How Greenpeace Mexico Used AI to Supercharge Fundraising and Engagement

In this blog Bernard Ross, leader of the decision science team at =mc consulting explains how Filipe Páscoa, CEO of enlaight.ai and =mc consulting senior consultant helped Greenpeace Mexico to build powerful links to identify the key subject their audience would engage with.

In an era where digital noise drowns out even the most urgent calls to action, Greenpeace Mexico faced a serious dilemma. Despite an ambitious growth plan and a global focus on climate change, their campaigns were stalling. Social media ads fell flat. Sign-ups dwindled. Donations plateaued.

The culprit? Misaligned messaging. Their audience wasn’t disengaged — they simply didn’t see themselves reflected in Greenpeace’s stories.

It’s not about what you say—it’s about what your supporters hear.

Instead of guessing, Greenpeace turned to behavioural science and AI-powered Natural Language Processing (NLP) to find the real emotional levers in Mexican social media discourse. The results were transformative for both public engagement and fundraising.

Step 1: Flipping the Perspective

Greenpeace began by shifting focus from their “value proposition” to the audience’s value perception. It’s a crucial but often missed distinction. Instead of trying to communicate what the organisation thought was important, they asked: what do our audiences care about? And more importantly, how do they express it? That question set the stage for a radical new approach: social listening at scale.

Step 2: Finding What Resonates

Using social data intelligence tools, Greenpeace analysed thousands of social media posts in Spanish related to climate change. What they found surprised them:

• Their campaign messages relied on abstract concepts like “carbon emissions,” “climate justice,” or “ecological footprint.”
• But users discussing similar issues on Twitter and Facebook used much more personal language, especially around health, maternity, nature, and food.

The team realised they were speaking in the language of policy, while their potential supporters were speaking in the language of daily life.

Step 3: Health, Maternity and…Greenpeace?

The insight that maternity was a highly associated term in conversations about “health and environment” sparked a bold pivot. Rather than lead with climate jargon, Greenpeace developed content rooted in emotionally resonant topics. Blog posts featured themes like:

• How the Environment Impacts Your Baby’s Health
• Nature Tourism Destinations for Eco-Conscious Families
• The Link Between Healthy Eating and a Healthy Planet

Not exactly classic Greenpeace fare but that was the point.

Step 4: Test, Learn, Adapt

Greenpeace launched an SEO-optimised blog filled with segmented, audience-relevant content — not to push petitions or donations, but simply to invite subscriptions. This gentle behavioural nudge — based on the principle of commitment and consistency — proved far more effective than the usual hard asks.

The blog acted as a warming mechanism: the more people read, the more emotionally and cognitively aligned they became. Then, when Greenpeace did make an ask — whether to sign a petition, attend an event, or donate — conversion rates improved dramatically.

The Results

Over just a few months:

• Organic blog traffic rose by 2,200%
• New users increased by 2,244%
• Returning visitors spiked
• Session time and engagement improved across the board

Fundraising teams had a new audience base to tap into—one more connected to Greenpeace’s mission than ever before.

Lessons for Fundraisers

Behaviour trumps demographics

Knowing your supporters’ age or postcode is no longer enough. Understanding how they talk and what they feel is far more powerful than broad segmentation.

Start with listening

Use NLP tools — or simply a spreadsheet and consistent coding — to review the language of your own blogs, newsletters, or emails. Are you speaking to supporters or at them?

Test emotional frames

Try reframing your content themes around the emotions or everyday concerns your audience talks about. Health, family, and safety may outperform “system change” or “justice.”

Build a warm-up path

Not every digital action needs to be transactional. Use subscription pathways, blog engagement, or quiz funnels to build familiarity before the ask.

Break internal silos

The insights Greenpeace discovered lived within their own programme teams. Connect fundraising, comms, and campaigns to surface stories that resonate and drive results.

Final Thought

Greenpeace Mexico’s experiment proves that tech tools like AI and NLP aren’t just for Silicon Valley, they’re a secret weapon for fundraisers ready to listen more deeply. If your message isn’t landing, the problem may not be your mission. It may be your metaphors.