Instagram is giving users more control over the content they see through a feature called “Your Algorithm.” The feature uses AI to identify the topics Instagram believes a person is interested in and allows users to adjust those interests, including choosing topics they want to see more or less of.

The first version launched for Reels in the United States in December 2025. Instagram expanded the feature in June 2026 so users could see and modify the topics influencing recommendations across Feed, Reels, and Explore.

For nonprofits, this is important because Instagram is increasingly trying to understand what a person is interested in, not just which accounts they follow.

Your organization can have thousands of followers, but that doesn’t mean every follower will automatically see every post. Instagram increasingly uses signals about a person’s interests and behavior to determine which content is most relevant to them.

For nonprofits trying to increase awareness, reach potential donors, recruit volunteers, attract corporate partners, or educate their communities, this makes the quality and relevance of your content more important than ever.

Instagram Is Moving Beyond the Follower Model

The traditional way of thinking about Instagram is relatively straightforward: build an audience, post consistently, and your followers will see your content.

That hasn’t been how Instagram has worked for some time, but the latest updates make the shift even more apparent.

Instagram has long used different ranking systems across Feed, Stories, Reels, and Explore. Ranking considers signals such as a person’s activity, their relationship with an account, information about a post, and how likely they are to interact with it.

Now, Instagram is making that personalization more visible.

With “Your Algorithm,” users can see some of the topics Instagram associates with their interests and actively change those preferences. In other words, Instagram is increasingly trying to understand the person behind the following.

Someone might follow a nonprofit because they donated once, volunteered years ago, or were tagged in a post. But that doesn’t necessarily mean every piece of content from that organization is relevant to them.

The platform wants to understand what people actually watch, share, like, search for, and engage with, which creates an opportunity for nonprofits.

Relevance Matters More Than Follower Count

A large follower count can be helpful, but it isn’t the only measure of your potential reach.

Instagram’s Head, Adam Mosseri, has identified watch time, likes, and sends as three important ranking signals. This reinforces an important point: your goal shouldn’t simply be to get someone to follow your account.

Your goal should be to create content that makes the right person stop, watch, save, share, or send it to someone else.

A nonprofit post explaining a complex community issue might not generate thousands of likes. But if someone sends it to a colleague because it perfectly explains something they’ve been discussing, that interaction can be much more meaningful.

Nonprofits should start asking: “How do we create content the right people genuinely want to see and share?”

Create Content Around Clear, Valuable Topics

One of the best things nonprofits can do is become more intentional about the subjects they consistently discuss.

Think beyond your organization itself. What topics should people associate with your nonprofit?

If you work in food insecurity, your content might consistently address food access, hunger, nutrition, community resources, and policies affecting the people you serve.

If you work in animal welfare, you might focus on pet adoption, animal rescue, responsible pet ownership, fostering, and animal welfare education.

If you work in education, your content might center on student success, literacy, educational equity, youth development, and access to resources.

This doesn’t mean repeating the same message over and over. It means developing recognizable content themes that help both your audience and Instagram understand what your organization has to offer.

Clarity matters, too. A post that simply says, “We’re excited to share some big news!” gives Instagram and a new audience very little context.

A post explaining how your organization is helping local families access affordable housing provides a much clearer topic and a stronger opportunity to connect with people interested in housing, community development, poverty reduction, or local social services.

Create Content People Want to Watch and Share

Before publishing, ask yourself a simple question: Would someone send this to another person?

People share content because it is useful, interesting, emotional, surprising, timely, or representative of something they care about.

That might be:

• A statistic that changes how someone understands an issue
• A short educational Reel explaining something complicated
• A compelling impact story
• A practical resource someone can share with a friend or colleague
• A behind-the-scenes perspective people wouldn’t otherwise see

This also means thinking carefully about video.

A view tells you someone encountered your Reel. Watch time tells you whether you kept their attention.

Instead of spending the first few seconds introducing your organization, start with the most interesting part. Lead with a question, surprising statistic, compelling statement, powerful moment, or clear promise of what the viewer will learn.

Rather than:

“Hi, we’re ABC Nonprofit, and today we’d like to talk about our programs.”

Consider:

“One in four families we serve had to choose between groceries and another essential expense last month.”

Then tell the story.

The goal isn’t to manufacture drama. It’s to earn attention quickly and give people a reason to keep watching.

Think Beyond Your Existing Followers

Your Instagram content shouldn’t only be designed for people who already know your organization.

Think about the person who has never heard of you.

Would they understand what your post is about? Would they learn something? Would they know why the topic matters? Would they want to share it?

Recommended content gives nonprofits an opportunity to reach people who don’t already follow them. A person who discovers your organization through a Reel about an issue they care about could eventually become a follower, volunteer, donor, advocate, or corporate partner.

That’s why your Instagram strategy should be designed for discovery as well as communication.

Original content can be especially valuable here.

Your organization has information no one else has. You know what is happening in the communities you serve. You have firsthand stories, program data, expert perspectives, behind-the-scenes moments, and lessons from your work.

Use them.

Your nonprofit’s original perspective is often more compelling than another generic inspirational graphic, and it gives people a reason to follow your organization specifically.

Use Your Insights, But Don’t Chase the Algorithm

Pay attention to what your Instagram Insights are telling you.

Which posts receive the most shares? Which Reels have the longest watch times? Which topics consistently generate comments? Which posts reach the most non-followers? Which content gets saved?

Look for patterns and use them to inform your strategy.

At the same time, optimizing for reach shouldn’t turn your nonprofit’s Instagram account into a content factory.

Some important posts may never go viral.

A volunteer appreciation photo may primarily resonate with the people who were there. A thank-you post may be seen mostly by existing supporters. A behind-the-scenes update may generate relatively few impressions while strengthening relationships with your community.

Those posts still matter.

The goal isn’t to make every piece of content maximize reach. It’s to understand what each piece of content is supposed to accomplish.

Some content should attract new audiences. Some should educate. Some should cultivate donors. Some should celebrate your community. And some should drive action.

A strong nonprofit social media strategy makes room for all of them.

Instagram is becoming increasingly focused on relevance.

For nonprofits, the best response is to become clearer about what you want to be known for. Create content around the issues your organization understands best. Tell stories that make people care. Make educational content genuinely useful. Give people something worth sharing. Pay attention to watch time and send. And create original content that can introduce your organization to someone who has never heard of you.

Your follower count still matters.

But increasingly, relevance is what gets you beyond your followers.

Ready to Rethink Your Nonprofit’s Social Media Strategy?

Instagram is constantly evolving, and keeping up with platform changes can be challenging when your team is already balancing fundraising, programs, communications, and day-to-day operations.

If you’re ready to rethink your nonprofit’s social media strategy and create content that reaches beyond your existing audience, contact Strat Labs today.