A nonprofit budget is an important financial document that helps organizations allocate expenses and predict revenue. Your budget is crucial in helping your nonprofit plan for the future, stay fiscally responsible, and reach its campaign goals.
This comprehensive guide will walk through the value of a budget and explain how it relates to the actions outlined in your marketing plan. We’ll cover the following points:
These tips will guide you through budgeting basics, and recommend new ways to stay on top of your finances, like supplementing your marketing budget with the Google Ad Grant. Let’s get started by defining what a nonprofit budget is and why it’s important.
What Is a Nonprofit Budget?
A nonprofit budget is a financial document used to plan how an organization will spend its money. It encompasses both your expenses and expected revenue for a set period of time.
A regularly updated and realistic budget helps you know exactly how much money is coming in and out of your organization, allowing you to manage your resources more effectively.
Why Is It Important to Create a Nonprofit Budget?
Your organization likely already has a sense of how much money it spends each year. However, rough estimates are unhelpful when it comes to balancing your finances, and documenting your nonprofit’s expenses concretely has numerous benefits.
A nonprofit budget allows you to:
- Allocate resources effectively. When you have a better understanding of your revenue and expenses, you can allocate resources more effectively. For example, if you no longer qualify for a grant you’ve received in the past, you can take a look at your expenses to determine what to cut to make up for the funding.
- Plan projects ahead of time. A budget enables you to plan ahead. With a clear picture of how much money is dedicated to each of your nonprofit’s program areas, you can plan specific initiatives for the year to come.
- Set better goals. The best goals are SMART goals, which stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. When you align your goals with your budget, you ensure they’re achievable based on your current resources.
- Communicate more efficiently with stakeholders. Let’s say you want to introduce a new project to your board members. Showing your board that you have already budgeted for the costs of your new initiative increases the chance that they’ll support it.
- Predict future expenses. Monitoring your revenue and expenses throughout the year helps you better predict your financial situation for future years.
- Avoid mistakes. It’s difficult to make financial mistakes when you have a clear, regularly updated document with your organization’s revenue and expenses.
Creating and sticking to a nonprofit budget will put your organization in a healthier financial position. As a result, you can spend less time worrying about your nonprofit’s expenses and more time helping your beneficiaries.
What Makes a Good Nonprofit Budget?
Financial planning is vital to an organization’s success and sustainability. The Better Business Bureau recommends that nonprofits spend under 35% of their funding on fundraising efforts and spend at least 65% on programs.
To meet these guidelines, your team must devise a budget that outlines projected expenses and revenue. A budget for a nonprofit organization should be:
- Accurate: Information should be based on logic and strategy. Have your accounting team double-check each line item to ensure your records are accurate and reliable.
- Transparent: Nonprofits must disclose certain financial information to the public per request. Earn the trust of supporters and prospective donors by building a budget that communicates your financial history, goals, and programs.
Accuracy and transparency are crucial for your nonprofit’s image. After you calculate your financial statements, pull insights and share them with your staff, volunteers, and board. This will increase engagement within your organization and allow your team to better understand your nonprofit’s financial health.
What Should Be Included in a Nonprofit Budget?
From daily operational costs to monthly donations, there is a wide range of elements that should be included in your nonprofit’s budget. We’ll focus on the primary revenue and expense items.
Income Sources
Nonprofits rely on a combination of income sources from individuals, foundations, corporations, and government agencies. Track your diverse revenue streams by accounting for the following types of income:
- Grants: Nonprofits can apply for grants from corporations like Google, private foundations, and the government. Most grants are restricted funds and must be spent on specific projects outlined by the grantor. In your budget, specify which types of programming each grant will cover.
- General Donations: Monetary donations from major donors and a wider donor base are the lifeblood of nonprofits. In your budget, look at past years to estimate how much you can expect to raise from general donations.
- Monthly Giving: Recurring gifts are a reliable source of income. Account for monthly, bi-monthly, and yearly donations.
- In-Kind Donations: These include non-monetary donations, such as volunteered services or supplies.
- Corporate Giving: Corporate gifts can take many forms, such as sponsorships, in-kind donations, and matching gifts. Consider working with a matching gift professional to further boost your donations.
Projected Expenses
Projections are the best way to assess how much you are likely to spend on each campaign or project. Include the following costs in your budget:
- Administrative: This includes expenses for operations and management, including staff salaries, office space, utilities, insurance, and technology.
- Programming: These are the costs needed to carry out your mission-related activities. For example, if a nonprofit is dedicated to feeding the homeless, program expenses would include food and food preparation costs.
- Fundraising: Activities related to soliciting financial support, which can include marketing activities like online ads, print ads, and event
Now that you have the basic line items for your nonprofit’s budget, let’s focus on budgeting for communications and marketing in particular.
How Much Do Nonprofits Spend on Marketing?
Budgeting for marketing costs is vital. Your marketing budget ensures you have the funds needed to reach your goals and determine whether your plans are realistic.
In the for-profit world, it’s fairly standard to determine a marketing budget by allocating 10-20% of projected gross revenue to marketing and communications. For organizations in the nonprofit sector, try to allocate between 5-15% of your budget to marketing.
Of course, exact totals will vary from organization to organization. According to the 2023 M+R Benchmarks Study, nonprofits spent an average of $0.11 on digital advertising for every dollar of online revenue in 2022. Nonprofit investment in digital advertising increased by 28%, with 56% devoted to digital fundraising, 26% to brand awareness, and 15% to lead generation.
What’s most important is that you establish a detailed marketing and communications budget prior to the start of each fiscal year. Track costs and revenue to analyze your return on investment (ROI) for each fundraiser and campaign. For your annual marketing and communications plan, allocate a specific dollar amount to each strategy (direct mail, email, paid advertising, media relations, etc.), each of which should be broken down further by additional costs that may apply, such as printing, postage, and consulting fees.
The following nonprofit marketing budget template can help your organization stay on track. Simply add each marketing activity, the associated strategy, and how much the activity will cost.
5 Best Nonprofit Budget Tips
A strong nonprofit budget serves as a framework for making decisions and meeting your goals.
Take control of your nonprofit’s finances and start building your budgeting skills with these best practices.
1. Determine a budgeting approach.
No one-size-fits-all budget exists. Adjust your budget approach to communicate financial information in a way that works for your organization. Consider the following strategies when building your nonprofit budget:
- Income-Based Approach: As the name suggests, an income-based approach prioritizes income. Determine how much income you can realistically count on and include only reliable revenue in your budget. Don’t include income projections to fill gaps. If your organization doesn’t meet these income targets, it will create a budget deficit.
- Incremental Approach: The incremental approach builds upon your budget from the previous fiscal year. While this is a quick and easy method to prepare a budget, it’s more difficult to find funding for new campaigns or projects since unspent funds may have been reallocated to another campaign.
- Zero-Based Approach: The current fiscal year’s budget is prepared from scratch without considering income or expenses from the previous year. Although this method is accurate and efficient, it’s time-consuming. Your organization will have to test several assumptions about where money will come from and how it will be spent.
- Percentage Approach: Break down your marketing, communications, and fundraising expenses by percentages of the total budget. This approach is favored by those who believe that marketing and communications expenditures should directly reflect a nonprofit’s evolution and the size of its budget. If done correctly, communications spending will grow as your organization does.
- Flat Dollar Approach: Some experts in the field consider a flat dollar approach to be more relevant and safer than the percentage approach since your total budget has to cover costs like utilities, rent, taxes, and health insurance. Give special campaigns, marketing, communications, and fundraising efforts a set dollar amount based on past expenditures. This method simplifies projections and gives you a clear baseline budget.
Each approach has its own benefits and limitations. That’s why most nonprofits implement a combination of these strategies.
