A quick test: after reading your email or donation page, can a supporter explain what you do in one sentence, using everyday words?
Here’s something progressive organizations need to focus on–building trust.
If people don’t trust you, they won’t listen to you, join you, or donate. Ineffective language choices are one of the quickest ways to lose trust before you even get to your point.
People don’t hear what you mean
We like to think words work like math: you say something, the listener receives it, and the meaning transfers cleanly. That isn’t how human minds work. Listeners filter messages through experience, emotion, and memory. A neutralsounding word to you can feel like an accusation to someone else. A phrase that feels ordinary inside your movement can sound cold, academic, or moralizing to an outsider. You can’t control the filter; you can only choose words that are less likely to trigger it.
Why activists drift into jargon
Inside movements, we reward complexity. We read more, argue more, and sit through long policy meetings. Over time, we start to sound like the rooms we sit in. No judgment here: this happens to every group. We develop an internal language that we pick up quickly, but that often alienates outsiders.
Online culture increases the problem. And nobody wants to use the “wrong” term and be embarrassed in public. So, organizations reach for language that signals belonging but is frequently seen as jargon by the vast majority of the population. Progressives often attack each other quickly if someone makes an “error.” Remember, you’re not perfect either. We need to focus our energies on battling authoritarians.
Avoid using your communications as a membership test; they should be an invitation. Join us. Support us. Donate. If the words you use are insider terms, potentially shaming, or confusing, members of the public who might have been open to your message will quietly back away. And the far right gains an easy advantage: “See, these people are out of touch,” without ever engaging your ideas.
Confusing language creates suspicion
When people don’t understand what you’re saying, they rarely blame themselves. They suspect you. Unclear language can sound legalistic, corporate, or academic, creating distance – the opposite of trust. That’s why clarity isn’t a style preference; it’s good strategy.
A quick test: after reading your email or donation page, can a supporter explain what you do in one sentence, using everyday words? If not, your message isn’t effective.
Translate, don’t lecture
“Plain language” isn’t about watering down ideas; it’s about keeping the idea and changing and improving the packaging.
| Jargon | What it means | Plain alternative |
| Privilege | Some people get unfair advantages | “unfair advantages” |
| Micro-aggression | Small insults that pile up | “small insults that add up” |
| Systems of oppression | Rules that treat some people unfairly | “rules that treat some people unfairly” |
Even when a term is technically accurate, I suggest you define it once in plain language. And then stick to the meaning – not the label. If your target audience has to Google a word or phrase, that reduces public support. Most will not look it up. They will simply dismiss your message.
Use words that travel across borders
When you work across Europe – or any multilingual region – simple language becomes even more vital. Lean into the values people prioritize: safety, fairness, respect, dignity, family, decency. Those words feel human. They are emotionally inviting. They help a reader feel, “I get what you stand for.”
You can and must discuss rights, inequality, racism, poverty, and climate. Just avoid wrapping those truths in language that shuts the door on the people you need to reach.
Quick fixes
Do a jargon audit. Print your homepage, donation page, newsletter, and your last five emails. Circle any word you wouldn’t hear in a normal conversation with a neighbor.
Decide what stays. Some technical terms matter – law, medicine, policy. Keep them, but define them once in plain language, then replace the label with its meaning.
Test with outsiders. Not staff, board members, or activist friends. Buy a stranger a coffee, ask them to read your first paragraph, then ask, “What do you think we do? How do you feel about this?” Look for the emotion. If they hesitate, rewrite. Avoid testing in a university café full of graduate students –that’s not a big enough audience. In North America, around 50% of the population read at grade 6 level – at best. It’s probably not as bad in Europe, but even if it’s 40%, we have to reach these people with clear, compelling language
Use AI as a tool, not a voice. If you’re stuck, ask an AI to simplify your copy, then edit it so it sounds like you and stays accurate.
The standard that matters
Your supporter should be able to describe what you do without stumbling. If they can, they will share it, defend it, and support you. If they can’t, you may feel good about the writing, but you’re building a smaller movement that mostly talks to itself – and that’s not why you started this work.
The extreme right understands simple language. They use it as a tool – effectively. We can not let them get away with that because we like to talk like academics. The future of our rights and our democracies is at stake.
This blog post was originally published by European Center for Digital Action. It is shared with permission of the author.
Harvey McKinnon is a fundraising and campaigning expert–and also a prolific writer. For him, goals like raising money, building coalitions, and growing a movement all share a common starting point: the clear, clean, and compelling expression of an idea. Communication through language that draws people in rather than turning them away. Here he sets out his tried-and-tested tips.
