January 10, 2014
When considering how to reach out to the donor pool, nonprofits may not throw around the term "marketing" a lot. Typically, fundraising serves the dual purpose of creating awareness surrounding the cause and then using that to leverage donor contributions.
However, consumers are interacting with brands in ways they never have before, and nonprofits can benefit from this as well. Thinking of consumers and donors, they are still turning over money to an organization. What they get in return will differ slightly for each individual. For some, it's the feeling of helping others, contributing to a passionate cause, or perhaps they just get a tax deduction.
Nonprofits need to market themselves much the same way that for-profits do. In fact, branding is really nothing more than declaring a promise. Due to their actions, most nonprofits probably slide by with a pretty high brand rating. Just the idea of no profits will raise their image quite a bit in the minds of many Americans.
However, nonprofits can quickly suffer from negative publicity, possibly more so than traditional businesses. For one thing, even a small decline in funding can cause serious budget shortfalls, so a minor PR problem is quickly amplified.
How nonprofits can improve their brand
According to Nonprofit Brand It, differentiation is one of the key reasons that nonprofits need to be conscious of branding. Just as companies compete for market share and profits, nonprofit organizations must show donors what they offer that others do not. One way to start, said the website, is to create a mission that is more quantitative.
For example, ending world hunger is clearly a daunting task that no single organization will ever be able fulfill. However, "providing families in Ghana access to clean water," is a mission that donors will see as attainable. The more specific a nonprofit is when designing its goals the more donors will be able to visualize the mission being accomplished.
Branding also improves a nonprofit's credibility. Marketing aspects as simple as an engaging logo can make an organization look more legitimate. When turning over money to a charity, donors want to believe that they it has gone to the group with best chance of using it to meet their personal goals.
Branding is becoming an increasingly complex concept
Make no mistake, while a good logo helps, branding is about much more than the sign in front of the building. Successful branding should encompass interaction with donors on social media, at community events and press in local news outlets when possible. Donors will want to feel like a part of an organization even when they are not contributing. That could lead to volunteering their time, or it could just mean they share social media updates from the group with their friends and family.
If nonprofits do not have a defined strategy for improving marketing and branding initiatives, board members should could consider developing one. Increasing awareness about the organization, its services and its needs throughout the year will improve the results of fundraisers.
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We’ve been a member of First Nonprofit’s Unemployment Savings Program since 2011 and highly recommend joining. The program is terrific and allows us to earn interest on our own funds while still meeting the state’s requirements on unemployment payments. In addition, the staff are great and always helpful sorting out any questions we may have. Thank you all!
CCSCT was approached by First NonProfit to discuss its Unemployment Savings Program and ways the program could significantly reduce the amount of unemployment taxes we were paying. At the time, our agency was paying approximately $80,000 per year. First NonProfit conducted an analysis to determine if making the switch would be in our best interest, and it clearly was based on our circumstances. The first year on the program, CCSCT saw a 70% reduction in its unemployment costs and each year, continues to experience further reductions as a result of having minimal claims. Some additional benefits of the program including having a fixed annual cost, an interest-baring reserve account, professional unemployment claims management and representation at all unemployment hearings. This has been one of the best decisions we have made.
We first started using First Nonprofit’s Unemployment Savings Program when we were a small startup nonprofit. We didn’t have an HR department and needed expertise in the event that an unemployment claim was made. We knew we were eligible to be a reimbursing employer, but weren’t sure how to navigate that process. They made it easy to set things up, plan for, and then manage claims when they came at a very reasonable cost. The amount of time and stress they’ve saved us dealing with all this has been worth way more than the cost. We’ve now grown to a large nonprofit and do have an HR department but have no plans to stop using their services. I highly recommend them to every nonprofit I come into contact with!
Throughout our membership in the Unemployment Savings Program, First Nonprofit understood our demands, community dynamics, and the importance of seamless services; that allowed us to serve our constituents better.
Because INCS advocates for the operating conditions that allow charter public schools to provide high quality public education, partnering with First Nonprofit was an easy decision. First Nonprofit’s unemployment programs provide our member schools two operating elements crucial to their ability to provide high quality public education: savings and budget certainty. Capable, committed teachers are the key to student success. By participating in the unemployment insurance savings plan, charter public schools gain peace of mind and are able to invest more money in their teachers.
It has been our sincere pleasure to maintain a strong, vibrant business partnership with First Nonprofit. We greatly admire their strong industry knowledge, technical expertise, constant professionalism, knowledgeable and dedicated staff. They are always extremely responsive, personable and provide us with the necessary guidance and recommendations on a numerous variety of employment scenarios.
NYCON members who use First Nonprofit’s programs enjoy enduring savings and improved efficiency. Our association knows that success, because from the beginning, we achieved the same great benefits. Great savings, seamless technology, and responsive service. NYCON highly recommends First Nonprofit’s remarkable unemployment solutions.
Visually Impaired Preschool Services has been a client of First Non-Profit since it was first offered as a benefit of VisionServe Alliance. We completed a thorough evaluation of cash savings to our agency before taking advantage of this wonderful benefit and it has been a very wise decision. Our experience with the processes from accounting to claims have been professional, expeditious and easy.