Now that you have solidified a budget approach, share it with your leadership and staff.
2. Develop a budget with your entire team.
Team-based financial planning is the most effective way to ensure your budget aligns with your organization’s goals. Involve staff and board members in the budgeting process to create a comprehensive strategy that relies on a variety of perspectives.
Consider these steps to running a budget meeting:
- Determine a timeline. From preliminary drafts to approvals, the entire budgeting process can take weeks to months. Set deadlines and milestones to track progress against measurable benchmarks.
- Agree on goals. Calculate how much revenue is needed to cover your campaign and marketing goals, and make a plan of attack with your team.
- Review past data. Examine financial statements from previous years to identify areas of growth and improvement. Then, problem solve! If you notice a slump in revenue, work with your team to revise past financial strategies.
- Draft the budget. Find a budget template that works for your team’s organizational skills. Then, build out anticipated costs and expenses according to your finances.
- Present findings to your board. Before the start of the fiscal year, hand your budget over to your board for review. They will assess the effectiveness of how resources are allocated, evaluate administrative systems, and measure progress toward goals.
- Debrief. Budget planning takes time and energy. After you complete your budget, meet with your team to discuss what went well and what needs to improve before the next fiscal year.
Once you develop your budget, you will have a clear plan for moving forward, shaped by concrete data and strategies.
3. Include non-monetary contributions.
In-kind donations are donated goods, services, and time. If your organization is fortunate enough to attract in-kind donations, record these contributions to abide by legal standards and create plans to thank specific donors.
Consider the following examples of in-kind donations you may record in your budget:
- Tangible goods: Equipment, office furniture, clothing, food, supplies, etc.
- Intangible goods: Advertisements, patents, copyrights, etc.
- Services: Accounting, printing, catering, consulting, photography, security, etc.
In-kind donations should be recorded at fair market value. The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) defines fair market value as “the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date.”
To determine the value of your in-kind donation:
- Calculate what your organization would have paid for donated goods on the open market.
- Track the hours of professional services donated to your organization.
- Contact your donors and ask them to price their own in-kind services.
Volunteer hours do not need to be reported in a budget. However, your organization can still acknowledge the impact of volunteers in your audit or in a short narrative included in your budget.
4. Conduct regular checks of your budget.
Set regular team meetings to monitor your budget’s progress. Whether you hold these meetings monthly, quarterly, or annually, ensure that your entire team is involved. This will improve communications and management between departments.
Consider the following topics in your meeting:
- Assess the “why” behind budgetary issues.
- Determine which campaigns need more financial attention.
- Review past finances to determine if your budget is on track.
- Compare your budgeted revenue and expenses to actual amounts.
- Inspect balance sheets for discrepancies.
- Account for any unusual circumstances that may arise.
Monitoring your budget throughout the year is the key to financial success, along with setting aside enough funds for marketing.
5. Apply for a Google Ad Grant.
The average small business using Google Ads spends between $5,000 and $12,000 per month on Google paid search campaigns. That’s $60,000 to $150,000 of marketing expenses per year spent solely on ad clicks. Thankfully, Google created a grant to help nonprofits budget for marketing.
Google Ad Grants provide eligible nonprofits a $10,000 monthly stipend to spend on paid search ads, helping supplement their marketing budgets. While regular Google Ad accounts have to pay per ad click, Google Grant participants can display their advertisements for free. These ads enable your nonprofit to appear on Google when someone searches for topics related to your mission.
The ideal Google Ad Grant candidate has a website that effectively serves its audience and promotes its mission, helping drive more traffic to your website. With the Google Ad Grant program for nonprofits, organizations can:
- Increase online conversions. Create ads that encourage people to click through to your website and take action.
- Reach out to new donors. The Google Ad Grants program requires nonprofits to create ad campaigns based on their goals, such as acquiring new donors.
- Recruit volunteers. Another common campaign goal is to recruit more volunteers. Create ads based on your programs that potential volunteers in your area may be interested in joining.
- Market multiple ad campaigns. With the Google Ad Grant, you can create multiple ad campaigns that target different aspects of your marketing strategy.
- Analyze and track performance. The Google Ad Grant integrates with Google Analytics, which lets you track your campaigns and goal progress. That way, you can adjust your campaigns as you go to make sure your ads are effectively increasing conversions.
We recommend setting a daily budget of $329 to run as many campaigns as possible and take full advantage of your grant.
As long as your organization complies with the eligibility requirements, the grant renews monthly. That means your nonprofit will be allocated funding for Google Ads indefinitely.
Our Final Tip: Work With a Team of Google Ad Grant Experts.
It’s no secret that budgeting guels your nonprofit’s ability to make an impact. When you work with a Google Ad Grant professional like Getting Attention to manage your Google Ad Grant, you’ll be able to develop a strong digital marketing strategy that works for your budget. Our team of experts offers free consultations and resources to help your organization create a successful marketing plan.
Our services include Google Grant application, Google Grant hygiene, Google Grant reactivation, keyword research, and Google Grant management. Maintaining your data and keeping it clean can be a pain point for many nonprofits. We’re here to champion your nonprofit digital campaigns.
To continue learning more about nonprofit budgets and how to optimize your strategy, check out these additional resources:
Need Google Grants Keywords? Here’s Your Roadmap to Success
/in Google Ad Grants /by Jessica KingYour Google Ads have the power to connect you with motivated supporters who are ready to make a difference—but that’s only possible if you choose the right Google Grants keywords. In this guide, we’ll explore insider advice to enhance your Google Ad Grants keyword strategy:
It takes careful research using the right tools to find the keywords that will set your campaigns up for success. For expert help with crafting your keyword strategy and managing your Google Ad Grant, reach out to our team.
What Are Google Grants Keywords?
When someone searches for something on Google, they type a word or phrase into the Google search bar. These are what we call keywords.
You’ll attach these specific terms or phrases to your Google Ad Grant campaigns. These keywords then trigger the display of your ads on Google’s search engine results pages (SERPs) for relevant search terms.
Keywords are a vital part of your Ad Grant account. By choosing the right ones, your ads can help you reach the right users who are actively searching for information related to your cause or services. This can help you accomplish all sorts of things, whether you’re engaging existing donors, bringing attention to a pressing issue, or recruiting volunteers.
Keywords ensure your ads are displayed to likely donors, volunteers, beneficiaries, or anyone else connected to your mission. That way, nonprofits can maximize their ad’s visibility, boost ad clicks, and drive desired actions, such as donations, volunteer sign-ups, or nonprofit event registrations.
Types of Google Grants Keywords
Within your Google Ads account, you can use different types of search terms to target your audience. Make sure you’re familiar with these specific types of Google Ad Grants keywords:
Knowing the different types of keywords you can use within your Google Ad Grant account will allow you to show up for relevant queries and connect with likely supporters.
Why You Need To Conduct Google Grants Keyword Research
The Google Ad Grants program has a ton of requirements for websites, ad content, and (you guessed it!) nonprofit keywords. Google requires you to use your keywords effectively to maintain program eligibility.
These limitations aren’t meant to restrict you. Rather, they’re intended to help you make the most of the program.
Your keywords are what will put your ads in front of the right audiences. Choosing the right ones is crucial to spending your Google Ad Grant wisely and showing off your ads.
The Searcher’s Perspective
To get a sense of why keywords matter, put yourself in the searcher’s shoes for a moment. Let’s say you’re in the market for some new running shoes. You decide shopping online is the best way to go. Your experience will probably go a little something like this:
In this scenario, you were able to find what you needed thanks to well-thought-out keywords. The company used keywords throughout its ad and landing page to target women looking for supportive running shoes. It works a lot like this for nonprofits’ Google Ads, too.
