As nonprofits, we simply wouldn’t be able to GROW our presence without some timely strategic marketing initiatives.
Today, we want to help illuminate one of those strategies for you?
How do we market our nonprofit? We use an amazing technique called…
The Power of One
This will help you stand out and ATTRACT like-minded donors who SHARE your values and are aligned with your mission!
The Power of One identifies key strategies in 4 different market segments:
- Ideal Donors (think about your ideal donor who gave a donation and followed that up with another gift or increased their donation)
- Corporate Sponsorships
- Foundations
- Partnerships
Once you have identified your key audiences, you thenarticulate your nonprofit’s mission in a way that RESONATES with them. Ask yourself these questions:
- What are their passions and values?
- What other forms of support did they provide (volunteering, etc.)?
- What challenge does your organization face and what will it take to solve it?
- What results do donors really want to see; i.e. what would they consider a home run?
In light of this key information, it’s so much easier to build your marketing message around it in a way that engages your ideal donors.
And the results are truly AMAZING!
When you get this right, it’s like giving water to a person wandering in the desert. They will see you and quickly say – “Hey, over here!!”
Okay, so now that we’ve identified shared values and goals, how do we actually seek out our ideal donors?
Finding Your Ideal Donors
Look for those who:
- Are nominated for local business awards or just got promoted in local directories
- Advertise in newspapers/magazines/online directories
- Support other nonprofits – look at events and who sponsors and chairs the events
- Are members of local organizations: Chamber of Commerce, Rotary, Kiwanis
- Are professionals that you go to for service: Financial Planner, Accountant, Banker, Attorney, Business Owners
Spend time making a list of the names.
Connect with prospective donors/sponsors on both Facebook and LinkedIn. If they don’t respond within 48 hours, cancel the request and make it again the following week so it’s near the top!
Being warm and friendly, and engaging with their life is a wonderful way to establish authentic connections with your key donors.
Congratulate any ideal donors who have won an award recently. You can then send a private message: “Is there anything I can help you with or anyone you’d like to be introduced to?”
Start the conversation. Then when they respond, keep up that momentum by asking about their award, what their next big project is, and so on.
You’ll find a willing conversationalist – and yes, an ideal future donor!
Did you have any questions about the power of one or finding and connecting with your ideal donors? Get in touch, we’d love to hear from you.