How is nonprofit marketing different from regular business marketing?

Nonprofits are selling trust, transparency, and proof of impact, not a product or service. The marketing has to support donor confidence, volunteer recruitment, grant credibility, and event turnout - usually with a fraction of the staff a for-profit business would have.

Can you help us get more donations?

Yes, but the answer isn't usually 'run more ads.' It's usually a clearer website, better impact storytelling on video and social, and a recurring giving option that actually works on mobile. We start by fixing the foundation.

Can you help us promote fundraising events?

Yes. Pre-event promotion, sponsor recognition, day-of photo and video, and post-event recap content fall right inside our website, social, and video pillars. Done well, every event becomes content for the next one.

Do you handle email newsletters, paid ads, or SEO?

No. Our scope is websites, social content, and video. Email platforms, paid ads, and SEO programs aren't services we sell. If those are the right next step, we'll point you at someone we trust and stay in our lane.

How much does a nonprofit website cost?

Nonprofit builds typically run between $5,000 and $18,000 depending on size and complexity. We work with realistic budgets and we're transparent about what's included. We always price after a strategy call, never before.

Industries · Nonprofits & Community Organizations

Marketing for Louisiana nonprofits that need more than a pretty flyer.

Make Waves is a Louisiana nonprofit marketing agency built for foundations, museums, schools, and community organizations. We've shipped websites, donor storytelling, and event marketing for the Bayou Country Children's Museum, BLFWD, the Lorio Foundation, the Louisiana Dental Hygienists' Association, Start Corp, and the Seeds of Giving.

Get the Nonprofit Storytelling & Donor Growth Playbook Join Our Wave Pool →

The problem

Most nonprofits aren't short on heart. They're short on time.

The mission is strong. The board is engaged. The staff is stretched. And somewhere in there, marketing becomes the thing that gets done in the cracks - which means inconsistent posting, a website that hasn't been touched in three years, and donor stories that never make it out of someone's email inbox.

The website doesn't explain the mission

Visitors land, scan for 10 seconds, and leave without understanding who you serve, what you do, or how to help. The donate button is at the top - and that's about it.

Donors want to see the work

They want to know where their money goes. A wall of text doesn't show them. Photos, video, and impact stories do.

Social posting is inconsistent

Staff is already stretched. Without a content calendar and ready-to-go templates, posting goes silent for weeks at a time.

Generic agencies tell you to post more

That's not a strategy. That's another chore on a team that's already running on fumes.

Industry playbook

The Louisiana Nonprofit Donor & Volunteer Playbook

Five chapters on turning mission into momentum without burning out the team. Built from real client work.

Read the playbook

Free to read. Updated for 2026.

01The donor-conversion website

02The 90-day fundraising event playbook

03A sustainable social media plan for a one-person team

04Volunteer recruiting that converts to 5-year supporters

05When to fire your nonprofit marketing agency or consultant

What we actually do

Three pillars built for nonprofits and community organizations.

We focus on three things and do them well - websites, social content, and video. Built for organizations doing the work, not just talking about it.

Mission-first websites

Websites that explain who you serve, what you do, why it matters, and how people can help - in that order. Donate flows that work, event registration that doesn't break, and grant-credibility built in.

Social media without staff burnout

Content calendars, captions, graphics, short-form video, and volunteer highlights - built into a system your team can run on a few hours a week, not 20. Sponsor recognition and donor storytelling baked into the rhythm so corporate partners feel taken care of.

Event & impact video

Pre-event promotion video. Day-of photo and video. Recap reels. Impact stories told on camera in human terms. Post-event content that keeps the organization visible between fundraisers.

Client work

Six Louisiana nonprofit builds. One agency.

Every site below was designed, written, and shipped by Make Waves. Click any thumbnail to see the live build.

Service tiers

Web design, video, social media. Pick your wave.

Ripple gets you started.
Make Waves is the one most clients pick.
Tsunami goes all-in.

Monthly retainer · 6-month minimum

Ripple

Foundational

Get on the grid, consistently.

8 posts / month (2× weekly)
Client-provided photos
Graphics + curated captions, 1 revision each
2 platforms (FB, LinkedIn, or IG)
Quarterly analytics, hashtag strategy, heat map

See pricing

Most Chosen

Make Waves

Momentum

Original content, captured monthly.

10 posts / month (8 photo + 2 reels)
Monthly content capture (photo + video)
Graphics + photo content
3 platforms · Reels only reposted to TikTok
Quarterly analytics, hashtag strategy, heat map

See pricing

Tsunami

Full Coverage

Always-on engagement and crisis support.

16 posts / month (8 photo/graphic + 8 reels)
Story reposts
2 monthly capture sessions
3 platforms · Reels only reposted to TikTok
Quarterly strategy meeting
Dedicated account manager + crisis coaching

See pricing

Not included on any tier: account creation, account monitoring, paid ads, stories (Ripple/Make Waves), professional video capture (Ripple/Make Waves), crisis & community engagement (Ripple/Make Waves), strategy calls (Ripple).

Travel: flat per-mile rate beyond a 25-mile radius · 50-mile cap unless quoted separately.

FAQ

Common questions about nonprofit marketing.

Join Our Wave Pool.

Tell us about your organization. We'll tell you the three marketing moves we'd start with - just an honest conversation.

Go deeper

Read the full nonprofits playbook.

Open the Nonprofits Playbook →

Our services

Three integrated services for established businesses.

Locations we serve

Marketing for Louisiana nonprofits that need more than a pretty flyer.

Most nonprofits aren't short on heart. They're short on time.

The website doesn't explain the mission

Donors want to see the work

Social posting is inconsistent

Generic agencies tell you to post more

The Louisiana Nonprofit Donor & Volunteer Playbook

Three pillars built for nonprofits and community organizations.

Mission-first websites

Social media without staff burnout

Event & impact video

Six Louisiana nonprofit builds. One agency.

Web design, video, social media. Pick your wave.

Ripple

Make Waves

Tsunami

Common questions about nonprofit marketing.

Join Our Wave Pool.

Read the full nonprofits playbook.

Three integrated services for established businesses.

Marketing built for Louisiana and Florida businesses.