What the 2025 Nonprofit Communications Trends Report means for community organisations in Aotearoa New Zealand
By Simon Ritchie, Marketing and Communications Lead, ANCAD
Every year, new communication trends emerge. New social media platforms gain attention, artificial intelligence evolves rapidly, and organisations are encouraged to adopt the latest tools and technologies.
Yet after reviewing the 2025 Nonprofit Communications Trends Report, one thing became clear.
The biggest challenges facing community organisations haven’t changed nearly as much as we might think.
While technology continues to evolve, the foundations of effective communication remain remarkably consistent.
For organisations across Aotearoa New Zealand, this provides some valuable reminders.
1. Strategy still matters more than activity
One of the report’s strongest findings was that the greatest communication challenges remain:
- limited time
- limited budgets
- difficulty measuring effectiveness
- lack of a clear communications strategy.
These are challenges many community organisations know well.
When resources are stretched, there is often pressure to “do more”—more social media posts, more newsletters, more campaigns.
However, effective communication is rarely about producing more.
It is about producing communication that clearly supports your organisation’s purpose, priorities and community outcomes.
A well-planned strategy will almost always outperform a busy communications calendar.
2. Relationships still outperform algorithms
Perhaps the report’s biggest surprise was that the most effective communication channels were not the newest ones.
Email remained the highest-rated communication channel, followed by in-person engagement and organisational websites.
This is an important reminder.
Community organisations are fundamentally relationship-based organisations.
Trust is built through conversations, community engagement, newsletters, workshops, partnerships and ongoing relationships—not simply through social media posts.
Digital channels remain important, but they work best when supporting genuine relationships rather than replacing them.
3. Your website should become a capability hub
Many organisations still think of their website as an online brochure.
Increasingly, it should become something much more valuable.
Your website can become:
- a knowledge hub
- a resource library
- a place where people build trust
- a destination for learning
- a gateway into your programmes and services.
This is particularly important for organisations investing in capability-building.
Rather than simply describing what you do, your website should actively help organisations strengthen themselves.
4. Artificial Intelligence is becoming another capability
Artificial Intelligence featured prominently throughout the report.
Many organisations are now using AI to:
- brainstorm ideas
- improve writing
- summarise information
- draft communications
- streamline repetitive tasks
- improve accessibility.
The message is clear.
AI is no longer something to watch from a distance.
It is becoming another organisational capability.
Like governance, leadership or financial management, organisations will increasingly need the skills to use AI responsibly, ethically and effectively.
The goal is not replacing people.
The goal is giving people more time to focus on work that creates real value.
5. Focus on fewer things and do them well
Another finding that stood out was the continuing pressure communicators face from limited time and competing priorities.
The report encourages organisations to concentrate on fewer initiatives with greater impact rather than trying to communicate everywhere, all the time.
This applies well beyond communications.
Community organisations are constantly balancing competing priorities.
Knowing what not to do is becoming just as important as knowing what to do.
6. Communication begins with understanding people
The organisations reporting the greatest success weren’t necessarily creating the most content.
They were the ones investing time in understanding their audiences and tailoring communication accordingly.
For Aotearoa New Zealand, this is particularly relevant.
Communities are increasingly diverse.
Effective communication means recognising different cultural perspectives, languages, lived experiences and ways of learning.
Capability-building is strongest when it reflects the communities it seeks to support.
Looking ahead
Technology will continue to change.
New platforms will emerge.
Artificial intelligence will continue to reshape how organisations communicate.
Yet the foundations of effective communication remain surprisingly stable.
Successful organisations continue to:
- communicate with purpose
- understand their audiences
- build trusted relationships
- invest in clear strategy
- embrace new tools thoughtfully rather than chasing every trend.
These aren’t simply marketing principles.
They are organisational capability principles.
With ANCAD’s LiiFT Aotearoa, we believe communication is not a standalone activity. It is one of the capabilities that enables organisations to strengthen leadership, engage communities, build trust and increase long-term impact.
As community organisations continue to navigate increasing complexity, effective communication will become less about producing more content and more about creating stronger connections, with the people and communities they exist to serve.
Final reflection
The most effective community organisations won’t necessarily be those with the biggest communications budgets or the latest technology.
They will be the organisations that combine clear purpose, trusted relationships, thoughtful leadership and a willingness to continually learn and adapt.
That’s what builds lasting capability.
References
2025 Nonprofit Communications Trends Report, Nonprofit Marketing Guide.