Public relations activities include helping the public to understand the nonprofit and its services. Similar to effective advertising and promotions, effective public relations often depends on designing and implementing a well-designed public relations plan.
The plan often includes description of what you want to convey to whom, methods to convey it, who is responsible for implementing the methods and how much money is budgeted to fund these activities. Similar to advertising and promotions planning, a media plan and advertising calendar can be very useful in a public relations plan, as well. Often, public relations are conducted through the media, that is, newspapers, television, magazines, etc. Publicity is mention in the media.
Organizations usually have little control over the message in the media, at least, not as much as they do in advertising. Regarding publicity, reporters and writers decide what will be said.
Regarding public relations, consider: What groups of stakeholders do we want to appeal to and how? What impressions do you want each of your stakeholder to have? What communications media do they see or prefer the most? What messages are most appealing to each stakeholder group? Regarding media relations, consider: Who in your organization should respond to calls from newspaper reporters, etc? What should organization members say to the reporters?
Do you have a script that your organization can reference to represent the organization to the community? Do you have guidelines for writing press releases and are these guidelines used? The for-profit arena has seen dramatic improvements in customer service as customers become more discerning in their selection of products and services clients of nonprofit organizations are also customers of the organization.
Organizations are realizing that the best source of customers for new products and services are current customers -- if their needs are being met. As with many other areas in this guide, the place to start when understanding customer service may be some basic methods of market research. When considering how you will ensure strong "customer" services, consider: Are clients very satisfied with your services?
If not, what can you do to improve customer service? How can you do that? What policies and procedures are needed to ensure strong customer service. Include training in your considerations, including skills in interpersonal relations, such as questioning, listening, handling difficult people, handling interpersonal conflicts, negotiating. These methods are primarily in regard to building and reproducing the service producing it , and then bringing the particular target market and service together distributing the service.
How your nonprofit produces and distributes services depends very much on the nature and needs of your organization and services. However, there are some common questions you should address in your planning. If your program planning and marketing is successful, then hopefully you can expect an increase in demand for your services.
You consider the following questions: What resources are needed to build the service? What resources are needed to reproduce the service that is, provide it multiple times? How will you meet expected demand for the services over the next six months? Twelve months? Eighteen months? Note that the development and implementation of various production methods do not have to be addressed in detail in a marketing plan -- these topics are usually included in the operations or management planning for the program.
However, production should be generally considered during the marketing analysis to ensure the eventual detailed production planning takes into consideration the needs of target markets and having their needs met on time. Matters of distribution of service can be critical for nonprofits, especially if they are providing critically needed services to specific groups of clients. For example, low-income clients may not be able to afford transportation to other areas to receive your services.
Carefully consider: What distribution channels should you consider, for example, should clients come to your facility, you visit their offices, can you provide services over the telephone, etc? What resources are needed to bring together your services and your target markets? What major steps need to occur to accomplish these distribution channels? Note that detailed planning about developing and maintaining distribution channels is often included in the operations or management plans, rather than in the marketing plan.
However, the marketing analysis should focus on selecting the methods of distribution that best meet the needs of target markets and the nonprofit. The best indicator of the success of a program is clear, continued evidence that its services are meeting the previously unmet needs of its clients. To clearly conclude this success of a program, you need to clear indicators of success.
It's important during program planning to build in clear indicators of the success of the program. You can also resort to indicators in terms of outputs tangible results , for example, the number of clients served, money made, milestones accomplished, measures of satisfaction among clients per questionnaires, etc.
Note that measures of outputs are very weak indicators of the success of achieving outcomes. As a result, many evaluators and funders will assert that more valid measures toward outcomes must be used. If you struggle with identifying key indicators of success, then imagine the program operating in a highly successful manner at some time in the future.
