Why two-way communication matters for purpose-led organisations
Meaningful connection in our customer experiences, beyond broadcast marketing, is built on conversation.
In purpose-led sectors like not-for-profits and education it’s more important than ever to built trust and make connection with donors and supporters through shared values. Yet even though we all share a passion for our causes, marketing activity often takes the form of one-way broadcast: the organisation speaks, the audience listens. Messages are pushed out via newsletters, flyers, or social posts, but the conversation rarely flows back in a way that meaningfully shapes the next action.
It’s not that you don’t want to hear from your community. The challenge is how to create that conversation in the digital space. They recognise that feedback, stories, and lived experiences make their work more impactful. But the challenge lies in the “how.” Without the right systems, skills, and capacity, the dream of truly two-way communication remains out of reach.
Why not-for-profits find two-way communication hard
Shifting from one-way messaging to genuine two-way communication sounds simple on paper: collect feedback, analyse it, and respond in real time. In reality, many organisations face barriers that make this harder than it looks.
1. A traditional and outdated marketing model
Think about how marketing started. Growing out of ‘promotion’ and advertising of the 1960s, where the methodology was simply: the louder you are across advertising, the better result you’d get. However, in the 21st century, we know that our audiences crave personalised experiences, and their journey with us isn’t that linear: it’s more authentic, self-researched and driven by their connection with a brand.
2. Outdated systems and fragmented data
All businesses have legacy technology. As soon as it's implemented, there's always something not quite how a team needs it, or customised for your use case, or with the data you need to access. The problem is if the business doesn't recognise and invest in a yearly improvement, upgrade and efficiency plan to support marketing, fundraising and experience teams.
3. Lean teams juggling many roles
In many purpose-led organisations, where it’s important to optimise costs, the fundraising and marketing teams are lean. This means the marketer is expected to wear many hats - having to be creative, technical, a good copywriter and analyst, doing this all across a vast array of digital tools that require deep knowledge to master. With so many responsibilities, there’s little time left for in-depth audience analysis or strategic content planning.
Wish you had a bigger team? Research shows larger teams don’t necessarily correlate with success either, instead, it’s about having a clear strategy, and operational rhythm that makes room for testing and learning.
4. Feedback moves too slowly to make a difference
Manual processes mean feedback often takes weeks to be collected, sorted, and understood. By the time the insights are ready, the moment to respond has passed and the audience has moved on.
These challenges don’t just limit communication, they weaken relationships. When communities don’t feel heard in a timely way, engagement drops, trust erodes, and opportunities to deepen impact are missed.
Insight: Feedback loops don’t have to be hard. Often businesses make this a huge strategy that takes months or more - but if you have known touchpoints with your customer, you can look for simple, quick ways to collect feedback and action it.
Why this matters: Sticking with one-way communication costs you connection with your audience
For education providers, sustainability advocates, and not-for-profits, the mission is everything. Every campaign, every initiative, every piece of communication is meant to inspire action, participation, or support. But when communication remains one-directional, the message may reach people without truly connecting with them.
When your supporters feel listened to, they stay involved. Without timely feedback you miss adapting your communications and trust fades over time.
Consider this: If you just meet someone and they ask for $100, you’re unlikely to give it to them. If instead, you meet, become great friends and meet all the time - you’d be far more likely to lend them some money when they need it. It’s the same principle we should come back to when building digital experiences.
Five ways to turn broadcast into genuine dialogue
Digital change isn’t just about adopting new technology, it’s about building the systems and habits that allow organisations to listen, respond, and adapt at scale. For purpose-led sectors, this shift can be the bridge from broadcasting - talking at communities - to working with them.
Here are five ways it makes that possible:
1. Listening at scale using smarter tools
Modern digital tools, from AI-driven analytics to integrated survey platforms, can process thousands of responses from multiple channels in minutes. This means every voice can be heard, not just the loudest or most persistent. For example EverGiving is great for F2F fundraising, but have you connected the data to your internal systems not just for finance, but for segmentation and insight? On the other hand - amplify knowledge of your brand sentiment with online survey tools that can reach beyond your donor pool such as GlowFeed.
2. Respond while the moment still counts
Fast insights allow you to adjust campaigns, answer questions, and address concerns while the conversation is still happening. This keeps messaging relevant and responsive. But for this to work, it’s not just accessing the insight - it’s mostly about the team mindset and process to allow a campaign or activity to pivot and change mid-flow.
3. Speak using your supporters’ needs, formats and words
With audience data in hand, communications can be tailored to different segments — using their own words, addressing their specific needs, and delivering information in the formats they prefer.
4. Build spaces where your community can see their combined effect
Digital channels make it easier to co-create with your community. From user-generated content to workshops, you can invite audiences to help shape the campaigns and content they’ll later see. In recent work with a global NFP working in child poverty, research showed people want to feel part of a community of people that can make a bigger difference as a group. But being able to connect these people and share their stories - we retained regular donors for longer, due to a feeling of actually being able to make a sizable difference to the cause.
5. Show how feedback leads to action
By showing how feedback directly influences action, and being transparent about how technology supports human decision-making, you strengthen credibility and deepen relationships. For example we know sharing donor and success stories of people-in-need are important. Taking it a step further, can we share how we’re shaping fundraising, support and our program based on feedback from both?
Making digital change realistic
For many purpose-led organisations, the biggest barrier to digital transformation isn’t belief in its value, it’s the capacity to make it happen. The tools exist. The strategies are proven. But the day-to-day reality for small or overstretched teams leaves little room to research, implement, and maintain new systems.
That’s where working with a full-service marketing agency can make all the difference.
Working with us at Wonder Works Digital means an expert extension to your team for digital, marketing and fundraising growth. We bring proven tools, hands-on delivery, strategy aligned to your mission and free up your team to focus on the work.
Digital transformation doesn’t have to be overwhelming, with the right support, it becomes an opportunity to strengthen relationships, deepen impact, and create a true two-way conversation with your community.
Let’s make conversational experiences!
In the purpose-led sector, every message carries more than just information, it carries purpose. But when communication remains one-way, that purpose can get lost in the noise. Communities want to be heard, and when their voices shape the work, engagement and trust naturally grow.
Digital change is the bridge that makes this possible. It equips organisations to listen at scale, respond in real time, and create campaigns that feel like a genuine dialogue. It’s not about replacing the human touch, it’s about amplifying it, so every interaction feels personal, timely, and meaningful.
The challenge isn’t just adopting new tools, it’s having the strategy, skills, and capacity to use them well. That’s why partnering with the right team matters. With the right guidance, your organisation can move beyond broadcasting messages and start building the kind of two-way communication that deepens relationships and drives impact.
Your community wants to be in the conversation. Two-way communication amplifies purpose, not replaces the human touch, so let’s start listening.
