Marketing Without Harm: How Nonprofits Can Communicate With Integrity

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Marketing doesn’t have to mean manipulation. But for many small nonprofits, common practices like donor recognition, emotional appeals, and urgency-driven fundraising can unintentionally cause harm. In this episode, Maria and anti-oppressive marketer Natalia Sanyal unpack how to shift your messaging and methods without compromising your values or your impact. 

Natalia works with human-first brands, helping for-profit and nonprofit organizations market more ethically. Here she shares her seven ethical marketing filters, reflects on her own missteps, and gives nonprofit leaders practical ways to rethink recognition, storytelling, and inclusion — especially in a world where perfectionism is no longer the standard. 

🎯 Ethical Marketing - 5 Key Takeaways: 

1. Ethical Marketing Starts with Consent and Agency

Marketing practices often bypass true consent whether it’s adding someone to a mailing list via a Zoom link or disguising a sales pitch as a webinar. Nonprofits must ensure people know what they’re signing up for. 

2. Language Matters—But So Does Context 

Using terms like "stakeholder" or "homeless" without thought can alienate the very communities you serve. But changing language is complicated. It won't be perfect, and that’s okay. Keep trying, explain your choices transparently, and leave space for feedback. 

3. Donor Recognition Can Reinforce Harmful Power Dynamics 

Celebrating donors, especially white donors, funding work for racialized communities, can reinforce white savior narratives.  

4. Filters Help but Capacity Still Matters 

Natalia outlines seven filters to guide ethical marketing: agency, accessibility, appropriation, exploitation, saviorism, current climate, and inclusivity. But she also acknowledges the reality of limited capacity: do what you can, iterate, and give yourself grace. 

5. Choosing Values Over Profit Can Still Work 

Whether prioritizing a BIPOC-majority program cohort or experimenting with donor recognition, Natalia emphasizes that values-aligned decisions may feel risky, but they can be your differentiator. Integrity can attract the right people. 

✅ 3 Actionable Tips for Ethical Marketing 

1. Run Every Campaign Through the Seven Filters 

Before and after you write a fundraising appeal or create a campaign, apply Natalia’s filters: agency, accessibility, appropriation, exploitation, current climate, saviorism, and inclusivity. You won’t catch everything, but you’ll catch more than if you didn’t. 

2. Shift Away from Public Donor Recognition 

Experiment with anonymous giving or shift recognition toward volunteers and community members. Educate donors on why this matters and invite them to participate in more ethical storytelling practices. 

3. Choose Imperfect Progress Over Inaction 

If you can’t do everything, do something. Don’t wait for the perfect DEI strategy or most inclusive language to get started. Opt for transparency, explain your evolving process, and build trust along the way. 

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