Marketing Plans for NonProfit Organizations
For many non-profit organizations, marketing is an important part of raising awareness and soliciting donations that enables the group to operate. A marketing plan helps a nonprofit plan and develop efforts that make the most of its budget in order to achieve the goals of the group.
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Importance
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For a nonprofit organization, a marketing plan provides a way to organize marketing goals and efforts. It is usually aligned with the strategic goals of the group, and lays out specific activities that staff will undertake throughout the year to achieve those goals. Because nonprofits often operate on limited funds, a marketing plan provides a way to anticipate the financial needs of each campaign and to eliminate the chance of blowing through the marketing budget too early.
Parts
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A marketing plan has multiple parts. It often begins with an executive summary, which gives an overview of the rest of the report; many potential investors or managers read only this section. The marketing plan usually includes an audience analysis, list of competitors and a description of the market. It states marketing goals, lays out marketing efforts to achieve those goals and lists financial and manpower needs for each activity.
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Strategies
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An important part of a marketing plan for a nonprofit organization is the section that lays out the marketing strategies. These strategies often include high-impact, low-cost efforts that are designed to efficiently reach a large group of people. When seeking donors, the marketing strategies may include more targeted efforts that will reach only a small portion of the audience. Common tools include websites, email campaigns, social media, web fund-raising campaigns, newsletters, posters, and brochures.
Time Frame
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Most marketing plans cover a period of at least a year, and many also include long-term goals. Nonprofits may make a new marketing plan before a change: the launch of the organization, a new mission, a rebranding or a new fund-raising campaign, for example. Effective marketing plans include a calendar that helps staff plan for the financial and staffing needs of each effort.
Benefits
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By writing a marketing plan, a nonprofit can approach its promotional activities in a practical, organized manner. A plan that lays out concerted marketing efforts can help the group increase their donations, attract new sponsors, raise interest in an issue or recruit volunteers. Because nonprofit organizations often have limited resources, in materials, staff, and funds, marketing can provide the support needed to continue operations.
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References
- Photo Credit calendar image by Aleksey Bakaleev from Fotolia.com
