Did you know it takes 18-20 points of contact to reach a new donor for the first time? For nonprofits, developing an effective multichannel marketing plan is key to spreading awareness, engaging new prospects, and deepening donor relationships. However, a lot goes into crafting the perfect strategy for your organization, from setting goals to analyzing your marketing data.
In this comprehensive nonprofit marketing guide, we’ll walk through everything you need to know to refine your marketing efforts. Here’s what we’ll cover:
At Getting Attention, we empower nonprofits to expand their nonprofit marketing capabilities with the Google Ad Grant. While we’ll explore that channel a bit more later, know that it’s a powerful addition to any nonprofit’s toolkit.
Regardless of your nonprofit’s size, budget, or staff resources, taking the time to optimize your current marketing strategy can go a long way toward securing more support for your mission.
What is Nonprofit Marketing?
Nonprofit marketing encompasses the diverse strategies and channels that nonprofits use to promote their causes, secure donations, attract new supporters, and retain existing ones. Effective nonprofit marketing amplifies the organization’s mission and fosters meaningful audience engagement.
Organizations often create nonprofit marketing plans to allocate their budgets, time, and efforts efficiently. This plan typically outlines the core mission, tone, target audience, preferred marketing channels, and branding elements, ensuring a cohesive approach to reaching supporters.
Inbound vs. Outbound Marketing
There are two main approaches to nonprofit marketing:
- Inbound marketing refers to methods of attracting prospective supporters’ attention through unpaid promotion or content production. Commonly, this includes search engine optimization (SEO), blogging, and organic social media posts. SEO, in particular, helps your content rank highly on search engine results pages, making it easier for potential supporters to find your nonprofit online. It’s especially useful for organizations that sell programming or services.
- Outbound marketing, often referred to as “advertising,” relies on paid media to reach potential supporters. You might use Google Ads, social media ads, radio ads, or any other paid outlet to promote your mission.
While inbound marketing attracts potential supporters whose interests align with your mission, outbound marketing can extend your nonprofit’s reach to people who might not otherwise encounter your cause. Finding the perfect balance between inbound and outbound channels enables you to cast a wider net and reach more prospects.
Benefits of Nonprofit Marketing
A thoughtful and comprehensive nonprofit marketing plan allows your nonprofit to:
- Boost awareness. Effective nonprofit marketing increases mission awareness, ensuring more people understand your goals, why they matter, and the work you’re doing to achieve them. This heightened visibility can attract new supporters.
- Increasing funds. By spreading cause awareness, you’ll naturally receive more donations from people who believe in your mission. Strategic marketing campaigns can highlight specific needs and inspire generosity.
- Cultivate long-term relationships. Successful marketing builds lasting relationships with donors, leading to more recurring donations and more revenue. According to Nonprofits Source, the average monthly online donation is $52 (totaling $624 per year), compared to an average one-time gift of $128. Consistent engagement nurtures loyalty.
- Attract all types of support. In addition to securing more donations, marketing can enhance volunteer recruitment, event participation, membership signups, and other forms of engagement.
- Promote your services to beneficiaries. With a comprehensive nonprofit marketing strategy, you can effectively promote services to beneficiaries. Plus, understanding your nonprofit’s services can inspire your supporters to give.
- Sell your services, merchandise, and programs. Many nonprofits and associations also sell services, merchandise, and programming, like professional development certifications and training. Get these opportunities in front of prospective customers to raise more money.
Overall, marketing impacts every area of your organization, making it essential for achieving your mission and inciting real change in your community.
Nonprofit Marketing Challenges
Effective outreach doesn’t come without its challenges. By understanding common obstacles nonprofits face, you can plan ahead and minimize potential difficulties further down the road:
- Establishing trustworthiness. Many people contribute to nonprofits to make a difference in the world. To inspire potential donors, assure them that your organization is legitimate and worthy of their financial support.
- Communicating your mission. Nonprofits must communicate their mission and values to capture potential donors’ interest. This can be particularly challenging if your mission involves complex social issues.
- Selling products and services. Many nonprofits offer products or services as part of their mission or as a means of fundraising. Marketing these offerings requires a clear value proposition and effective promotional strategies to get them in front of customers.
- Working on a limited budget. Even with a well-defined mission and compelling story, budget constraints may hinder your marketing efforts. This can limit your advertising options through paid outlets and necessitate creative, cost-effective strategies.
- Appealing to different demographics. Your potential supporters have varying preferences and interests. For example, older donors might prefer traditional print outreach methods while younger audiences might lean toward text or social media. Tailoring your messages to resonate with diverse audiences can be challenging but is crucial for broadening your support base.
Fortunately, your organization can overcome all of these challenges by laying a solid foundation with your nonprofit marketing plan and following the best practices we’ll explore later on in this guide.
How Much Do Nonprofits Spend on Marketing?
While there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer to how much an organization should allocate for marketing, there are several methods you can use to create an effective budget:
- The percent method. Allocate 5% to 15% of your total budget to marketing, communications, and fundraising. Many organizations group these essential activities together as a single line item in their budget. This method makes it easy to scale your nonprofit marketing budget as your organization grows.
- The dollar method. Choose a set dollar amount for marketing, communications, and fundraising based on past expenditures. This method eliminates guesswork and makes spending expectations clear.
- The incremental method. To avoid starting from scratch, take the current period’s budget and revenue into account. Then, adjust each line item by incremental amounts to create your next budget.
Nonprofits may cut marketing when resources are tight, but promoting your mission is essential for staying connected with donors and driving gifts to stay operational. Instead, opt for low-cost communication channels or apply for a grant.
Whether you’re facing budgetary constraints or simply want to reduce costs, explore our guide to applying for Google Ad Grants to tap into free advertising money.
5 Steps to Create a Nonprofit Marketing Strategy
Crafting an organized nonprofit marketing strategy connects you with supporters and beneficiaries. Your strategy should outline all the information you need to meet your audience’s needs and spread awareness.
1. Perform a Marketing Audit.
Start by getting a sense of your current marketing capabilities and available resources. That way, you can start thinking about the changes you’ll need to make.
Gather past outreach materials and campaign metrics to conduct an audit on your most recent outreach efforts. A nonprofit marketing audit often consists of conducting a SWOT analysis, which stands for:
- Strengths. List any areas where your nonprofit excels compared to competitors. For example, you may have unique services, strong brand awareness, or an incredibly loyal supporter base.
- Weaknesses. List anything that hinders you from achieving your nonprofit marketing goals, such as a limited budget or a poor digital presence.
- Opportunities. Include any external factors that give you an advantage over competitors. For instance, your mission could be prevalent in the news or you might have a strong pipeline of corporate sponsors.
- Threats. This includes any external factors out of your control that negatively impact your nonprofit. These factors could be anything from unfavorable media coverage to shifting government regulations.
Analyze your results and create a plan for playing to your strengths, overcoming any weaknesses, increasing your opportunities, and mitigating any threats.
2. Define Your Marketing Goals.
Your nonprofit marketing strategy should support your overall goals. Are you trying to raise funds? Encourage volunteering? Garner fundraising event registrations? Every marketing campaign needs a concrete goal and target action to be successful.
When outlining your nonprofit marketing strategy goals, use the SMART method:
- Specific. Define the exact goal your nonprofit is aiming to achieve and identify how achieving it will support your mission.
- Measurable. Your goal should have key performance indicators (KPIs) attached to evaluate progress.
- Attainable. Given your organization’s current standing (e.g., time, money, expertise), choose a goal that you can realistically achieve.
- Relevant. Your chosen goal should contribute to your organization’s overall success. For example, increasing volunteer registrations clearly impacts your organization more than reaching a certain number of likes on an Instagram post.
- Time-based. Provide a realistic deadline for achieving your goal. Then, create milestones along the way.
From here, list your goals by priority. Clear nonprofit marketing goals will power greater outcomes for your cause.
Examples of SMART Goals
The best way to understand the SMART framework is to explore examples:
- Increase sales of educational curriculum by 25% over the next 12 months by implementing targeted marketing campaigns, including SEO and social media promotions. Track the number of units sold each month, and leverage partnerships with schools and educational organizations to reach a broader audience.
- Boost volunteer sign-ups by 10% by the end of the year via targeted outreach campaigns and improving our volunteer management strategies to enhance program delivery.
- Gain 50 new monthly donors within the next quarter by leveraging existing donor engagement strategies and personalized outreach.
- Double the number of participants in our annual fundraising event by leveraging Google Ads, SEO strategies, and community partners to encourage registrations.
These goals start with a core objective and build out the details. From promoting events to selling programming, effective nonprofit marketing can help you increase visibility and drive action. You just need SMART goals and technology to track your progress.
3. Understand Your Audiences.
Focus your nonprofit marketing strategy on who you’re trying to reach. Outline your current and target audience. For example, if your nonprofit sells religious curricula to churches, your target audience would include church leaders, educators, and parents. Or, let’s say your parks and recreation association wants to sell summer camp registrations. Your audience would primarily be parents and guardians looking for engaging educational summer activities for their children.
Segment your audience members according to characteristics such as:
- Supporter type, including first-time donor, recurring donor, major donor, customer, volunteer, or corporate partner.
- Preferred communication method, like email or direct mail.
- Demographic data, including age group, geographical location, and education level.
When you understand who your supporters are, you’ll ensure content aligns with their needs, preferences, and interests, making them more likely to engage. In fact, segmenting digital campaigns produces up to 760% more revenue!
Remember, the goal of segmentation is to ensure your communications are targeted, so understand each group’s needs to create content catered to them. This might involve planning new events, writing new blog content, or trying new media formats like video.
4. Create and Share A Compelling Message.
There are hundreds of ads and messages online, all competing for your supporters’ attention. To make your messages stand out from the crowd, use the CRAM rule to bring your powerful marketing ideas to fruition and connect with supporters. Your communications should be:
- Connected to a cause. Link your nonprofit’s mission with something your audience cares about.
- Rewarding. Readers should feel fulfilled or inspired reading your message.
- Actionable. Include a clear call to action to outline readers’ next steps, whether that’s donating, volunteering, registering for an event, or something else.
- Memorable. Use storytelling and statistics to leave a lasting impression on your readers.
Plan out the tone of your message, specific calls to action you’ll use, and any visual branding elements. Then, choose your nonprofit marketing channels and start sharing your outreach.
5. Track Results and Make Adjustments.
Every nonprofit marketing strategy needs a way to measure performance, so you’ll be able to identify your areas of strength and areas for improvement. Here are some examples of KPIs for different channels you might track:
- Click-through rate (CTR) for Google Ads
- Email opens for email marketing
- Video views or likes for video marketing
- Likes, shares, and comments on social media
- Page views or time on site for your website
- Number of downloads for content marketing
Data is the backbone of your nonprofit marketing efforts. It ensures your campaigns perform well, provides insights for future improvements, and serves as a valuable resource for supporters interested in your impact.
Types of Nonprofit Marketing Channels
The specific nonprofit marketing channels you use are critical to reaching your donors and meeting new prospects. While you don’t need to leverage every platform, a multichannel marketing approach allows you to connect with as many supporters as possible.
Let’s walk through some of the most popular channels that can catapult your nonprofit marketing efforts forward.
Search Ads
To enhance marketing results, many nonprofits leverage Google Ads, a platform where organizations display advertisements promoting their services, initiatives, and educational content. Google places these ads at the top of search engine result pages to expand each organization’s online presence.
Many nonprofits apply for the Google Ad Grant, a technology grant that provides nonprofits with $10,000 in monthly ad credits. These credits can be used to bid on valuable keywords their prospects are searching online and promote their website content with Google Ads.
The best part? Any eligible nonprofit that complies with Google guidelines can leverage this grant. For example, if your church is eligible, you can apply for and receive the Google Ad Grant. It automatically reactivates every month, too. As long as you comply with the program’s rules, you’ll add up to $120,000 to your nonprofit marketing budget each year.
It’s up to you to choose the
right keywords related to your mission. For example, the
Literacy Empowerment Foundation provides books and other educational resources to children, families, and teachers in need. To help reach their target audience, our advertising experts created a Google Ad campaign targeting terms like “free books for kids.”
However, a lot goes into determining your nonprofit’s eligibility, applying, and making the most of the program. That’s where an expert Google Grants agency can step in.
The specialists at Getting Attention will champion your cause at every turn. We’ll learn about your specific nonprofit marketing goals and manage the entire Google Grant process, allowing you to focus on your mission with confidence that your Google Ads are in expert hands.
Nonprofit Advertising
While people commonly interchange “advertising” and “marketing,” nonprofit advertising is actually a specific subset of nonprofit marketing that refers to using paid channels to promote your mission. Some of the most common nonprofit advertising channels include:
- Search ads (like Google Ads)
- Radio and TV ads
- Social media ads
- Influencer advertising
Advertising can amplify your content to a broader audience, even those who aren’t actively researching nonprofits. With a strategic approach, outbound marketing is achievable, even on a limited budget!
Similar to Google, there are many other advertising platforms with free or discounted options for nonprofits. Explore our full list of nonprofit advertising examples to get a sense of how similar nonprofits tap into paid ads without spending too much.
Website
Your website not only hosts valuable information about your organization but also provides engagement opportunities like online giving, event registration, and more. It’s often the first place prospects go to learn about your mission and where long-term supporters go to show support.
To maximize site traffic, implement SEO strategies. Optimizing your website for search engines helps attract attention to initiatives like your revenue-generating programming. When updating your nonprofit website, try these SEO practices:
- Keyword Research: With tools like Google Keyword Planner, identify relevant keywords your target audience uses when searching for information related to your cause. Use these keywords naturally in your content, headers, and meta descriptions.
- Quality Content: Create high-quality, informative content that addresses your audience’s needs and interests. This can include blog posts, service pages, mission updates, and educational resources.
- Technical Improvements: Ensure your website has an optimal user experience (UX) and can be easily crawled by search engines. Take steps like optimizing site speed, using mobile-responsive design, securing your site with HTTPS, and eliminating broken links.
- Backlinks: Encourage reputable websites to link back to your content. Backlinks from trusted sources can boost your site’s credibility in the eyes of different search engines.
Sometimes nonprofits create blogs to drive traffic and post meaningful content about their organizations. This is also a great way to cultivate a community and act as a go-to resource for supporters. Consider blogging about nonprofit industry trends, mission updates, and your nonprofit’s recent events or campaigns.
Using A Digital Marketing Agency
To maximize your website’s potential, turn to a dedicated SEO agency that understands organic digital marketing channels. Nexus Marketing, for instance, helps nonprofits and associations increase revenue by selling their programming, products, and services.
