Marketing and the Nonprofit
John B. McConnell, MBA – Two Quills
Working at a nonprofit requires a head that fits quickly and easily into many different hats. Weeks of 501(c)(3) paperwork turns into Facebook page management in the blink of an eye. Soon, if the group successfully generates steam, a mountain of question-laden emails must be climbed. Once all of that is accomplished, life fast forwards to the middle of the night at some point in the future where someone sits bleary-eyed at a computer monitor teaching him or herself Joomla while another board member edits website content in a home office across town or across the Internet, serenaded by Grooveshark and endlessly calculating exactly how much time is left before the baby wakes up for breakfast.
While you are experiencing this progression, a thought often runs through your mind that if you spend every moment jumping from small fire to small fire, the big picture things that pulled you to this project in the first place are not going to be done properly.
That thought worries you.
But you are in luck.
All you need is the perfect marketing strategy. One that gets the most out of your only paid employee, a high school student who works one hour per day, five days each week. An employee, as instructed by your organization’s leader, who is to focus primarily on social networking sites (and other more arcane forms of communication such as iPhones and Gchat windows) and can only meet with you via the Internet.
Gone completely gray yet? Done a bit of stress eating? Do not fear. You now have everything you need to get your organization to the next step. That is, you now have everything you need if you properly constructed your social network while completing IRS paperwork and polishing mission and vision statements.
Interns, mentors, that crucial third board member who will make everything run so smoothly. You’ve reached them and they are ready to help. You have people ready to hit the streets. The community welcomes you. All you have to do is pull off the first few events and then the real marketing can begin.
But you are in luck.
All you need is the perfect strategy and your organization can take the next step.
