Happy Holidays to our awesome readers! Let’s kick off this week of free stuff with:
Monthly Nonprofit Writing Prompts
Let’s take some of the grief out of nonprofit writing and smash through your writer’s block!
At the start of each month, we’ll send you an email with at least 10 prompts to get you thinking about articles, stories, press releases, blog posts, Facebook updates, letters, and other content that you could write for the following month. For example, at the start of January, you’d get writing prompts for February. That way you’ll have time to think about the ideas and incorporate them into your calendar.
The idea isn’t to do your editorial calendar for you or to tell you what to say to your supporters. Only you can figure that out. What we will do is give you at least 10 prompts to get you thinking more creatively and strategically about what you’ll write. See our ideas for January below.
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Here are the prompts for January 2020:
On the Calendar
1/01: New Year’s Day. Share your resolutions and plans for the new year. Ask your supporters to add a cause-related resolution to their own lists.
1/04: Trivia Day. Stump your readers with questions about your cause or fun facts about your staff or volunteers.
01/10: Peculiar People Day. Celebrate those out-of-the-box thinkers and quirky people who make your organization run.
01/13: Make Your Dream Come True Day. Share an awesome story about someone you helped. Or ask your supporters to help make someone else’s dreams come true.
1/18: Thesaurus Day. Explain some confusing terms or other jargon associated with your cause and tell supporters what words they should use instead. Then show everyone in your organization and stop using jargon!
1/20: Martin Luther King Day (US). Inspire your readers to dream and stand up for what is right.
1/24: Compliment Day. Say nice things about your supporters, or about other organization’s working in your field.
1/25: Opposite Day. Share what your community would be like if your organization didn’t exist.
1/28: Fun at Work Day. Ask your followers to share their funny pictures at work or you can share what your staff does to unwind. Suggest ways to create a less stressful office culture.
1/31: Inspire Your Heart with Art Day. Encourage supporters to send in drawings, photographs or other artistic pieces that celebrate your cause. Or feature clients’ artwork.
Other dates in January:
- 20: World Religion Day
January is also:
- National Hobby Month
- National Mentoring Month
- Mental Wellness Month
- Healthy Weight Awareness Month
Metaphor of the Month
This month’s metaphor is Health and Fitness. Think about new year’s resolutions, gyms, Fitbits/Apple Watches, exercise, treadmills, calorie counting, weighing in, personal trainers, nutrition, running, eating healthy, sports, yoga, vitamins, and annual physicals.
How can you relate these things to your organization?
Pop Culture, Events, and News
Expect posts on trends for the new year and resolution features.
The NFL playoffs will begin January 4th.
The college football championship game is set for Monday, January 13th.
The 2020 Women’s March is planned for January 18th.
The Golden Globes, hosted by Ricky Gervais, will take place on January 5th, and Oscar nominations will be announced January 13.
In other awards news, the Critic’s Choice Awards are on the 12th and the Grammy Awards are on the 26th.
TV premieres include Doctor Who, Deputy, Dr. Pimple Popper [Ew. Why?], Naked and Afraid, The Bachelor, America’s Got Talent: The Champions, Manifest, black-ish, Schitt’s Creek [Ew, David], a reboot of 90’s Party of Five, AJ and the Queen, The Good Doctor, Star Trek: Picard, Shrill, and The Good Place.
Source of the Month
Analytics. Run your Google analytics and see what the most popular topics have been and what people are searching on to find your site. Base your content around those keywords and searches.
If you would like ideas sent to your inbox a month in advance, sign up for our Monthly Nonprofit Writing Prompts. I send this email newsletter the first week of every month with prompts for the following month. For example, I will email the prompts for February, 2020 on January 2, 2020. Sign up now to get prompts emailed to you monthly.
