Nonprofit and not-for-profit organizations are resourceful by nature. They make the most out of limited budgets and staff. But the time comes when nearly every organization needs an external partner to help them reach that next step, that next goal, that next achievement.
One of our not-for-profit clients, Hand in Hand in the Quad Cities, provides child care and programming to people of all abilities. We chatted with CEO Angie Kendall. What follows are insights both about how to work with an external marketing team and empower your internal team to do its best work.
What Are You Asking For?
When a nonprofit is considering outsourcing some or all of their marketing efforts, it needs to be more than outsourcing; it’s finding the right partnership. That means the nonprofit team is willing to share clear goals, stories, and insights for the marketing team to evaluate and transform. You create trust and quality work when you operate that way.
It’s less a matter of taking work away and more about making the work better.
Think of partnering with an outside marketing team as building a coalition and, in the process, expanding your team. It’s an investment.
Nonprofits Benefit the Entire Community
Facts help us solve. Emotions help us care. Human emotion is the hook, and the facts support the hook. That construct helps nonprofits speak to donors, legislators, and community members in a way that prompts action.
For an organization like Hand in Hand, the emotional hooks are the children, adults, and families they help every day. The facts are that child care is a workforce issue and accessibility is lacking in our state. Bring those emotions and facts together, and you’ve developed a compelling message for any audience.
Nonprofit work always has ripples, providing services that benefit the entire community. But you can’t assume anyone realizes that. You must tell that story.
Creating a Culture of Stories
There are stories in almost every interaction. The key is having a keen eye and ear for when they’re happening. Because storytelling is a matter of observation.
For Angie, that mindset comes into play nearly every day she leaves her office. On her way out, she always passes through Hand in Hand’s programming: kids of all abilities participating in activities. One day, she noticed kids using boxes to create. One child built a spaceship. Another was building a boat. This was imagination in action. It was also an example of the freedom of expression that happens when kids feel like they truly belong.
She made note, realized it could be inspiration for marketing, and let both her internal team and our de Novo team know. It became the theme for the organization’s summer donation campaign.
So, start naming what you see. Then, share it: with your staff, with your donors, with your community. Because emotion lives in every experience.
Why Does Marketing Matter for Nonprofits?
Convincing stakeholders and board members that marketing is important for nonprofits starts with understanding our current climate. An attention economy demands that you have a presence. Marketing is that presence. Marketing provides you with control.
Being seen. Being heard. Being supported. It all goes hand in hand.
