Nonprofit Kit For Dummies, 6th Edition

Chapter 13

Marketing and Branding

IN THIS CHAPTER

Taking care of marketing basics

Looking at who you are and whom you serve

Branding your nonprofit through mass media

Carving out time for social media

You may think that marketing has no place in the nonprofit sector. After all, if an organization’s work isn’t driven by the dollar, and if its focus is on meeting a community need, why does it need to hawk its services? If your motivation is to do good, isn’t it aggressive to broadcast your purpose and presence in the nonprofit community?

But wait. Marketing — the process of connecting consumers to services and products — is just as critical to the success of nonprofit organizations as it is to for-profit businesses. Both nonprofit and for-profit businesses depend on getting the word out about their existence, and the message from both is the same: “Here we are, and here’s what we can do for you. Come and check us out. Use our services.” For nonprofit organizations, that message adds, “And please help us in our work by making a contribution.”

You can go far if you have the “goods” ...