8 Nonprofit Influencers to Follow in 2024

If you’re not following nonprofit influencers, you’re missing out.

Nonprofit influencers are thought leaders who can help inspire you with new approaches, help you grow your reach, and even promote your organization—along with so much more.

In this article, we’ll help you understand exactly what a nonprofit influencer is, why they’re important, and which ones you should be following.

Let’s dig in!

Social media influencers are people who—you guessed it—influence others using social media.

Now, how they yield their influence can vary based on influencer to influencer, but ultimately, they use their platforms to encourage their followers to take a specific action. This could be:

• Purchasing a specific product (i.e. using their affiliate link or promo code, which will garner the influencer a commission with each purchase).
• Educating their followers on specific topics (i.e. financial influencers trying to empower others to get out of debt).
• Encouraging their followers to sign a petition or protest an organization or brand that utilizes practices that are against their values (i.e. animal rights organizations boycotting companies that do animal testing).

Typically, influencers have amassed a following of people with similar interests and values. Their followers value the type of content they put out there, which could be broad, niche, or somewhere in between.

You may not associate influencers with nonprofits at first, but nonprofit influencers exist!

They focus their efforts in the nonprofit sector, sharing resources, promoting causes, and so much more. They are incredibly powerful, and partnering with one can help you and your nonprofit immensely in many different ways.

By following a nonprofit influencer, you get the benefit of their resources. Many share their knowledge based on years of experience in the industry, which is a great way to learn from industry experts for free. They can help you learn how to tell your nonprofit’s story and promote it in an effective way.

You can even partner with nonprofit influencers, asking them to promote your nonprofit or cause. This could be from simple word of mouth or sharing fundraising campaigns. You’ll want to check with a specific influencer to see what their requirements are to land a partnership with them.

Keep in mind that you don’t have to have an immensely large following in order to be considered an influencer. There are different levels of influencers, each of which can be valuable to you and your organization.

There are a lot of nonprofit influencers out there, and we’ve curated this list to include eight that are worth following and we’ve explained why.

Afua Bruce

Twitter: 2,015 | Instagram: 438
‍

Afua Bruce is a talented public interest technologist, which means that her interests intersect between policy, technology, and how they can be used to further the public good. She recently published “The Tech that Comes Next: How Changemakers, Philanthropists, and Technologists Can Build an Equitable World.”

She has been a trailblazer in the government, nonprofit, private, and academic sectors, and Afua shares her insights on social media, engaging with others on causes that are important to her. She retweets news articles to bring additional visibility to causes important to her, as well as shares original content to help you keep up with what she’s doing and how you can learn directly from her.

Why Worth Following: Afua is one to watch if you’re trying to learn more about the role technology can play in making the world more equitable. Afua can help you navigate AI, ChatGPT, and how they can impact your nonprofit.

Jay Frost

LinkedIn: 8.667 followers | Twitter: 16.6k
‍

According to his website, Jay Frost has been named one of the top 10 fundraising experts by Philanthropy Media, one of the top 8 fundraising influencers by Elevation Media, and among the top 100 charity industry influencers by Onalytica, so he’s definitely a must-follow! Jay has deep expertise in fundraising for nonprofits. He’s a frequent speaker and fundraising coach, lending his knowledge to help others.

While he’s no longer active on Twitter, he’s still got a great following, and you can look back at his old content for inspiration. On his other platforms, Jay shares original content to help fuel positive change in the world, which he has been doing for more than 30 years. Jay also engages with existing content, reposting things to drive visibility and encourage discussion.

Why Worth Following: Jay knows what he’s doing when it comes to fundraising, and you can learn a lot from him. He even shares webinars you can attend to increase your knowledge. If you want to grow as a fundraiser, he’s well worth the follow.

Beth Kanter

LinkedIn: 522.9K | Twitter: 330.3K | Instagram: 5,275
‍

Beth Kanter is a powerhouse with more than 30 years of experience in the nonprofit industry. She is an award-winning trainer, author, and facilitator, working at the intersection of social change and technology with an emphasis on nonprofits.

She is the author of several books, including, “The Smart Nonprofit: Staying Human Centered in an Automated World,” “The Happy, Healthy Nonprofit: Strategies for Impact Without Burnout,” and “Measuring the Networked Nonprofit: Using Data to Change the World,” among others.

Why Worth Following: Beth’s continually adapting her approaches to reflect new technologies, bringing along her followers on the journey with her. She uses her social media platforms to highlight causes she is interested in, as well as shares thought leadership posts that can help nonprofits more effectively utilize technology.