Then describe what features of the program indicate that the program is successful. Consider planning a six-month or one-year pilot effort. The pilot will be a sort of mini-program that will reflect many of the aspects of a full-blown program. However, planning and operations regarding the pilot will include numerous reviews and assessments from which to learn from experiences around the pilot program. This learning will go into planning for the full-blown program. Note that funders are often highly cooperative in funding pilots as an approach to research or verify the nonprofit's proposed plans.
Program reviews are regular examination of the program's activities to assess how the program is doing. A program review team should probably include the chief executive, the head of the new program and one or two other program directors, particularly those from programs that closely coordinate with the new program.
A board planner should be involved, if possible. Examine if the program seems to be following the original plan.
If it's not, the deviation is not as important as understanding why and assessing if the deviation was necessary. Take a look at the key indicators as noted in the plan. What is the progress toward the key indicators? What major problems exist and what is needed to address them? How are the actual costs compared to the planned costs? Are any actions needed to avoid financial problems? What would you do differently about the program if you could do anything? What limitations are holding you back from what you would ideally do if you could?
What are you learning from the program implementation so far? One of the most effective ways to ensure the success of your program is by evaluating the implementation of the plan. The plans are not law -- they're a set of guidelines and controls. If the plans needs to be changed, then fine -- but know why they need to be changed and how.
Are goals and objectives being achieved or not? If they are, then acknowledge, reward and communicate the progress. If not, then consider the following questions.
Will the goals be achieved according to the timelines specified in the plan? If not, then why? Should the deadlines for completion be changed be careful about making these changes -- know why efforts are behind schedule before times are changed? Do personnel have adequate resources money, equipment, facilities, training, etc. Are the goals and objectives still realistic? Should priorities be changed to put more focus on achieving the goals?
Should the goals be changed be careful about making these changes -- know why efforts are not achieving the goals before changing the goals? What can be learned from our monitoring and evaluation in order to improve future planning activities and also to improve future monitoring and evaluation efforts? For example, consider: 1. Did customers respond to advertising and promotions? Did stakeholders respond with positive impression of the agency? Did customers respond stronger than expected in certain areas?
What media seemed to generate the most responses? What else can be learned about how clients are responding to the marketing efforts? Programs should be evaluated on a regular basis to discern if the programs are reaching their goals, achieving their outcomes and if they are doing so in an efficient manner. Small nonprofits seldom have the resources to conduct comprehensive, detailed evaluations of a program's goals, outcomes and process.
However, personnel from small nonprofits can think about where they have the most concerns about a particular program or aspect of a program goals, processes, outcomes, etc. Program evaluation holds numerous advantages. It can verify or increase the impact or outcomes on constituents. It can fine tune delivery of program services, which, in turn, saves costs and time. Evaluations often provide wonderful client testimonials that can be used for public relations and credibility when applying for funding.
In fact, evaluations are often used by program planners to ensure that the program is indeed carrying out the original process planned for the program in the first place. Often, nonprofit leaders develop a program plan which ends up changing dramatically over time as program staff are overcome by events.
Program processes can naturally deviate from the original plan because program plans were flawed in the first place, the program's environment changed a great deal or program staff simply found a much better way to deliver services to clients. Examine the program's process to the extent that you can associate what resources are needed to carry out that process.
Consider: personnel costs salaries and wages, fringe benefits, consultants , training, space, equipment purchase or rental, travel, copier, telephone, general office supplies, etc.
Develop a program budget by estimating the cost for each resource identified above. Note that this budgeting activity is almost always required in a proposal if the nonprofit wants to pursue funding for the new program. For additional information now about Developing a Budget. To round out your knowledge of this Library topic, you may want to review some related topics, available from the link below. Each of the related topics includes free, online resources. Also, scan the Recommended Books listed below.
They have been selected for their relevance and highly practical nature. By continuing to use this site, you agree to our Privacy Policy. Resources and Activities Organized to Provide Related Services Basically, a nonprofit program is a highly integrated set of resources and activities geared to provide a service or closely related set of services to clients.
