Regardless of the size of your nonprofit, you have likely heard that you need to market yourself (meaning your organization). The question many nonprofits wonder is what this really means in terms of nonprofit strategy. What’s worse? so many nonprofits are doing incredible work that goes unrecognized. So what can your organization do to change all of this? First of all, it is essential to understand what nonprofit marketing is versus what it is not. The goal of nonprofit marketing is to promote the organization's causes to secure volunteers, donors, and supporters over time. Nonprofit marketing is about causes rather than products or services. Because these causes are associated with people who further them, people who are helped, and many good things in between, it is beneficial and crucial to make use of storytelling. Every nonprofit has its own unique and moving story so make good use of it by weaving it into your marketing materials.

Do more with less

Most nonprofit marketing teams have to do a lot of work with far fewer resources than comparable for-profit organizations have available. With small teams and tight resources, it is essential for nonprofits to develop a lean but highly efficient marketing strategy. This will require your organization to determine what must be prioritized. To do so, organizations must look at who their core audience is, what marketing methods work for that audience, and what the core goal of marketing your nonprofit is in the first place. If you have a young audience that has responded well to Instagram stories featuring your programming, then that is a good medium to direct time and resources toward.

Another consideration is your goals. Is your organization trying to use marketing to increase membership, find new volunteers, generate donors, find partners, or just increase awareness? This is an important consideration because it will affect the medium and methods you use to market your organization. Is your goal fundraising? Well, you are going to need a marketing medium that supports that goal. Does the medium you are using support a link to online donation processing or go fund me? Does your direct mailing provide sufficient information to facilitate giving? Recognizing your goals and ensuring your audience can get from A to B is essential to making the most of your efforts.

Build relationships

Nonprofits are crucial to the community, but it is important to market to more than just the “community.” A successful nonprofit marketing strategy will understand its various audiences—such as constituents, customers, volunteers, and donors—and target these groups specifically. A one size fits all approach to targeting these groups will not work. Your organization should identify the key messages to convey to each group and then craft and deliver these messages. Addressing each group specifically and personally is the best way to build lasting relationships between your organization and community.

When building a nonprofit marketing strategy it is critical to constantly improve your understanding of your position and opportunities. As stated above, many nonprofits are working with limited resources and so it is crucial to focus on the strengths of nonprofits, including storytelling and a highly driven staff. use the tips in this blog and you can reap the benefits of nonprofit marketing, including increasing awareness; increasing funds; gaining donors; broadening your reach; strengthening your image; recruiting volunteers or members; and more.

Without a plan, you are planning to fail. At NMBL Strategies we stand by that statement. We help nonprofits and small businesses develop the right plans that bring them proven results. Talk to us today about how we can help you plan and find success.

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