Marketing a nonprofit is not at all an easy task. In many instances, it involves promoting a cause with limited resources and manpower, and on a shoestring budget. Making things even more difficult, the leadership may not be too keen because of the uncertainty in terms of the return.
However, according to Radiant Church, the biggest benefit for the nonprofits is that each of them has a story to tell. A compelling story can put a genuine drive and purpose behind any traditional or digital marketing campaign. These campaigns are also extremely likely to be successful because real life (when told with a good story), truly matters to people.
Mentioned below are some marketing tips that have already generated excellent results for many nonprofits.
Focus on relationships: It is natural that people are not ready to part with their hard-earned money without a reason. In the case of a typical for-profit business, this reason is a product or service in exchange for cash. However, for a nonprofit, the approach needs to be different because the purpose is to seek people’s participation in a cause. Therefore, before making “the ask”, nonprofits must focus on building relationships. Establishment of an emotional connection between the potential donors and the cause creates the platform for meaningful conversations. Also, this conversation should not end with the arrival of the donation because just a simple note of gratitude may be enough to turn a first-time donor into someone you can rely on for your future campaigns, too.
Current Events: Tying a nonprofit’s fundraising initiative to a current event is one of the best ways to increase donations. For example, in the aftermath of natural calamity in your state, your nonprofit may decide to pass on a certain percentage of the donations to those affected in this calamity. This nonprofit advocacy approach will make it much easier for you to connect people with your fundraising campaign and the success chances of the campaign will be much higher.
Call to Action: In the terminology of the nonprofit community, the call to action (CTA) is more commonly known as “the ask.” The success of any nonprofit fundraising campaign depends significantly on the nature of the ask. Please make sure that the ask is clearly understood by each potential donor. This means that your solicitation should not contain any language that is too industry-specific.
In order to ensure plenty of responses to your call to action (CTA), keep your focus on any one of the following.
• Time: If you need volunteers that will donate time to your cause, clarify the value of the donation by translating time into more tangible concepts.
• Treasure: If you are looking for money through your campaign, do not confuse the donors by leaving the required figure up for their interpretation. Instead, create tiered options for their pledges or donations.
• Talent: There is a subtle difference between time and talent, and it may revolve around any of your specific needs. This involves requesting people to donate a specific skill for a cause. For example, you may need someone as the host of a cooking class for homeless kids. Know your audience by carrying out adequate research, before making an ask for a talent. If possible, try to make the donation reciprocal in some way.
Community Involvement: The best way to make more people feel connected to your cause is to add an element of interaction and set standards for excellence. The work of a nonprofit is all about reaching out to the community and event-based work provides a great opportunity to bring yourself into the community. Please remember that donors are not interested in the organization unless they are well aware of the cause. This is why involving the community to the cause of your nonprofit is one of the best success tips for any campaign.