Research Tools to Find Google Grants Keywords
That brings us to our next point. Now that you know what keywords are and why they matter, how can you pinpoint which keywords your prospective supporters are searching for on Google?
You’ll need to research trending and relevant keywords to make the most of your nonprofit ads. By leveraging research tools, nonprofits can gather valuable data and insights to inform their keyword research process and optimize their Google Ads campaigns.
Let’s explore a handful of tools that you might find useful.
Google Keyword Planner
Keyword Planner is Google’s own keyword research tool that provides insights into:
You can take a look at historical metrics to identify seasonal trends, too! All you need to do is enter potential nonprofit keywords your supporters might be searching for on Google. Best of all, the platform gives accurate data and is free to use.
Find this tool in your Google Ad Grant account. First, log into your Google Ads account. Then, find it under Tools & Settings > Planning > Keyword Planner.
Google Trends
Another one of Google’s tools is Google Trends. While it’s not necessarily for nonprofit keyword research, it allows organizations to explore the popularity and search trends of specific search terms over time.
Gain valuable insights into a keyword’s:
That way, you can make informed decisions when selecting your Google Ad Grants keywords.
Just know that the data Google Trends provides doesn’t perfectly mirror search activity. Rather, the platform assigns topics, queries, and locations a score from 0-100, with 100 being the most searched related query or the location that has the most searches for the given topic.
Google Search Console
While not exclusively for Google Grants keyword research, Google Search Console gathers vital website performance metrics such as:
Whether you want to look at individual pages or your website as a whole, Search Console provides valuable data. That way, you can refine it to be the best nonprofit website it can be and point to the best content in your Google Ads.
Moz Keyword Explorer
We’re venturing out of Google’s collection of tools with this one! Moz Keyword Explorer can be incredibly insightful for your Google Ad Grants keyword research. While it’s mainly used for SEO purposes, the platform can help you pinpoint which keywords to prioritize and target with your Google Ads.
With this tool, you’ll gain insight into:
While it’s an excellent SEO keyword research tool, note that you’re limited to 10 searches a day with a free account. If you upgrade to a paid subscription, you can research up to 5,000 nonprofit keywords per month. Their pricier plans increase incrementally up to 30,000 keywords per month, but Moz offers a 75% discount for nonprofit organizations.
SEMRush
SEMRush is a comprehensive SEO and keyword research tool that offers:
With a paid subscription, this Google Grants keyword research tool provides a handful of other helpful features and data too. It’s perfect for enhancing your Google Ads and organic performance in one fell swoop.
Narrowing Down Your Google Grants Keywords
Figuring out how to narrow down your options can be confusing. You need to strike the perfect balance of high search volume, relevance, and low competition. Meanwhile, you need to choose keywords that adhere to Google’s guidelines.
Among many other program guidelines, Google requires nonprofits to choose keywords that are:
Work with a Google Grants agency like Getting Attention to handle nonprofit keyword research and implementation. Our professionals know how to use the right tools to pinpoint Google Ad Grants keywords that will drive value for your mission.
We’ll help you narrow down your options based on:
Above all, your account manager will ensure that your nonprofit follows the Google Ad Grant keyword requirements. The official guidelines require nonprofits to avoid overly-generic keywords, use keywords longer than 2 words, and choose ones that have a quality score greater than 2. Otherwise, you risk losing your Google Ad Grants eligibility. With an expert on your side, you won’t have to worry about this.
Using Nonprofit Keywords in Google Ad Grants Campaigns
You’ve found the right nonprofit keywords that will place your ads in front of likely volunteers, donors, or another key audience. Now, you’re tasked with incorporating your keywords into your Google Ads.
Here are some quick tips to get you started:
Again, we recommend turning to a Google Ad Grant agency that knows how to incorporate nonprofit keywords into Google Ads effectively. At Getting Attention, we’ve learned the intricacies of different keyword research platforms and implementation techniques. That way, you can stand out from the competition and connect with donors and volunteers through powerful ads.
Final Thoughts on Google Grants Keywords
While incredibly important, choosing nonprofit keywords can be incredibly time-consuming. Using keywords in Google Ad Grants campaigns is a whole other ball game, too. There’s a lot to handle between brainstorming potential keywords, gathering data for them, and incorporating them into your ads. Not to mention, you have to meet some Google Ad Grant restrictions regarding keywords.
Turn to an expert to handle research and implementation. They’ll even keep an eye on your campaigns to ensure you’re seeing the results you need. At Getting Attention, our marketing consultants are equipped and more than happy to find the right nonprofit keywords to make your campaigns thrive.
In the meantime, continue refining your marketing strategies with these resources:
Matching Gift Best Practices: Raise More for Your Nonprofit
/in Nonprofit Communications /by Jessica KingAs a nonprofit professional, you likely already know the basics of matching gifts. But ask yourself this question:
Do I know how to implement matching gifts effectively as part of my team’s fundraising strategy?
As a nonprofit professional, you likely already know the basics of matching gifts. Matching gifts are an amazing fundraising tool that allows you to maximize your donation revenue. However, without a sense of matching gift best practices, you may be missing out on some essential matching gift opportunities.
That’s why here at Getting Attention, we’ve put together this guide to help you set your matching gift strategy into motion. We’ll start with the basics and then jump into some best practices you can leverage to make matching gifts work for your organization. Let’s dive in!
How Matching Gifts Work
There are a few different ways your nonprofit can collect matching gifts, but the most common ones are matching gift campaigns and corporate matching gift programs. Matching gift campaigns involve getting a business, benefactor, board member, major donor, or foundation to match donations made during a campaign up to a specific amount.
However, what many donors don’t know is that their own employer might match their personal donations to many nonprofits. That’s where corporate matching gift programs come in—and they’re the focus of this article!
Many companies match employee donations at a certain ratio—usually 1:1—to most eligible nonprofits. Corporate matching gifts are one of the most common forms of corporate philanthropy. Here’s a rundown of how the process works:
This process is made easier with dedicated matching gift software that pinpoints your donor’s matching gift eligibility. A donation tool like Double the Donation Matching does all of the heavy lifting for you. Organizations simply embed the matching gift search tool anywhere on their website. Here’s how it works:
From there, donors can access Double the Donation’s comprehensive matching gift database, which houses information on more than 20,000 companies and subsidiaries and their matching gift programs.
Corporate Matching Gift Rules
As amazing as corporate matching gifts are, there are a few important guidelines to take note of. That means, as a best practice, following and meeting these guidelines will ensure your nonprofit reaps the benefits of matching gift programs.
Guidelines usually include:
Understanding the basic matching gift guidelines from companies will give you access to the gifts your nonprofit needs to propel its cause forward.
Promoting Matching Gifts
Did you know that approximately $4-7 billion in matching gift funding goes unclaimed every year? That’s because too many donors are unaware that they’re eligible for matching gift programs. And even if they knew they were eligible, they wouldn’t know how to start their match request.
That’s why one of the most impactful matching gift best practices is promotion. Here are some additional statistics provided by Double the Donation for some perspective:
With so many employees working for companies with matching gift programs, it’s essential to spread the word to capture as many matched donations as possible. Plus, because more employees are more likely to increase their donations if they knew their employer would match!
To summarize, if you don’t promote this valuable opportunity to your donors, they won’t take the next step toward matching their donation. Luckily, we’ve identified some of the top ways you can effectively promote matching gifts to your supporters.
Online Donation Forms
Donors are at the height of their engagement when they arrive on your donation form. They’re serious about making a donation to your organization, which means this is the perfect time to promote matching gifts.
At the very least, ask donors in a prominent spot on your form if they are looking to get a matched donation from their employer. From there, link to an informational page on your website that explains what matching gifts are.
To drive even better results, insert a matching gift search tool on your donation page. Tools like these capture employer information on the donation form, then display that company’s matching gift information immediately following the donation.
