Written by Alicia C. Aebersold, Chief Communications & Membership Officer, American Psychological Association (APA)

This resource is the second in the 2026 WWPR Nonprofit Communications Toolkit, a year-long series of practical guides for small to mid-sized nonprofits working with limited staff and budgets. Last month, you defined your three core messages. This month, you'll identify exactly who needs to hear them. Explore more resources at: www.wwpr.org/nonprofit-toolkit 

Here's a scenario you might recognize: Your organization does important work. You know it matters. And you know people need to hear about it. So you post it on Facebook, send out newsletters to your community, write emails to possible donors, all the time assuming you are not doing enough, but unsure how to tell. Are you reaching "the right people" when you aim at "the community," or "potential donors," or "anyone who cares about our issue"?

The result is that your limited time and energy scatter in every direction. Your Instagram post reaches people who will never donate. Your newsletter goes to supporters who already know what you do. And the specific people who could actually send their kid to your program, fund your next project, or introduce you to a key partner never hear from you at all. 

The fix isn't complicated. It starts with one question: What do you need people to do?

Target the Action First

Most audience exercises start with: "Who should we talk to?" That's the wrong question. Too many times, the first answer is “everyone,” and that is not a feasible - or useful - goal. 

Start here instead: What do you need someone to do in the next 90 days?

Maybe you need parents to enroll their kids in your summer program. Maybe you need donations to fund a project. Maybe you need the city council to renew a grant. Each of these is specific and actionable.

"Awareness" is not an action. "More people need to know about us" is not a goal. Too many organizations—even big ones with lots of resources—pour their energy into the abyss of “awareness.” If someone becomes aware of your organization, what do you want them to do next? Start there.

Why "the General Public" Doesn't Work

"The general public" is not an audience. Neither is "the community," "stakeholders," or "people who care about education." These are categories so broad that they provide no guidance for your actual communications work.

When your audience is everyone, you can't make real choices. Where does an audience like "everyone" spend their time? What does "everyone" care about? What messages would resonate with "everyone"?

Broad audiences lead to vague and bland communications. Defining specific audiences lets you show up exactly where they are, say exactly what matters to them, and ask for exactly what you need. 

Getting the Altitude Right

Your audience definition needs to be specific enough to guide your choices, but not so narrow that it becomes a contact list. Think of it as finding the right altitude:

• Too vague: "Parents." Way too broad. Parents of newborns and parents of college students are very different audiences, for instance.  
• Too specific: "Parents who volunteered with us last year.” Too narrow. You want a broader audience than one list you already have. 
• Just right: "Parents of middle schoolers in SE DC who are veterans" or "parents of rising 6th graders in Ward 7 who are looking for summer options.” Specific enough that you know where to find them and what they care about, broad enough to build a real strategy.

Clear Audience = Clear Strategy

Specific audiences let you make specific choices. That's the whole point.

For example, if you decide you need to reach Ward 7 parents, that lets you know exactly where to show up at the PTA meetings with sign-up sheets, or post signs at the bus stop near schools. Clear audience leads to clear strategy. That's far more effective than hoping the right people will happen to see your Instagram post or read about your organization in a newspaper article. 

You can stop wasting resources and start focusing them.

Start with One Action and One Audience 

1. What action do you need to be taken in the next 90 days? Be specific. "Enroll a child," "make a gift of $1,000+," "vote yes on the contract renewal." 
2. Who specifically can take that action? Define them precisely. Not "parents" but "parents of rising 6th graders in Ward 7."
3. What do they need to understand to take that action? This will be your core messages, plus something audience-specific. In this example, parents need to know the program exists, that it's free, and how to sign up. Funders need to know your track record and your expansion plan. Consider these messages as your best case for support. 

Prioritize Audience When You Can't Reach Everyone

Here's how to decide where to prioritize your focus when you have limited resources.

