Learn 5 ways to make your nonprofit PSA campaigns drive awareness. Discover strategies for audience targeting, storytelling, and creative formats.
Public service announcement (PSA) campaigns are a powerful tool for nonprofits looking to raise awareness about important health, social, and community issues. But creating a campaign that truly resonates with the intended audience requires more than simply producing a video or sharing information online.
At See Girl Work, we’ve supported nonprofits in developing creative campaigns designed to inform, engage, and empower communities.
Two examples include:
ACCHO – PrEP Awareness Campaign
Working with the African and Caribbean Council on HIV/AIDS in Ontario (ACCHO), our team helped transform an educational resource on PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) into a series of animated social media videos designed to raise awareness about HIV prevention within African, Caribbean, and Black communities across Ontario.
Black Health Alliance – Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign
For Black Health Alliance, we developed a suite of campaign publications—including a style guide, evidence brief, and infographic booklet—to support their initiative promoting breast cancer screening and early detection among Black women and gender-diverse people.
These two projects illustrate an important truth: PSA campaigns can take many forms, from animated videos to educational publications. What matters most is the strategy behind them.
Here are five considerations that can help ensure your nonprofit PSA campaign actually drives awareness.
1. Who — Understand Your Audience
The first step in effective nonprofit PSA campaigns is defining exactly who the message is meant for.
Different communities have different concerns, lived experiences, and cultural contexts. Campaign messaging must reflect those realities in order to feel authentic and relevant.
For example, in the ACCHO PrEP campaign, the animated video series was designed specifically for Ontario’s African, Caribbean, and Black communities. Each episode focused on a different group and setting—from conversations in a barbershop to discussions among women in a park—helping viewers see themselves reflected in the stories.
Similarly, the Black Health Alliance campaign focused on addressing systemic barriers faced by Black women and gender-diverse people in accessing breast cancer screening and care.
When organizations begin with a clear understanding of their audience, the campaign message becomes much more powerful.
Character Design from ACCHO’s PrEP PSA Campaign
2. Where — Know Where Your Audience Lives
Nonprofit PSA campaigns are only effective if they reach people where they already consume information.
For many nonprofits today, that means a mix of platforms including social media, digital publications, and community-based distribution.
In the ACCHO campaign, the animated videos were intentionally designed for social media. Each episode was kept under 60 seconds and optimized with subtitles, text overlays, and music to make them easy to watch and share online.
The Black Health Alliance materials, on the other hand, were designed to live in both digital and print formats—allowing them to be shared through community partners, clinics, and outreach initiatives.
Understanding where your audience interacts with information helps determine the right channels for your campaign.
3. What — Know What Resonates With the Community
Effective nonprofit PSA campaigns are not simply about presenting facts. They are about delivering information in a way that feels meaningful and relatable.
In the ACCHO campaign, storytelling played a central role. Everyday settings—such as restaurants, barbershops, and parks—were used to frame conversations about PrEP in a natural and approachable way. This allowed the campaign to communicate health information without feeling overly clinical or instructional.
In the Black Health Alliance campaign, visual storytelling was equally important. Custom illustrations depicted diverse skin tones, body types, and gender expressions, ensuring that audiences could see themselves represented in the materials.
When communities feel reflected in a campaign, they are more likely to trust and engage with the message.
Black Health Alliance Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign infographic
4. When — Timing Matters
Timing can significantly influence the reach and effectiveness of a PSA campaign.
Many campaigns align with awareness months, public health initiatives, or moments when communities are already engaged in related conversations.
Both the ACCHO PrEP campaign and the Black Health Alliance breast cancer initiative were designed to support broader public health conversations around prevention, screening, and community wellness.
Launching campaigns at the right moment can help amplify visibility and encourage wider engagement.
5. How — Choose the Right Creative Approach
The most effective approach depends on the audience, message, and distribution channels.
At See Girl Work, we collaborate with nonprofits and advocacy organizations to turn complex ideas into clear, compelling campaigns.
Through strategy, storytelling, and thoughtful design, our we help organizations create communications that resonate with the communities they serve and inspire meaningful engagement.
Creative formats may include:
- short-form video
- social media graphics
- infographics
- educational publications
- digital storytelling
- community-based outreach materials
The ACCHO campaign used animated video storytelling to make complex health information engaging and shareable online.
The Black Health Alliance campaign relied on elegant publication design and data visualization to communicate research findings clearly and compassionately.
Both approaches were successful because they matched the needs of the audience and the goals of the campaign.
Final Thoughts
Public service announcement campaigns remain one of the most important tools nonprofits have for raising awareness and informing communities. But successful campaigns require thoughtful planning, strong storytelling, and a clear understanding of the audience they are meant to serve.
By considering who the campaign is for, where it will be shared, what message will resonate, when it should launch, and how it should be delivered, organizations can create PSA campaigns that truly drive awareness and inspire action.