These tools then track the donors who take the next step and click on their company’s matching gift form. Some of these tools will even autocomplete a company’s name in the search field as a donor types it in:
Adding matching gift information to your donation process, whether that’s on the actual donation page or confirmation page, can significantly impact the number of matching gift funds you ultimately receive.
Email Outreach
According to Double the Donation, mentioning matching gifts in fundraising appeals results in a 71% increase in the response rate and a 51% increase in the average donation amount. This statistic illustrates that email is a marketing trend that is here to stay.
That’s why using email outreach to make your matching gift appeals is so important.
Mention matching gifts in your emails, whether you’re sending out a regular newsletter or specifically thanking a supporter for their donation. Briefly explain what a matching gift is, how donors can submit a matching gift request to their employer, and how they can let your nonprofit know that they’re doing so. For example, refer to this email:
Dear Mary,
We really appreciate your support to our organization.
Did you know that we raised 1 million dollars from matching gift programs? which were submitted by over 6,000 donors? Please visit our matching gift page to see if your company will match your gift and to access the forms, guidelines, and instructions to submit your match. Here are the steps to follow:
Thank you again for your support.
Kind Regards,
Matching Gift Team
Like in the example above, provide links in your email that donors can click to:
By including these links, your organization will be able to keep track of who is engaging with your matching gift appeals, as well as the status of each active matching gift request.
Direct Mail
Contrary to popular belief, direct mail is not dead! Many of your supporters may still prefer traditional mail to other methods of communication. Whenever you send out printed marketing materials or thank-you letters, include an insert or other mention of matching gifts.
Just as with email outreach, the insert should briefly explain what matching gifts are and offer ways for the supporter to learn more. You might even include a scannable QR code that directs the reader to a dedicated matching gifts page on your website.
To simplify the process of designing, printing, stuffing, and sending your mailings, consider reaching out to a direct mail fundraising platform. This can save your team time and money that can be reinvested into your mission and put efforts toward your highest value match opportunities.
Social Media
Social media is already an excellent marketing channel to promote giving opportunities. So why not promote matching gifts through this method, too?
Spread the word across social media platforms, whether you’re running a specific campaign or simply looking to bring in more corporate donations. Include information about matching gifts, such as how they work and how donors can learn about their employer’s programs. Then link to a dedicated matching gift page on your website.
There are many ways you can promote matching gifts. From mentioning them at the height of a supporter’s engagement to sending out matching gift appeals on a regular basis, following these best practices will keep your strategy in line and help you raise more.
Acknowledging Matching Gifts
While promotion can certainly get you a long way, you’ll want to sustain the new relationships you’ve created with your supporters. That means acknowledging both the donations and the matches you’ve received.
After you’ve sent out matching gift appeals via a variety of channels, and those matches start coming in, you should stay in contact with donors to retain their support and cultivate your relationships with them.
Here are a few best practices you can follow:
Even though the match was initiated by the donor, it’s the matching gift company that made the second gift. Typically, there’s no need to send a separate thank-you letter to the company—especially if it’s a large one. However, smaller companies might have a different preference, and if any company requests an acknowledgment letter, make sure to send one.
When it comes to acknowledging matching gifts, one of the best things you can do is be transparent. Openly demonstrate the impact matching gifts have had on your organization, and let donors know what that money has allowed your organization to accomplish.
Additional Resources
Matching gifts are game changers, but only when you follow best practices for educating your stakeholders, promoting opportunities, and acknowledging donors. The more effort you place into enhancing the specifics of your matching gift program, the greater revenue you’re more likely to experience. This is why it’s crucial to work to proactively bridge knowledge gaps and promote matching gift opportunities.
Looking for more information about matching gifts? We’ve handpicked some excellent resources from Getting Attention to help you out:
How to Optimize Your Nonprofit Budget: A Guide & 5 Best Tips
/in Nonprofit Communications, Nonprofit Fundraising /by Jessica KingA nonprofit budget is an important financial document that helps organizations allocate expenses and predict revenue. Your budget is crucial in helping your nonprofit plan for the future, stay fiscally responsible, and reach its campaign goals.
This comprehensive guide will walk through the value of a budget and explain how it relates to the actions outlined in your marketing plan. We’ll cover the following points:
These tips will guide you through budgeting basics, and recommend new ways to stay on top of your finances, like supplementing your marketing budget with the Google Ad Grant. Let’s get started by defining what a nonprofit budget is and why it’s important.
What Is a Nonprofit Budget?
A nonprofit budget is a financial document used to plan how an organization will spend its money. It encompasses both your expenses and expected revenue for a set period of time.
A regularly updated and realistic budget helps you know exactly how much money is coming in and out of your organization, allowing you to manage your resources more effectively.
Why Is It Important to Create a Nonprofit Budget?
Your organization likely already has a sense of how much money it spends each year. However, rough estimates are unhelpful when it comes to balancing your finances, and documenting your nonprofit’s expenses concretely has numerous benefits.
A nonprofit budget allows you to:
Creating and sticking to a nonprofit budget will put your organization in a healthier financial position. As a result, you can spend less time worrying about your nonprofit’s expenses and more time helping your beneficiaries.
What Makes a Good Nonprofit Budget?
Financial planning is vital to an organization’s success and sustainability. The Better Business Bureau recommends that nonprofits spend under 35% of their funding on fundraising efforts and spend at least 65% on programs.
To meet these guidelines, your team must devise a budget that outlines projected expenses and revenue. A budget for a nonprofit organization should be:
Accuracy and transparency are crucial for your nonprofit’s image. After you calculate your financial statements, pull insights and share them with your staff, volunteers, and board. This will increase engagement within your organization and allow your team to better understand your nonprofit’s financial health.
What Should Be Included in a Nonprofit Budget?
From daily operational costs to monthly donations, there is a wide range of elements that should be included in your nonprofit’s budget. We’ll focus on the primary revenue and expense items.
Income Sources
Nonprofits rely on a combination of income sources from individuals, foundations, corporations, and government agencies. Track your diverse revenue streams by accounting for the following types of income:
Projected Expenses
Projections are the best way to assess how much you are likely to spend on each campaign or project. Include the following costs in your budget:
Now that you have the basic line items for your nonprofit’s budget, let’s focus on budgeting for communications and marketing in particular.
How Much Do Nonprofits Spend on Marketing?
Budgeting for marketing costs is vital. Your marketing budget ensures you have the funds needed to reach your goals and determine whether your plans are realistic.
In the for-profit world, it’s fairly standard to determine a marketing budget by allocating 10-20% of projected gross revenue to marketing and communications. For organizations in the nonprofit sector, try to allocate between 5-15% of your budget to marketing.
Of course, exact totals will vary from organization to organization. According to the 2023 M+R Benchmarks Study, nonprofits spent an average of $0.11 on digital advertising for every dollar of online revenue in 2022. Nonprofit investment in digital advertising increased by 28%, with 56% devoted to digital fundraising, 26% to brand awareness, and 15% to lead generation.
What’s most important is that you establish a detailed marketing and communications budget prior to the start of each fiscal year. Track costs and revenue to analyze your return on investment (ROI) for each fundraiser and campaign. For your annual marketing and communications plan, allocate a specific dollar amount to each strategy (direct mail, email, paid advertising, media relations, etc.), each of which should be broken down further by additional costs that may apply, such as printing, postage, and consulting fees.
The following nonprofit marketing budget template can help your organization stay on track. Simply add each marketing activity, the associated strategy, and how much the activity will cost.
5 Best Nonprofit Budget Tips
A strong nonprofit budget serves as a framework for making decisions and meeting your goals.
Take control of your nonprofit’s finances and start building your budgeting skills with these best practices.
