An Edison Research report found that in 2017 40% of the US population has listened to one podcast in their lifetime. And, 24% percent are monthly podcast listeners.

For nonprofits that means that there is an audience out there that ready to listen and to learn about your mission. Dedicated podcast listeners tend to be well-educated and high income earners.  

For nonprofits podcasting can smoothly integrate into your existing media strategy. They can be cross promoted with social media and available on your existing blog or website.

What makes podcast so popular with audiences is their accessibility.  Listeners can enjoy podcasts on a variety of mobile devices (and also via desktop) at any time of their choosing whether it is on their morning commute or at the gym.

Plus, there is a level of intimacy in listening to a podcast that can’t be found in reading the written word. As your listeners tune into to your podcast’s on a regular basis there is a level of trust built up between listener and presenter. And, podcasts allow you to present information about your nonprofit in a casual way that educates while entertaining.  

Your podcast can include interviews, panel discussions, on location reporting or in-depth analysis of topics related to your nonprofit organization.

While podcasting is a relatively affordable way to reach your audience there there are some startup costs involved. To record a podcast you need a computer, microphones and recording software. Some recording software such as Audacity is free.

You can choose to edit your recordings in house or you can send them out for editing. After you have your podcast recorded and edited you need to upload it to a media host. Even if you are going to offer your podcasts on your own website you need to upload them to a media host.

The media host is a service that stores your audio and allows your listeners to listen, download, and subscribe to your podcast.

One example of a media host is Libsyn. Libsyn is one of the oldest dedicated podcast hosting sites. They offer a range of hosting plans, one of their more affordable plans is $5 a month with unlimited bandwidth.

Once your podcast is on a media host you can make it available to RSS feeds and through your website. You can also then submit it to iTunes. Keep in mind that all submissions are moderated. It can take as long as 10 days for your podcast to be approved for inclusion in iTunes.