I don't know about you, but I hate ads. I TiVo favorite shows so that I can skip the advertisements, I skim through my magazines avoiding the ads and I listen to NPR not only because of the great shows and myriad pieces of information I pick up, but because it is ad-free. The reason NPR doesn't advertise is because they do not want to be beholden to those advertisers for content. So, they do fund drives to get the money to keep the station going. We need to be equally dedicated to our cause and market our group!
Some might not believe that investing in marketing is necessary for non-profits (NPO), but it is quite beneficial for an NPO to market itself. NPOs use marketing to assist with growth, funding and longevity. Without these things, the overall mission of the NPO is diminished.
100+ Women Who Care NRV is dedicated to growing (adding to our committed member base), funding (getting the maximum donation amount and matching grant possible), and longevity - being in the NRV raising money for as long as it takes to end the need. However, we are an organization without overhead. So just how do we do it?
Marketing strategists suggest that just as a for-profit business targets a certain audience with its marketing, so should a non-profit. NPOs should develop a picture of the person most likely to support them in their cause or benefit and target their marketing to them. They also say that it is crucial for the non-profit to build its brand. The brand is typically a logo, wording, motto or design that identifies the group.
Non-profits are beneficial for individual groups of people, but they also benefit the community. For this reason, public relations are a large part of marketing. The local press should know the story of the non-profit. NPOs should utilize newspaper stories to share statistics, provide pictures and advertise fundraising events. We do this. Each and every quarter. But it isn't enough. We haven't reached our goal of 100 or more committed members.
Networking is very effective marketing for non-profits as people spread the word about the goals of the organization. That is where you, dear committed member, come in. Please share your joy at having joined our group. Talk with friends and family about how a small commitment can make a huge impact in our community. If you have purchased a 100+ Women Who Care NRV t-shirt, wear it with pride. Answer questions about it when asked.
We have targeted our audience - YOU and women like you. We have branded our group - see the logo at the top of this blog. We continually reach out to the local press - see our website (100+ Women Who Care NRV) for some of the newspaper articles and TV spots about us.
YOU can help us by inviting friends and family to become committed members. If someone you've referred becomes a committed member, we will give you a 100+ Women Who Care t-shirt for free. Then you can help even more by wearing it to workout, to grocery shop or to take the kids to the park. The more eyes that see our brand the more likely we are to reach our goal and be better able to serve our community.
Will you help us market 100+ Women Who Care NRV?