The following article describes the difference: What Nonprofit Programs Are -- and Are Not For more information now about nonprofit organizations, their structures and nature, see Overview of Nonprofit Organizations Program "System": Inputs, Processes, Outputs and Outcomes Programs, like other organizations, can seem a highly confusing, amorphous mess that is very hard to comprehend.
For more information now about outcomes-based evaluation, see Program Evaluation. Program Planning Should Be Closely Aligned With Strategic Planning Depending on the nature of the organization, strategic planning typically includes review of the organization's vision, mission, values, overall issues and goals.
For more information now about strategic planning, see Strategic Planning Nonprofits must strive to keep down overhead costs, which are often interpreted as the costs of central administration. Involve Board Members in Program Planning A major responsibility of board members is to set the strategic direction for their nonprofit.
For more information now about the roles and responsibilities of board. Conduct Program Planning as a Team The chief executive, key planners on the board, relevant middle managers and representatives from major client groups should all be involved in program planning. Program Planning Should Involve Potential Clients as Much as Possible One can embark on a wonderful program planning process with all the right parts, but if key clients aren't involved to provide perspectives from the program user's point of view, the organization may build a beautiful ladder -- but on the wrong roof.
For more information now about marketing research, see Marketing Research Don' Worry About Developing "Perfect" Program Plan If the organization involves the right people, everyone participates wholeheartedly and continues to reflect on their experiences, then the organization will develop the "perfect" plan for the organization's programs.
Program Outcomes, Goals and Strategies Follow Directly from Strategic Planning If your strategic planning was done thoroughly then it should be relatively easy to determine program outcomes, goals and strategies. Program Outcomes We've noted above that intended outcomes are always the compass to point direction for nonprofits and their programs. For example: Example Outcome 1 -- Drop-outs from Minneapolis high schools obtain high school diplomas or equivalent levels of certification Example Outcome 2 -- Within three months after getting certification, participants obtain at least half-time employment or enroll in an accredited program to further their education Program Goals Programs goals should follow directly from, or be the same as, strategic service goals intended to meet specific needs of specific client groups.
Example Program Goal 1: Support at least drop-outs from Minneapolis high schools to obtain diplomas or equivalent levels of certification Program Strategies Program strategies or methods to reach goals should follow directly from strategies intended to achieve each strategic goal, for example: Example Program Strategy 1.
Draft Basic Description of Each of Your Services Typically, a service is a closely related set of activities that accomplishes a specific benefit for clients.
Nonprofit marketing isn't just for funding — it also drives manpower and woman-power! Regardless of industry or size, all nonprofits benefit from volunteers, and marketing your organization can help bring in new hands.
Moreover, volunteers are twice as likely to donate as non-volunteers. Awareness, funding, and volunteers are integral to your nonprofit, but what about the purpose of your organization?
What about the people, animals, or cause you're helping? Marketing can help with that, too. These are just a handful of reasons you should invest in marketing particularly inbound marketing! Now, let's discuss how to build a nonprofit marketing plan so you can start bringing in new funds, volunteers, and constituents.
Crafting a nonprofit marketing plan might not be too different than a for-profit marketing plan, but it's debatably more important. Increasing awareness and constituent engagement without exhausting your hardworking team requires approaching your marketing systematically. That's where a nonprofit marketing plan comes into play.
Putting systems in place to produce and distribute your marketing content allows you to focus on operating and scaling your nonprofit. Your nonprofit marketing plan exists to transform your organization's mission and big-picture objectives into strategic, actionable goals. For example, let's say one of your objectives was to protect the welfare of animals in your community like one of my favorite local rescues, ALIVE Chicago.
I'd ask you to brainstorm three to five marketing ideas to advance that objective. Let's use idea number one as an example:. An increase in blog traffic will boost awareness of our organization, educate the community, and alert more people of our adoption opportunities — thus, saving more animals and bringing in more funding. This increase will boost awareness of our organization, educate the community, and alert more people of our adoption opportunities — thus, saving more animals and bringing in more funding.