1. Determine a budgeting approach.
No one-size-fits-all budget exists. Adjust your budget approach to communicate financial information in a way that works for your organization. Consider the following strategies when building your nonprofit budget:
Each approach has its own benefits and limitations. That’s why most nonprofits implement a combination of these strategies.
Now that you have solidified a budget approach, share it with your leadership and staff.
2. Develop a budget with your entire team.
Team-based financial planning is the most effective way to ensure your budget aligns with your organization’s goals. Involve staff and board members in the budgeting process to create a comprehensive strategy that relies on a variety of perspectives.
Consider these steps to running a budget meeting:
Once you develop your budget, you will have a clear plan for moving forward, shaped by concrete data and strategies.
3. Include non-monetary contributions.
In-kind donations are donated goods, services, and time. If your organization is fortunate enough to attract in-kind donations, record these contributions to abide by legal standards and create plans to thank specific donors.
Consider the following examples of in-kind donations you may record in your budget:
In-kind donations should be recorded at fair market value. The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) defines fair market value as “the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date.”
To determine the value of your in-kind donation:
Volunteer hours do not need to be reported in a budget. However, your organization can still acknowledge the impact of volunteers in your audit or in a short narrative included in your budget.
4. Conduct regular checks of your budget.
Set regular team meetings to monitor your budget’s progress. Whether you hold these meetings monthly, quarterly, or annually, ensure that your entire team is involved. This will improve communications and management between departments.
Consider the following topics in your meeting:
Monitoring your budget throughout the year is the key to financial success, along with setting aside enough funds for marketing.
5. Apply for a Google Ad Grant.
The average small business using Google Ads spends between $5,000 and $12,000 per month on Google paid search campaigns. That’s $60,000 to $150,000 of marketing expenses per year spent solely on ad clicks. Thankfully, Google created a grant to help nonprofits budget for marketing.
Google Ad Grants provide eligible nonprofits a $10,000 monthly stipend to spend on paid search ads, helping supplement their marketing budgets. While regular Google Ad accounts have to pay per ad click, Google Grant participants can display their advertisements for free. These ads enable your nonprofit to appear on Google when someone searches for topics related to your mission.
The ideal Google Ad Grant candidate has a website that effectively serves its audience and promotes its mission, helping drive more traffic to your website. With the Google Ad Grant program for nonprofits, organizations can:
We recommend setting a daily budget of $329 to run as many campaigns as possible and take full advantage of your grant.
As long as your organization complies with the eligibility requirements, the grant renews monthly. That means your nonprofit will be allocated funding for Google Ads indefinitely.
Our Final Tip: Work With a Team of Google Ad Grant Experts.
It’s no secret that budgeting guels your nonprofit’s ability to make an impact. When you work with a Google Ad Grant professional like Getting Attention to manage your Google Ad Grant, you’ll be able to develop a strong digital marketing strategy that works for your budget. Our team of experts offers free consultations and resources to help your organization create a successful marketing plan.
Our services include Google Grant application, Google Grant hygiene, Google Grant reactivation, keyword research, and Google Grant management. Maintaining your data and keeping it clean can be a pain point for many nonprofits. We’re here to champion your nonprofit digital campaigns.
To continue learning more about nonprofit budgets and how to optimize your strategy, check out these additional resources:
5 Pro Tips for Marketing Your Fundraiser in the Online World
/in Nonprofit Communications, Nonprofit Marketing /by Jessica KingLet’s face it—if you’re not using online channels to market your fundraiser, you’re missing out on more donors, more dollars, and more support for your mission. Whether you’re hosting a golf tournament fundraiser, a gala, or even a bake sale, these tips will help you level up your online marketing.
1. Use a marketing-savvy software solution.
Get your tech in place before you do anything else online. A software solution for your fundraiser is a key part of spreading the word and attracting participants and donors. According to GolfStatus, your event’s management platform should be able to:
2. Track your campaign’s progress with online marketing metrics.
Bottom line, you need to know what’s working and what’s not in marketing your fundraising event. By creating a marketing plan that outlines key metrics, you can better understand the success of your different campaigns. The following metrics can provide useful insights:
3. Be strategic about your social media presence.
While it might be tempting to create accounts or profiles on every social media platform out there and blast information about your fundraising event, it’s not the best idea. Not only will you spread yourself too thin, particularly if you don’t have a dedicated social media manager to post regularly and monitor each channel, but you’re likely to get less engagement. Instead, focus on building a robust social media presence on just a few platforms where your target audience is present.
Here are a few guidelines from Double the Donation for choosing which social media platforms to focus on and leverage to promote fundraising events:
4. Work with celebrities and influencers.
Online channels have made it easier to connect with celebrities and influencers. It may feel like a long shot, but nonprofits have a number of options to partner with those in the public sphere to amplify your cause and any fundraising events benefiting it. Keep the following in mind:
Getting Started with Software
Your organization stands to benefit from an increasingly online world. Online marketing not only spreads awareness about your work, but garners support for fundraising events and your mission in general. You can maximize your online presence by getting a software solution in place for your fundraising event. Whether you need a ticketing option for a charity golf tournament or online bidding software for auctions, a web-based software will save you time, make it easy to collaborate with your team, and help raise even more money for your organization.
Top 7 Nonprofit Marketing Blogs You Should Bookmark and Why
/in Nonprofit Communications /by Jessica KingStaying in touch with nonprofit industry trends, new software updates, and current marketing best practices is an ongoing challenge. However, not keeping up with these changes may lead your nonprofit website to look outdated, your communications to stop receiving responses, or your overall fundraising revenue to decrease.
While you can do a simple Google search and click through the results to look for relevant resources, many nonprofit organizations and thought leaders in the industry actually have dedicated places to address these challenges. There, they discuss common tips, advice, and relevant news that can impact fundraising efforts.
That’s where nonprofit marketing blogs come in! Whether it’s their /tips or /resources or /blog page, many professionals in the philanthropic space maintain a running blog roll. In this guide, we’ll discuss the importance of a nonprofit blog as well as dive into some of our favorites for you to check out.
Oftentimes, doing your own research can offer the valuable insight and guidance that your organization needs to answer nonprofit questions, get advice on top industry tools, and explore best practices to take your own fundraising to the next level. You just need to know where to look. Ready to learn more? Let’s dive in!
What Is a Nonprofit Marketing Blog?
A nonprofit marketing blog is usually a dedicated page hosted on websites of charitable organizations, fundraising professionals and consultants, and donation software companies. The blog roll will be made up of content like:
Most nonprofit marketing blogs feature a variety of content to engage their supporters in different ways.
Why Do Organizations Write Nonprofit Marketing Blogs?
There are many reasons why organizations implement a blog roll into their website. For one thing, a blog roll can act as a helpful SEO-building tool. That’s because it’s the perfect place to build backlinks, target high search volume keywords, and provide valuable nonprofit content that your supporters and audience actually want.
In turn, this can increase your ranking on search engine result pages and attract new prospects! Plus, it’s almost necessary for Google Grant users, as it’s required that nonprofit participants have valuable and promotable website content to receive the grant.
Ultimately, nonprofit marketing blogs position themselves as thought leaders in the space. If a blog is consistently releasing relevant news and industry trends of the nonprofit marketing world, it’ll soon become a go-to resource for philanthropic professionals all over.
As readers, if you ever have a question about how to improve your peer-to-peer fundraising campaign, what text-giving tool is best, or how to implement prospect research into your donation strategy, turning to nonprofit blogs has proven to be a reliable and informational source. Specifically, nonprofit blogs:
These days, there’s no shortage of blogs for nonprofit professionals to turn to. With so many great resources available, it can be hard to determine the most valuable nonprofit blog to consult. Let’s explore some of our favorite blogs in the next section.
