A nonprofit marking plan is a framework that outlines how your organization will carry out activities to advertise your campaigns, programs, services, and events. Any materials or media you use to support your nonprofit’s message is called marketing collateral, which could include brochures, newsletters, press releases, videos, and much more. Marketing collateral is just one piece of a comprehensive nonprofit marketing plan that helps fundraising teams and volunteers reflect on your mission and hone your existing engagement strategies.
Because your nonprofit relies on donations to operate, you can use marketing techniques to get your organization on the map and potentially gain more supporters. Increased awareness can lead to increased donations, helping you perform your most critical initiatives and missions. Marketing for nonprofits is one of the most effective ways to attract new supporters and communicate with existing donors and team members.
A nonprofit marketing plan typically includes:
- An executive summary of expected results
- Assigned staff roles
- Consistent messaging and positioning
- Plans for individual projects
- Brand guidelines
- A defined target audience
- A description of campaign goals and aligned activities
- Detailed donor data
- Competitor marketing research
- Clear, actionable goals
- Strategies for increasing donor engagement
When developing a nonprofit marketing plan, ask yourself the following questions:
- Who are we targeting?
- What is our audience’s preferred method of contact?
- What imagery, messaging, and colors are consistent with our branding?
- What is our promotions budget?
- What marketing channels will we use?
- What specific tasks and roles can our team members take on?
- How do we measure our progress and stay on track with our goals?
- Which of our past marketing campaigns were the most successful? Why?
- What marketing strategies best support our overall priorities?
- What motivates our donors?
- What type of marketing collateral should we create?
- Where will we share content?
For-profit and nonprofit organizations have some similarities, but their marketing methods are distinct. For-profit marketing generally focuses on encouraging customers to buy a product that will benefit them. Alternatively, nonprofit marketing usually aims to build awareness of a cause or issue to encourage people to give. Instead of receiving a product or service as in a for-profit transaction, nonprofit audiences give their funds in exchange for philanthropic benefits.