SMART goals are especially important when it comes time to analyze and measure your marketing performance which we talk about later , so be sure to finish this step before moving forward in your nonprofit marketing plan. Nonprofit marketing is different from other types of marketing because your organization is likely targeting multiple groups: constituents, customers, volunteers, and donors.
It's imperative to define and understand each of these audiences a. We'll get into key messaging next. For example, following our animal shelter example from above , an email targeting donors will have different messaging than an email calling for volunteers.
One easy way to organize your different audiences is using a CRM to segment the different groups. By separating contacts with tags and lists, you can easily send marketing messages to the appropriate groups. Key messages encompass the information you want your audiences to hear, remember, and share about your nonprofit organization. Crafting these before you employ your marketing is important for a few reasons:. Continuing with our animal shelter example, here's a look at how you can craft a key message for different audiences.
Key message: We protect the welfare of animals in our community through education, adoption and fostering, and animal advocacy. All of these key messages have the same purpose and undertone, but they vary slightly depending on your audience. Together with your nonprofit organization's mission, vision, and goals, these messages will help effectively communicate and market your organization's needs and purpose. Many marketers jump right to this step — creating and publishing various marketing tactics.
Marketing encompasses much more than an advertisement, blog post, or event. In order to execute successfully, you must complete all the steps prior to this. Now that you've established your goals what you want , your key messages what you're going to say , and your audience who you're going to say it to , you can determine your marketing tactics how you're going to say it.
Marketing tactics refer to channels like email marketing, social media, events, and more. We've dedicated an entire section to these marketing strategies — read about them in detail below.
Regardless of which tactic you choose, be sure to conduct thorough planning before and as you execute on it. Here are some questions to ask yourself as you prepare:. Tactical planning is an integral part of your overall nonprofit marketing plan. How you approach your marketing strategies and how they impact your organization is just as important as how you execute on them.
Before you hit the ground running on any of these strategies , be sure your team has a solid game plan and a full understanding of it. Download for Free. Your marketing probably won't perform perfectly from the get-go. That's OK. Routine reporting and analysis help you figure out what's working and what you need to change. As you choose and establish your marketing channels, pay attention to the measurable performance indicators for each.
Here's a list of examples from our list of marketing strategies below:. Remember the goals you defined in step one? The point of measuring your marketing performance is to stay aligned with those goals. Regular and carefully planned communication is key to convincing people to donate or get involved. You can use your database to plan marketing initiatives such as:. A database allows you to divide your audience into groups based on a number of factors, such as whether they have already donated, their income level, or if they prefer to be contacted by email or regular mail.
This is known as market segmentation , and it helps your nonprofit market in the most cost-effective and effective way possible. Your marketing should showcase not only the mission of your nonprofit but also the tangible results you've achieved. Success stories motivate current members to stay involved, attract new members, and create an interesting angle for media coverage.
Showcase your results through:. Share information about fundraising results, the people or organizations that have benefited from your nonprofit's work, projects you've completed, laws you've influenced, or other concrete measures of success.
Marketing your nonprofit isn't always a solo activity. Strategic partnerships can expand the reach of your marketing efforts. Look for ways to work with the people or organizations who are in sync with your mission and can help advance your work. These could be other nonprofits with similar or parallel objectives, local volunteer groups, businesses looking for philanthropy partnerships, or government agencies.
And don't forget media coverage. Share your expertise with reporters who are looking for sources about timely issues, or send a press release about your organization's achievements to media outlets.
This step alone often brings substantial enrichment and marketing opportunities to nonprofit organizations. Actively scan device characteristics for identification.
Use precise geolocation data. Select personalised content. Create a personalised content profile. Measure ad performance. Select basic ads. Create a personalised ads profile. Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights.
Measure content performance. Develop and improve products.
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