Explore These 7 Nonprofit Marketing Blogs
Getting Attention
Getting Attention is made up of professional fundraising consultants dedicated to Google Ad Grant management. As a certified Google Grant agency, our team at Getting Attention helps nonprofits oversee their Google Grant accounts no matter what stage they’re at. From applying for the grant to ensuring the account remains compliant to reactivating a dead account, Getting Attention is there to help.
While we might be a bit biased, Getting Attention also has a great nonprofit marketing blog! We boast articles spanning a variety of essential nonprofit topics, from the basics of Google Grants to guides for planning a comprehensive nonprofit marketing plan.
Check us out with some of our favorite posts:
Double the Donation
Did you know that an estimated $4-$10 billion in matching gift funds go unclaimed each year? Double the Donation has the largest and most accurate database of matching gift and volunteer grant information in the nonprofit industry so your donors don’t miss a match opportunity.
As thought leaders in the fundraising and nonprofit industry, Double the Donation also has a dedicated blogroll. Their impressive blog consists of industry guides and nonprofit tips ranging from corporate fundraising to general fundraising guides to top software providers!
Here are some of our favorite posts:
NXUnite
The NXUnite community is the perfect place to acquire new nonprofit knowledge and connect with others in the field. They host webinars and panels with experts in the mission-driven industry to help lead important nonprofit-related discussions.
The NXUnite blog roll is filled with articles about a variety of nonprofit topics from fundraising tips to breakthrough technology. Check out some of their articles below:
eCardWidget
If you’re looking for a creative new way to engage with your supporters, eCardWidget is a great place to start. They provide eCard software that nonprofits can use to thank their donors or even spread awareness of their cause. On their nonprofit marketing blog, eCardWidget shares important information about stakeholder appreciation, innovative nonprofit software solutions, and seasonal fundraising ideas.
Check out these articles from the eCardWidget blog:
NPOInfo
Data is everything when it comes to nonprofit decision-making. NPOInfo helps organizations raise more money with accurate, updated data in their databases.
Articles on NPOInfo’s blog roll include:
re:Charity
re:Charity is a nonprofit blog entirely dedicated to hosting fundraising resources, tips, best practices, industry guides, and software lists. There’s a breadth of information on re:Charity, with specific blog categories dedicated to fundraising, marketing, technology, and nonprofit strategies.
Here are some of our favorite articles:
Fundraising Letters
Fundraising Letters is a website dedicated to helping nonprofit leaders craft compelling and engaging communications with supporters. From basic fundraising emails, matching gifts, sponsorships, donation requests, and more, they offer fundraising letter templates for every occasion and cause—plus it’s completely free to download and use them!
Once on the site, you can also explore their blog roll. The Fundraising Letters blog contains educational resources provided by thought leaders throughout the nonprofit industry. Here are some articles you might see:
Crowd101
If you’re thinking about starting a crowdfunding campaign, there’s no better resource than Crowd101! Crowd101 hosts a wide variety of resources and blog posts to help fundraisers begin a crowdfunding event, market it effectively, and explore other fundraising tips.
Their blog is split into a few sections, like Getting Started with Crowdfunding, Crowdfunding Examples, and Fundraising Ideas! Here are some of their top blog posts:
Additional Resources
Having a dedicated nonprofit marketing and fundraising strategy is critical for your organization’s success and the pursuit of your mission. As a philanthropic professional, doing your due diligence in research is one of the best ways to keep updated with best practices and ensure that your own efforts produce results. Nonprofit marketing blogs are the perfect place to begin!
Want to continue expanding your nonprofit knowledge and learn about other marketing methods? Check out these additional resources:
Marketing Your Nonprofit’s Silent Auction: 5 Strategies
/in Nonprofit Fundraising, Nonprofit Marketing /by Jessica KingSilent auctions are one of the most popular nonprofit fundraising events, and for good reason. They can be held in person or virtually, appeal to a wide range of supporters, and make great annual fundraisers. Although silent auctions work well on their own, they can also be paired with other events like galas or golf tournaments to increase your organization’s fundraising revenue.
As with any fundraising event, your team will need to develop a marketing plan to spread the word about your silent auction. Effective event promotions will not only get supporters in the door, but also ensure they come excited to bid on your valuable auction items.
In this guide, we’ll walk through five strategies for marketing your silent auction, including how to:
As you implement these strategies, try to make event registration as easy as possible. Create a streamlined online sign-up form and include links to it in all of your communications so supporters can easily register no matter how they discover your auction. Let’s get started!
1. Understand Your Audience
Before marketing your silent auction, it’s useful to know who you’re trying to reach. Understanding your audience allows you to create more targeted messages and leverage the most effective communication channels for promoting your auction.
To drive supporter engagement, try segmenting your audience based on shared characteristics, which could include their:
Once you’ve identified these shared characteristics among supporters, decide which segments you want to prioritize in your event marketing and tailor your messages to those segments. For example, if your silent auction is part of a gala, you may focus on major donors and invite each of them individually. However, if you’re trying to engage younger supporters through your auction, posting regular updates on your website and social media will likely be effective.
2. Leverage Multiple Communication Channels
Although segmenting your supporters will let you know which communication methods to prioritize, it’s always most effective to leverage several channels. During your event marketing campaign, promote your silent auction using the following methods:
Leveraging all of these marketing methods creates more opportunities for supporters to learn about and register for your auction, boosting attendance and fundraising revenue.
3. Track and Analyze Marketing Data
Your silent auction marketing efforts will be more effective across the board if they’re data-driven. NPOInfo’s guide to nonprofit data collection suggests leveraging several types of marketing data to improve your outreach, including:
Tracking and analyzing this information will allow you to identify what areas of your event marketing campaign are going well and where you could improve by adjusting your strategy. Your data can not only boost your impact in promoting your upcoming silent auction, but also help you develop a more effective marketing plan for future events.
4. Feature Your Auction Items in Your Marketing Materials
According to the auction experts at Winspire, procuring auction items that are high-value, high-quality, and of interest to participants is critical to your event’s success. To get supporters excited to attend the auction and place bids, feature photos and short descriptions of your big-ticket items in your promotional materials, such as:
Because silent auctions usually feature a wide range of items, you don’t need to design a full auction catalog as you would for a live auction that includes fewer, higher-value goods. However, you can effectively highlight a few of your most valuable silent auction items by creating a shorter PDF booklet, which you can link to on your website and in marketing emails.
5. Acknowledge Your Event Sponsors
Partnering with for-profit businesses can help your nonprofit offset costs for many fundraising events. Auctions particularly benefit from corporate sponsorships because sponsors can provide items for free or at reduced costs in addition to financial support. Your corporate partners can also help spread the word about your auction through word of mouth, and their customers may be interested in attending.
For a sponsorship to succeed, it needs to be mutually beneficial. In exchange for a business’s support, your nonprofit can provide them with free advertising. Include your sponsors’ logos in your marketing materials, on the signs at your event venue, and on the bid sheet for each auction item they contributed. Doing so not only increases brand recognition for the business but also helps you recognize and thank sponsors for making your auction possible.
The key to fundraising event promotion is to spread the word early and often, and silent auctions are no exception. Segmenting your audience and developing a data-driven, multi-channel marketing campaign are general best practices in nonprofit event marketing. Promoting an auction effectively also requires that you pay special attention to the way you feature your auction items and recognize the sponsors who provide them.
3 Impactful Direct Mail Fundraising Trends for Nonprofits
/in Nonprofit Fundraising /by Jessica KingAs a nonprofit professional, you know that there are always new nonprofit marketing trends emerging. As the world of technology, social media apps, and influencers continues to evolve, these trends can take flight faster than ever.
