Is Jargon Muddying your Messaging?
October 3, 2025 | By David M. Wagner
WIRED Magazine has a great series of videos in which experts explain a complex topic at 5 levels of difficulty.
Each conversation starts with school-aged child and ends with a peer to the expert offering the explanations.
It’s a simple, powerful demonstration of tailoring communication to one’s audience.
…Which so many organizations and leaders struggle to do.
Frankly, clearly explaining what you do is often surprisingly difficult! And muddying your message has clear downsides:
Difficulty attracting funders and donors
Missed opportunities to serve people who would benefit from your work
Confused priorities among your staff and supporters
Let’s tackle one technique that often introduces confusion: using jargon.
Defining Jargon
Is the term “jargon” itself an example of jargon? Where do you draw the line?
For the purposes of explaining your mission to general audiences, I propose that jargon is any term or concept most people learn about after high school.
Anything learned in high school or earlier is likely “general knowledge,” while terms and topics learned later may be more specialized than you’d think.
Here’s a simple example: most people will know what you mean if you describe “related and underlying health conditions.” Many fewer know the term “comorbidities.”
Clarify your Message
Here’s a simplified way to craft your messages and keep them jargon-free:
Identify your primary audience (for each message). Are you trying to reach individual donors, policymakers, current or potential users of your services?
Understand their goals. Your goal may be to raise money, affect policy, or help more people. What about your message recipients? Why should they care? Make your message about the impact they can expect or help create.
Use their language. How would one of your existing donors describe their reasons for giving? Your stakeholders’ language – the terms they use, the ways they think about your work, the meaning it has for them – matters more than how you think about your mission.
Make a clear, explicit ask. This isn’t about jargon, it’s just good communication. Good asks get more “yes”es!
If you struggle with step #3, two tips: First, ask someone already connected to your organization to describe what you do. (I do this with the stakeholders of my strategic planning clients, but you can ask anyone, at any time!)
Second, ask someone with no connection to your work if they understand your message. Can they explain what you do, why they should care, and what you’re asking for?
When to Use Jargon
The advice above applies to messages intended for general audiences, at a lower level of complexity. Jargon may be entirely appropriate for:
Education and advocacy campaigns – Introducing new terms and concepts is an important part of this work.
Grant applications (especially program grants) – You’ll likely need to explain more about the “how” and “how it works” behind what you do. Pro tip: start with the “general audience” version then add layers of complexity.
Working with peers and experts – The more they know, the more jargon can help convey complex topics quickly.
Check your messaging. Are you unintentionally including jargon that could confuse your audiences? Let’s chat if you could use help clarifying your mission, or if you need a referral to a marketing expert.