Their value-add marketing services include:
- Keyword-optimized content creation to showcase your services, products, and thought leadership
- Technical SEO improvements to improve aspects of your website like crawlability and mobile-friendliness
- Off-site link-building strategy development to establish your brand’s authority
- Video production services to showcase your revenue-generating services, programs, and products and add valuable multimedia content to your site
- Email marketing campaigns to guide visitors through their journey and drive traffic to key pages on your website
With 10+ years of experience in SEO for mission-driven organizations, Nexus Marketing will help attract and convert your target audience into customers. They can help you strengthen your website and reach your target audiences through search engines, high-visibility webinars, and promotion through their trusted partners in the industry.
Nonprofit Email Marketing
Email is a reliable channel for nonprofit marketers, allowing them to connect with all types of supporters, from first-time donors to those who have been giving regularly for years.
Some impactful ways to leverage email marketing for nonprofits include:
- Create a regular newsletter. Provide supporters with updates about your organization, the latest industry news, success stories from your programs, supporter spotlights, volunteer opportunities, and anything else going on at your nonprofit.
- Send monthly emails about donation needs and opportunities to increase donor value over time. Tailor requests to ask each donor for a reasonable upgrade from their last gift. For example, if a supporter gave $25 last month, request $30 instead of $100. Also, remove recurring donors from your monthly request list since they are already giving regularly.
- Follow up with appreciation emails. When a supporter donates, signs up to volunteer, or shows some other form of support, you should automatically send out a thank you email. Personalize these emails to address each supporter by name and reference their specific contribution.
On average, email generates $36 for every $1 spent. This high ROI makes it clear that this nonprofit marketing channel is worth investing in.
Word-of-Mouth Nonprofit Marketing
When your volunteers and donors feel strongly about your cause, they’ll want to share your important work with friends and family members who may be interested in supporting your nonprofit, too!
Peer-to-peer outreach can be incredibly powerful. In fact, 88% of consumers trust recommendations from loved ones over any other type of marketing. Encourage your supporters to reach out to their personal networks, post online about your cause, and share your organization’s social media posts to spread the word.
One powerful way to encourage peer-to-peer referrals is nonprofit eCards. They’re an easy and interactive way to broadcast your mission, activities, and successes.
Create designs for every occasion to encourage referrals year-round. Here are just a few ideas to get started:
- Birthday fundraising eCards that encourage supporters to give in a loved one’s name as a way to wish them a happy birthday.
- Holiday eCards to spread some holiday cheer during special times throughout the year.
- Thank-you eCards to help supporters express their gratitude.
- Tribute eCards for individuals to give in honor of their loved ones.
- Mission awareness eCards to call attention to your work during a cause awareness campaign.
- Event invitation eCards to help supporters invite their loved ones to one of your nonprofit events.
Once you design your nonprofit eCards, you can offer them for free, sell them for a set price, or give them in exchange for donations. No matter what, people will be excited to browse your collection and share a cause that’s close to their hearts.
Social Media Marketing for Nonprofits
By 2027, the global number of social media users is expected to skyrocket to 6 billion. Social media’s rising prevalence makes it one of the most viable channels for marketing your mission.
Not only is social media affordable, but it’s also a key way to connect with supporters on a deeper level. You can engage with followers, encourage them to comment or repost content, and build a brand personality that they enjoy interacting with.
Here are tips to leverage social media in your nonprofit marketing strategy:
- Share news about your organization and cause.
- Boost brand awareness and recognition.
- Post calls to action for online gifts, event registrations, and volunteer signups.
- Post about your committed donors, employees, and volunteers.
- Create accounts on sites where your supporters are most active, like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), or LinkedIn.
Whether you use TikTok for connecting with younger generations or Facebook for its long-form posts and its fundraising features, social media is a channel worth optimizing for your nonprofit marketing.
Direct Mail Marketing
While email marketing response rates are typically 1%, direct mail response rates hover around 9%, making it a highly valuable and personalized marketing channel.
For nonprofits, direct mail marketing and fundraising involve writing, printing, and sending out hard copy requests for funds, event invitations, or thank-you letters to your passionate supporters. These letters arrive in your supporters’ mailboxes and provide a tangible connection to your organization—especially when compared to opening an email.
Use these tips to inspire action with direct mail:
- Lean on storytelling. Perhaps the most unique aspect of direct mail is its personal touch. This is a key opportunity to connect with donors through storytelling. For example, you could describe the story of a family your nonprofit helped to get readers eager to give. After all, people remember stories 22 times more than facts alone.
- Use compelling visuals. Weave your visual and written elements together to break up blocks of text and support your call to action. This applies to everything from your letters to your fundraising flyers. Whether you use photos of real people or graphics to illustrate different points, the visuals you choose should be reinforce your messaging.
- Combine direct mail with digital marketing. Enhance your direct mail marketing by conducting it alongside your digital marketing efforts. Be sure to include easy ways for direct mail readers to connect online by including a QR code to your donation page or adding social media details to encourage engagement on various platforms.
As long as it aligns with recipients’ communication preferences, direct mail can both benefit your nonprofit and show donors that you care. Consider partnering with a direct mail marketing company to facilitate the process of writing and sending your letters.
Nonprofit Video Marketing
From short videos on TikTok to longer content on YouTube, many nonprofits have found success in using this form of media to promote campaigns, events, and their mission in general.
Here are some reasons why video marketing for nonprofits is so valuable:
- Inspirational. Well-edited videos, supplemented with evocative music, do really well when it comes to appealing to viewers’ emotions.
- Shareable. 51% of people are more likely to share videos than any other marketing content, including social media and blog posts.
- Entertaining. According to DataReportal, watching videos is one of the top online activities among working-age internet users around the world, with 92.8% watching online videos every week.
You can incorporate video marketing across your nonprofit website, in social media posts, and in email content. For instance, you can send an event invitation with a video teaser or record a video featuring someone your nonprofit has helped to show donors how much their donations make an impact.
Bonus Tip: Because of their file format, videos can potentially slow down a website. When publishing videos to your website, turn off auto-play to minimize any slowdowns!
Content Marketing for Nonprofits
Content marketing is all about creating valuable and promotable nonprofit content to build your nonprofit’s reputation. While this content will likely live on your website, you can also create specific content for emails or host a downloadable gated resource.
Common types of content you might create include:
- Educational content about your mission, cause, and industry trends.
- SEO blog content to get your online content ranking higher in search engines.
- Easily shareable content that encourages your audience to send it along to their friends.
- Content that is easily reusable, like attaching a downloadable resource to an email message.
Plus, your content marketing materials can be used for other nonprofit marketing efforts, whether you promote it via email, Google Ads, or social media. Consider creating a dedicated team focused on content copywriting.
Text Message Marketing
With a 99% open rate and 90% read rate within just three minutes of sending, text message marketing is one of the best ways to promote a campaign and reach your audience where they already are.
To use text marketing, consider investing in a comprehensive text-to-give tool. Tatango’s nonprofit text messaging guide recommends looking for a text messaging provider with the following features:
- A2P (Application to Person) messaging. This feature allows you to send a single message to hundreds or thousands of supporters at once, saving your nonprofit time.
- Ability to handle fast messaging speeds. A provider with a high message-per-second rate will ensure that your campaign reminders reach supporters moments after you send them.
- Security for your campaigns. Your text messaging provider should come with security measures like two-factor authentication, secure sending, and automated logout to protect sensitive data.
- Subscriber segmentation. Divide your contact list into subgroups based on characteristics such as recency of opting into your text messaging campaign, donation frequency, and average giving amount.
With a secure and user-friendly text messaging platform, your nonprofit can confidently deliver a high ROI, engage supporters year-round, and leverage contextual giving.
Contextual giving occurs when a donor gives the moment they’re inspired. For example, someone at a fundraising event might see a text-to-give number on signage and decide to give immediately. Without this option, they might delay until home, reducing the likelihood of completing the donation.
Nonprofit Marketing Best Practices to Follow
Your nonprofit marketing strategy encompasses several moving components, from crafting your messaging to picking the channels you use. Let’s explore general best practices that can help you hone your marketing efforts:
Optimize Your Website for Search
Your nonprofit’s website is the hub of its digital marketing efforts. Optimize it for search engines to ensure potential supporters, customers, and beneficiaries can find it.
While your content is incredibly important, technical SEO lays the foundation for how search engines crawl, index, and rank your site. Let’s explore a few technical improvements to ensure your website can be found and indexed:
- Remove broken links. Broken links are hyperlinks that lead to non-existent web pages, typically due to them being removed from the site. Regularly audit your website and fix broken links to ensure seamless navigation and make it easy for search engines to crawl your content.
- Avoid redirect chains. Redirect chains occur when a URL redirects to another URL which then redirects to yet another URL. This creates a sequence that can slow down your site and confuse search engines. Ensure that each URL points directly to its final destination without unnecessary intermediate redirects.
- Improve site speed. A fast-loading website provides a better user experience, so search engines use speed as a ranking factor. Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to identify issues slowing down your site. To decrease loading times, compress and properly size images, enable browser caching, and minimize CSS.
- Secure your website. Obtain SSL certification to secure data exchanged between your website and visitors. Search engines prioritize secure websites, and users are more likely to trust and engage with a secure site.
To find issues on your website, use a website crawler tool like Screaming Frog. Just know that fixing some of these issues can be challenging if you don’t have an in-house web developer. That’s where an SEO agency like Nexus Marketing can step in to locate, prioritize, and fix the most pressing issues that are harming your nonprofit’s website.
Elevate Your Graphic Design
Regardless of whether someone’s scrolling through their social media feed or passing by a bulletin board with your fundraising flyer pinned to it, they’re more likely to notice marketing collateral that features eye-catching graphics and vibrant colors.
Considering that people retain 55% more information when paired with an image, effective visuals make your content more memorable to prospects, too. Here are a few crucial areas where graphic design comes into play:
- Your logo. Your nonprofit’s logo appears on everything from your fundraising letters to your business cards. Prospects immediately associate it with your organization.
- Website design. The graphics you include on your website are just as important as your site’s layout. You’ll want to include everything from images of beneficiaries and volunteers to artistic elements that emphasize the most important aspects of each page.
- Merchandise. If you sell t-shirts, mugs, or any other fundraising products, feature effective designs on them. Visually-appealing graphics will make the buying experience much easier for prospects who come across your ads for them.
- Printed materials. Effective graphic design is just as important for your printed collateral, such as your fundraising letters, flyers, and service brochures.
If you have limited graphic design expertise, reach out to an experienced graphic designer. Those with experience in the mission-driven space, such as Kwala, understand exactly what it takes to make charitable causes stand out. Their team will work with yours to create anything you request, including flyers, logos, stickers, and even fundraising product designs.
Take a look at this postcard that they designed for the Wildlife Rescue Group:
Well-designed materials like this will reel supporters in and drive action, whether you want people to donate, volunteer, or get involved in some other way. Turning to a professional graphic designer allows you to create marketing materials that resonate with supporters.
Use Current Events
Boost your nonprofit’s marketing efforts by leveraging what is currently going on in the world to create urgency. Is there a story related to your cause in the news? For instance, if your organization is contributing to relief efforts in the wake of a natural disaster, connect your mission to this broader issue and boost public awareness around your work.
Highlight all the work your organization aims to achieve so that potential donors feel inspired to contribute toward your impact.
Follow Up With Supporters
Successful marketing requires more than one-way communication. Cultivate relationships with your donors and volunteers by implementing strategies to start ongoing conversations. This doesn’t mean you need to exchange text messages with each supporter to keep them engaged. Rather, your nonprofit just needs to respond to the actions supporters take to show that you see and value their contributions.
Some basic occasions for reaching out to a supporter include:
- After they’ve made a gift
- After they’ve attended an event
- On their birthday
- On their anniversary with your nonprofit
- On a holiday or at year-end
- Asking for their feedback in a survey
Your follow-up process can also benefit from a multi-channel approach. For example, personalized donor thank-you emails make it possible to show your appreciation quickly. Then, you can send a card or give donors a phone call a few days later when your nonprofit has time set aside for donor outreach.
By reaching out often, you’ll be able to retain more donors and convince lapsed donors to get involved again.
Work With Other Groups
Your nonprofit has worked hard to establish its audience, and you can expand your reach by tapping into other organizations’ audiences . Well-known groups and individuals can introduce your nonprofit to new supporters. If they agree to a marketing partnership, they can handle part of the marketing efforts on your behalf.
A few third parties to consider include:
- Influencers. Influencer marketing is on the rise. The majority of these influencers have smaller (between 10,000 and 100,000 followers and some with even less than 10,000) but highly specific audiences with interests relevant to the nonprofits they support. For example, an animal rights group might partner with a beauty influencer to discuss the importance of buying cruelty-free products.
- Businesses. Corporate philanthropy comes in many forms, including marketing support. Ask businesses to sponsor specific events or campaigns by promoting your nonprofit to their audience. In exchange, you’ll promote the businesses’ products and services to your audience. Like with influencers, look for businesses with audiences likely to be interested in your nonprofit’s cause, such as an animal shelter partnering with local dog groomers.
- Other nonprofits. Nonprofits can work together to connect their audiences with one another. Partner with local nonprofits in your area to host joint events and campaigns. In exchange for them promoting your cause, you can raise awareness for theirs in return.
Before partnering with a third party, thoroughly vet them. After all, your partnership will reflect on your nonprofit, so be sure they are reputable, trustworthy, and likely to present your nonprofit in the best light.
Wrapping Up
Marketing your mission is key to your organization’s ongoing success. From choosing the right channels to keeping up with the latest trends, crafting a strong nonprofit marketing strategy takes plenty of forethought.
Whether you choose paid outlets like search ads or organic outlets like email, there’s a lot you can do to stand out. As you craft your strategies, check out these resources to keep learning:
45+ Nonprofit Marketing Statistics To Shape Your Outreach
/in Nonprofit Communications, Nonprofit Marketing /by Erin TolandAs digital transformation continues to rewrite the rules of supporter engagement, nonprofits must harness the power of data to stay relevant and impactful. No matter your cause, understanding the latest nonprofit marketing statistics is more than a strategic advantage; it’s a necessity.
To help you stay ahead of the curve, we’ll share key statistics and trends that are shaping nonprofit marketing best practices this year. These insights will help you craft messages that not only reach your audience but inspire them like never before. We’ll separate this research into these key categories:
Let’s jump into the most compelling and informative research your nonprofit needs to know to adapt, innovate, and succeed.
The State of Nonprofit Marketing: Current Challenges
The nonprofit sector continues to evolve rapidly, influenced by technological advancements and changing donor behaviors. Understanding the current state of nonprofit marketing is crucial for organizations striving to make an impact.
Let’s explore some key challenges nonprofits are facing in their marketing efforts and the strategies they’re adopting to overcome them:
By understanding and addressing these challenges, your nonprofit can enhance its outreach, engage a broader audience, and drive greater impact in your community.
