January is full of hope. There is renewed energy, ambitious plans and resolutions.
At the same time, many of us are carrying unresolved challenges from last year into the new one, hoping this is the year we finally address them.
Recently, I brought together a group of social impact communications managers working across nonprofits, foundations, and international organizations for an Engage with Impact meetup. I asked a simple question: What is one communications challenge you faced recently, and how are you dealing with it?
What followed was an honest conversation that moved from daily frustrations to practical solutions. A few themes came up again and again. If we want to be more effective this year, these are the challenges we need to focus on.
1. Communications is still treated as a last-minute help desk
Many participants described the same scenario: a report appears at the end of the week, entirely written and designed, with a request to launch it within days. Communications is expected to distribute it, promote it, and make an impact, with no time to prepare.
This pattern can create stress and undermine our work. It could also lead directly to burnout, because teams are forced into constant reaction mode.
Proposed Solution:
The solution shared in the room was simple and realistic: shift your role from reactive executor to internal educator. Alongside our growing role as strategic counsel, several teams are introducing communications checklists or comms support request forms that must be completed before a project or report is sent to the communications team. These tools force colleagues to think about audience, purpose, and desired change. It also ensures that communications leaders are involved early in discussions, allowing us to asess the situation, plan for additional resources and positively influence outcomes.
For any communications requests, colleagues have to fill out a form asking: Who is your audience? Why is it important? This helps us to plan in advance.
2. Internal misalignment creates confusion
Another recurring challenge is internal confusion on key messages.
Ask different teams what the organization stands for, and you often get different answers. That lack of clarity makes external communication harder than it needs to be.
One participant summed it up well: if your own organization is unclear on the message, your audience will be too.
Proposed Solution:
Clear internal alignment is often the fastest way to improve external credibility. This year, several teams are prioritizing messaging toolkits. These are practical documents that define core messages, key statistics, tone, and priority themes. They give staff a shared reference point while still allowing flexibility for context and geography. In my book Engage with Impact I outline the “On Message” template that the Global Partnership for Education created for key issues that require internal alignment. You can find out more by reading my interview with Breanna Ridsdel, Director, Communications & Advocacy at GPE.
We created a boilerplate, a two-pager on key issue that allowed people to speak with the same voice, with the same messages. It also helped us connect with experts in the organization to craft those messages.
3. Chasing top-tier media can distract from real influence
In our discussion there was also recognition around media pressure. Many teams feel pushed to secure coverage in major outlets, even when those outlets are unlikely to serve their actual goals.
Participants described this as chasing a symbol of success rather than measuring real outcomes. In practice, some of the most meaningful results came from smaller, sector-focused publications with engaged audiences. These outlets reach funders, advocates, and decision-makers who are more likely to act.
Proposed Solution:
By educating internal stakeholders about media realities and value, we can be more focused and reframe success around relevance, audience fit, and stakeholder engagement. This change alone can reduce frustration and sharpen focus.
I really like what you said about constantly educating my colleagues about the relevance of niche media. Some small publications are really important for us when it comes to our funding and advocacy.
4. Resource hubs can stop good content from disappearing
Reports are published. Blogs are written. Webinars are hosted. Then everything gets scattered across a website and quietly fades. This is another frustration familiar to anyone working in impact communications.
Proposed Solution:
A growing number of teams are responding by creating content resource hubs. These are single pages dedicated to a key topic, bringing together reports, articles, videos, and events – all in one place. They make content easier to find and immediately signal expertise. Resource hubs also support long-term storytelling. They help organizations move away from one-off launches toward sustained engagement around priority themes. They also improve website ranking on key issues, improving search engine optimisation online.
You have to have a North Star. It’s so important to have one central idea and everything leading to that, because otherwise you just get lost.
5. Audience connection starts with values, not profiles
The final insight from the meetup was about connection. Many of us spend a lot of time defining audiences by role, location, or sector. That information matters, but it rarely creates resonance on its own.
Several participants emphasized the importance of focusing on why people care. One example stood out. A story about the importance of electricity access became more powerful when it focused on what someone did with that electricity. They loved to cook. That detail created an instant bridge with audiences elsewhere who also love to cook.
Proposed Solution:
When writing your content, try to find a way for your stakeholders to personally relate with your project or initiative. Values, habits, and everyday motivations are often more effective than demographics. They help stories travel further and feel more human. You can follow simple storytelling formulas and approaches, as outlined in my blog post “Why authentic storytelling will always beat AI“.
We did a great deal of work getting to know our audience to understand who they are. And then we aligned those values with our storytelling.
Moving into 2026 with intention
Taken together, these challenges point to one thing. Communications teams succeed when they start steering conversations early, internally and externally.
This year is an opportunity to make small, deliberate shifts: Create one checklist. Clarify three core messages. Identify one niche outlet that genuinely matters. Build one resource hub. Ask one deeper question about why your audience should care.
You do not need to fix everything at once. Progress often starts with one practical step.
See the video summary of our meetup below. Throughout the year, I’ll be sharing useful tools and resources that can help you Engage with Impact. Stay tuned!
- Written by: Nicholas Bruneau
- Posted on: January 5, 2026
- Tags: Engage with Impact
