Have you started a blog for your nonprofit organization and then got stuck trying to come up with content?  If you don’t consider yourself a writer, it can be daunting to pull something together a couple of times a week.  Here are some ideas for content:

• Tell stories about people you are helping.  A story ALWAYS works!  Remember to keep it short and compelling.
• Re-use stories from your print newsletter.  Don’t worry – people won’t remember them.
• Re-purpose information from email blasts.
• Listen to what front-line staff are talking about and write about that.
• Invite guest bloggers in – clients, staff, Board, volunteers, and donors.  Be specific with them when you ask.  Ask them to write a short paragraph or two of 250 words MAX.
• Ask questions in blog posts and invite readers to comment.
• Post summaries of events or activities with photos.
• Summarize press releases or link to current news stories.
• Report back from an event or conference.
• Highlight the expertise of staff or volunteers
• Tell about the work of volunteers, the impact they’re having or the number of hours of time that have been donated.
• Share a couple of pertinent statistics of your work (for example “our animal shelter saw a 10% increase in adoptions this month”).

Once you get in the habit of writing these short blog posts, it will become easier and you’ll get ideas for content in lots of places.  I have several clients who are telling part of a story in their print newsletter, then telling the rest of the story on their blog along with photos or video.  It’s a great way to encourage people to visit and read the blog.