General Nonprofit Marketing Statistics
What These Nonprofit Marketing Statistics Mean
No matter your campaign, taking a multichannel approach will ensure you reach the largest audience possible, helping to increase conversions. Just be sure to focus heavily on storytelling and personalization to boost engagement, response rates, and revenue. Since you’ll likely drive traffic to your website across these channels, ensure your website is well designed, mobile optimized, and makes it easy for users to get involved.
Nonprofit Content Marketing Statistics
What These Nonprofit Marketing Statistics Mean
Content marketing is more important for inspiring supporters than ever. From blog posts to case studies, your nonprofit should test different types of content to engage your audience. To catch people’s attention, integrate your written content with diverse visual content, such as infographics and videos, as these formats are ideal for message retention.
Prioritizing SEO strategies is especially crucial, yet many nonprofits overlook this channel. Create a dedicated SEO plan, complete with comprehensive keyword research, regular content updates, and authority-building strategies. You can even use Google Ads to complement your organic efforts, driving targeted traffic to your site while you build up your SEO presence and gain valuable insights into keyword performance.
Nonprofit Advertising Statistics
What These Nonprofit Marketing Statistics Mean
Nonprofit advertising can significantly enhance your nonprofit’s visibility with target audiences, particularly through digital channels like search and social media. Leveraging tools like Google Ads not only helps nonprofits reach prospects effectively but also provides a substantial ROI.
If you haven’t already, apply for the Google Ad Grants program, which offers approved nonprofits up to $120,000 in annual ad credits, by following the steps in the video below. This generous grant can significantly boost your organization’s visibility and outreach efforts. Also, don’t hesitate to reach out if you need help applying or crafting compelling ads for your cause.
Want to learn more about this valuable opportunity to enhance your digital marketing strategy and connect with more potential donors and supporters? Check out our free Google Ad Grant Impact Report!
Social Media Marketing Statistics For Nonprofits
What These Nonprofit Marketing Statistics Mean
Social media provides nonprofits with unparalleled reach and organic engagement opportunities. Platforms like Facebook, with its vast daily user base, significantly impact donor behavior, making it a key channel for driving donations. Additionally, being active on Instagram and LinkedIn allows nonprofits to connect with a broader audience, share their mission, and collaborate with influencers. Pay attention to which platforms your supporters prefer and focus your efforts on those for the best results.
Email Marketing Statistics For Nonprofits
What These Nonprofit Marketing Statistics Mean
Email remains one of the best marketing channels for nonprofits. It offers a direct and personal way to keep supporters informed. Effective email campaigns, particularly those that are personalized and sent consistently, can significantly enhance donor relationships and increase fundraising revenue. Consider how your nonprofit can strategically use email marketing to engage supporters at every stage of their journey with your cause, whether they’ve just subscribed or are already loyal donors or volunteers.
Emerging Nonprofit Marketing Trends To Pay Attention To
It’s no secret that the nonprofit sector has been embracing digital technologies to enhance outreach. Organizations are increasingly leveraging social media, email marketing, and other digital strategies to inspire their supporters and beneficiaries. This digital shift has not only expanded the reach of many organizations but also introduced new ways to measure and enhance impact. Currently, nonprofits are focusing heavily on these current best practices:
Optimizing Nonprofit Websites
More than ever, nonprofit websites are going beyond just providing general mission information. Modern sites are focusing on these elements:
Not only does prioritizing accessibility help with meeting nonprofit website requirements, but it also ensures that any potential supporters and beneficiaries can interact with their websites and get involved.
Paying For Ad Space
Today’s nonprofits find it challenging to stand out in the crowded online space, so many organizations are recognizing the power of paid advertising on non-traditional platforms. These organizations have to be thoughtful about their spending habits to avoid wasting donors’ contributions, though.
Maximizing ad ROI involves targeting specific demographics and interests, selecting the right platforms, and continuously monitoring and adjusting campaigns for effectiveness. Utilizing analytics tools can help track performance, understand user behavior, and optimize ad spend, too.
While paying for ads is out of reach for smaller organizations, many nonprofits are leveraging the Google Ad Grant to alleviate expenses and avoid misusing donations. Using this grant, nonprofits can increase their visibility on the world’s most popular search engine without incurring additional costs. That ensures that more donor funds go directly towards their mission-driven activities.
Check out this example nonprofit ad from Claire’s Place that highlights its mission, lists its services, and points Google users to key web pages to get involved:
Leaning Into Visual Storytelling
Storytelling is a key strategy for inspiring support. With advancements in technology, nonprofits can now easily use powerful photography and produce compelling videos that tell those stories, form emotional connections, and resonate with web users. Modern camera technology and editing software have made creating high-quality visual content more affordable for nonprofits.
Plus, platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok prioritize visual content. By sharing engaging visual stories on these platforms, nonprofits are expanding their reach and attracting new supporters who might not be engaged through traditional methods. Follow this nonprofit marketing trend, and you’re much likelier to inspire action, too!
Personalizing Outreach
Generic messages sent to your entire supporter base aren’t enough to inspire support. Today’s consumers feel frustrated by impersonal website experiences, with 72% of people reporting that they’ll only engage with personalized messages. Luckily, technology makes this aspect of nonprofit marketing much simpler!
Nonprofits are relying on their technology to segment their supporters into meaningful groups, such as small donors, recurring donors, corporate partners, volunteers, and event participants. That way, they can send relevant engagement opportunities or updates on programs those individuals care about.
Using Generative AI
The use of generative AI is snowballing throughout digital marketing. Tools like ChatGPT can help streamline content production by producing outlines, content ideas, and even publication schedules. They can significantly reduce the time spent on routine tasks, allowing your team to focus on more strategic activities.
However, you should not rely solely on AI for content creation. Put simply, AI-generated content isn’t as user-friendly or original as human-written content. Your nonprofit marketing team understands your mission and those who will read your content unlike anyone else. Your organization’s unique voice, creativity, and insider perspectives are irreplaceable and vital for authentic engagement.
Start Tapping Into These Nonprofit Marketing Trends
Now, it’s time to put these nonprofit marketing statistics to use! As you reimagine your strategies, be open to experimenting with new marketing techniques while maintaining your core set of data-backed methods. Focus on what yields the highest ROI and remember that this doesn’t just mean immediate ROI. After all, investing in a long-term audience growth strategy is more important than instantaneous, short-term results.
To continue learning about the latest nonprofit marketing best practices, check out these resources:
13 Must-Have Technology Grants for Nonprofits This Year
/in Nonprofit Fundraising, Nonprofit Marketing /by Getting AttentionAccording to Nonprofit Tech for Good, many nonprofits are leveraging technology to enhance their processes—79% use automation technology in online fundraising, and 15% even have artificial intelligence software in place to predict donor behavior. Not every organization, however, has the funds to stay at the cutting edge of technology.
That’s where nonprofit technology grants come in. These grants supply the necessary funds for forward-thinking nonprofits to gain access to software solutions and resources that will magnify their impact. In this guide, we’ll cover:
To achieve bigger and better results, nonprofits must continually adopt and adapt to advances in technology that streamline essential processes such as fundraising, marketing, and donor engagement. By doing so, your organization can free up more capacity for what matters most: bettering the lives of those you serve.
What are technology grants for nonprofits?
Nonprofit technology grants provide essential funding for organizations to acquire and implement cutting-edge tools and software, significantly enhancing their impact and efficiency.
These grants can cover a wide range of technological needs, including:
While general grants can sometimes address technological needs, it’s often more effective to apply for grants specifically tailored to technology. Tailored technology grants are designed to address the unique challenges and opportunities associated with implementing and managing technological solutions, providing more targeted support and resources.
Where can nonprofits find technology grants?
Like most grants, technology grants are typically offered by three primary sources:
No matter your organization’s focus—whether you’re an environmental nonprofit or a nonprofit hospital—access to the latest technology enables you to serve your beneficiaries more effectively and achieve better outcomes. Look to these sources to find an opportunity that matches your organization’s needs.
How can technology grants support nonprofits?
Depending on your specific goals, a technology grant can empower your nonprofit to:
Once you’ve pinpointed your organization’s specific needs for technology funding, it’s time to find a funder that best aligns with your mission and values. The more well-matched you are to the grantmaking organization, the more likely you’ll succeed in winning the grant.
13 Top Technology Grants for Nonprofits
Use these nonprofit technology grants as a jumping-off point to your pursuit of technology funding:
1. Google Ad Grants
Since its creation, the Google Ad Grants program has provided over $10 billion in free advertising to nonprofits. All eligible organizations can receive $10,000 monthly to bid on keywords for ads that will appear on Google’s search results pages. With these ads, you can promote key pages on your nonprofit’s website, such as your donation page or event registration page, to generate more support for your cause.
To meet the program’s eligibility criteria, your organization must:
This nonprofit technology grant can equip your organization with a powerful tool for spreading the word about your mission and attracting more supporters to your cause. To ensure that you secure your grant and make the most of it, consider turning to a Google Ad Grants agency like Getting Attention that can take care of the entire process for you.
2. Salesforce’s Power of Us Program
Salesforce is a leading customer relationship management (CRM) platform that provides a comprehensive suite of cloud-based applications and services. The Power of Us Program has provided discounted CRM technology access to over 56,000 nonprofits and educational institutions. To join these ranks, your organization must:
You can explore the full list of requirements here. When awarding grants, the Salesforce Foundation prioritizes alignment with its grantmaking goals, demonstrated program impact, a commitment to measuring and adapting, and a strong leadership team that reflects the community it’s addressing.
3. Twilio
Twilio is an SMS and messaging platform that empowers social good organizations to extend their reach. In 2023, an incredible 20,000 organizations used the platform to send over 22 billion messages.
Through its Impact Fund, Twilio awarded $7.3 million in grants and investments to expand access to transformative communications technology for social impact causes last year. Organizations that are eligible for this nonprofit technology grant funding must:
Currently, Twilio is funding projects in digital transformation, humanitarian assistance, and climate action. To receive an invitation to apply, sign up for the Impact Access Program, which offers additional benefits such as discounts on Twilio products.
4. Okta for Good
Okta is a comprehensive identity and access management platform that offers organizations secure single sign-on capabilities, authentication and authorization, password management, user provisioning, security and compliance, and mobile device management.
Okta for Good’s Nonprofit Technology Initiative strives to meet nonprofits’ technology needs by supplying $10 million in philanthropic funding. They’re also providing an additional $10 million via in-kind donations of their technology and services. To be selected for these funds and donations, nonprofits must:
Whether your nonprofit is seeking to improve its data security or move to the cloud, Okta’s focus on digital transformation is worth looking into for any organization interested in technology improvements.
5. Box Impact Fund
Box Impact Fund supports nonprofits on their path to adopting technology that will enhance their daily operations and work. To meet Box Impact Fund’s eligibility requirements, organizations must:
Box lists four specific criteria for evaluating grant applications: alignment, impact, inclusion, and scale. Ensure that your organization matches this funder’s priorities to set your application up for success.
6. Cisco Product Grant Program
Cisco is a multinational technology conglomerate that designs, manufactures, and sells networking hardware, telecommunications equipment, and other high-technology products.
The Cisco Product Grant Program supplies networking and communications technology to nonprofits focused on crisis response, education, economic empowerment, and climate change. To be eligible for the program, organizations must:
Cisco accepts grant proposals year-round and reviews them quarterly. To ensure your nonprofit meets all the criteria, take this eligibility quiz that Cisco provides on its website.
7. Microsoft Tech for Social Impact
Microsoft is a leading multinational technology company. The company launched Microsoft Tech for Social Impact to provide discounted and donated Microsoft tools to nonprofits. These tools can empower your nonprofit to securely manage supporters’ data, reduce operating costs, and enable remote opportunities for staff and volunteers.
To be eligible for Microsoft’s nonprofit programs, your organization must:
One of Microsoft’s most popular nonprofit technology grants is the Azure grant, which awards applicants with $2,000 credits per year and access to the complete portfolio of Azure products and cloud services. On its website, Microsoft provides a step-by-step registration process to access available tech.
8. Technology Innovation Awards
Tech Forward is a nonprofit technology conference that unites organizations to explore how technology can enhance their missions. At the conference, the host provides $10,000 through its annual Technology Innovation Awards to support nonprofits seeking funding for technology-related projects. To be eligible for this grant, your organization must:
As part of the nonprofit technology grant application, you’ll need to present information such as your mission, services, and key constituents, along with a full technology project proposal.
9. TechBridge
TechBridge makes enterprise-grade software to empower nonprofits to eliminate generational poverty. TechBridge’s Dream Big Grant provides an opportunity for nonprofits to acquire technology solutions that will enhance their operations and boost their impact. To be eligible for one of these grants, your organization must:
The application process for one of these technology grants for nonprofits includes an eligibility check, an application essay, and a video submission.
10. Verizon Foundation
Verizon offers invitation-only grants to support nonprofits in three main areas: digital inclusion, climate protection, and human prosperity. Nonprofits must contact their local community relations manager about receiving an invitation. If you’re approved to apply, you’ll still have to meet these eligibility requirements:
Furthermore, if you request funds for IT infrastructure improvements that total more than 20% of the grant’s total direct costs, you must provide specific details on how your organization will use those IT assets in your grant application.
11. HP Technology for Community
HP is a multinational information technology company that develops and sells hardware, software, and services. The company supplies grants to nonprofits so that they can purchase technology to better serve their purposes. To be eligible for HP Technology for Community, organizations must:
While qualified nonprofits can apply from across the country, HP will give preference to those operating in or near the site communities listed in its requirements.
12. The Change Happens Foundation
The Change Happens Foundation is a private nonprofit foundation dedicated to supporting nonprofits focused on creating social change around science, the environment, and education. The foundation offers several grants in these areas. To be eligible, organizations must:
Once you’ve determined your nonprofit’s eligibility, you must submit a Letter of Inquiry as a first-time applicant to determine if the foundation’s interests align with your request. Organizations accepted for further consideration can then submit their grant proposals.
13. TechSoup
TechSoup provides nonprofits and libraries with discounted technology products, services, and training to enhance their mission-driven work. While not explicitly a nonprofit technology grant, it provides incredible offers from leading brands like Microsoft, Adobe, and Zoom.
To be validated by TechSoup, your organization must:
TechSoup even provides a convenient eligibility quiz. Before applying, explore TechSoup’s full product catalog to determine how access to different technologies will impact your organization.
How do I find the right technology grant for my nonprofit?
This list is a great starting point, but there are a few easy steps you should take to choose the best grant for your team. With the right approach, you’ll be well on your way to securing funding for transformative technology initiatives that will enhance your nonprofit’s efficiency, effectiveness, and overall impact.
1. Refer to your goals and mission.
Before starting your search for grant opportunities, it’s important to root yourself in your organization’s goals and mission. This ensures that you only identify and apply for technology grants that are well-suited to your nonprofit.
