What’s Your Nonprofit’s Super Bowl?

March 2026

The Super Bowl & Other Trends Your Nonprofit Should Engage With

Major pop culture events such as the Super Bowl teach us that the era of aloof, polished brands on social media is over. The best brands are visible within their community. They engage their audience by referencing pop culture and the news, and by directly replying to their followers (such as Wendy’s and Duolingo). They respect and encourage their fandom by commenting on fan edits and trending videos.

Credit: Duolingo on X

People don’t want to engage with faceless, detached corporations. Younger people in particular respond to humor and authenticity, and brands that act and speak like humans. Brands that engage this way show how an online community ought to be managed — and nonprofits could learn a thing or two from them.

Credit: @anna_gu on TikTok

Nonprofit organizations need to go beyond awareness posts and declarations of being “honored” or “thrilled.” Resharing content from other partners, responding to comments and being trend-savvy are just a few ways in which nonprofits can remain engaged with their audiences.

Donors are kind, passionate people who are willing to give their hard-earned money to the causes they care about. They should know that the nonprofits they support have people who care enough to engage with them.

Community Management

For Teaching Matters, LinkedIn wasn’t a place where content gathered dust. It functioned more like a living room — full of people and conversation. Like any good host, it didn’t hide when it had company over. Momentum checked twice a day, scanning comments, reposts and mentions, making sure to pull up a chair when someone shows interest in the conversation.

Credit: Teaching Matters on LinkedIn

Polls were part of that hospitality. Instead of just talking at the room, we asked questions that invited our guests to weigh in. We went deeper by replying, thanking contributors and encouraging dialogue. Every vote and comment extended the reach of each poll and rippled outward into new communities.

Credit: Teaching Matters on LinkedIn

Thoughtful hosting isn’t about filling the room; it’s about making each guest feel seen, heard and eager to come back.

For our newly launched social media campaign (“Child Care Works Colorado”) on behalf of Gary Community Ventures, community management means actively listening to the cultural conversation about affordable child care.

As part of our digital communications strategy, we monitor coverage from outlets like The Colorado Sun and The 19th, engaging directly when their reporting highlights the rising costs facing Colorado families.

Credit: The Colorado Sun on Instagram

We also tap into national moments, like Team USA’s celebration of Olympic “MOM-obob” athletes, to connect the dots between motherhood, careers and the structural need for child care. That’s integrated PR and social in action: aligning reporting, national events and policy advocacy into one cohesive narrative.

As a proactive nonprofit public relations agency, we don’t just track conversations — we join them.

Credit: Team USA on Instagram

Be on Community Watch

Modern social media strategy for nonprofits must go beyond maintaining a presence. Assistant Account Executive Caroline Hughes explains:

Managing the online community involves constant surveillance of multiple social media platforms (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.) for relevant comments and sentiments about your brand, as well as identifying how and where your organization fits into the conversation.

Thorough community management includes:

  • Liking and responding to comments on your organization’s posts (or hiding negative comments when necessary)
  • Commenting on and resharing posts from partners, funders and beneficiaries
  • Identifying and interacting with relevant accounts and news articles

Read more from Caroline in this month’s blog.