Vu Le

LinkedIn: 500+ connections | Twitter: 33.8K followers | Instagram: 16.1k
‍

Vu Le founded NonprofitAF.com, a blog that offers actionable advice and insights into the field. Vu Le is unique in that he doesn’t take himself too seriously, which is a nice approach to take as a charitable influencer. NonprofitAF is so popular that he recently published “Unicorns on Fire: A Collection of Nonprofit AF Blog Posts Finally Edited for Spelling and Grammar.”

This tone continues throughout all Vu does, including on his social media platforms. He will share his latest blog posts and a cute GIF within the same feed. He does not shy away from sharing posts that may be controversial to some, so he may not be everyone’s cup of tea. However, if you’re looking for a fresh, unique take on the nonprofit industry, it’s worth checking Vu’s platforms out.

Why Worth Following: Vu covers topics that range from board relations to capacity building to staff dynamics and everything in between on NonprofitAF. His passion comes through on his Twitter feed as he passionately shares his position with his followers.

Amy Neumann

LinkedIn: 500+ connections | Twitter: 50.8K | Instagram: 1,658
‍

Amy Neumann is the author of “Simple Acts to Change the World: 500+ Ways to Make a Difference.” She is interested in technology and how it can be used to make an impact in the world, and much of her social media presence helps to advance that important work.

Amy has a particular passion for DEI, driving for inclusion in the technology space. She shares self-authored thought leadership content on her platforms, as well as retweets content that she feels will resonate with her followers. Amy is a widely published contributing author on many websites, including Forbes and the Huffington Post.

Why Worth Following: Amy truly believes that technology has a big role to play when it comes to solving global social impact challenges and is working to use her social media platforms as an agent of change. You can learn and gain inspiration when you follow Amy.

Dan Pallotta

LinkedIn: 500+ connections | Twitter: 19.6K
‍

Dan Pallotta is a seasoned public speaker, delivering more than 400 presentations on philanthropy and innovation—many of which are available on YouTube. He was one of the pioneers of the multi-day charitable events, helping to transform how organizations raise funds to this day.

He loves helping others learn from his experience and has published several books, including “Uncharitable - How Restraints on Nonprofits Undermine their Potential,” “Charity Case: How the Nonprofit Community Can Stand Up for Itself and Really Change the World,” and “When Your Moment Comes - A Guide to Fulfilling Your Dreams.”

Why Worth Following: Dan uses his social media platforms to share a mixture of educational and personal content. You can get your dose of daily knowledge when you follow Dan.

Edgar Villanueva

LinkedIn: 500+ connections | Twitter: 18.3 k | Instagram: 14.4k
‍

Edgar Villanueva is an author and activist. He is the founder and CEO of Decolonizing Wealth, and he is widely recognized as a powerhouse in the industry. He was named on the 2021 Inside Philanthropy Power List, 2021 Nonprofit Times Power and Influence Top 50, and a 2020 Atlantic Fellow for Racial Equity.

In all he does, Edgar talks about the intersections of race, power, and wealth. He specifically calls all organizations—nonprofits included—to lean into their social impact strategies and use them to advance racial equity from within. This is reflected throughout his social media channels, where he shares original content to help spark inspiration, retweets current events that impact his work, and so much more.

Why Worth Following: Edgar mixes his professional content with some personal photos, helping you feel like you get a full picture of who he is and what he stands for when you follow his pages. He is one of the top charitable influencers working for actionable change.

Cindy Wagman

LinkedIn: 3,681 | Instagram: 2,145 | TikTok: 448
‍

Cindy Wagman is a seasoned fundraising professional who offers her expertise across social media. As the president of The Good Partnership, she helps to pair smaller nonprofits with more experienced fundraisers. She is the host of two podcasts, Confessions with Jess and Cindy and The Small Nonprofit Podcast.

Confessions with Jess and Cindy share a behind-the-scenes look at what it’s like to be a nonprofit consultant, covering everything from how to find purpose and impact to creating successful campaigns.

The Small Nonprofit gives practical advice on all you need to run a successful nonprofit, consulting with industry leaders to add fresh perspectives. Cindy often engages across social media, reposting content that resonates with her and penning original content. She also shares snippets of her podcasts on her channels to help entice followers to listen.

‍Why Worth Following: Cindy likes to say she’s not gatekeeping the secrets to being successful with your nonprofit, so she lays it all on the table across her various channels. If you want to evolve as a nonprofit professional, Cindy’s content is for you.

‍

Nonprofit influencers can help inspire you, giving you fresh perspectives on how you can approach common challenges. They can also give you an opportunity to get your nonprofit organization out there, engaging with your content or partnering with you to share your mission with the world.

There is a lot you can learn when you follow these influencers, so make sure you approach your platforms with an open mind. At the end of the day, you can use social media as a tool for good, and following the right charity influencers is a great first step to help you see what others are doing.