Remember that each grantmaking organization has its own mission and interests. As a result, they’re more prone to fund nonprofits that align with their own priorities and generate the kind of impact that they’re looking to see.
2. Conduct research.
Among possible technology grant sources, there are around 127,595 foundations in the United States alone. Because of this, it’s essential to be strategic in your research to find the best options. Follow these best practices to get started:
Review each nonprofit technology grant’s application criteria to ensure that you’re eligible to apply. For instance, some grantmakers may require your organization to be located in a specific region or area.
3. Prepare your technology grant application.
Once you’ve found a nonprofit technology grant that you’re interested in applying for, personalize your application according to the research you’ve conducted on the funder. An effective grant application clearly defines your nonprofit’s needs, leverages storytelling to convey your impact, and specifies realistic goals for the funding you’re requesting.
4. Consider seeking expert help.
If your nonprofit wants additional guidance to make your technology grant applications stand out, consider partnering with a nonprofit grant consultant. Top nonprofit grant consultants will devote themselves to ensuring that your organization’s grant efforts succeed.
For instance, Getting Attention’s experts fully understand the Google Ad Grants program. From confirming your eligibility to complying with the latest regulations, we know the program’s intricacies and can help you acquire and retain the grant. When you partner with us, our team will take the time to fully understand your mission so we can craft compelling ads that accurately represent your work and inspire likely supporters.
Set high expectations for your technology grant consultant and choose one who will do the following:
A nonprofit grant consultant can be instrumental in helping your organization secure nonprofit technology grant funding, especially if you have limited time and resources to carry out the entire process effectively.
Wrapping Up
New technologies are constantly emerging, and along with them come better ways for nonprofits to serve their communities and make a lasting difference. Figuring out how to incorporate these tools into your fundraising, marketing, and communications strategies is essential to setting your organization up for success.
Government agencies, foundations, and corporations recognize this priority as well. Because of this, there are numerous technology grants for nonprofits available to fund your initiatives—you just need to know where to look and how to pinpoint the right opportunities to pursue.
For more information on grants and how to deepen your nonprofit’s impact, explore these resources:
Creating Meaningful Messages: Copywriting For Nonprofits
/in Nonprofit Communications, Nonprofit Marketing /by Getting AttentionWhen it comes to marketing your nonprofit, chances are that you’ll be doing a lot of writing. From fundraising appeal emails and thank-you letters to social media announcements and website content, almost all of your nonprofit’s external communications involve text.
As such, this means that every nonprofit, whether they have a dedicated copywriter or not, does copywriting! However, just because every nonprofit is doing it doesn’t necessarily mean every nonprofit has a dedicated strategy.
To improve the quality of your nonprofit’s copywriting, we’ll explore these topics:
The strength of your copywriting impacts nearly every aspect of how donors interact with your nonprofit. It influences everything from whether they see your organization as professional and reliable to whether they understand your donation page or click on your search ads.
To set your text advertising strategy off on the right foot, let’s first explore a brief overview of copywriting for nonprofits.
Why Do Nonprofits Need Copywriting?
Copywriting is the practice of creating written content for the purpose of persuading an audience to take action. For instance, all of the text that makes up a Google Ad—the headline and description—would be considered copy, and the process of creating that copy is copywriting.
However, copywriting includes more than just advertisements. Again, copywriting consists of all written text created to persuade an audience to take a specific action. This means copywriting for nonprofits includes:
Basically, any time you compose a message meant for an external audience, you are engaging in copywriting.
Types of Copywriting for Nonprofits
While copywriting is a broad category that includes an extensive range of materials, we can still divide nonprofit copywriting into three general categories. These categories are based on the specific types of content you would likely hire a copywriter to produce and encompass most types of nonprofit copy.
Advertising
When it comes to advertising, there are generally two kinds to know: outbound and inbound.
Outbound marketing consists of creating content to be pushed out to a wide audience, regardless of their past interactions, or lack thereof, with your nonprofit. Most types of advertising, such as pay-per-click ads on search engines and social media, are considered outbound marketing. In contrast, inbound marketing usually focuses on content marketing, which we’ll discuss in the next section.
Advertising copy primarily consists of the text on ads. For example, you’ll be conducting advertising copywriting if you create fundraising flyers, run an ad in the newspaper, prepare a script to be read in a radio ad, or use the Google Ad Grant to run search engine ads.
Content Marketing
Content marketing is the process of creating content for the purpose of generating audience interest, which can then lead to conversions.
For example, a nonprofit like the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance (NLA) sells nonprofit professional development courses, like how to improve fundraising, leadership, and organizational skills. To inspire their audience, the NLA produces blog content that provides advice to nonprofit professionals. Individuals impressed by their expertise will then likely continue exploring their website and potentially sign up for a course.
For other nonprofits, written content marketing might consist of:
While videos and research reports may need more than just writing, copywriting is still a core part of producing these materials. After all, someone needs to write your video’s script, and translating complex topics and research into layman’s terms is an essential copywriting skill.
Grant Writing
Grant writing is a highly specialized type of nonprofit copywriting and requires a unique skill set. While some nonprofit professionals may take on grant writing responsibilities, many organizations opt to work with freelance grant writers or take grant writing courses.
Ultimately, most grant writing skills are good for any writer to have, such as the ability to write persuasively, write to a specific audience, and meet tight deadlines. However, because of the pressure to produce successful grant proposals, it’s often worthwhile to work with a professional grant writer rather than attempt to wing it yourself.
Copywriting Strategies for Nonprofits
Whether you plan to write your own copy, provide tips to your marketing team, or hire a third-party copywriting firm, these strategies can help you create and identify strong nonprofit copy.
1. Have a clear goal.
Everything your nonprofit writes should have a purpose. Before writing templates for your fundraising appeals, thank-you messages, or event invitations, consider what your goal is.
For some types of content, your goal will be more obvious than others. For example, it’s common advice not to ask donors to give again in thank you messages. This is because the goal behind thank-you messages is to thank the donor to build the relationship and push them to restart their donor journey. Theoretically, asking for another donation immediately would cut out the middle steps and be more efficient, but doing so would fail to build a relationship, which is what helps you secure their next gift.
As this example illustrates, most pieces of nonprofit copywriting have short-term goals. Think of each message as a stepping stone in your overall nonprofit marketing plan. For instance, let’s say your nonprofit publishes and sells nonfiction books. To secure sales, you might create advertising emails with the following goals:
Ultimately, all of these messages have the same goal of driving sales. However, each has a more specific goal, such as provoking a specific emotion, that cumulates in earning sales.
2. Know your audience.
Your nonprofit now has clear goals for its copywriting, but those aren’t the only goals you need to take into account. You know what your nonprofit wants. However, what does your audience want, and how can you factor that into your copy?
For example, consider Google Ads. Google uses keywords to find content relevant to users’ searches. However, it doesn’t just give out the highest rankings to the content that uses the keyword a certain number of times. Instead, it considers user intent and presents visitors with content that likely aligns with their interests.
Let’s explore this example of a Google Ad for the keyword “youth mentoring services.”
Google and the copywriters for this ad are making a few inferences about their audience. These include that the user:
These assumptions were not made haphazardly. Rather, both Google and Big Brother Big Sister Atlanta conducted audience research to determine what the average person searching this keyword wants to accomplish.
For your own audience research, analyze your supporter base. Explore donor data to identify trends in giving behavior, demographic information, and engagement rates. If you lack the information you feel you need to make inferences about your audience, consider surveying them directly or purchasing a data append to update and correct your donor data.
3. Prioritize clarity.
Audiences need to understand what you’re trying to say in your copy. While you may want to present a certain tone in your writing or create prose that stands out, do not do so if you are sacrificing clarity.
There are many principles for writing clearly and concisely. While we can’t conduct a course in writing right here, a few key style lessons that anyone can quickly pick up and apply to their writing include:
Additionally, there’s no shame in needing a basic grammar refresh. Before writing your next fundraising appeal, ensure you know where to place your commas, how to avoid run-on and incomplete sentences, and exactly what a semi-colon is for.
4. Use storytelling strategies.
People tend to remember stories better than lists of facts. While compelling statistics and research certainly can be persuasive, factual evidence is usually most effective at converting those already interested in your cause.
To generate that interest, your copy needs emotional storytelling. Storytelling doesn’t mean writing a novel but rather sharing brief anecdotes and examples that have a beginning, middle, and end. A few key elements of nonprofit storytelling include:
When it comes to sourcing stories, you can interview beneficiaries, supporters, volunteers, team members, or anyone else related to your cause you think has a strong story to tell. When translating these interviews into prose, you can do some editing, such as summarizing and cutting tangents, but do not make up new details or remove essential ones. Doing so is unethical and can damage your credibility if discovered.
5. Grab readers’ attention.
Everyone hates clickbait, and your nonprofit should not use it in your copywriting. However, you can use a few lessons from clickbait to create compelling subject lines and post titles that grab interest. For example, try:
Additionally, while this guide is here to talk about copywriting, images and videos can be exceptionally useful for capturing attention. Videos, photos, and graphic design elements break up text, making your pages easier to read and more likely to grab the attention of users scrolling past.
6. Create a brand guide.
If you have several copywriters on your team, intend to hire an external copywriting service, or plan to let volunteers represent your nonprofit, you need a brand guide. Brand guides contain information about your nonprofit’s logo, brand colors, audience, marketing goals, and copywriting practices.
For copywriting, your brand guide should cover:
A brand guide helps every aspect of your marketing strategy, from copywriting to graphic design to presentations. Make your guide easily accessible so you can share it with new team members, volunteers, and third-party services.
7. Have a lot of ideas.
Not every idea you have for new content will be a winner. As part of the writing process, be prepared to come up with lots of ideas, draft several messages, and ultimately scrap most of them to find the best version possible.
As part of the brainstorming process, try:
To ensure the ideas you choose are the right ones, have someone edit all of your writing. Along with helping to catch typos, grammar errors, and stylistic issues that might slip past an automatic spellchecker, editors can fact-check, point out areas that are unclear or unpersuasive, and ultimately share whether they think the piece will succeed with your audience.
8. Issue calls to action.
We’ve already touched on calls to action (CTAs) briefly, but given their importance in nonprofit marketing, let’s dive a bit further into what makes a compelling CTA:
Outside of copywriting, for the actual design of your CTAs, use your brand colors strategically to make them stand out. For instance, if your colors are white and red, like the American Heart Association, you might have white text on a red button.
9. Follow SEO best practices.
As part of marketing your content, your copywriters should be aware of SEO best practices. SEO stands for search engine optimization, and as the name implies, it’s the process of optimizing your content to rank highly on search engine results pages. When your website content appears for relevant keywords, your website can attract more supporters, customers, and advocates.
A tricky part of SEO writing is knowing how to use keywords. Optimizing your content for specific keywords increases the chances it will rank for that specific word or phrase. However, overloading your content with these terms can result in keyword stuffing, which creates a negative user experience and can get your website penalized if a search engine picks up on it.
When it comes to keyword optimization, copywriters can generally rely on this advice:
Additionally, consider each page’s meta description. While meta descriptions are not taken into account for search engine rankings, they can determine whether a user decides to click on your content. Think of SEO as getting your content in front of users and the meta description as determining whether they actually click on it.
Additional Nonprofit Marketing Resources
Copywriting is a core part of all nonprofit marketing, and when done well, it’s one of your most reliable tools for connecting with supporters, no matter where they are in their donor journey. To take your copywriting to the next level and secure more high-value leads, follow the tips in this guide or consider working with a third-party copywriting agency.
To improve your nonprofit marketing strategy even further, check out these resources:
What To Know About Google My Business for Nonprofits
/in Nonprofit Marketing, Nonprofit Tools /by Getting AttentionWhat if you could provide Google users looking for your nonprofit with all the relevant details they need to get in touch with you right from the search engine results page? With Google My Business, now called Google Business Profiles, this has fortunately been a reality for some time.
Despite the name of this feature saying “business,” your nonprofit can also create a Google Business Profile! To help you get started, this guide will dive into Google Business Profiles, answering the following questions:
Ultimately, Google Business Profiles are incredibly simple and easy to set up. Once complete, your nonprofit can attract new supporters, increase its visibility, and present itself as a trustworthy, reputable organization to Google users.
What is Google My Business?
If you’ve ever Googled a business, you’ve likely noticed something appear above or to the side of search results that provides a lot of information about the organization you just searched for. This is a Google Business Profile.
A Google Business Profile is a summary of your business that Google will show users searching for your organization. These profiles are primarily managed by the organization they’re about, and they can contain as much or as little information as you want about your nonprofit. Although, it’s better to lean on the side of more information.
For example, let’s take a look at all of the elements of nonprofit Erika’s Lighthouse’s Google Business Profile:
Plus, there’s even more you can add to your profile, such as:
Plus, in addition to appearing in Google search results, Google Business Profiles also appear in Google Maps. For instance, here’s Erika’s Lighthouse again, but on Google Maps:
Is Google My Business Free?
Yes! Any organization can create a Google Business Profile for free. Google wants as many organizations as possible to create and maintain Google Business Profiles because of how they improve the user experience.
Can Nonprofits Use Google My Business?
Yes again! While Google Business Profiles were created with businesses in mind, nonprofits can use them as well.
Through this no-cost program, your nonprofit receives the following benefits:
Boosted visibility.
If you’re serious about search engine advertising, creating a Google Business Profile should be one of your first priorities.
When creating your profile, you will need to choose the “Business Category” that best fits your nonprofit. “Non-profit organization” is included as a category, but thanks to the extensive list, you may be able to select a category that aligns more closely with your mission and services, like “Environmental protection organization,” “Mental health service, and “Food bank” to name just a few options relevant to nonprofits.
This categorization is primarily for search engine optimization purposes. Picking the right category improves the chances that your pages and business profile will be shown to individuals searching for organizations like yours.
This means users looking specifically for your nonprofit will receive additional information about your organization immediately after Googling you, and Google will also have additional indicators of what keywords to push your content for, increasing your page rankings.
Plus, if your nonprofit has services, products, or programs for sale, you are at least slightly operating like a business! As such the opportunity to showcase product photos, respond to customer reviews, and get your organization literally on the map is just as important for your nonprofit as it would be for a for-profit organization.
Location-based traffic.
You’ve likely had the experience of searching for a specific service, product, or type of organization without referencing your location. However, Google still pulls up results for local businesses.
Google has extensive location data for both individual searchers and the various organizations using Google Business Profiles. As such, it uses geolocation to connect searchers with businesses and nonprofits near them to improve the user experience.
Additionally, as mentioned earlier, Google Business Profiles also apply to Google Maps. If you’ve ever opened up your map app to see what’s nearby, Google pulls from Google Business Profiles to direct you toward local organizations.
