Marketing, in the non-profit world, is historically used largely as a function of fundraising. This norm has slowly been changing to reap the benefits of marketing as a business activity. Here is why an NGO should spend some time on its marketing efforts:
Branding
In the noise of non-profits, CSR initiatives, volunteerism and caused based marketing it is easy to get lost in the shuffle. Non-profits must create a brand personality to be memorable to their audience. By regularly reaching out to the selected audience, an organization can fashion a unique personality that reaches its select crowd in a way that sticks.
·Fundraising
Fundraising is an important part of NGO marketing. For an organisation to raise monetary and non-monetary funds, it must have a sense of trust within donors – marketing creates this trust. By keeping potential donors informed on your impact and activities, marketing initiates a conversation with donors that provides them with confidence.
Strengthen Donor Relations
Not only does marketing create new donors, but it also helps retain existing ones. Any organization must continue the conversation that they have started by informing donors about the impact that their dollar has created.
Partnership Building
No organisation can exist on its own. Marketing helps a non-profit build important partnership with other companies, NGOs and public organisations. This could be to increase its fundraising efforts, attract volunteers, or even work together to create a larger impact.
Volunteerism & Employment
Marketing creates a ripple of information that is put out about the organisation to the public. This reaches out to other like-minded people who share similar passions to create impact. Many NGOs grow with the help of volunteers and their dedicated staff, marketing is a function that helps bring these passionate people to your organisation.
Impact Creation
To create an impact, you must have reach. No amount of funding can help an NGO if they do not have a base of beneficiaries to serve. Marketing spreads the word of the good work that your non-profit does to those who need it, growing your impact.
Awareness
Marketing is key to raise awareness about any problem area in society. As mentioned earlier, no orgnisation exists alone. To create change, there must be a movement created, which is born out of knowledge sharing. Marketing creates the vehicle in which knowledge of societal issues and their solutions can be spread to the public.
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