While it’s easy to name the three new marketing trends you noticed on TikTok or Instagram this week, trends in more traditional marketing channels might not be at the top of your mind. But, keeping up with new trends and fresh ideas is necessary for every communication channel. By changing up pieces of your direct mail fundraising strategy, you can reduce donor fatigue and burnout.
These trends can help your nonprofit engage its existing donors and boost retention by creating a highly personal touchpoint that reflects donors’ values and preferences—like a passion for sustainability, for example. In this guide, we’ll explore three strategies you can use to put a new spin on your existing direct mail program.
1. Personalization.
One of the hallmarks of direct mail fundraising is its personal nature. Donors tend to feel more connected to your nonprofit when they are greeted by name through a tangible message that arrives in their mailbox. While social media posts and email messages could get lost in the crowded digital shuffle, direct mail gives each recipient something to hang on their fridge as a reminder to donate, volunteer, or attend fundraising events.
As technology and data analytics evolve, more nonprofits can add personalized elements to their direct mail. Here are some simple ways to make your direct mail campaigns more personal:
Since pieces of direct mail tend to be direct with minimal copy, your nonprofit can personalize them further by including QR codes for digital resources the donor would be interested in.
For example, you can segment new donors and send them direct mail with codes to an online welcome packet that gives them more information about your organization, programs, and cause. This is an effective way to integrate your direct mail and digital marketing strategies to increase touchpoints with donors.
2. Analyzing data.
With the rapid progress made in the world of tech and data, innovations like artificial intelligence are paving the way for new ways to market and fundraise. Data analytics tools are more commonplace and are widely accessible to nonprofits of all sizes. More and more organizations are able to leverage data analytics to get the most out of their marketing efforts, including their direct mail fundraising campaigns.
Because you need donor data to personalize communications, you might already be familiar with using data analytics to improve your marketing efforts. But, you can also use data to track and boost your direct mail fundraising progress.
Your organization can use data analytics to benefit your campaigns by:
Leveraging this data can help your nonprofit measure its marketing ROI more accurately. With these concrete numbers, you can better define success, set realistic yet ambitious goals, and identify ways to maximize efficiency.
3. A focus on sustainability.
Across all industries, there has been a shift toward more sustainable practices. People are discussing the importance of sustainability more often, consumers and supporters are holding organizations and businesses accountable, and sustainable practices (like recycling and net-zero energy) are being normalized.
Your nonprofit can participate in this important change in many ways. For example, you might opt to use more sustainable fundraising ideas, like the shoe drive or tree planting day listed in Double the Donation’s list of fundraising ideas. On the other hand, you can also streamline your operations to limit waste, especially for things like print marketing which can contribute to paper waste.
Here are a few ways you can follow this trend toward sustainability:
Many organizations switched to using postcard mailers. Postcards are very small and don’t require an envelope, reducing waste while saving your organization money. Making small adjustments like this, along with creative collaboration between your marketing and fundraising teams, can lead to more sustainable practices and extra wiggle room in your budget.
While direct mail fundraising has been around for decades, it’s important to remain up-to-date on trends and maintain a fresh, modern approach. By keeping up with new nonprofit marketing and advertising trends, your organization is more likely to meet donors’ needs and preferences, compete with what’s in their mailbox, and motivate them to take action in support of your cause.
The Do’s and Don’ts of Planning a Legendary Charity Event
/in Nonprofit Fundraising /by Jessica KingWhether your nonprofit is preparing to host its annual gala or a one-off virtual game night, you likely have specific goals you want to reach, such as raising a certain amount of money, securing a particular number of new sponsors, or increasing your average attendance rate.
These goals are important, especially when you consider the investment of time, energy, and money that your nonprofit has to make for big events to happen. But what about leaving a lasting impression on your attendees, and providing them with a memorable experience that they’ll be talking about for years to come? In other words, how can you take your charity events to the next level, and make them legendary?
The answer lies in careful event planning. With the right approach to planning your nonprofit’s next event, you can ensure that you’ll meet all of your goals, and put together an occasion that your supporters won’t soon forget. To fine-tune your event planning strategy to this end, follow these do’s and don’ts:
As you review these do’s and don’ts and consider how you can take your events to new heights, remember that you don’t have to figure it all out on your own. An experienced charity event planning and production company can help you manage the many moving parts of your event, and give you the time and headspace needed to focus on making your attendee experience a legendary one.
Do pick an event idea that will wow your audience.
One great way to freshen up your event planning strategy is to pick a unique event idea you’ve never done before. As you consider the many different types of events there are to choose from, consider what you know about your nonprofit’s audience and select an idea that will resonate with them.
Here are some of the top fundraising ideas from Best Fundraising Ideas for you to consider:
Of course, sometimes you’ll need to stick with event ideas you’ve been using for years. For example, you may have an annual winter ball or gala that is an established tradition in your community. To generate more interest, and to ensure your team is approaching the planning stage in a different way, you can always put a fresh twist on an already-established event.
For example, don’t overlook opportunities to transform your event into a virtual occasion. According to CharityBids’ guide to virtual charity events, these events allow for a flexible experience, help your organization save money, empower you to try new methods of raising money, and can even give you the chance to tap into exclusive experiences like celebrity appearances.
Don’t put off assembling an event planning committee.
To effectively plan and execute your event, you’ll need to create a planning committee made up of individuals who are committed to their responsibilities and to making your event the best it can be.
Here are the roles you’ll need to fill, along with their responsibilities:
If your event will involve an auction, you may also need to recruit an auction item procurement specialist. They’ll be responsible for identifying auction items, managing relationships with the donors of the items, and gathering the items ahead of the big event. This is a big job, so in some instances, you may need a whole team of procurement specialists.
Do recruit volunteers.
Most often, nonprofits are most concerned about engaging donors during their events, but volunteers are a critical part of the event equation, too. Not only can your event run more smoothly with more hands to help, but your organization can also strengthen relationships with its volunteers by offering them fulfilling opportunities to get involved with the event.
As you recruit volunteers for your event, take what you know about your existing volunteers into consideration, and try to match them with roles that will resonate with their interests and skill sets. For example, if you know one volunteer has great graphic design skills, you might ask them to help you create virtual event invitations.
For volunteers who are signing up to work for your organization for the first time, take the time before and during the event to get to know them, chat about your mission, and ensure they’re comfortable performing their duties. Their experience volunteering during the event will play a big role in whether they return for another volunteer opportunity in the future!
Don’t neglect your follow-up activities.
Once your event is over, it can be tempting to move on to planning your next campaign or project. But if you really want to make a great impression on your event attendees, you’ll ensure that you perform follow-up tasks before you do.
As you plan your event, consider how you’ll reach out to your event attendees, volunteers, and sponsors to thank them for their time and contributions after the event is over. Doing so will help you have a plan in place to get started right after your event ends! Here are some popular options:
You should also let the larger community know how your event went. For example, you might post about your event on your blog, share pictures from the event on social media, or give an event recap in the next edition of your newsletter. This will show your community how your events are tied to your larger cause, and can encourage more people to attend your next event!
When it comes to nonprofit events, there’s no need to settle for good or great. You can make your next event legendary by approaching the planning process with care. Use these do’s and don’ts to make sure your next event will be one for the books!
How to Grow Your Nonprofit’s Credibility Through Compliance
/in Nonprofit Communications, Nonprofit Fundraising, Nonprofit Marketing /by Jessica KingNonprofits are subject to numerous state and federal regulations. These requirements are necessary for the initial creation of a nonprofit organization, as well as its ongoing compliance, especially as the organization grows. But by adhering to legal regulations, a nonprofit can also communicate its integrity to its supporters.
When a nonprofit follows the rules set forth by the government, it not only stays rooted in its core cause, but also communicates to its supporters that they can trust the organization to steward contributions correctly and use those contributions to better beneficiaries’ lives.