By sharing your address with Google, you can increase your chances of connecting with local volunteers, customers, beneficiaries, and donors.
Plus, your nonprofit doesn’t need a physical storefront to participate either. If you have a physical location you want donors, beneficiaries, volunteers, and anyone else to know about, you can add your address to your account. If not, you choose your city or area code instead. For instance, if you’re a small organization working out of someone’s house, you likely don’t want to share your address.
Improved credibility.
Almost every organization around has a Google Business Profile due to either setting it up themselves or having an unverified listing created (more on that later). As such, organizations that come up blank on Google can seem suspicious. After all, would you buy from a business with hundreds of reviews or one with none? Chances are the former since 75% of consumers “regularly” or “always” read online reviews before doing business with an organization.
Maintaining a Google Business Profile shows supporters that your organization is active, trustworthy, and has real humans behind it. Plus, with the reviews, the Question & Answer, and Highlights sections, you have plenty of opportunities to talk to customers, supporters, and beneficiaries directly, address their questions, and promote your nonprofit.
How Can My Nonprofit Get Started With Google My Business?
Generally, your nonprofit can create a Google Business Profile using one of two methods:
Set up a business profile.
If your nonprofit doesn’t already have a Google Business Profile, you can create one by navigating to Google Maps, opening the menu, and clicking “Add your business.”
From there, either sign into your business account if you already have one. If not, you can create one by following these steps:
During this process, you can also choose whether to opt in to receive updates and recommendations from Google about how to improve your profile. These can be useful if you are new to Google Business Profiles or want to stay in the loop when it comes to Google’s recommended best practices.
Claim an unverified listing.
To be as compressive as possible, Google will auto-generate listings for some organizations that have yet to create Google Business Profiles themselves. If you’ve ever seen the buttons that say “Own this business?” you might be looking at an unverified listing.
To claim an unverified listing, follow these steps:
Google can take up to five business days to confirm your verification, and updates to your profile may start appearing a few weeks after your verification. Fortunately, you can start updating your profile before verification is confirmed. The changes will only go live after Google confirms your ownership.
How Can Nonprofits Make the Most of a Google My Business?
Ultimately, your Google Business Profile is as useful as you choose to make it. To get the most out of this free service, we recommend:
If your nonprofit is ready to expand its presence on Google by creating a Google Business Profile, we recommend taking just one more step and applying for the Google Ad Grant.
The Google Ad Grant provides participating nonprofits with $10,000 in ad credits every month, allowing you to promote your nonprofit on search engine results pages for free. By targeting keywords related to your nonprofit, you can connect with high-value leads who are likely to be interested in your cause, make a donation, or purchase your offerings.
To get started with the Google Ad Grant, partner with a Google-certified Ad Grant agency, like Getting Attention! As an officially recognized Ad Grant agency, we’re in the loop with any changes to Google’s Ad Grant program. This means we bring the latest knowledge on what’s trending on Google to help your nonprofit apply for the ad grant, create ads, and reinstate your account if it ever gets deactivated.
More Google Resources for Nonprofits
A Google Business Profile literally puts your nonprofit on the map. Supporters can learn more about your nonprofit as soon as they search for you, while your local community will start noticing you popping up nearby. In other words, Google Business Profiles lets you expand your audience and source high-quality leads just by filling out basic information about your nonprofit.
To take advantage of even more Google resources for nonprofits, explore these resources:
Nonprofit Content Marketing: Create Content Supporters Love
/in Nonprofit Communications, Nonprofit Marketing /by Getting AttentionNonprofits operate in a unique intersection of passion and practicality, striving not only to champion their causes but also to engage a community of supporters who are just as dedicated. At the core of this engagement lies an integral yet underappreciated tool: nonprofit content marketing.
While many nonprofits recognize the necessity of marketing for donor acquisition and retention, the content of these materials often gets brushed over. This oversight can mean missed opportunities in an environment where every interaction counts.
To help, we’ll explore everything you need to know about creating a successful nonprofit content marketing strategy that incites passion for your mission, including:
Whether your goal is to inspire a first-time visitor to become a lifelong donor or to re-engage lapsed supporters, the right content can make all the difference. Let’s dive in!
Content Marketing FAQ
Before you craft your strategy, let’s explore the fundamentals and importance of this type of marketing.
What Is Nonprofit Content Marketing?
Nonprofit content marketing is a type of marketing that involves creating and distributing written and multimedia collateral that’s valuable and relevant to an organization’s cause. This type of marketing focuses on telling the organization’s story, showcasing impact, and building trust among potential and current donors, volunteers, and advocates.
Content can take many formats, including long and short-form ones. Common types of nonprofit content marketing include blog posts, emails, social media posts, videos, case studies, and eBooks. The best content aims to help the reader and educate them on the cause, rather than pushing them to take action.
What Are The Benefits of A Nonprofit Content Marketing Strategy?
Generally, nonprofit content marketing helps deepen connections by fostering trust and engagement through storytelling and information sharing. By understanding best practices for content creation, your organization can enhance its narrative, connect meaningfully with its audience, and drive its mission forward.
Although most nonprofits engage in some form of content marketing, having a specific strategy can greatly boost its effectiveness. Here are some key benefits of implementing a well-defined nonprofit content marketing strategy:
Essentially, implementing a dedicated content marketing strategy will allow your nonprofit to maximize its outreach and drive passion for its mission.
What Can Nonprofit Content Marketing Strategy Accomplish?
A well-crafted approach to nonprofit content marketing can achieve several objectives that are vital for the growth and sustainability of your organization, such as:
By strategically employing content marketing, your nonprofit can ensure a broader reach and deeper connections, turning passive observers into active supporters. This approach not only drives your mission forward but also builds a sustainable foundation for future impact.
Types of Nonprofit Content Marketing
There are several types of content your nonprofit can create. While this gives your nonprofit plenty of options, it can be overwhelming trying to find the perfect mix that inspires your audience.
The best combination depends on your nonprofit’s mission, audience, and goals. With that in mind, here are the core types to consider:
Written Content
Written content is a cornerstone of an effective nonprofit content marketing strategy. It offers a variety of formats to engage different segments of your audience. Each type of written content serves a unique purpose and can be tailored to meet specific organizational goals:
Each type of written content offers unique benefits and can be strategically integrated into your overall marketing plan to achieve your nonprofit’s goals. Do you want to enhance donor appreciation? Try thank-you eCards. Do you want to drive traffic to your latest fundraising campaign? Create Google Ads that highlight your campaign’s purpose and feature your fundraising page.
By diversifying your channels and tailoring messages to different audience segments, you can enhance outreach, deepen connections, and drive more meaningful actions.
Video
The rise of video content in digital marketing is undeniable, with marketing research showing that viewers retain 95% of a message when they watch it in a video compared to 10% when reading it in text. This visual and dynamic medium can significantly enhance engagement and message recall, making it a powerful tool for nonprofits.
Plus, video is only growing more popular. Wistia’s video platform reported a 15% increase in video plays and a 44% jump in watch time in 2023.
To create impactful video content, consider the following strategies:
Tap into this form of nonprofit content marketing with YouTube for Nonprofits. This program offers special features like linkable donation buttons directly in videos, the ability to broadcast live events, and access to powerful analytics tools. These features help maximize the reach and impact of your videos, making it easier for your nonprofit to connect with a global audience, spread its message, and drive donations.
Images
Visual storytelling through images can significantly enhance the way your nonprofit communicates its mission. Decorative images not only capture attention but also convey emotions and narratives more effectively than text alone.
Here are a few types of images that can be particularly impactful:
Using these types of images strategically can enhance your nonprofit’s storytelling and deepen understanding and empathy toward your cause. If you don’t have a graphic designer in-house, consider outsourcing the work. Kwala’s nonprofit graphic design guide suggests choosing a company that offers a wide range of creatives, provides web and print designs, and has mission-driven expertise. That way, you can focus your energy on your work rather than attempting to master different design tools.
Events
Whether virtual or in-person, events serve as dynamic content that engages audiences, provides valuable experiences, and communicates key messages about your nonprofit’s mission. Events offer unique storytelling opportunities that can be captured and leveraged in future marketing efforts to showcase success stories backed by direct quotes and video content.
Here are a few types of events that serve as content marketing opportunities:
Incorporating these nonprofit events into your nonprofit’s content marketing strategy can provide a rich source of content for ongoing outreach efforts.
7 Content Marketing Strategies
With these types of content in mind, you can develop a strategy that promotes your mission and inspires support. Let’s walk through seven easy steps to create your plan.
1. Have Clear Goals.
It’s essential to align the objectives of your nonprofit’s content marketing with your broader strategic goals. This alignment ensures that every piece of content—whether a blog post, video, or social media update—contributes directly to overarching fundraising targets, volunteer recruitment, or awareness campaigns.
Assess your strategic plan to determine how these objectives translate into specific marketing goals. For example, if your goal is to reach a certain fundraising milestone, your nonprofit’s content marketing strategy might focus on:
In a broader marketing context, these specific goals can translate into measurable marketing objectives, such as generating sales leads from new donor segments, increasing traffic to your donation page, or boosting social media engagement.
2. Establish Your Target Audience.
Creating content with a specific audience in mind is essential for effective nonprofit content marketing. Here’s how to determine the materials that will appeal to your target audience:
This multi-angle approach ensures your content strategy is data-informed and tailored to your audience’s evolving expectations.
3. Personalize Content.
In direct marketing, personalizing content ensures your material resonates on an individual level. Start by segmenting your audience into groups like donors, volunteers, and customers. Then, refine those segments even further, such as by dividing donors into recurring, lapsed, and prospective major donors.
To enhance your segments, consider using data appends, which improve your existing databases with additional details like preferences and behaviors, allowing for even more precise and impactful content customization.
Beyond only considering common characteristics, you’ll want to tailor the messaging to address the specific interests and needs of each segment. This is known as personalization, and it’s a powerful way to produce content that resonates with your audience. For instance, someone who would potentially purchase your nonprofit’s professional development courses might need to read testimonials and impact metrics to understand the value of investing in your product.
4. Use Storytelling Strategies.
Emotions can influence supporters’ behaviors. One donor behavior study found that positive emotions tend to elicit higher total donation amounts, while negative emotions can lead to higher individual donation amounts.
Here’s how to effectively use storytelling to tap into these emotional drivers:
These storytelling tactics will enhance emotional connections and align with the observed impacts of different emotional appeals on donation behaviors.
5. Demonstrate Your Thought Leadership.
The best content is original and insightful. When posted on your website, this not only appeals to search engines but it also builds trust with supporters.
Here’s how to accomplish just that:
Once you produce valuable content, drive immediate visibility to those key pages by promoting it with Google Ads. If eligible for the Google Ad Grant, your nonprofit can promote these pages for free. You’ll receive up to $10,000 each month to promote valuable pages that advance your mission.
6. Follow SEO Best Practices.
Search engine optimization (SEO) is vital for increasing the visibility of your nonprofit’s website content. A comprehensive SEO strategy is particularly useful for nonprofits that sell programs, products, and services, because people searching for terms related to your nonprofit already know exactly what they’re looking for. SEO puts your nonprofit front and center.
When someone searches for a word, phrase, or question on Google, they’re directed to a search engine results page (SERP) that’s comprised of relevant ads and organic results. If your website’s content is optimized for SEO, it’ll ideally appear under the Google Ads on the SERP.
A strong SEO strategy consists of several elements, including:
SEO is a long-term strategy, meaning it will take time to see results compared to paid ads. Google constantly recrawls content, so you have endless opportunities to study results and improve your approach.
Getting Started With SEO
To elevate your SEO strategy, we recommend partnering with Nexus Marketing. Their team of skilled SEO experts and content creators has over a decade of experience in the mission-driven sector.
Not to mention, Nexus boasts an incredible network of 500+ partners in the mission-driven space, meaning they can scale your authority-building strategy rapidly through valuable backlink and guest posting opportunities.
In fact, they helped the Christian publishers at David C Cook rank for 187 of their most important keywords on page one of Google, compared to just five at the start of the partnership. And those numbers account for only the keywords they’re tracking! Now, the organization can rely on its SEO strategy to drive sales for its curriculum.
Please note that Nexus is best suited for nonprofits selling products, programming, or services. While they excel at increasing online engagement, they’re not well-suited for local SEO or exclusively attracting donors.
7. Work With A Marketing Consultant.
Creating professional content and managing a comprehensive content marketing strategy can be a full-time endeavor. Hiring a marketing consultant or agency can offer several advantages:
Leveraging professional assistance ensures that your nonprofit’s marketing efforts are both strategic and effective, allowing you to focus more on your mission and less on the complexities of content marketing.
Additional Marketing Resources
Nonprofit content marketing is an essential tool for engaging supporters and expanding your reach. From creating powerful Google Ads to developing SEO blog content, your opportunities are endless!
Continue your journey in mastering nonprofit content marketing with these resources:
Nonprofit Marketing: A Behind-the-Scenes Guide for Success
/in Nonprofit Communications, Nonprofit Marketing /by Getting AttentionDid you know it takes 18-20 points of contact to reach a new donor for the first time? For nonprofits, developing an effective multichannel marketing plan is key to spreading awareness, engaging new prospects, and deepening donor relationships. However, a lot goes into crafting the perfect strategy for your organization, from setting goals to analyzing your marketing data.
In this comprehensive nonprofit marketing guide, we’ll walk through everything you need to know to refine your marketing efforts. Here’s what we’ll cover:
At Getting Attention, we empower nonprofits to expand their nonprofit marketing capabilities with the Google Ad Grant. While we’ll explore that channel a bit more later, know that it’s a powerful addition to any nonprofit’s toolkit.
Regardless of your nonprofit’s size, budget, or staff resources, taking the time to optimize your current marketing strategy can go a long way toward securing more support for your mission.
What is Nonprofit Marketing?
Nonprofit marketing encompasses the diverse strategies and channels that nonprofits use to promote their causes, secure donations, attract new supporters, and retain existing ones. Effective nonprofit marketing amplifies the organization’s mission and fosters meaningful audience engagement.
Organizations often create nonprofit marketing plans to allocate their budgets, time, and efforts efficiently. This plan typically outlines the core mission, tone, target audience, preferred marketing channels, and branding elements, ensuring a cohesive approach to reaching supporters.
Inbound vs. Outbound Marketing
There are two main approaches to nonprofit marketing:
While inbound marketing attracts potential supporters whose interests align with your mission, outbound marketing can extend your nonprofit’s reach to people who might not otherwise encounter your cause. Finding the perfect balance between inbound and outbound channels enables you to cast a wider net and reach more prospects.
Benefits of Nonprofit Marketing
A thoughtful and comprehensive nonprofit marketing plan allows your nonprofit to:
Overall, marketing impacts every area of your organization, making it essential for achieving your mission and inciting real change in your community.