Prioritize by value. Which audience, if you reached them successfully, would have the biggest impact on your organization? A funder who could give $5,000 once may matter right now more than 500 social media followers who will never engage further.

Prioritize by urgency. What do you need in the next 90 days? If your summer program enrollment opens in March, parents are your priority right now, even if funders matter more in the long run.

Be wary of prioritizing by ease. It's tempting to focus on whoever is easiest to reach—your existing email list, your current social media followers. But if those aren't the people who can take the actions you need, you're just staying busy without moving forward.

The clearer your organization's goals, the clearer your audiences become. If you're struggling to prioritize audiences, you may need to clarify your goals first.

Red Flags: Signs You're Trying to Reach Everyone

• You can’t pick an audience. If you have seven priority audiences, you have zero. 
• Your audiences are general categories. "Stakeholders" is not an audience.  specifically?
• You can't say what action you want them to take. If the answer is "be aware of us," dig deeper.

A Note on Measuring Progress

For now, the simplest measure is: Did the audience take the action you needed? 

Did parents enroll? Did funders give? Did the council vote yes? If not, reassess whether both your action and your audience are precise.

Now, let’s see how to practically apply this to your nonprofit organization. Scroll down to work through the priority audience exercise and workbook, or download the PDF version using the button directly below.

Audience Mapping Exercise

The “One-Action, One-Audience” Audience Map

This worksheet is not about who matters most overall. It’s about who matters most right now.

Before you start, take a deep breath and remember:

• You are not trying to reach everyone.
• You are choosing who matters right now.

Step 1: Pick ONE action you need to happen in the next 90 days

(If everything is a priority, nothing is.)

In the next 90 days, what is the single most important thing your organization needs?

Check one:

☐ Enroll people in a program
☐ Raise money
☐ Renew or secure funding
☐ Get approvals/votes/permissions
☐ Recruit participants or volunteers
☐ Something else:  ______________________________

Write it as a clear action and be very specific:

Example: “Enroll 25 middle school students in our summer program.”
Example: “Secure a $25,000 renewal grant.”

Our priority action is:

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

Step 2: Name the ONE group of people who can take that action

(Not everyone who cares. Only those who can act.)

Complete this sentence:

The one very specific audience who can realistically take this action in the next 90 days is: 

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

Pressure test your answer

• Is this a real group of people (not “the community”)? 
• Can you picture where they spend time? 
• Could you imagine tailoring a message just for them? 

If not, make it more precise.

Step 3: Write down what this audience needs to know to take the action you need them to take

(This is not your full story. It’s their decision checklist.)

Answer briefly—bullet points are fine.

To take this action, they need to know:
☐ The opportunity exists
☐ Why it matters to them
☐ What makes your organization credible
☐ Exactly what to do next

Write the 3 most important things they need to understand so they will take the action you need them to take:

1. _____________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

2. _____________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

3. _____________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

Quick Reality Check

(Answer honestly!)

• Are we focusing on one action we need them to take? 
• Are we focusing on one primary audience who can take that action? 
• Are we able to clarify what they need to know to convince them to act? 
• Could we explain this plan to a board member in 60 seconds? 

If you checked “no” more than once, simplify again.

What's Next?

Now that you know who you're talking to, you're ready to:

• Audit your current communications (March toolkit)
• Start building your story bank (April toolkit)

If you haven't yet defined your three core messages, start with last month's toolkit: The 3 Core Messages Every Nonprofit Needs (And How to Write Them in 90 Minutes).

This resource is part of the 2026 WWPR Nonprofit Communications Toolkit. Free for nonprofit use. For questions or feedback: probono@wwpr.org.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Alicia C. Aebersold is chief communications and membership officer at the American Psychological Association, leading an 80-person team for the 190,000+ member organization. Aebersold has spent her career in healthcare and behavioral health communications, including senior roles at the National Council for Behavioral Health, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, National Governors Association, and National Quality Forum. She serves as Pro Bono & Social Impact Co-Chair for Washington Women in PR.