Non-Profit Online Marketing

by Katharina Scholtz

In order to gain the funds needed to do good work, support often has to be gained from somewhere – which means you need to reach people who will feel personally connected to what you are doing.

It’s important for organisations to be able to see a return on the funds they spend on marketing, when they could be spending those funds directly on helping with their cause.

I’ve also come to understand that transparency can be a key differentiator in the non-profit sector. The fact that any marketing efforts can be measured and assessed online makes it easier for non-profits to be fully accountable and transparent, and this provides the ability to constantly test and tweak the success of their tactics.

There are many organisations often working for similar causes, and it can be difficult for a potential donor to differentiate between them and decide which he/she will choose to support. As was pointed out in an interesting blog post on Wild Apricot (a nifty Canadian blog about non-profit and technology), non-profits need to be clear about who they are and what they wish to convey. A website is obviously a clear point of access and a vehicle to drive an organisation’s identity and projects.

Where the Internet offers something that can be invaluable to non-profit organisations is in relationship building. Blogging about your cause and even the immediate way funds have been used (to better someone’s life) is compelling reading and an important way to give a face (or a few faces) to an organisation. Blogging requires time and dedication though, so it is something to be carefully considered.

There are a few options online. Considering that most organisations wouldn’t have access to endless staff the website can also be an important channel for funding or contact for other forms of support.

Direct mail for example, is often used as a way to reach donors, while Email Marketing can be used in a much more effective and measurable way.

Google has tried to step up in this arena by recently launching Google for Non-Profits. On this page they’ve highlighted all the services they offer that can be used by non-profits (most notably Google Grants which give free Online Advertising). As was pointed out on a blog called Profy, the page doesn’t necessarily offer anything new, but rather summarizes the options available to non-profits.

Of course the key in all these tactics is to understand that marketing practices can’t just be taken over from the for-profit world, they need to be adjusted and made relevant – which can only be done by those on the ground. It’s collaboration between eMarketers and the non-profit sector that can define the best way to use the online world to the benefit of all.

2008/03/26 | permalink | comments (1) | trackbacks (0)

Comments

Rss to Email

Get our latest blog posts delivered straight to your inbox.

eMarketing News

Subscribe to our fortnightly newsletter which is packed with interesting eMarketing news, views and other quirky titbits.

July

S	M	T	W	T	F	S
		1	2	3	4	5
6	7	8	9	10	11	12
13	14	15	16	17	18	19
20	21	22	23	24	25	26
27	28	29	30	31

« Jun

Aug »

Recent Comments

Australian Mortgage broker on Peer-to-peer lending or social loan sharks?

Mortgage broker Brisbane: FREE SERVICE. Find out how much MC Mortgages can drop your interest rate. - Mortgage broker Brisbane.
Anthony on The Democratic Alliance's Online Plan

Thanks for the article Kat, and you were spot-on in response to Shaun: my resources comment was not so much about being able to afford an online presence (most political parties in SA - all the ones you've heard of - have one); it was more about the fact that you need to have the human resources to sustain what you initiate. As an example, we started SA Today in response to ANC Today, and we've sustained it week in and week out (as has the ANC, even if its President has decided not to continue where his predecessor left off). Both the ID and the IFP have started similar initiatives, but they find it difficult to sustain, so it ends up being occasional, rather than weekly.
In response to Nic, providing strong principled opposition and defence of the constitution is a key part of the DA's brand, and one of the key things our supporters and potential supporters want from us. But the second important thing potential DA voters want (most important for many) is for us to offer solutions to the country's problems. We do that through a comprehensive policy platform which is effectively a manifesto of what we undertake to do if elected to government. That doesn't mean we don't recognise the enormity of the challenge ahead of us.
Kat on Can You Put the eMarketing Textbook in the Hands of Someone Who Needs It?

@Hilary, you can actually already order a hard copy directly from the website, just follow this link www.quirk.biz/emarketingtextbook/buy
we'll definitely let you know when it's in book shops as well though :)
@mike Less tree killing is always a good idea. The cd idea is intriguing, and would probably be great for people who have limited connectivity but are keen to learn.
Hilary Cross on Can You Put the eMarketing Textbook in the Hands of Someone Who Needs It?

Hi Kat, please let us know when the hard copy is out, I'd definatley like to purchase one for myself.
Thanks,
Hilary
Mike Metelerkamp on Can You Put the eMarketing Textbook in the Hands of Someone Who Needs It?

Kat, this is proving to be quite a mind bender...
How about creating those mini cd's and trying to get them inserted into some marketing/business/IT text books - or give them to universities to hand out in lectures?
Really cheap and less tree killing :)
Mike

More photos of the QuirkStars At Play

Name:
Friends of Quirk
Websites:
www.quirk.biz

Skribit: Social Suggestions

Name:
E-mail:
Url:
Comments:
Markup guide: makes text bold // makes text italic // -- creates a link -- (two dashes, no http://)
Remember personal info?
Notify me of follow-up comments?
SPAMCHECK:

Non-Profit Online Marketing

by Katharina Scholtz

Comments

Subscribe

Rss to Email

eMarketing News

July

Archives

Categories

Recent Posts

Recent Comments