Nonprofit Marketing Challenges
Effective outreach doesn’t come without its challenges. By understanding common obstacles nonprofits face, you can plan ahead and minimize potential difficulties further down the road:
Fortunately, your organization can overcome all of these challenges by laying a solid foundation with your nonprofit marketing plan and following the best practices we’ll explore later on in this guide.
How Much Do Nonprofits Spend on Marketing?
While there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer to how much an organization should allocate for marketing, there are several methods you can use to create an effective budget:
Nonprofits may cut marketing when resources are tight, but promoting your mission is essential for staying connected with donors and driving gifts to stay operational. Instead, opt for low-cost communication channels or apply for a grant.
Whether you’re facing budgetary constraints or simply want to reduce costs, explore our guide to applying for Google Ad Grants to tap into free advertising money.
5 Steps to Create a Nonprofit Marketing Strategy
Crafting an organized nonprofit marketing strategy connects you with supporters and beneficiaries. Your strategy should outline all the information you need to meet your audience’s needs and spread awareness.
1. Perform a Marketing Audit.
Start by getting a sense of your current marketing capabilities and available resources. That way, you can start thinking about the changes you’ll need to make.
Gather past outreach materials and campaign metrics to conduct an audit on your most recent outreach efforts. A nonprofit marketing audit often consists of conducting a SWOT analysis, which stands for:
Analyze your results and create a plan for playing to your strengths, overcoming any weaknesses, increasing your opportunities, and mitigating any threats.
2. Define Your Marketing Goals.
Your nonprofit marketing strategy should support your overall goals. Are you trying to raise funds? Encourage volunteering? Garner fundraising event registrations? Every marketing campaign needs a concrete goal and target action to be successful.
When outlining your nonprofit marketing strategy goals, use the SMART method:
From here, list your goals by priority. Clear nonprofit marketing goals will power greater outcomes for your cause.
Examples of SMART Goals
The best way to understand the SMART framework is to explore examples:
These goals start with a core objective and build out the details. From promoting events to selling programming, effective nonprofit marketing can help you increase visibility and drive action. You just need SMART goals and technology to track your progress.
3. Understand Your Audiences.
Focus your nonprofit marketing strategy on who you’re trying to reach. Outline your current and target audience. For example, if your nonprofit sells religious curricula to churches, your target audience would include church leaders, educators, and parents. Or, let’s say your parks and recreation association wants to sell summer camp registrations. Your audience would primarily be parents and guardians looking for engaging educational summer activities for their children.
Segment your audience members according to characteristics such as:
When you understand who your supporters are, you’ll ensure content aligns with their needs, preferences, and interests, making them more likely to engage. In fact, segmenting digital campaigns produces up to 760% more revenue!
Remember, the goal of segmentation is to ensure your communications are targeted, so understand each group’s needs to create content catered to them. This might involve planning new events, writing new blog content, or trying new media formats like video.
4. Create and Share A Compelling Message.
There are hundreds of ads and messages online, all competing for your supporters’ attention. To make your messages stand out from the crowd, use the CRAM rule to bring your powerful marketing ideas to fruition and connect with supporters. Your communications should be:
Plan out the tone of your message, specific calls to action you’ll use, and any visual branding elements. Then, choose your nonprofit marketing channels and start sharing your outreach.
5. Track Results and Make Adjustments.
Every nonprofit marketing strategy needs a way to measure performance, so you’ll be able to identify your areas of strength and areas for improvement. Here are some examples of KPIs for different channels you might track:
Data is the backbone of your nonprofit marketing efforts. It ensures your campaigns perform well, provides insights for future improvements, and serves as a valuable resource for supporters interested in your impact.
Types of Nonprofit Marketing Channels
The specific nonprofit marketing channels you use are critical to reaching your donors and meeting new prospects. While you don’t need to leverage every platform, a multichannel marketing approach allows you to connect with as many supporters as possible.
Let’s walk through some of the most popular channels that can catapult your nonprofit marketing efforts forward.
Search Ads
To enhance marketing results, many nonprofits leverage Google Ads, a platform where organizations display advertisements promoting their services, initiatives, and educational content. Google places these ads at the top of search engine result pages to expand each organization’s online presence.
Many nonprofits apply for the Google Ad Grant, a technology grant that provides nonprofits with $10,000 in monthly ad credits. These credits can be used to bid on valuable keywords their prospects are searching online and promote their website content with Google Ads.
The best part? Any eligible nonprofit that complies with Google guidelines can leverage this grant. For example, if your church is eligible, you can apply for and receive the Google Ad Grant. It automatically reactivates every month, too. As long as you comply with the program’s rules, you’ll add up to $120,000 to your nonprofit marketing budget each year.
However, a lot goes into determining your nonprofit’s eligibility, applying, and making the most of the program. That’s where an expert Google Grants agency can step in.
The specialists at Getting Attention will champion your cause at every turn. We’ll learn about your specific nonprofit marketing goals and manage the entire Google Grant process, allowing you to focus on your mission with confidence that your Google Ads are in expert hands.
Nonprofit Advertising
While people commonly interchange “advertising” and “marketing,” nonprofit advertising is actually a specific subset of nonprofit marketing that refers to using paid channels to promote your mission. Some of the most common nonprofit advertising channels include:
Advertising can amplify your content to a broader audience, even those who aren’t actively researching nonprofits. With a strategic approach, outbound marketing is achievable, even on a limited budget!
Similar to Google, there are many other advertising platforms with free or discounted options for nonprofits. Explore our full list of nonprofit advertising examples to get a sense of how similar nonprofits tap into paid ads without spending too much.
Website
Your website not only hosts valuable information about your organization but also provides engagement opportunities like online giving, event registration, and more. It’s often the first place prospects go to learn about your mission and where long-term supporters go to show support.
To maximize site traffic, implement SEO strategies. Optimizing your website for search engines helps attract attention to initiatives like your revenue-generating programming. When updating your nonprofit website, try these SEO practices:
Sometimes nonprofits create blogs to drive traffic and post meaningful content about their organizations. This is also a great way to cultivate a community and act as a go-to resource for supporters. Consider blogging about nonprofit industry trends, mission updates, and your nonprofit’s recent events or campaigns.
Using A Digital Marketing Agency
To maximize your website’s potential, turn to a dedicated SEO agency that understands organic digital marketing channels. Nexus Marketing, for instance, helps nonprofits and associations increase revenue by selling their programming, products, and services.
Their value-add marketing services include:
With 10+ years of experience in SEO for mission-driven organizations, Nexus Marketing will help attract and convert your target audience into customers. They can help you strengthen your website and reach your target audiences through search engines, high-visibility webinars, and promotion through their trusted partners in the industry.
Nonprofit Email Marketing
Email is a reliable channel for nonprofit marketers, allowing them to connect with all types of supporters, from first-time donors to those who have been giving regularly for years.
Some impactful ways to leverage email marketing for nonprofits include:
On average, email generates $36 for every $1 spent. This high ROI makes it clear that this nonprofit marketing channel is worth investing in.
Word-of-Mouth Nonprofit Marketing
When your volunteers and donors feel strongly about your cause, they’ll want to share your important work with friends and family members who may be interested in supporting your nonprofit, too!
Peer-to-peer outreach can be incredibly powerful. In fact, 88% of consumers trust recommendations from loved ones over any other type of marketing. Encourage your supporters to reach out to their personal networks, post online about your cause, and share your organization’s social media posts to spread the word.
One powerful way to encourage peer-to-peer referrals is nonprofit eCards. They’re an easy and interactive way to broadcast your mission, activities, and successes.
Create designs for every occasion to encourage referrals year-round. Here are just a few ideas to get started:
Once you design your nonprofit eCards, you can offer them for free, sell them for a set price, or give them in exchange for donations. No matter what, people will be excited to browse your collection and share a cause that’s close to their hearts.
Social Media Marketing for Nonprofits
By 2027, the global number of social media users is expected to skyrocket to 6 billion. Social media’s rising prevalence makes it one of the most viable channels for marketing your mission.
Not only is social media affordable, but it’s also a key way to connect with supporters on a deeper level. You can engage with followers, encourage them to comment or repost content, and build a brand personality that they enjoy interacting with.
Here are tips to leverage social media in your nonprofit marketing strategy:
Whether you use TikTok for connecting with younger generations or Facebook for its long-form posts and its fundraising features, social media is a channel worth optimizing for your nonprofit marketing.
Direct Mail Marketing
While email marketing response rates are typically 1%, direct mail response rates hover around 9%, making it a highly valuable and personalized marketing channel.
For nonprofits, direct mail marketing and fundraising involve writing, printing, and sending out hard copy requests for funds, event invitations, or thank-you letters to your passionate supporters. These letters arrive in your supporters’ mailboxes and provide a tangible connection to your organization—especially when compared to opening an email.
Use these tips to inspire action with direct mail:
As long as it aligns with recipients’ communication preferences, direct mail can both benefit your nonprofit and show donors that you care. Consider partnering with a direct mail marketing company to facilitate the process of writing and sending your letters.
Nonprofit Video Marketing
From short videos on TikTok to longer content on YouTube, many nonprofits have found success in using this form of media to promote campaigns, events, and their mission in general.
Here are some reasons why video marketing for nonprofits is so valuable:
You can incorporate video marketing across your nonprofit website, in social media posts, and in email content. For instance, you can send an event invitation with a video teaser or record a video featuring someone your nonprofit has helped to show donors how much their donations make an impact.
Bonus Tip: Because of their file format, videos can potentially slow down a website. When publishing videos to your website, turn off auto-play to minimize any slowdowns!
Content Marketing for Nonprofits
Content marketing is all about creating valuable and promotable nonprofit content to build your nonprofit’s reputation. While this content will likely live on your website, you can also create specific content for emails or host a downloadable gated resource.
Common types of content you might create include:
Plus, your content marketing materials can be used for other nonprofit marketing efforts, whether you promote it via email, Google Ads, or social media. Consider creating a dedicated team focused on content copywriting.
Text Message Marketing
With a 99% open rate and 90% read rate within just three minutes of sending, text message marketing is one of the best ways to promote a campaign and reach your audience where they already are.
To use text marketing, consider investing in a comprehensive text-to-give tool. Tatango’s nonprofit text messaging guide recommends looking for a text messaging provider with the following features:
With a secure and user-friendly text messaging platform, your nonprofit can confidently deliver a high ROI, engage supporters year-round, and leverage contextual giving.
Contextual giving occurs when a donor gives the moment they’re inspired. For example, someone at a fundraising event might see a text-to-give number on signage and decide to give immediately. Without this option, they might delay until home, reducing the likelihood of completing the donation.
Nonprofit Marketing Best Practices to Follow
Your nonprofit marketing strategy encompasses several moving components, from crafting your messaging to picking the channels you use. Let’s explore general best practices that can help you hone your marketing efforts:
Optimize Your Website for Search
Your nonprofit’s website is the hub of its digital marketing efforts. Optimize it for search engines to ensure potential supporters, customers, and beneficiaries can find it.
While your content is incredibly important, technical SEO lays the foundation for how search engines crawl, index, and rank your site. Let’s explore a few technical improvements to ensure your website can be found and indexed:
To find issues on your website, use a website crawler tool like Screaming Frog. Just know that fixing some of these issues can be challenging if you don’t have an in-house web developer. That’s where an SEO agency like Nexus Marketing can step in to locate, prioritize, and fix the most pressing issues that are harming your nonprofit’s website.
Elevate Your Graphic Design
Regardless of whether someone’s scrolling through their social media feed or passing by a bulletin board with your fundraising flyer pinned to it, they’re more likely to notice marketing collateral that features eye-catching graphics and vibrant colors.
Considering that people retain 55% more information when paired with an image, effective visuals make your content more memorable to prospects, too. Here are a few crucial areas where graphic design comes into play:
If you have limited graphic design expertise, reach out to an experienced graphic designer. Those with experience in the mission-driven space, such as Kwala, understand exactly what it takes to make charitable causes stand out. Their team will work with yours to create anything you request, including flyers, logos, stickers, and even fundraising product designs.
Take a look at this postcard that they designed for the Wildlife Rescue Group:
Well-designed materials like this will reel supporters in and drive action, whether you want people to donate, volunteer, or get involved in some other way. Turning to a professional graphic designer allows you to create marketing materials that resonate with supporters.
Use Current Events
Boost your nonprofit’s marketing efforts by leveraging what is currently going on in the world to create urgency. Is there a story related to your cause in the news? For instance, if your organization is contributing to relief efforts in the wake of a natural disaster, connect your mission to this broader issue and boost public awareness around your work.
Highlight all the work your organization aims to achieve so that potential donors feel inspired to contribute toward your impact.
Follow Up With Supporters
Successful marketing requires more than one-way communication. Cultivate relationships with your donors and volunteers by implementing strategies to start ongoing conversations. This doesn’t mean you need to exchange text messages with each supporter to keep them engaged. Rather, your nonprofit just needs to respond to the actions supporters take to show that you see and value their contributions.
Some basic occasions for reaching out to a supporter include:
Your follow-up process can also benefit from a multi-channel approach. For example, personalized donor thank-you emails make it possible to show your appreciation quickly. Then, you can send a card or give donors a phone call a few days later when your nonprofit has time set aside for donor outreach.
By reaching out often, you’ll be able to retain more donors and convince lapsed donors to get involved again.
Work With Other Groups
Your nonprofit has worked hard to establish its audience, and you can expand your reach by tapping into other organizations’ audiences . Well-known groups and individuals can introduce your nonprofit to new supporters. If they agree to a marketing partnership, they can handle part of the marketing efforts on your behalf.
A few third parties to consider include:
Before partnering with a third party, thoroughly vet them. After all, your partnership will reflect on your nonprofit, so be sure they are reputable, trustworthy, and likely to present your nonprofit in the best light.
Wrapping Up
Marketing your mission is key to your organization’s ongoing success. From choosing the right channels to keeping up with the latest trends, crafting a strong nonprofit marketing strategy takes plenty of forethought.
Whether you choose paid outlets like search ads or organic outlets like email, there’s a lot you can do to stand out. As you craft your strategies, check out these resources to keep learning:
Google Ad Grants: The Complete Guide + How to Get Started
/in Google Ad Grants, Nonprofit Communications /by Getting AttentionThe Google Ad Grant combines marketing and fundraising opportunities so nonprofits like yours can amplify their missions and reach larger pools of donors, volunteers, and advocates. By equipping eligible organizations with $10,000 in ad credits per month, the program enables them to increase website activity and digital conversions.
