Nonprofit marketing refers to activities unadertaken to raise public understanding of an organization, its goals, and its need for support. Nonprofit marketing includes creating a brand identity (logo, tagline, and copy) and communicating the mission through various channels (media plan). The purpose of marketing for nonprofits is to spread the word about the organization's good works so that more people will want to donate to or volunteer for the cause.

Nonprofit marketing refers to the methods employed by nonprofits to raise public awareness of their missions and monetary contributions. Not-for-profits can use various marketing channels, including traditional mail, mobile apps, articles, and social media.

In a point-of-sale campaign, donations are often requested at the time of purchase. To raise money, the organization ties its activities into a news topic that has already caught the public's attention. Transactional campaigns allow nonprofits to raise funds by partnering with for-profit corporations to encourage a portion of purchases to be donated.

Successful Nonprofit Advertising

There is no one set formula for effective marketing of charitable causes. There is a wide variety in the methods used by nonprofits to spread their message and gain new donors. While both nonprofits and for-profits use marketing, there are important distinctions.

Marketing a nonprofit's beliefs and causes may be more challenging than marketing a commodity or service. In contrast to B2C and B2B marketing, the goals of NGOs are more clearly defined.

With a smaller budget for advertising than for-profit businesses, nonprofits might struggle to gain online traction. Content marketing can be difficult even when resources are plentiful, but having a defined aim can make compelling storytelling much easier on a small budget. For example, NGOs tend to focus on social issues, the environment, and healthcare, which lend themselves far more readily to engaging narratives than most businesses and services.

Promoting a Nonprofit Organization: Various Methods

Selling a nonprofit organization can be done in a variety of ways. These initiatives share a common goal—to raise more money and awareness and get more people involved. We've shared several case studies of successful advertising campaigns run by nonprofit organizations.

Promotional Effort Targeting Storefronts

In a point-of-sale campaign, donations are often requested at the time of purchase. Customers can be asked to round up their purchase total before checking out in-store or online to donate.

The Message-Focused Approach

A method centered on conveying a particular message might increase awareness, inspire others to take action, or lead to behavioral changes. Often, these campaigns are timed to coincide with current highly publicized news events. These messages are typically a part of a more significant effort to solicit donations or recruit volunteers.

Campaign Promotional

Corporate sponsorship is used in transactional marketing to encourage consumers to take action (such as making a purchase or commenting on a social media post). With the help of a corporate sponsor, the charity can collect donations from a more significant number of customers. In addition to helping the organization that receives the donation, the charitable corporation benefits from positive public perception and the chance to align itself with an organization with similar values.

Problems Facing Nonprofit Marketing

Marketers in the nonprofit sector face a similarly diverse clientele base. Marketers may need to adopt a new set of tactics to effectively reach and engage with older, more affluent donors to charitable organizations.

While some older donors (baby boomers or Generation X) may still prefer print solicitations through direct mail, younger contributors may prefer to be reminded to donate via text message or mobile app. The effectiveness of print media with a small but significant share of donations means that NGOs with a marketing budget cannot afford to forsake it totally, despite its diminishing popularity. Nonprofits, like for-profits, can't afford to ignore mobile since millennial contributors demand it.

Influence of Virtual Communities

Nonprofits face unique challenges in marketing since contributors receive little if any material goods in return for their financial support. However, many organizations have found that social media is helpful since donors can quickly spread the word about their donations and motivate their friends and family to do the same. Similarities to "word of mouth" advertising can be drawn. Involvement in collaborative efforts can provide individuals a sense of agency over issues of personal significance.

More specifically, social media's pervasiveness in the marketing industry has made participation increasingly expensive. Therefore, nonprofit organizations may be disadvantaged in marketing because of their limited means. It stands to reason that if every worker at a nonprofit did their part to spread the word, the organization would reap the benefits of a more robust, bottom-up strategy for social media marketing.