. Classy's online fundraising platform empowers organizations to connect, engage, and grow. With Classy's latest innovation, Classy Studio, you can create personalized fundraising experiences that truly resonate. Build connections, unleash creativity, and raise more... faster! And now, with new features like Intelligent Ask Amounts, which provide personalized donation amounts for each supporter who lands on your page, and improved embedded donation forms, which lead a donor through an optimized checkout flow without leaving your website, Classy's full suite of tools is further engineered for conversion while also allowing you to create lasting relationships. The only question left is... what will YOU build? The future of fundraising is now with Classy. For more information, visit classy.org.