Read more
Expand Your Professional Network: LinkedIn for Nonprofits
/in Nonprofit Communications, Nonprofit Tools /by Getting AttentionWhen it comes to making professional connections, LinkedIn is the go-to website for individuals, businesses, and nonprofits like yours. Often, LinkedIn is used as a platform for job recruiters and job seekers to connect. However, along with finding valuable new employees, there’s even more your nonprofit can do with a LinkedIn account.
To discover how to make the most of programs like LinkedIn for Nonprofits, expand your network, and build your brand, this guide will explore:
First, let’s answer a few questions nonprofits are likely to ask about LinkedIn.
LinkedIn for Nonprofits FAQ
What is LinkedIn for Nonprofits?
LinkedIn for Nonprofits is a program offered by LinkedIn that provides nonprofits with free and discounted resources. These resources and tools are designed to help enhance your nonprofit’s LinkedIn experience and ability to connect with donors, job applicants, and sponsors.
Through LinkedIn for Nonprofits, your organization can access:
You can use LinkedIn without applying for LinkedIn for Nonprofits. However, these tools make almost every aspect of your LinkedIn strategy more efficient, whether you’re looking for new hires, sponsors, donors, or customers.
Is LinkedIn for Nonprofits free?
Some LinkedIn resources are free to verified nonprofits. For example, the Resource Hub is available to all LinkedIn users, including nonprofits, for free.
In contrast, nonprofits will have to pay for Recruiter Lite, Sales Navigator, and LinkedIn Learning. Fortunately, LinkedIn does offer a 75% discount on Recruiter Lite and Sales Navigator, as well as other discounts for LinkedIn Learning.
Nonprofits will need to pay for all advertising services, including text ads, sponsored content, dynamic ads, and sponsored messaging. However, LinkedIn does provide dedicated support to help nonprofits plan their ad campaigns to give them a greater chance of success.
What can nonprofits do on Linkedin?
Nonprofits can use LinkedIn like any other professional organization would. Use the platform to:
Ultimately, how you decide to use LinkedIn is up to your nonprofit. You can use it exclusively as a hiring tool whenever you have a job opening, or you can make it a part of your annual marketing strategy by posting regularly.
How to Set Up Your LinkedIn Profile
Setting up a LinkedIn profile for your nonprofit is easy and should only take a few minutes. Just follow these steps:
Your page is now live, and with it, you can start building connections on LinkedIn! However, getting your page up and running is just the first step in turning LinkedIn into the networking, lead-sourcing, and brand-building channel it can be.
7 Linked Strategies for Nonprofits
1. Fill out your profile as much as possible.
Completed profiles look more trustworthy and professional than unfinished ones. Unfortunately, there are scams on LinkedIn, and you can reassure job candidates, donors, and prospective sponsors alike that your organization is legitimate by adding detailed and accurate information about your nonprofit.
You can improve your profile by:
Essentially, your profile is an opportunity to market your nonprofit to a professional audience. Follow your brand principles and consider the LinkedIn audience. For most nonprofits, this will mean presenting your organization with a more professional tone than you might otherwise. This shows job candidates and business partners that you are a serious and reputable organization.
2. Join nonprofit-related groups.
Groups are private LinkedIn channels where members can post content and interact with one another. Some groups have open acceptance policies and anyone can become a member by hitting the “Join” button whereas others review join requests or are even invite-only.
Fortunately, there are many nonprofit-centric groups your nonprofit can join almost immediately. For example, to start developing a network of nonprofit professional connections and stay up to date on the latest nonprofit trends, you might join the following groups:
Remember that you can also join groups not specifically about nonprofits to expand your knowledge in general. For example, you might join a group dedicated to social media marketing.
Plus, your nonprofit can create its own group! This allows individuals who are interested in your nonprofit to connect with one another and form a community. Encourage both donors and your staff to connect with you on LinkedIn and join your new group.
3. Encourage your entire team to connect.
Like any social media platform, LinkedIn is lonely when it’s just you. Start boosting your online presence and cementing your nonprofit as a reputable organization by encouraging your employees to sign up for LinkedIn or connect their pre-existing profiles to your nonprofit’s new page.
When a member of your staff enters your nonprofit as their employer on their page, they’ll show up under the “People” tab of your company page as long as their profile isn’t set to private. Plus, they can also follow your page to receive updates whenever you post on LinkedIn.
These activities help present your nonprofit as an active, reputable organization.
Plus, when a member of your staff interacts with your nonprofit on LinkedIn, whether it’s liking a post, leaving a comment, or tagging you in one of their posts, the rest of their network might get alerted to it. Posts from members of your network show up in your LinkedIn feed and LinkedIn regularly sends update emails to users that highlight various recent comments and posts. This means the bigger your staff’s networks and the more active they are on LinkedIn, the more chances you have to grow your nonprofit’s network.
4. Post engaging content.
Like any social media platform, you can only gain a following by posting regularly. Resources from LinkedIn recommend following these best practices to create the most engaging content possible and start earning followers:
When creating content for LinkedIn, consider the audience you want to target. The LinkedIn audience tends to be serious and generally has one of these motivations: find a job, advance in their current career, or find business opportunities.
Some individuals do post about non-job related content, such as news trends, which means fundraising appeals and nonprofit impact stories won’t be out of place. However, keep the core audiences of job seekers, donors, and businesses in mind when creating new content or adapting content to LinkedIn.
5. Promote your LinkedIn profile on other platforms.
To start growing your audience on LinkedIn—and thus attract qualified job candidates, sales leads, and business partners—promote your new page on platforms where you already have an audience.
For example, to get your current supporter base to start following your LinkedIn profile, you might:
Organizations serious about expanding their LinkedIn networks make promoting their page a regular part of their marketing. For example, some professionals add their LinkedIn profile to their email signature!
6. Consider LinkedIn ads.
We briefly touched on LinkedIn ads earlier, but are LinkedIn ads worth it for nonprofits?
The answer depends on your organization as well as what type of ads you want to purchase and create. LinkedIn offers four types of ads for sale:
LinkedIn has about an 11% return on investment rate for paid ads. However, it can be difficult to measure your ads’ success for several reasons. For example, a business sponsor might discover your organization through an ad but decide to message you directly rather than interact with the ad.
Ultimately, ads are about expanding your nonprofit’s online presence to get on the radar of more prospective connections. As with any nonprofit ad campaign, your ads’ success depends on how well you tailor them to your audience and your ability to finely tune who they get shown to.
7. Engage, tag, and comment.
Social media is about social interactions, and while LinkedIn has a more professional user base than other platforms, this still applies.
You can grow your follower count, build connections, and show visitors that your nonprofit is a professional, dynamic organization by engaging with others. Comment on posts made by members of your network and news stories that are related to your cause. These are easy opportunities to share your expertise in your industry.
You can also invite others to interact with you by tagging them in your content. For example, you might create a volunteer spotlight highlighting the hard work a specific member of your volunteer team did. By tagging them in this post, you can be sure that they’ll see it and potentially share it with the rest of their network. Here’s what this might look like:
What Other Platforms Should Nonprofits be Using?
LinkedIn is an incredibly valuable platform for nonprofits, but LinkedIn for Nonprofits is not completely free. While it can be a worthwhile investment, especially for nonprofits that are currently hiring, organizations looking for marketing channels with lower investment costs might want to consider other options when it comes to advertising.
We recommend the Google Ad Grant!
The Google Ad Grant is completely free for nonprofits, providing them with $10,000 in credits to spend on search advertising every month, all at no cost. Create ads targeting the keywords your audience searches every day to bring in new supporters, sales leads, and beneficiaries.
However, like LinkedIn, it might be tricky to know where to get started with the Google Ad Grant, let alone how to maintain an active Google Ads account. That’s where Google Ad Grant agencies, like Getting Attention, come in!
Our team of Google-certified experts can help you apply for the Google Ad Grant, maintain your account, and get your account back up and running if it ever lapses. With our extensive knowledge of Google advertising best practices and how to connect with nonprofit audiences, we can help you create search ads targeting your highest-value keywords to earn your nonprofit not just more clicks but valuable conversions.
Additional Resources
LinkedIn is a social media site for professional networking. Resources from LinkedIn for Nonprofits, along with your own communication skills, can put your nonprofit in touch with talented job candidates, sympathetic donors, and eager business partners. If you haven’t already, the first step in your LinkedIn journey is to sign up and create your nonprofit’s profile.
In addition to LinkedIn, discover other platforms that offer nonprofits free and discounted resources:
Powerful Nonprofit Advertising Examples To Inspire Your Ads
/in Google Ad Grants, Nonprofit Communications, Nonprofit Marketing /by Getting AttentionHave you ever encountered an advertisement so compelling that it convinced you to purchase something right then and there? Nonprofits can harness this same persuasive force. Instead of driving sales, nonprofit ads inspire us to support causes that make the world a better place.
To inspire your ads, this post will explore a variety of innovative nonprofit advertising examples:
When it comes to nonprofit marketing, the challenge isn’t just to capture attention but to ignite passion and inspire action. Let’s take a look at ads that do just that, so your nonprofit marketing team can imagine its own.
Environmental and Animal Protection Nonprofit Advertising Examples
Glacier National Park Conservancy
Type of Nonprofit Ad: Google Ad
The Glacier National Park Conservancy (GNPC) supports the Glacier National Park by fundraising for preservation, education, and research initiatives that protect the park’s natural and cultural resources. To drive purchases through its online store, GNPC partnered with Getting Attention.
We created Google Ads that target GNPC’s mission-centric keywords like “Glacier National Park Campgrounds” and “Glacier National Park Backpacking.” That way, anyone searching for things to do at Glacier National Park would come across the organization’s offerings like campground reservations and tours. The ads drove 2,570 clicks and 8 purchases in just one month, and they even appear above the National Park Service’s website.
What Nonprofits Can Learn: The Google Ad Grant program has limitations regarding commercial activity. While you must limit commercial activity on your site, you can still offer products and services that have fees. You just have to say how those funds will benefit your mission. If you run an online store that directly funds your work, you can promote it with Google Ads!
International Bird Rescue + “Migration” Team-Up
Type of Nonprofit Ad: Cause Marketing
The International Bird Rescue (IBR) partnered with Illumination to advertise its mission in connection with The “Migration” movie. The animated children’s movie follows a family of ducks as they convince their overprotective father to leave their safe pond and embark on an adventurous trip to Jamaica. IBR wanted to communicate that their nonprofit helps care for birds who are sick, injured, and oiled.
Today Show host Al Roker served as the face of the campaign and made a televised PSA to highlight the organization’s commitment to “helping our winged friends preserve their way of life.” He then directed people to visit birdrescue.org/migration to learn more.
What Nonprofits Can Learn: Nonprofits can benefit from partnerships with celebrities and companies that resonate with their cause. For instance, having a well-known media personality as the face of your campaign can add credibility and draw attention to the cause. Search for opportunities where corporate sponsors can integrate their products or services into your nonprofit’s mission.
World Wildlife Fund’s Google Ad Campaign
Type of Nonprofit Ad: Google Ad
As part of its efforts to create a safer world for wildlife, the World Wildlife Fund sells symbolic adoption kits, which feature merchandise of the animal the kit’s proceeds help protect. In the WWF’s Google ad above, you can see their Adopt A Penguin kit, which includes a plushie, gift bag, adoption certificate, and photo of a penguin.
Below the WWF’s ad, you’ll notice The Penguin Foundation taking a similar approach by advertising its Adopt A Penguin offering.
Even if your nonprofit can’t purchase nonprofit ads, you might be eligible for the Google Ad Grant, which provides up to $10,000 in monthly ad credits to nonprofits! This means your nonprofit, regardless of size, can compete with giants in the space like the WWF.
What Nonprofits Can Learn: Products that relate to your mission bolster brand awareness and give supporters a tangible reminder of your cause. Try advertising fun products like WWF did!
Community Development Nonprofit Advertising Examples
Literacy Empowerment Foundation
Type of Nonprofit Ad: Google Ad
The Literacy Empowerment Foundation promotes literacy by providing books and educational resources to children, parents, and teachers. Read Across America Day is an important holiday for nonprofits in the childhood literacy space, so our team of Google Ad Grant experts designed Google Ads that target key terms like “free books for Read Across America” and “free books for kids.”
These ads boast impressive engagement metrics, such as:
What Nonprofits Can Learn: If there’s an awareness day associated with your cause, create search ads that target those terms. People who want to learn more about those awareness days will Google related terms and find your organization.
Lean In’s #38PercentCounts Campaign
Type of Nonprofit Ad: Advocacy and Corporate Partnership
Lean In focuses on women’s empowerment and gender equality in the workplace. The nonprofit launched its #38PercentCounts campaign to highlight that black women are paid an average of 38% less than their white male counterparts. At that time, the disparity meant that black women effectively earned 62 cents for every dollar paid to white men.
The campaign was timed to coincide with Black Women’s Equal Pay Day, which was August 7. This day marks the extra time black women must work into the new year to make what white men earned in the previous year. Lean In partnered with various businesses to raise awareness.
This nonprofit advertising example created a visceral reaction to pay gap injustices and encouraged serious discussions. Today, the pay gap sits at 36%, and Lean In aims to continue drawing attention to this slowly closing gap until it’s gone.
What Nonprofits Can Learn: Anchoring an advocacy campaign around a significant, easily understood statistic has incredible power to highlight a pressing issue.
Best Nonprofit Advertising Campaigns From Health Organizations
Erika’s Lighthouse Foundation
Type of Nonprofit Ad: Google Ad
Erika’s Lighthouse Foundation promotes awareness about adolescent depression and mental health to break down the stigma around mental illness. To promote its mission, the foundation teamed up with Google Ad Grant experts.
Our team created Google Ads that promote awareness of Erika’s Lighthouse Foundation’s mission by targeting keywords like “mental health nonprofit.” That way, anyone searching for services can find them. In just one month, our ads drove 300 clicks. The campaigns had an incredible 15.8% CTR, which is higher than the average search ad CTR of 3.17%.
What Nonprofits Can Learn: Drive interest by choosing specific keywords for your Google Ads. Conduct thorough research to determine what keywords will connect you with your beneficiaries or supporters.
Doctors Without Borders’ Giving Tuesday Campaign
Type of Nonprofit Ad: Facebook Ad
Doctors Without Borders, also known as Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), is an international humanitarian medical organization that provides emergency aid in areas affected by conflict, epidemics, disasters, or a lack of health care.
The nonprofit created a Facebook Fundraiser and designed Facebook Ads to amplify its Giving Tuesday efforts. It also leveraged matching gifts to drive even greater engagement. For context, GivingTuesday is a global generosity movement and has generated more than $13 billion for nonprofits. Considering that companies donate $2.86 billion via matching gift programs each year, combining the two opportunities was a smart move that paid off for Doctors Without Borders!
