Over 10% of all workers in the U.S. are employed by non-profits. By the late 1990s, giving by
individuals was less than 1.5% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Throughout the 1980s and most of the 1990s giving by foundations never exceeded 0.15% of GDP. In 2008, this ratio had almost doubled to 0.29%. In fact, giving as a percentage of GDP by foundations has nearly tripled since the 1970s. But following the financial collapse, everything changed in 2008. In short, many people and companies just stopped donating. Total donations from foundations and individual donors finally rose in 2012, but the question of how to best spend what precious funds they have still lingers.
In the past five years, staffs were laid off and non-profits struggled to keep the doors open. I was part of this at my non-profit, where I was the marketing director. Staff was cut from six down to one, where it still remains. To keep the doors open and the concerts possible, my non-profit (The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra), decided to place the weight of fund-raising and marketing squarely on to the backs of enthusiastic but unqualified volunteers.
The underlying quandry for any non-profit is how to best utilize donations from foundations, donors or events and ensure that every dollar goes to providing vital services. However, to get those dollars, every non-profit needs to market itself as if it were General Electric or Apple. Even as non-profits begin to do a lot better, the challenge of fighting with other non-profits over each dollar continues. People who work in this world are some of the hardest-working and compassionate people I know, but they are in a dog-eat-dog fight for money to keep the doors open.
The problem is that this fight is almost fought by amateurs. With thanks to fellow blogger, Laura Lake, if you're trying to market a non-profit, here are a few tips you might want to follow in 2013:
1. Do your homework
What is your target market and
what are some other organizations with which you compete?
2. Know your target
market
Who do you want to reach? Who is easiest to reach? Have you done any surveys in the past year?
3. Think visually
Develop brochures and marketing
materials that describe the benefits, services, donation opportunities and
values of your organization. Have them
written and produced professionally, so they have a great look.
4. Get social!
Develop a social media marketing
strategy. Social media such as Twitter and Facebook can provide you with ways
to reach out to those interested in your organization in a low cost and
effective way. Social media works great when it comes to reaching those who are
passionate about causes that individuals hold dear to their hearts. On top of that, you'll reach a younger crowd
who is really involved.
5. Have an active and
current website
Develop and maintain a
professional internet marketing presence by creating and maintaining a web
site.
You can use a website as a great
resource to display useful information, news, monthly newsletters, events,
create community, share alternatives to donating money, and showcase the
benefits of your organization.
6. Research and
maintain your prospect and customer databases.
Do not let these resources be
wasted. Use them for special mailings, follow-up telephone calls, event invitations,
alliance development, research profiling and market segmentation.
7. Reward your donors
It's easier to get a current
donor to increase their amount to your organization year-to-year than to get
someone new to donate. Don't forget to
show thanks to your current donors with special gifts, awards and public
salutes, so their friends can see how generous they are. Failure to reward your donors properly and
publicly could cause problems down the road.
8. Let them know how
you're doing
Show and advertise the results
and objectives that your organization achieves on your website and in e-mail
blasts. You'll find that it is effective to showcase those that are receiving
benefits, inversions, activities and projects.
8. Make alliances
Always actively search for
alliances with other organizations, commerce, government, advertising media and
businesses. This step alone often brings the most benefit to nonprofit
organizations.
Seem overwhelming?
Seek out a marketing professional who can handle things instinctively
and really knows the ropes and the community.
Marketing committees are great, but need focus and inspiration to go
with their good intentions.
Non-profits help the wheels of our communities go round, but even good intentions need professional guidance in our 24/7 world, where the lines between community, commercialism and social media are blurred.
--Rich Brase
RichIdeas.net
redrich24@yahoo.com
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