This is the last in a three-part series of articles from Transform Consulting Group on how nonprofits can use infographics to communicate their brand, make their case, influence donors, and highlight their organizations’ positive outcomes. In the first article, we discussed the basics of infographics. The second article discussed how a nonprofit organization can use infographics to maximize impact. This article provides resources nonprofits can use to develop meaningful infographics.
It can take a lot of time and skill to create a good infographic, and a lousy infographic that confuses the viewer is worse than no infographic at all. Some nonprofits have the money to hire a designer, and others have talented graphic design staff. However, if your organization lacks these resources, Transform Consulting Group has identified some tools and tips already available on the Internet.
Firmology, a small business and media information company, recently highlighted three easy-to-use infographic tools:
- Visually is a one-stop shop for the creation of data visualizations and infographics, bringing together marketing gurus, data nerds, and design junkies based on shared interests. Visually Marketplace introduces e-commerce and project management into the Visually platform, making it easier than ever for buyers and sellers of infographics to get them made, distributed, liked, commented on, and shared.
- Easelly is a free web-based infographic tool offering a dozen free templates you can use and customize. You also get access to valuable features like arrows, shapes, and connector lines, and you can customize the text with a range of fonts, colors, styles, and sizes. You can also upload your graphics and position them with just a few clicks.
- Piktochart is an infographic and presentation tool that allows you to turn boring data into engaging infographics with just a few steps. The customizable editor lets you change the color schemes and fonts, insert pre-loaded graphics, and upload basic shapes and images. The grid-lined templates make aligning graphical elements easy and resizing images proportionally. There’s a free version offering seven basic themes and a pro account with more options for a fee.
Piktochart also has an Ultimate Guide to Designing Your Own Infographic. Some of their recommendations for how to get started include how to:
- Collect materials to tell your story and decide on an infographic topic
- Select a unique topic with data that has not been published everywhere.
- Research for data and information, find the best resources and validate data and references
- Structuring a story to make it data compelling.
Looking for ideas for your organization’s infographic? Here’s a collection on Pinterest of some of the best nonprofit infographics on the web. SpyreStudios has an article called “The Anatomy of an Infographic: 5 Steps to Create a Powerful Visual.”
Transform Consulting Group knows the powerful impact infographics can have in helping nonprofit causes. Interested in how Transform Consulting Group can help your organization visualize your following report, data, or grant proposal? Contact Transform Consulting Group today!
