By Adnan Mohamed
Humanitarian crises are unfolding faster than institutions can respond. From escalating conflicts abroad to urgent civil rights battles in the United States, nonprofit organizations are increasingly the first line of support for communities facing violence, displacement, hunger, and injustice.
Recent months alone have seen overlapping humanitarian emergencies and growing political tensions around the world. In moments like these, nonprofit organizations often mobilize faster than governments or international institutions.
Across the country, advocacy groups are working on criminal justice reform and immigration legal defense while humanitarian organizations deliver medical care, food assistance, and emergency relief in conflict zones overseas.
Yet the way many nonprofits raise money has not kept pace with the speed and complexity of the modern information ecosystem.
Too often, organizations still rely on a narrow set of digital tools such as social media posts, email lists, and occasional video ads to reach potential donors. These channels remain important, but they are increasingly crowded and vulnerable to donor fatigue. As more nonprofits compete for attention in the same spaces, engagement declines and messaging risks becoming more sensational.
There is a better and more responsible approach. Nonprofits can reach supporters more effectively by adopting many of the digital strategies already used by commercial brands and political campaigns.
Connected television (CTV) and Over-The-Top (OTT) streaming platforms offer one of the most powerful entry points. Short 15- or 30-second ads on network streaming apps and other streaming environments allow organizations to introduce their work in a more thoughtful and contextual setting.
The value of this approach goes beyond simple exposure. It allows organizations to warm audiences before asking for support on other online channels or platforms.
After someone encounters a message through CTV or OTT, organizations can retarget those viewers on platforms such as Meta and Google with deeper storytelling about their work and impact. From there, display and native advertising can continue the conversation alongside news coverage where audiences are already engaging with issues such as immigration policy, humanitarian crises, or civil rights.
When done responsibly, this strategy is not about manipulating emotion or exploiting suffering. In fact, it offers an opportunity to move away from what critics sometimes describe as trauma-driven fundraising. Campaigns can focus on dignity, resilience, and tangible solutions rather than relying on graphic or dehumanizing imagery. The goal is simple: connect people who already care about an issue with organizations capable of making a real difference.
At the center of this model are two critical elements:
The first is data.
High-quality first- and third-party data combined with AI-driven modeling allows nonprofits to identify audiences that have already demonstrated interest in specific causes. A campaign focused on immigration policy might reach individuals who regularly engage with civil rights advocacy. Another might target audiences with a history of supporting humanitarian organizations responding to disaster or famine. A third might connect with viewers who consistently engage with peacebuilding or antiwar initiatives related to conflicts in the Middle East.
This approach allows organizations to tailor messaging to audiences who are already receptive, rather than broadcasting generalized appeals to the public at large.
The second element is speed.
The modern news cycle moves quickly, especially during moments of political tension or humanitarian crisis. Organizations capable of producing responsible creative and deploying it rapidly through programmatic demand-side platforms are far better positioned to respond while public attention is still focused on the issue.
Speed also requires access to strong supply partnerships that provide reliable ad inventory and allow campaigns to be optimized in real time.
Recommendations:
Preparation is essential. Nonprofits seeking to succeed in this environment should consider three key steps:
First, nonprofit leaders must understand the technical foundations of modern digital advertising.
Leadership teams do not need to become advertising gurus, but they should understand the fundamentals of programmatic buying, audience modeling, and cross-platform retargeting. Even a basic understanding of how digital audiences are identified, reached, and re-engaged can help organizations make more informed decisions about fundraising strategy and media investment.
Second, organizations should build internal digital expertise that connects mission-driven messaging with modern advertising tools.
Hiring staff who understand both advocacy comms and digital advertising technology allows nonprofits to respond quickly when events demand action. Staff who can translate crises into effective digital outreach make it possible to launch campaigns while public attention is still focused on the issue.
Third, nonprofits should partner with experienced digital media platforms and agencies that specialize in mission-driven campaigns.
Building a full digital advertising infrastructure from scratch is difficult and expensive. Strategic partnerships with experienced media buying platforms or agencies provide access to premium inventory, advanced audience modeling, and real-time campaign optimization.
These partnerships also allow organizations to launch responsible fundraising campaigns quickly while maintaining strong standards for targeting, messaging, and ethical storytelling.
By adopting thoughtful, data-driven, and ethically grounded digital fundraising strategies, nonprofits can expand their reach, deepen public engagement, and strengthen the communities they serve while preserving the dignity of the people whose lives depend on their work.
The world is entering a period defined by overlapping crises, from domestic debates over justice and immigration to humanitarian emergencies across multiple regions. Nonprofits will continue to play a central role in responding to these challenges.
Adnan Mohamed is a senior digital and political strategist working on advocacy and public affairs campaigns with TARA Media and TargetSmart. He has advised many Democratic campaigns and PACs at the local, statewide, and national level on political and media strategy.