Within the two weeks the nonprofit ran its ads, the campaign generated these metrics:
What Nonprofits Can Learn: Use your ads to promote attention-grabbing fundraising opportunities. By combining the power of digital ads with corporate giving opportunities during key philanthropic events, you can create powerful ads that drive donations!
The National Kidney Foundation: Are You The 33%?
Type of Nonprofit Ad: Influencer Ad
The National Kidney Foundation launched an influencer ad campaign to bring awareness to the fact that 33% of U.S. adults are at risk for kidney disease. The nonprofit partnered with Social Native creators to spread awareness and invite users to take a quick “kidney quiz” to assess their risk level.
This campaign was supported by a partnership between the National Kidney Foundation, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the American Society of Nephrology. Together, these organizations raised awareness and mobilized people affected by kidney disease.
With the help of 45 influencers, the campaign reached 1 million+ Instagram users and produced over 675 comments, 20,000 in-feed engagements, and 15,000 likes!
What Nonprofits Can Learn: Influencer marketing can help you tap into new audiences. Plus, it tends to be a cost-effective form of nonprofit advertising. Influencers spend time cultivating a loyal following, so partner with those ones who have communities that are likely to be passionate about your cause.
The Truth Initiative’s Ads Throughout The Years
Type of Nonprofit Ad: TV and Video Ads
The Truth Initiative has launched several impactful TV ads, such as:
Recently, the nonprofit launched a new short-form ad series in which it shows the connection between nicotine dependence and “toxic therapy.” The Toxic Therapist character encourages teens to believe their friends are excluding them and also shows that vaping nicotine is associated with sleep problems.
What Nonprofits Can Learn: Consider how your team can tap into current trends and use shock factor to create clever nonprofit ads.
Claire’s Place Foundation
Type of Nonprofit Ad: Google Ad
Claire’s Place Foundation organizes assistance for individuals and families affected by Cystic Fibrosis, a chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system. The foundation partnered with our Google Ad Grant experts to connect with supporters and promote involvement opportunities, like starting fundraisers. Their ad campaign targets broad, high-volume terms like “charity events” and “fundraising for nonprofits.”
Their ads use ad assets like sitelinks (the links at the bottom of the ad as pictured above) to direct users to specific pages on their website beyond the main landing page, such as the donation page and an informational page about Cystic Fibrosis. The ads successfully sparked interest and have a CTR of 10.3%.
What Nonprofits Can Learn: Google Ads can be great for inspiring involvement opportunities like donations! If you’re eligible for the Google Ad Grant, try using them to encourage supporters to launch fundraisers, volunteer, or take other actions to support your cause. Don’t forget to build out your ads to take up more real estate with sitelinks.
Fundraising Advertising Examples For Humanitarian Efforts
charity: Water’s UnTasty Dishes
Type of Nonprofit Ad: Cause Marketing
This nonprofit advertising example reimagined BuzzFeed’s viral Tasty Dishes videos. The original series provided quick, easy recipes and generated millions of views. Then, charity: Water’s version, called UnTasty Dishes, added a substituted ingredient: dirty water.
This campaign helped charity: Water tap into BuzzFeed’s, at the time, 63 million followers. The video featured above generated 893K views, not to mention the others in the series, like a typhoid bacteria-infested smoothie jar and an algae cornbread. In its first two weeks, this nonprofit ad campaign generated 5 million views across Facebook and Snapchat.
What Nonprofits Can Learn: This nonprofit advertising example demonstrates the power of tapping into viral trends to reach large audiences quickly.
Champions Against Bullying’s NiceBot
Type of Nonprofit Ad: Social Marketing Ad
Champions Against Bullying is an international nonprofit that helps families and schools address bullying. With reports showing that something mean was posted on X (formerly Twitter) every 60 seconds at the time of this campaign, Champions Against Bullying programed the NiceBot, a Twitter bot, to send kind messages to random users every 30 seconds.
The NiceBot won a Shorty Award, making it the “first-ever use of spam for good.” The campaign reached over 7.5 million people in 76 countries. It had over 436,000 engagements and over 250,000 mentions and was featured in major advertising publications as well as TechCrunch, Upworthy, the Huffington Post, and the Today Show. Champions for Bulling extended its campaign’s impact by 3D-printing physical NiceBots and sending them to supportive influencers and celebrities.
What Nonprofits Can Learn: Leveraging technology creatively can transform how nonprofits address social issues. Plus, connecting with social media influencers can elevate your reach substantially.
ACT International
Type of Nonprofit Ad: Google Ad
ACT International is a nonprofit organization that equips artistic missionaries and ministers with essential support, helping churches utilize the arts for spiritual transformation and redemption worldwide. To increase interest in ACT International’s programs, our Google Ad Grant agency launched an ad campaign. By targeting specific keywords such as “how to start a church ministry,” ACT International reaches its ideal audience, those interested in starting church ministries.
The ads summarize the organization’s mission, highlight its coaching courses, and use sitelinks to promote other important website pages, such as its Prayer Guide. In one month, these ads drove 942 clicks and 12 inquiries.
What Nonprofits Can Learn: In your nonprofit’s ads, communicate key information in a way that’s easy for potential supporters or clients to understand. This clarity will help attract users directly interested in your services..
Common Questions About Nonprofit Advertising
How do nonprofit organizations advertise?
Nonprofits can use a wide variety of advertising methods to raise awareness, engage with beneficiaries, and solicit donations. Double the Donation’s nonprofit advertising guide shares statistics regarding how nonprofits distribute their advertising budgets:
Among those, Google Ads are highly effective because they allow for precise targeting based on keywords, demographics, location, and user behavior, ensuring that advertisements are shown to qualified leads. Additionally, the platform’s pay-per-click model enables organizations to maximize their budget, paying only when users actually engage with their ads.
How do you advertise a nonprofit event?
You can create social media ads, collaborate with community influencers, engage local media for coverage, and distribute flyers and posters in community spaces.
But when it comes to online advertising, Google Ads is one of the best platforms for marketing your events. Create an event page that explains what your event is, what funds collected during it will support, and how supporters can participate. Then, create Google Ads that target relevant keywords potential attendees are likely to use when searching for events like yours.
Additionally, use targeted ad settings to set the geographical location and demographic characteristics of your ideal audience, enhancing the likelihood that ads reach people who are interested and able to attend the event.
Is nonprofit advertising worth the cost?
Yes, nonprofit advertising generates incredible results for nonprofits that create effective ads. Our nonprofit advertising guide shares these insightful statistics:
To see positive results, we recommend working with a nonprofit marketing professional like those here at Getting Attention! Our Google Ad Grant experts create winning ads that target the right keywords and make the most of your advertising dollars.
Do nonprofits get free advertising?
It depends on the platform! If they are approved for the Google Ad Grant program, nonprofits can receive up to $10,000 in Google Ad credits each month. The Federal Communications Commission also has a rule that allows nonprofits to leverage free radio ads formatted as public service announcements.
Final Thoughts on These Nonprofit Advertising Examples
These nonprofit advertising examples demonstrate the power of strategic communication in advancing social causes. From leveraging pop culture to harnessing the influence of Google Ads, these examples provide valuable lessons in how nonprofits can creatively reach their audiences.
Whether through emotionally driven campaigns or the smart use of technology, the strategies we’ve covered offer actionable insights for nonprofits looking to amplify their voices and accelerate their missions in the digital age.
Now that you have examples to model your ads after, refine your campaigns! If you need more guidance, check out these free resources:
How to Optimize Your Facebook Ads for Nonprofits: 7 Tips
/in Nonprofit Communications /by bailey.cauthenFacebook boasts an average of over 3 billion monthly visitors, and the platform generated $135 billion in ad revenue in 2023. Consider how many of your nonprofit’s current and future supporters currently contribute to these staggering figures.
Your nonprofit may already have a Facebook account it uses to connect with supporters and spread awareness of your cause. Using Facebook ads can supercharge these efforts by reaching and engaging a larger audience. In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to consider when using Facebook ads to promote your mission:
Before diving into the best Facebook ad strategies, you need to understand how these ads work and get your account up and running. Let’s get started!
Understanding the Basics: Facebook Ad FAQs
What are Facebook ads?
Facebook ads are ads hosted through Facebook’s advertising platform. The ads can appear on mobile and desktop feeds, in the Messenger app, and even on other apps. They can be single images, image carousels, and videos (but formatting options are always changing).
The anatomy of a typical Facebook ad is as follows:
Keep in mind that your nonprofit can link its Facebook and Instagram accounts and have ads appear on both platforms. This creates a seamless experience for your supporters and helps you establish more touchpoints with donors.
Does Facebook offer free ads for nonprofits?
Facebook does not offer free ads or discounted options to nonprofit organizations. However, we’ll explore strategies your organization can use to make your Facebook ads effective and see a return on investment (ROI).
Keep in mind that there are other cost-effective methods of advertising available to nonprofits, such as the Google Ad Grant. Later in the guide, we’ll discuss a Facebook ad alternative you can use in place of or alongside Facebook ads to make the most of your marketing budget.
How do nonprofits get started with Facebook ads?
Because Facebook does not have special offers for nonprofits, you’ll set up your account the same way a business would. The steps for getting started are:
Now, it’s up to you to learn how to make your Facebook ad campaigns as effective as possible. Let’s explore a few strategies for creating stand-out ads that will lead to support.
Maximize Your Success with Facebook Ads for Nonprofits
Facebook determines ad pricing based on two factors:
The cost of Facebook ads varies widely depending on how many ads your campaign has, how many people your ads are shown to, how many people engage with the campaign, seasonality, competition, and more. On average, however, Facebook ad pricing is about 69 cents per click and $9.88 per 1,000 impressions.
While these prices may seem low at first glance, costs can quickly add up. Additionally, you’ll need to consider other marketing expenses, like paying a designer to create attractive graphics and staff time spent managing your ads.
To help you stick to your budget and see great results, use the following strategies to maximize your success:
Target specific audiences.
Facebook has billions of users. However, most of these users are not qualified leads. You need to attract and engage the small subgroup of Facebook users who have the means and desire to support your cause.
Before drafting your first ad, it’s critical to identify and understand your audience. To do so, start with your data.
Here are some tips for getting to know your audience:
Armed with these insights about who your donors are, why they are passionate about your cause, and what drives them to give, you can start crafting headlines that grab their attention.
Write short, snappy primary text and headlines.
Like marketing email subject lines, Facebook ad primary text and headlines should be short, compelling, and clear. According to Facebook, headlines should be no more than 40 characters to avoid being truncated while primary text can be around 125 characters.
Supporters will likely read the primary text in your ad before anything else. To grab users’ attention, many organizations inspire a sense of urgency in this part of the ad with copy like “Every night, 1 in 5 American children go to bed hungry. You have the power to help.” Balance these creative and persuasive appeals with additional context as most users need to know what they are donating to and why before taking action.
Headlines are meant to be descriptive first and clever second. For example, the organization from the previous example might use a description like “Just $5 provides 20 meals.”
Use images and videos.
Including images, slideshows, or videos is strongly recommended. Data indicates that using images or video in your Facebook ads can boost ad clicks by 26.47% and 67.65% respectively.
For ads with images and video, aim to:
Make sure media elements complement the ad copy rather than detracting from it. Images and videos should neatly align with the ad’s primary text and headline so users understand your message and feel compelled to take action.
Make different kinds of appeals.
To appeal to different audiences, you’ll need different methods to convince each segment to donate. You may be familiar with the three types of appeals used in persuasive contexts: logos, pathos, and ethos. Here’s how to use each one in your Facebook ads:
You can combine these appeals within the same ad or even use them to move prospective supporters through the conversion funnel. For example, you may use an emotional appeal to catch a donor’s attention in your initial ad and link to a page that contains facts and statistics to make a logical argument to secure the donation. Your supporters are complex, multi-faceted people who rely on logic, emotion, and ethics to make decisions. The right blend of appeals will help you inspire them to take action.
Tell powerful stories.
Many organizations make emotional appeals through vivid storytelling. After all, research shows that stories tend to be memorable, increasing the chance that your ad will stick with users long enough to motivate them to take action.
Because you won’t be able to include a very long story in an ad, it’s imperative to start with a strong hook. Additionally, use visual elements that can communicate the story more succinctly than words alone, such as a narrative video. Always use real people, experiences, and challenges in the stories to present your nonprofit as authentic, credible, and trustworthy.
Leverage Ad Scheduling.
Facebook offers a scheduling tool to accounts that use a lifetime budget rather than a daily budget. By setting a lifetime budget, you tell the platform how much you plan to spend throughout the entire campaign. A daily budget, on the other hand, is the average amount you aim to spend on a specific set of ads each day.
Facebook’s instructions for scheduling an ad set are:
Scheduling your ads will help you reduce wasted ad spend. You can time ads to appear when your supporters are most likely to respond. Additionally, you can limit how much you spend on ads that appear during times with more competition or high costs to maximize your budget.
Add donate buttons.
Always make sure your ads have an obvious CTA. These are usually in the form of a donate button that users can click to reach your donation page.
This button should contain no more than one to two words. If your desired next action is for users to give to your cause, “Donate Now” is likely the best option. For campaigns with different objectives, adjust your CTAs accordingly. For example, a campaign centered around spreading awareness might link to a blog post and use a “Learn More” button. A volunteer recruitment campaign would link to the volunteer application and state “Sign Up.”
Top Alternative to Facebook Ads for Nonprofits
While Facebook ads can be highly effective, they may also require funding that your nonprofit just can’t spare at this time. In this case, you may need to opt for more nonprofit-friendly advertising methods. When it comes to reach and cost-effectiveness, the Google Ad Grant is a great alternative.
Google Ad Grants
Google Ads are used to promote products, services, content, and more to search engine users. Typically, organizations using these ads will bid on keywords related to their product or offering, hoping to appear in the search results for that term. Here’s what a Google Ad looks like on the search engine results page (SERP):
The Google Ad Grant is a program that awards $10,000 in free Google Ads credits to qualifying charitable organizations each month. The eligibility requirements for joining the program stipulate that your nonprofit must:
To learn more about eligibility for the grant, check out this video:
Once you secure the grant, your nonprofit will need to put together a plan for using the grant to its full potential.
To make the most of your ad credits, consider working with an agency that specializes in the Google Ad Grant. These professionals can help you confirm your eligibility, apply for the program, perform keyword research, and craft compelling ads. They’ll also ensure that you remain compliant with program guidelines and can even reactivate your account if it gets suspended. To learn more about these services and get in touch with a Google-certified Google Ad Grant agency, reach out to our team at Getting Attention for a free consultation.
Additional Resources
Chances are, many of your supporters already scroll Facebook every day. Why not try to land messages about supporting your cause on their feed? Facebook ads can help you deepen your connections with existing supporters, reach new audiences, and garner more funding from online fundraising.
To learn more about nonprofit marketing and the Google Ad Grant, check out these resources: