How to Market Your Nonprofit

Starting a nonprofit is a noble cause, and it’s an incredible way to serve your community. However, raising money and giving back can be challenging if no one knows about your organization. Read Chisholm Law Firm’s blog to learn how to market your nonprofit.

What is marketing?

Marketing is a simple term that we use all the time, but it can be helpful to give it a definition in this context. Marketing is the action of promoting your nonprofit, and it often involves exploring new ideas and reaching the public.

Why should you market your nonprofit?

Starting a nonprofit has many essential elements, but marketing is often forgotten! It’s vital to create a marketing plan, as promoting your nonprofit is vital for several reasons. Let’s break them down.

Increase Donors

The more people know about your organization, the more likely they are to donate. Many people want to donate, but they don’t know where to start! When you market your nonprofit, you give donors a place to contribute, further serving your mission.

Recruit Volunteers

As nonprofit founders, we know that we can’t run our entire organization by ourselves – which is where volunteers come in. Marketing your nonprofit organization can recruit more volunteers to better help you serve your community.

Establish Brand

Donations and volunteers are essential, but they aren’t that useful if no one knows about your nonprofit. Marketing your nonprofit ensures that people know where to turn for help and that you will be there to serve them.

How do you create a plan to market your nonprofit?

Before you can begin to market your nonprofit, you need to create a marketing plan. A plan will set you up for success and give you metrics to measure yourself against. Let’s break down some of the critical elements of a marketing plan.

Define Marketing Goals

Having specific goals to reach with your marketing is the best way to start your plan. You may benefit from setting S.M.A.R.T. goals, which are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely. Putting these attributes together will ensure that you’re set up for success.

Understand Your Audience

Nonprofit marketing is different from for-profit marketing, especially when understanding your audience. You will need to understand what will motivate the people you serve, your volunteers, and your donors. 

Create Key Messages

A key message contains all the information you want people to hear, remember, and share about your nonprofit. Creating a key message will keep your organization aligned, simplify your marketing, and organize different audiences.

Choose Marketing Strategies

It may be tempting to jump to this phase, but remember that the earlier steps laid the foundation for your strategies. Once you’ve established your goals, key messages, and audience, you’re ready to implement marketing strategies.

Analyze Your Performance

You may have to try different marketing methods before finding what works, which is a normal experience! Analyzing your performance will help you see what works and what needs to be adjusted.

Strategies to Market Your Nonprofit

There are many strategies to choose from when it comes to marketing your nonprofit, some of which may work and some that don’t. Regardless, it’s crucial to select a strategy that makes sense and is a rational choice for your organization.

Here are some strategies you can use to market your nonprofit.

  • Create a website
  • Update your website often
  • Start a blog
  • Use social media
  • Use e-mail marketing
  • Start a YouTube channel
  • Offer incentives
  • Host an in-person event
  • Host a virtual event
  • Call current donors
  • Send out a press release
  • Publish testimonials
  • Send physical mail
  • Host a yearly event to thank donors
  • Use Amazon Smile
  • Sell products with your nonprofit’s name
  • Start a birthday or holiday fundraiser
  • Ask people to share your content
  • Apply for a Google Ad Grant
  • Use paid advertising
  • Publish an op-ed in the paper
  • Form partnerships with other businesses

Speak to an Expert

It’s crucial to market your nonprofit because it can help you increase your donors, recruit volunteers, and promote your services. If you’re ready to start marketing your nonprofit, schedule your free consultation with Chisholm Law Firm

Chisholm Law Firm has helped thousands of people start and grow nonprofits that impact the world. If you want the best for your nonprofit, look no further than Chisholm Law Firm. Our clients have a 100% success rate for nonprofit and trademark filings*.

You can rest assured that your nonprofit is in the best hands and that we’ll get everything done right the first time. Call us today to schedule your free consultation.

It shouldn’t be this hard to be a superhero. 
*Past results do not determine future outcomes. is the action of promoting your nonprofit, and it often involves exploring new ideas and reaching the public.