by Emily Johnson
According to the Effectiveness of Visual Language study from the Wharton School of Business, 67% of your audience is easier to persuade if they are provided with data and facts, accompanied by visuals. It comes as no surprise, because 90% of all information people remember is based on visuals. With that in mind, more and more non-profits consider graphic visual representations of data or knowledge, aka infographics, a valid method to influence society and draw attention to problems of the outside world.
When done right, infographics can deliver numerous benefits for non-profits.
Why are infographics so effective?
Visually compelling, infographics work as a perfect channel to send information and make seemingly boring facts look fun. Without having to read huge amounts of text, users get a chance to explore a topic in a more engaging way.
- People absorb visual information faster and easier.
- Bright visuals increase the willingness to read by 80%.
- People prefer looking at bright images to reading large texts.
- People remember 80% of what they see but only 20% of what they read.
- People following directions with text and illustrations do 323% better than those following directions without illustrations.
To apply infographics for social impacts, non-profits can use them to:
- Simplify a message
Trying to be persuasive, most non-profits share too much data, facts, and statistics with their audience, which makes it difficult to effectively communicate the message. Through data visualization, organizations can create opportunities to engage their audience, making them understand the point by simplifying complex information.
O
verly-complicated information can overwhelm and confuse target audiences, losing the key message the non-profit tries to convey. This is the reason to find the way of presenting significant aspects in a more approachable way, like No Kid Hungry did, for example.
- Demonstrate the impact
With infographics, non-profits can demonstrate the impact of their research, data, and statistics. 
Moreover, visualizations can help to solve problems and influence the way the audience works – their productivity and motivation – with better engagement than textual information provides. Infographics attract a wider audience, as they are easily liked, shared, and spread by readers themselves.
It was the case of Omnipapers after they designed and published an infographic to help people organize their workplaces for better productivity.
- Show the need for a program
Infographics make it easier to communicate problems and concepts, as they are an efficient way to disseminate information and can help non-profits transfer knowledge. 
Thanks to their potentially viral nature, this format of delivering a message has a high-potential when talking about the need to demonstrate the importance and relevance of a provided non-profit program.
For example, World Wildlife Federation uses infographics to show the impact of climate change, demonstrating why people should care about it and why they need this program.
- Impact donations
For non-profits reliant on donations, consider the benefits from using infographics for communicating social impact, allowing target audiences to see how their help can change the world.
Infographics by Charity Water and Habitat for Humanity demonstrate how beneficial this method can be.
- Move people to action
Infographics should tell a story, supported by case studies and facts, to capture the audience and make them want to act. 
Keeping infographics simple and focused, non-profit organizations can widen an approach to their existing outreach, reach a wider audience, build credibility, and facilitate a positive experience with their brand.
Oxfam America uses visuals with bright colors to illustrate the danger of hunger in different situations. The transition from purple to red conveys the need for aid and motivates people to act.
Today, non-profits can benefit both externally and internally by using infographics to communicate social impact.
Utilizing relevant and useful visual content, infographics can develop relationships with influencers and media, educate the audience, create micro-interactions, and build credibility. More than that, using infographics can become a point of pride for employees if their non-profit’s infographic is well-received. Infographics can also help to educate employees about an organization’s impact and programs.
Promotion of the infographic has a significant role too, organizations should decide strategically on which platforms to share infographics with the world. To solve this problem, one should look for the best promotional channel for their infographics, depending on the places their audience meets and the aims they pursue.
A compelling nonprofit infographic always follows the data, crafts a story, keeps it simple, is promoted through the right channels, and facilitates sharing. Visually engaging, infographics remain a truly efficient method to get an organization’s message across, increasing social impact.
A good infographic doesn’t need to use many words.
The picture tells the story here.
Emily Johnson is a freelance writer. Her interests include writing, digital communications, photo, and travels. Contributing to blogs on education, students life, career, and social media, Emily improves her writing skills step by step, trying to master English grammar. She plans to publish her fiction novel one day, and she reads a lot to get inspired by works of such writing gurus as Ray Bradbury, Mary Shelley, and Chuck Palahniuk. You can keep up with her on Twitter.