Marketing Your Non-Profit
By Tarsha Polk Recently Ive been receiving a lot of calls from non-profit entrepreneurs looking for help with promoting their programs and services to the community. So I thought it would be helpful to write an article on marketing a non-profit. For a non-profit, marketing requires not only meeting the needs of the clients you serve; but the donors needs as well. When it comes to marketing programs to the community, most non-profit organizations wont pull out their check books and hire a marketing firm, they will try some grassroots marketing efforts that leave a positive effect on the community. Grassroots marketing uses inexpensive techniques and doesn’t focus on selling the organizations mission; instead, it focuses on building strong and lasting relationships with community members who will support its mission and work along side of them. Start-up non-profits rarely consider marketing because they may not charge clients for their services to make a profit. Regardless of your funding sources, you still need to market your organization. Sit down with your board, staff, and volunteers to brainstorm on creative low-cost ways to market the organization. Be sure you have a clear understanding of who you are targeting and the services provided by similar organizations. Establish 3 to 5 marketing goals you would like to accomplish and think about how you want others to view your organization. Marketing involves a wide range of activities to make sure that you’re continuing to meet the needs of your clients and getting value in return. Here are a few tactics you can use that wont break the bank and works well for non-profits. Evangelical Marketing This doesnt have anything to do with religion. It does, however, involve finding ways to educate, influence, and inspire your supporters to spread the word about your organization. Viral Marketing Individuals pass along your message via word-of-mouth or e-mail. An example would be an email marketing campaign. Guerrilla Marketing - Unconventional marketing intended to get maximum results from minimal resources. An example of this is when people hold signs near busy intersections. Events An event sponsored by a company or individual to create awareness and raise funds for your programs. PR - Communicating with the public to influence their attitudes or opinions. Larger, more established organizations may have a budget to hire a marketing person for the organization because they understand the need to satisfy donors and clients. Marketing can help an organization gain the exposure it needs to attract clients, solicit donations, and obtain grants. So, if you are a non-profit entrepreneur and have not considered marketing as a part of growing the organization, its time to get on board! Tarsha Polk, The Marketing Lady is a small business marketing consultant and business coach. She can be reached at http://www.themarketinglady.com. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tarsha_Polk http://EzineArticles.com/?Marketing-Your-Non-Profit&id=399296 instant military payday loans instant decision loan online colorado employee paycheck rights payday advance no telechek
