The 6 Trends Shaping Social Good Communications in 2025
JANUARY 9, 2025
By: Scott Westcott
As we move headlong into the new year, one thing is clear: change is coming.
And the changes we’re facing will have a huge impact on the work of social good communications professionals.
Here are six key trends that will shape your work in 2025 — along with some ideas on how you can stay ahead of the curve as you adapt your strategies for the year ahead.
New Messaging for a New World Order
The 2024 election results, the Fearless Fund lawsuit, and cultural changes are pushing many foundations, nonprofits, and associations to take a step back to review their messaging strategies.
Some are choosing to double down on their current language.
Others are maintaining their commitment to equity, systems change, and protecting democratic ideals while updating their messaging to move away from words and terms that turn off some audiences.
Still others are backing away from their earlier commitments.
Taken together, this is all leading to a big shift in the way foundations, nonprofits, and other social good organizations talk about their work.
No matter your mission, we recommend taking steps to audit your messaging early in 2025 to ensure your organization — and your board — is aligned around how you want to talk about your mission, your values, and your work.
Learn more: Why your organization should audit its messaging
Communications that builds bridges
Tensions are high nationally and worldwide — and many organizations are actively working to find ways to bring people together to find common ground and address pressing challenges.
We expect to see more organizations adopt asset-based storytelling approaches, lean into using language and phrases that appeal to people across the political spectrum, and focus their thought leadership efforts on community-based approaches to solving big problems.
Learn more: The words and messages that bring us together
AI finds a lane
After all the hype — and handwringing — it seems like AI is finding its lane as a useful tool for many communications pros. Authentic storytelling will remain a human undertaking for the foreseeable future — but storytellers are learning how to use AI to augment their work by providing some thought starters that help get the juices flowing.
Learn more: An AI policy can help improve your organization’s communications
Renewed trust in traditional media
Amid the avalanche of misinformation and flimsy AI created content, a new survey from Greentarget found that 88 percent of all decision-makers value traditional media – marking a seven-year high in the survey. The survey authors stated the new era of upheaval has led to a “deeper embrace of trusted editorial sources.”
Learn more: Cracking through the crowded news cycle
Continued growth in non-traditional media
While trust may be rebounding in traditional media, the audiences for those outlets continue to dwindle, with consumers increasingly getting information from non-traditional media.
Statista projects that average daily time spent on digital media will reach eight hours in 2025, up from just over seven hours in 2022.
Amid that growth, 2025 promises considerable disruption in the social media space with Facebook eliminating fact-checkers, the uncertain future of TikTok, and the emergence of Bluesky and other potential alternatives to X.
All of this means it’s likely time to reassess and shift your social media and influencer marketing strategies.
Learn more: How to work with influencers
Crisis communications planning gets real
In a world in which a new crisis seems to emerge daily and AI deepfakes can be generated with a few clicks, crisis communications planning and practice can no longer be an afterthought.
Organizations need to have an up-to-date crisis protocol in place so they are prepared to respond quickly and effectively to whatever calamity they may encounter.
Learn more: Prepare for your next communications crisis
