Five Marketing Tips for Small Nonprofits

We love working with small nonprofit organizations. Their focus on mission is palpable, and they attract people – both internally and externally – who passionately support that mission. It’s always fun to work with a small group of people who believe deeply in what they do.

But small nonprofits face challenges their larger counterparts often don’t. While large non-profits have complex CRMs run by analysts who provide detailed outreach data for marketing and communications teams, smaller non-profits often rely on one or two internal staff members to handle marketing. And communications. And making enough coffee to power them through the day.

Because budgets are tight, the goal for most small non-profits is to be as efficient as possible. Fortunately, there are plenty of tools available to small shops that make communicating with current and potential donors more effective. Here are some tips:

Start with audiences

Small nonprofit marketers have to be especially clear about who they’re trying to reach. Since fundraising forms the backbone of all non-profits, finding new donors and nurturing current donors are top priorities.

Understanding as much as possible about current donors is the key to unlocking new fundraising audiences. So, it’s very important that the lead fundraisers in small nonprofits – those who meet with donors in person – curate and share as many characteristics about their best benefactors as possible.

Much of this information is demographic: where they live, their age, gender, educational level, etc. But marketers should pay particular attention to “softer” details: what attracted them to the mission, what other causes they support, what social media channels they prefer, etc. The idea is to be able to describe your best donors in as much detail as possible.

“Telling the authentic stories of people who have benefitted from your organization’s services is one of the most important and fulfilling opportunities in marketing.
Treat it that way. ”

Capture the information, and use it

While full-blown CRM systems can be both complex and expensive, starter-level packages from some of the most powerful platforms are easy to use and provide enough functionality to support most small nonprofits. HubSpot charges a nominal monthly fee to access its basic CRM marketing tools, and companies like Constant Contact and MailChimp are moving from being email providers to embracing CRM functionality.

Use one of these platforms to create segmented lists that capture the detailed profiles of your best donors. Then develop email campaigns that tap segmented characteristics to produce increasingly personal email outreach. And don’t forget to take the next step: train your fundraisers to use the system to enter new donors and their attributes.

Seek lookalikes

Once you have a full picture of your best donors, use those characteristics to develop “look alike” lists of potential donors. Here’s where platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter can help. Each of these social platforms allows you to create audiences that share characteristics with your best donors.

You can develop very inexpensive test campaigns on each platform to get a feel for engagement and response. Once you’ve hit upon a combination that works, spend a bit more to expand your outreach.

Cover your beat

Because of their mission-driven work, non-profits have great stories to tell. Profiles of the people whose lives have been affected by the nonprofit's mission serve as compelling proof points that reflect the organization’s effectiveness. Finding and developing these stories should be the basis of your work.

Telling the authentic stories of people who have benefitted from your organization’s services is, honestly, one of the most important and fulfilling opportunities in marketing. Treat it that way. Schedule interviews at the subject’s convenience, and never be late. Come prepared with questions that allow the person to fully explore what working with your organization meant to them. Record the conversation so you can concentrate on being in the moment, and video it if possible.

In the same way, work closely with front-line fundraisers to find donors willing to talk about what moved them to support your organization. Distilling the key factors that attracted them to your organization will help inform your marketing efforts. And don’t shy away from using these conversations to ask what they like – or don’t – about the ways you’ve reached out to them.

Tell the world

Use the stories you’ve collected to tell the world about your organization. Think of each story as the foundation of a mini-campaign. Start with social media: post story excerpts and a photo on your organization's Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn pages with links back to the full story on your site. (And don’t forget to include a “Donate” button on those story pages!) 

Promote the story on Twitter, making sure to @ people or organizations who could be helpful in spreading the word. Use the story to highlight a donation request sent via email to your list. And make sure to ask everyone in your organization to promote the story on their personal accounts.

Finally, don’t forget traditional earned media. Reporters at local newspapers and sites are always looking for compelling stories, especially those that support a good cause. Reach out to them – local reporters will appreciate hearing from you. For national outlets, look for the reporter who covers your organization’s area of interest and pitch the story idea. Those writers are often looking for specific stories to support a larger theme they’re working on. It’s worth a shot, and the payoff can be huge.