In order to help you grow your organization’s credibility, we’ll walk through three compliance tasks that your nonprofit should prioritize:
To garner the support of donors, volunteers, and advocates, your nonprofit will first have to show why they should give their support. Consider how following these three compliance requirements can prove your nonprofit’s credibility and encourage more support from your community.
1. Securing tax-exempt status
When you first create your nonprofit, your organization will have to prove to the IRS that it has charitable intentions through Form 1023. This is one of the determining factors in being classified as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and your organization’s first opportunity to demonstrate its credibility.
Before you can apply for tax-exempt status, you’ll need to prepare by taking these steps:
After taking these preliminary steps, your organization will be ready to file Form 1023 to apply for tax-exempt status. This form, which is 28 pages long before any attachments and materials required for filing, is like a thorough examination of your organization.
Think of this process as an audit of your organization’s previous or planned activities. The IRS uses this application to ensure your organization aims to fulfill 501(c)(3) services. In doing so, it accounts for the validity of your organization’s work.
2. Defining bylaws
Another requirement of Form 1023 is the inclusion of your nonprofit’s bylaws. This is a set of rules that define how your organization will be governed by its board of directors.
These bylaws will protect your organization against risks and eliminate the guesswork when it comes to carrying out your nonprofit’s mission. These rules will be especially helpful in solving unique situations. For example, if you think of a clever organization name five years from now, you’ll want to have made the provision to allow for changing your nonprofit’s name.
You should include the following in your organization’s bylaws:
According to Foundation Group, “good governance establishes a foundation for good work.” Clear governing rules allow your organization to be held accountable for its actions, which will ultimately make it more trustworthy.
After you’ve drafted and approved your organization’s bylaws, you may consider making them public. You might publish them on your website or refer to them in blog posts. A good website design will combine stylish branding elements with your most important organizational information so that anyone can access and understand the inner workings of your nonprofit.
Although publishing your bylaws is optional, it’s a valuable step toward transparency. When supporters can see and agree with your organization’s bylaws, they may better appreciate how serious your organization is about following them.
3. Registering for charitable solicitations
According to Double the Donation’s guide to nonprofit fundraising, “individual giving makes up nearly three-fourths of all charitable contributions.” When it comes to donations, your nonprofit will likely consider several methods of raising money that appeal to its supporters. From email outreach to silent auction events, your organization’s fundraising campaigns are essential to supporting your mission.
It’s important to prioritize compliance when requesting donations to show supporters that your request follows all the right protocols.
Before your nonprofit starts marketing its mission and asking for contributions, find out if you need to register for charitable solicitations. Most states require charitable solicitations registration, but there are nine that don’t:
If your state does require this registration, it’s important to prioritize it and renew the registration when it’s due, usually annually. You’ll also have to register in multiple states if you plan on soliciting donations throughout the country. Completing your charitable solicitations registration shows supporters that you do things the right way and aren’t just in it for the money.
With the state’s approval of your registration, supporters can see that your organization’s structure and finances were examined before it was granted permission to ask for donations. Then, when they contribute, they’ll have confidence that their donations are going to exactly what your organization promotes.
Just as you’d prioritize supporters’ preferences when it comes to marketing channels or event features, think about how they view your nonprofit’s internal operations. Your donors should be able to trust that their time, money, and advocacy are supporting a good organization with an important mission and the right intentions.
Author: Greg McRay
Greg is the founder and CEO of Foundation Group, one of the nation’s top providers of tax and compliance services to nonprofits. Greg and his team have worked with tens of thousands of nonprofits for over 25 years, assisting them with formation of new charities, plus tax, bookkeeping, and compliance services. He is credentialed as an Enrolled Agent, the highest designation of tax specialist recognized by the Internal Revenue Service. Based in Nashville, Tennessee, Greg and company work with charities and nonprofits all across the country and worldwide.
5 Ways Digital Marketing Can Help Your Nonprofit Thrive
/in Nonprofit Communications, Nonprofit Marketing /by ContributorYour nonprofit champions a noble cause that needs attention from the public to get donations.
The best way to get more eyes on your organization is to craft a brand identity and leverage digital channels to market yourself.
That being said, the days of needing to buy a billboard or a full-page newspaper ad to get noticed are over. Digital marketing is the new standard for raising brand awareness, and your nonprofit should leverage the many digital channels at your disposal. All you need to get started is your computer and a nonprofit marketing plan. Let’s explore what digital marketing can do for your nonprofit and which channels are available for nonprofits to use.
The advantages of digital marketing for nonprofits
Before we discuss different digital marketing channels, let’s review what digital marketing can do for your nonprofit. With digital outreach strategies, your organization can:
1. Raise awareness for your mission
The first step in convincing prospective donors that your cause is worth their support is educating them about your mission. With digital marketing, your nonprofit can spread critical information about your initiatives so that your community understands your nonprofit’s purpose. Your digital marketing materials should:
The Internet is the world’s foremost information hub, so it should be your go-to channel to educate people. It can take time for your online content to get substantial viewership, but with access to the nearly 5 billion people logged on every day, you’re bound to reach readers curious about your cause.
2. Engage potential supporters
Once you’ve educated community members about your mission, your job is to convince potential supporters to get involved with your initiatives. Digital marketing allows you to share donation appeals far past your local community and supporter base. For instance, you could acquire a new donor in a different state simply by posting a donation appeal on your social media feed.
Another advantage digital marketing has over traditional tactics, such as print ads or telemarketing, is that it’s easy to integrate content across different channels and streamline the donor journey. Instead of sending a flurry of direct-mail flyers and mail-in gift envelopes, simply link to your website’s donation page in your social media bio. This solution is more user-friendly and convenient for both you and your potential donors, no matter which channel they encounter you on first.
3. Reach beneficiaries
Besides using digital marketing to collect donations, your nonprofit can also advance its mission by connecting with new beneficiaries. By sharing about your organization’s programs and their tangible impact online, people in need of your services can find your nonprofit more easily. Additionally, digital channels help interested parties bypass engagement barriers, such as physical distance or schedule conflicts, by linking directly to your virtual contact information.
4. Connect with other nonprofits and businesses
Your organization thrives off of connections within your community, and that includes like-minded businesses and nonprofits. Many socially responsible businesses partner with nonprofits to make a difference, and digital marketing materials can get you in contact with each other. Likewise, if there’s a nonprofit in your area that has similar goals and target audiences, you could throw a joint fundraiser to engage each others’ supporter bases.
5. Assert thought leadership
People want to support a reputable nonprofit, so establishing your credibility and knowledge is crucial. Informing people about your achievements, sharing the stories of happy beneficiaries and donors, and associating with other nonprofit thought leaders will convince your audience that you know what you’re talking about! Displaying this information is easier online, where you can post links to collaborations, interviews, and milestones.
Types of digital marketing for nonprofits
Now that you understand the main benefits of digital marketing, it’s time to create a marketing plan. To strategize efficiently, it helps to leverage a combination of the digital marketing tools at your disposal, which may include:
The key to running a successful digital marketing campaign through any of these channels is to make data-driven decisions. In fact, NPOInfo lists marketing data as some of the most important metrics a nonprofit should monitor. Before you launch your digital marketing content, ensure your nonprofit CMS and CRM platforms are equipped with reporting tools that can gauge the success of your outreach efforts. Then, use your findings to address your campaign’s weaknesses and make necessary improvements.
Wrapping Up
Hopefully, you’re excited about the potential benefits that go along with digital marketing. If you need guidance on your strategy, consider working with a nonprofit digital marketing agency. According to Fifty & Fifty, these agencies offer services such as graphic design, online ad campaign management, social media content creation, and more. Whether you hire outside help or venture into digital marketing on your own, create materials with your mission in mind, and you’ll go far!