There are many great nonprofit marketing campaigns out there that have made a significant difference for their foundation and the online world, and you can do everything from boosting awareness to soliciting enough donations. You’ll need to use different strategies for each campaign you create, but as long as your heart is in the right place and you’re passionate about your message, you’re sure to make a lasting impression and boost awareness of your cause.
Some of the best nonprofit marketing strategies come from well-known organizations like Make a Wish Foundation, The Best Friends Animal Society, The Salvation Army, or The American Red Cross. These organizations have a lot more money to put into their marketing efforts, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make a difference on a smaller scale.
There are plenty of examples of grassroots campaigns that have made a big impact, and we’ll talk about some of those nonprofit campaigns later on in this blog post.
SO WHAT MAKES THE BEST NONPROFIT MARKETING CAMPAIGNS?
So what makes a campaign great? Is it creative ads? Search engine optimization? An engaging website? The best social media posts? Great content marketing? Passionate volunteers?
All of these things can certainly make a difference, but what really makes a nonprofit marketing campaign successful is its ability to raise funds and awareness for your cause, or drive volunteerism. If you don’t meet your fundraising goal, or if your awareness numbers don’t increase, then your campaign wasn’t as successful as it could have been.
Raise Awareness
When you’re running a nonprofit campaign, one of your main goals should be raising awareness for your cause. When you drive awareness, you can also increase donations, volunteerism, and support for your nonprofit.
There are a number of ways to make people more aware of your nonprofit campaign. You can use traditional methods like print ads or billboards, or you can use digital methods like online ads, social media, or email marketing. You can also get creative and use content marketing or guerilla marketing techniques to get people talking about your campaign.
Raise Funds
Another one of your main goals when running a nonprofit campaign should be to gain funds for your organization. Your nonprofit organization wouldn’t exist without money, so it’s important to make sure that your campaign is focused on raising as much money as possible.
Nonprofit Marketing
This usually means finding creative ways to connect with your target audience, which is often new donors to raise money for your cause. Things like social media and video marketing user-generated content can educate and make people aware of your cause and they don’t require a lot of money.
Some popular methods for raising funds and awareness include:
- Sponsoring a local event
- Hosting a fundraiser or other in-person events
- Creating an awareness day or week
- Regularly posting to social media and other marketing channels
- Campaign partnering with another organization
These are just some of the fundraising opportunities that your nonprofit organization can try. Do some research and see what has worked best for others in the past. Then, get creative with all the elements like content marketing!
If the creative juices aren’t flowing yet though, don’t worry, here are more ideas for your nonprofit marketing plan:
MARKETING IDEAS FOR NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS
Marketing is all around us and it’s not just big corporations that are utilizing marketing techniques to increase their reach. Nonprofit organizations also use marketing to achieve their goals, which is often to increase donations or volunteers. Some nonprofits might shy away from marketing because they feel it’s too commercialized, but the truth is, marketing for nonprofits can be very impactful.
Nonprofit marketing campaign ideas like these can be adapted to any nonprofit organization, no matter the size of your budget:
PPC Advertising
We just got done saying that we were only going to talk about new strategies that don’t depend on a large budget, so you might be wondering why PPC advertising is on this list. PPC advertising can be expensive, but not if you take advantage of the Google Grant which provides nonprofit organizations with up to $10,000 per month in free advertising credit.
We’ll not only secure the grant for your company, but we’ll run your ads for you and make sure that you’re getting the most out of your credit.
To learn more about how we can help your nonprofit organization with PPC advertising, all you need to do is give us a call today!
Nonprofit Video Marketing
One of the best ways to get your message out there is through digital content marketing like video. Thanks to social media, it’s easier than ever to post videos and interactive content marketing to multiple channels and reach a wide audience.
You can use YouTube videos to tell your organization’s story, highlight the work you do, provide critical information, or even just show some behind-the-scenes footage to give people a glimpse of what goes into running your nonprofit. Many nonprofits are using video to great effect, and you can too!
Social Media Marketing
With over 3 billion users on social media, there’s a good chance you can reach your target audience by promoting your nonprofit work on these platforms. Young people are especially active on social media, so this is a great way to engage with them.
Make sure to post regularly, and mix up the content you share to keep things interesting. You can share photos and videos, articles related to your cause, or even just inspiring quotes. And don’t forget to use hashtags!
Email Marketing
Email marketing can be a great way to keep supporters updated on your work, and it’s also an effective fundraising tool. You can segment your email list so that people only receive information that’s relevant to them, which helps ensure that your messages are being read and appreciated.
Even something as simple as a weekly newsletter can be a great way to stay in touch with supporters and keep them engaged with your work.
Direct Mail
Direct mail can be a great way to reach potential supporters who might not be familiar with your organization. Be sure to personalize your letters, and make them as interesting and eye-catching as possible.
Telethons
Telethons are a great way to bring awareness for your cause and get people involved in your work. They’re also a great opportunity to generate donations. Make sure to promote your telethon in advance so that people know when and where to tune in.
Nonprofit Content Marketing
Valuable content is a great way to engage potential supporters and keep them coming back for more. Be sure to produce content that is interesting, informative, and relevant to your cause. Great content ideas can also help with search engine optimization (SEO), making it easier for people to find your organization online. The better a nonprofit’s content, the more likely it is also to be shared, which also helps to gain awareness and funds.
