How to Build a Content Calendar for Your Arts Nonprofit

In the grand desert of nonprofit work, marketing often feels like an unrelenting sandstorm—shifting priorities, endless to-do lists, and the ever-present question: “What are we even posting this week?”

A content calendar is your stillsuit, designed to conserve precious energy and keep you alive in the face of chaos.

Because let’s be real—your time is better spent securing funding, running programs, and, you know, making an actual impact. Marketing is important, but you don’t need to treat every social media post like a crisis on Arrakis. Here’s how to build a content calendar that keeps your nonprofit’s messaging consistent, your sanity intact, and your composure unshaken.

Why a Content Calendar Will Save Your Sanity

You could post whenever inspiration strikes, much like a Fremen warrior emerging from the dunes… but let’s be honest, that’s exhausting. A content calendar ensures:

• You actually have something to post instead of staring at your screen in existential dread.

• Your messaging stays consistent across social media, emails, and your website.

• You can schedule content in advance, freeing up time for more important things (like making sure your nonprofit doesn’t collapse into a black hole of disorganization).

It’s the difference between wandering the desert hoping to stumble upon water and carrying your own supply.

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Step 1: Plot Your Content Like a Bene Gesserit Master Plan

You’re not just throwing content into the void. You’re mapping out your strategy across all the places your audience actually hangs out. (#LearnMore about your audiences with my article “Talking Their Language: A Generational Guide to Nonprofit Communication”) This means balancing posts across:

• Social Media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok—because even the most serious causes need a little dopamine boost).

• Email Campaigns (donor thank-yous, event invites, and those “WE NEED MONEY” appeals).

• Website & Blog (because someone, somewhere, still reads long-form content).

• Fundraising & Events (Giving Tuesday doesn’t market itself).

A simple monthly rhythm could look like this:

• Tuesdays: Mission-focused storytelling.

• Thursdays: Engagement posts (polls, Q&As, “tell us your favorite nonprofit moment!”).

• Sundays: Donor appreciation or behind-the-scenes content.

Much like a well-planned spice trade, consistency is key.

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Step 2: Use Tools That Don’t Require a Mentat to Operate

You don’t need expensive software to keep your marketing organized. Some free (or nearly free) tools can handle the job:

• Google Sheets – It’s free, it works, and it doesn’t require a tutorial.

• Trello – Visual boards for the Post-It Note addicts among us.

• Notion – For those who like their organization with a side of aesthetic minimalism.

• Meta Business Suite – Schedules Facebook & Instagram posts, because posting manually is for the birds.

Start simple. If you need 27 different tools just to keep track of your marketing, you’re doing it wrong.

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Step 3: Repurpose Content Like a Fremen Conserving Water

You do not have time to create new content from scratch every single day. That’s how people burn out and start questioning their life choices. Instead, take what you’ve already got and stretch it across platforms like a resourceful desert survivalist:

• A blog post? Break it into five social media posts.

• A recorded event? Chop it into short Instagram reels.

• A donor thank-you email? Turn it into a heartfelt social post.

• That one really good testimonial? Milk it for at least three different formats.

Work smarter, not harder. The sleeper must awaken, but let’s not make it work overtime.

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What’s Next?:

How do you currently manage your nonprofit’s marketing? Are you a master strategist or are you winging it like a rogue spice smuggler? Drop a comment below and let’s talk.

And stay tuned—on Thursday, we’re diving into automation tools that will do some of this work for you. Because truly, fear is the mind-killer, and so is marketing burnout.

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Tanesha Ford is a nonprofit marketing professional with nearly 15 years of experience helping arts organizations work smarter, not harder. As the founder of For de Arts, Tanesha specializes in empowering small but mighty arts nonprofits with tools and strategies that honor Afro and woman-centric values while driving real impact.