subject: Start A Non-profit Organization - Reaching Your Constituents [print this page] How to reach your intended constituents with your non profit's services is no mere afterthought for a non profit founder. These are some marketing methods to plan for and to describe in the marketing section of your non profit business plan.
Partner Organizations
Businesses, the government, or related non profits may be in a position to refer those who need your services to you (or you to them). Look for groups like this who can be potential partners when their stated purpose is to help funnel those in need to non profits like yours. Establish a positive, win-win relationship with these organizations, focused on both how they can help you and how your services will help them and their own constituents. If the exchange is uneven, perhaps the partner should be paying you for your service, or your non profit should be paying them. Paying for referrals should not be ruled out if it is more efficient than other marketing methods.
Go To The Sources
If you've done your homework and learned where your constituents live, work, and spend their time, you will have many ideas of physical locations where you should advertise to reach them. If other businesses and non profits have the same idea of reaching the target market this way, you may find it hard to be heard through the clutter of marketing messages. Look for the unexploited spaces and always think about how your message can stand out through clever graphic design or through personal interaction, for example.
Advertising
For some non profits, traditional advertising methods, including television, radio, print, and online, have an important place in the marketing plan. Look for outlets that have a demonstrated ability to reach your constituents at low cost. Then consider those that offer further discounts for non profits. Remember that, with mass marketing techniques, you are paying to reach those who don't need to hear your message as well as those who do, so choose the advertising channel wisely and attempt to measure the results from each channel so you can adjust where you spend your marketing dollars later on.
by: Eric Powers
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