Fundraising Events
Hosting a fundraising event is a great way to raise money for your organization. But it’s also a great opportunity to raise awareness and get people involved in your work. Be sure to promote your event in advance and make it easy for people to donate.
EXAMPLES OF GREAT NON-PROFIT CAMPAIGNS
By looking at the nonprofit campaigns of other organizations, you can get a good idea of what might work for your own organization. Here are 15 examples of a great nonprofit marketing campaign:
1. The Ice Bucket Challenge for ALS
The Ice Bucket Challenge was a viral social media campaign that raised awareness and funds for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Participants would dump a bucket of ice water on their heads and then challenge others to do the same within 24 hours or donate to the ALS Association. A nonprofit marketing campaign like this makes an incredible impact!
2. Movember for Men’s Health
Movember is an annual campaign to educate people and raise funds for men’s health issues, such as prostate cancer and testicular cancer. Participants grow mustaches throughout the month of November and solicit donations from friends and family. It has become a bit of an annual tradition.
3. Make-A-Wish Foundation “I Wish” Cards
Make-A-Wish grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions. One of their most successful campaigns was their “I Wish” cards, where people could donate $29 to send a personalized card to a child with a life-threatening illness.
4. UNICEF’s Tap Project
UNICEF’s Tap Project is an annual event campaign that raises awareness and funds for the clean water crisis. People are asked to donate $1 to provide one day of clean water for a child in a developing country.
5. Autism Speaks “Light it Up Blue”
Autism Speaks is an organization that raises awareness and funds for research into autism. Their “Light it Up Blue” campaign asks people to wear blue and light up blue buildings and landmarks to show support for people with autism. This is a great example of a nonprofit marketing plan!
6. The Humane Society’s “Get Your Pet”
The Humane Society’s “Get Your Pet” campaign encourages people to adopt animals, like abandoned dogs, from animal rescue centers instead of buying them from pet stores. They provide resources to help people find the perfect pet for their home and lifestyle.
7. Amnesty International’s “Write for Rights”
Amnesty International’s “Write for Rights” campaign encourages people to write letters on behalf of people who have been unjustly imprisoned around the world. This campaign has helped to free over 1,000 people from prison, and is a great example of the power of advocacy.
8. The American Red Cross’s “Missing Type”
The American Red Cross’s “Missing Type” campaign encourages people to donate blood. They created a series of ads that featured common symbols like the letter “A” or the heart symbol with the Red Cross logo in the middle. This campaign helped to increase blood donations by over 3%.
9. The Humane Society’s “Puppy Mills”
The Humane Society’s “Puppy Mills” campaign raises awareness about the mistreatment of dogs in commercial breeding facilities. They created a series of ads that featured puppies in cages with the message “Don’t Buy From Puppy Mills.” This campaign helped to reduce the demand for puppy mill dogs by over 25%.
10. The Alzheimer’s Association’s “Remember Me”
The Alzheimer’s Association’s “Remember Me” campaign raises awareness about the disease and encourages people to donate to the cause. They created a series of ads that featured people with Alzheimer’s disease. This campaign helped to increase donations to the Alzheimer’s Association by over 50%.
11. The National Park Foundation’s “Find Your Park”
The National Park Foundation’s “Find Your Park” campaign encourages people to explore the national parks and find their own personal connection to these special places. This campaign has helped to increase visitation to the parks and boost awareness of their importance.
12. The American Red Cross’s “Home Fire Preparedness Campaign”
The American Red Cross’s “Home Fire Preparedness Campaign” is a nationwide campaign to prevent home fires. The campaign has helped to reduce the number of home fires by 25% and the number of deaths from home fires by 50%.
13. The American Heart Association’s “Heart Walk”
The American Heart Association’s “Heart Walk” is a national campaign to gain awareness of heart disease and stroke. The campaign has helped to increase the number of people who are aware of these diseases and their risk factors, as well as the importance of early detection and treatment.
14. The National Breast Cancer Foundation’s “Pink Ribbon Campaign”
The National Breast Cancer Foundation’s “Pink Ribbon Campaign” is a national campaign to educate on the topic of breast cancer and its early detection. The campaign has helped to increase the number of women who are aware of their risk factors for breast cancer, as well as the importance of early detection and treatment, which can save lives in the process.
15. The National AIDS Memorial’s “Red Ribbon Campaign”
The National AIDS Memorial’s “Red Ribbon Campaign” is a national campaign to increase awareness of HIV/AIDS and its prevention. The campaign has helped to increase the number of people who are aware of HIV/AIDS and its risk factors, as well as the importance of early detection and treatment.
LET A DIGITAL MARKETING AGENCY HANDLE IT ALL!
If running nonprofit campaigns sounds like a lot of work, it’s because it is! But it’s worth it when you see the results. If you don’t have the time or resources to run your own campaigns, consider hiring a digital marketing agency like ours to handle it all for you. We’ll make sure your campaigns are successful and that you’re getting the most out of your marketing budget.
Call About Your Nonprofit Organization!
We’re happy to audit your nonprofit organization’s digital marketing efforts and will make a pitch to your leadership team or board members about how we can help you! We’ll even provide a free consultation to get you started. Just contact us today to learn more!