Podcast Summary: RKD Group Thinkers - "‘Message nerd’ Explains What Nonprofits Get Wrong About Communication"

Host: Justin McCord (with Ronnie Richard)
Guest: Tom Ahern
Release Date: March 26, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the fundamental principles of effective nonprofit communications with renowned copywriter and self-proclaimed "message nerd" Tom Ahern. The discussion blends practical donor communications advice, storytelling, and reflections on how the best in the field succeed. Tom shares war stories from his decades in the industry, common mistakes he sees nonprofits making, and why the basics of human connection remain unchanged, even as media and technology evolve.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Tom Ahern’s Unconventional Path to Nonprofit Communication

• Background: Tom started in marketing and PR before moving into tech, then opened his own ad agency, and finally entered the nonprofit fundraising world circa 2000, thanks to his wife’s consulting work.
• Quote [07:43]:

  "My wife had been a consultant to nonprofits since 1985 ... she asked me if I could write a direct mail letter for one of her nonprofit clients ... I was a trained sales copywriter and I've sold all sorts of things successfully." — Tom Ahern

2. Lessons from Commercial Marketing

• Tom brought the value of offer-driven, headline-focused marketing into nonprofit fundraising—rare at the time in the sector.
• Quote [13:18]:

  "Everybody could go to boot camp for newspaper ads. We would have much better communications coming out, much better offers, for one." — Tom Ahern

• He emphasizes the importance of learning from advertising greats like Ogilvy and real-world direct response campaigns.

3. Common Mistakes Nonprofits Make

• Organizations copy each other's mediocre communications instead of thinking about the donor’s perspective.
• Most small nonprofits lack the marketing skills found in commercial sectors and often operate with little guidance.
• Quote [26:48]:

  "If you don't have good headlines, you're absolutely, totally ba ba ba ba ba ba bleep, bleep, bleep, bleep. So you have to learn how to write a good headline. That is the basic skill of news publications." — Tom Ahern

4. The Fundamental Challenge: Speaking to the Audience

• Many nonprofits focus on talking about their own programs and accomplishments instead of addressing what their donor cares about ("insider" vs. "outsider" language problem).
• Quote [33:38]:

  "Your target audience is everything you have. That is your wealth. That's your goal. That's your treasure. You need to think about them a lot ... You're talking to yourself as a buyer, not as a seller." — Tom Ahern

5. Headlines Matter More Than Anything

• Writing a good headline is the "basic skill" that separates effective communications from noise.
• Most training focuses on writing essays, not selling or engaging audiences, leaving a skill gap for nonprofit communicators.

6. What Hasn’t Changed in Donor Communication?

• The "two and a half" things you have to work with: words, images, and personality ("life").
• Strong, attractive personality in your messaging cuts through the noise, regardless of channel.
• Quote [23:18]:

  "You only have two things to work with...words and you have images. Now digital brings life to it, which is that half. So you have two and a half things ... any attempt at communication...will penetrate most deeply if it has strong personality." — Tom Ahern

7. The Evolving Role of Technology and AI

• Discussion starts lightheartedly with urban myths about AI and EM dashes, but pivots to real nonprofit leadership concerns about AI’s tactical and strategic impact.
• Quote [05:12]:

  "I hear from our clients and other leaders that the use of AI...it's a board level conversation." — Justin McCord

8. Optimism About the Future

• Tom is not concerned for the future of fundraising itself, because generosity is a persistent human trait.
• The risk is not in donor behavior but in nonprofit organizations miscommunicating or failing to address what really matters to their audience.
• Quote [32:28]:

  "People are innately generous. Is this something I've observed? Yes. Is it something I know from neuroscience? Yes...So I don't worry about [fundraising]." — Tom Ahern

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Copying Communications Mistakes [17:33]:

  "Each charity, when they were presented with the communications problem of how do we do a newsletter...they would borrow from some other charity ... if we tell everybody how great we are, we will raise a lot of money because they'll reward our...success. And they couldn't write headlines worth a lick."

• On Boards and Agency Partners [28:50]:

  "They work very hard not to make mistakes with their clients. They learn all the time. They are learning operations ... The rest were poor dears are doing this themselves, often with a board that is everything but helpful."

• On What Constitutes Real Communication [30:27]:

  "Communication means you're getting a response. That's my definition."

• On the Inheritance of Wisdom [36:44]:

  "There are greats that have come before us and then there are people who are coming behind us who expect us to carry forward important lessons and...hand off this torch of fundraising and the art of it to them."

Timestamps for Major Segments

• [02:19] — Introduction of Tom Ahern and lighthearted discussion on punctuation, AI, and writing tools
• [06:43] — Tom’s career trajectory: from PR and tech marketing to nonprofit fundraising
• [11:24] — Personal evolution: learning from industry greats, difference between commercial and nonprofit marketing
• [15:18] — Adapting commercial strategies to nonprofit direct mail; lessons learned
• [19:34] — Milestones in digital fundraising and the shift in donor engagement strategies, e.g., using URLs after Katrina
• [22:48] — Core principles that have persisted in donor communications over the decades
• [26:10] — The big reveal: Most nonprofit newsletters are “built to fail” due to poor headlines and insider focus
• [31:19] — Responsibility of the communicator; the pursuit of clarity and understanding
• [32:28] — Tom’s optimism about donor generosity and the key to successful fundraising in the next decade
• [36:44] — Passing on the torch and lessons to the next generation of nonprofit communicators

Style and Tone

• Conversational and humorous—plenty of friendly banter and metaphors ("garlic salt" becomes a recurring metaphor for shaking things up in communications).
• Direct and pragmatic—Tom doesn’t sugarcoat his views, calling out weak headlines and the passive copying of poor donor communications practices.
• Instructive and reflective—the episode is a blend of anecdote, practical advice, and reflection on what makes fundraising communication truly effective.

TL;DR: Actionable Takeaways

• Headline mastery is critical: Learning to write strong, engaging headlines sets apart effective donor communications.
• Think like your donor: Avoid “insider” language and focus on the audience’s perspective, not your own programs or achievements.
• Inject personality: Regardless of channel, personality (the “life” in words and images) carries a message further.
• Don’t just broadcast—communicate: Strive for engagement and response, not just transmitting information.
• Embrace old and new: The medium may change (from direct mail to digital), but the psychological and tactical fundamentals remain the same.
• Stay curious and keep learning: Great practitioners set themselves apart by constantly learning, experimenting, and passing on their wisdom.

For nonprofit professionals and "message nerds" alike, this episode is a reminder that getting the basics right—structure, audience-centricity, clarity, and personality—matters more than ever, no matter how much the landscape evolves.