Branding You Nonprofit

Before we get started with this step, take a minute to congratulate yourself! Forming a nonprofit, applying for tax-exempt status, and filing the required state documentation is a tremendous accomplishment. Now that (most) of the legal filings are out of the way, it’s time to focus on why you started this journey: getting your organization in front of the public. Doing so requires marketing.

Depending on the states a nonprofit is operating within, nonprofits generally cannot solicit or ask for donations until they have  (1) received their 501(C)(3) status, and (2) have registered their charity with the state through a charity registration or solicitation license (which generally can’t happen until 501(C)(3) is received).  It can take the IRS six months to make a tax-exempt determination. Instead of waiting for the paperwork to arrive, now is a great time to prepare for marketing.

Most people starting a nonprofit do so because they’re passionate about their organization’s purpose. This drive is crucial for the organization’s success. However, no matter how devoted the Board of Directors is, potential donors and those needing your organization’s services will only know the opportunity exists with marketing.

Informing people that your organization exists and giving them a clear understanding of your cause is just as crucial to a nonprofit organization as it is for a for-profit business. That is why marketing is so vital. Unfortunately, many nonprofit organizations must focus more time or energy on marketing. They often think they need help to afford the cost or that volunteers and donations will automatically arrive by starting a nonprofit. Not only will potential volunteers and donors not know your nonprofit exists without proper marketing, but they won’t want to engage.

Failure to properly market and communicate your organization’s message is a guaranteed road to failure. The good news is a marketing degree is not needed to market your nonprofit. You only need tools, time, and passion to get the word out.

There are many ways to market your nonprofit. Like fundraising, which we’ll cover in the next step, marketing is limited only by the organization’s imagination and time. Here are a few standard marketing options:

1. Branding: Developing a logo and color scheme for the organization.
2. Website: Creating a space for information and donations.
3. Social Media: Establish your social media accounts and announce your formation and pending 501(C)(3).  Social Media is a tool to engage with potential donors, volunteers, and participants.
4. Press Release: Write your press release announcing your nonprofit and have it ready to go for once the 501(C)(3) is official. You will want to notifying local news outlets about your organization.
5. Email Newsletter: Find a Newsletter partner and begin to create your your Newsletter to  Communicate the organization’s activities.

While we’re covering marketing at this point in the startup process, know that you don’t need to have a plan for every type of marketing right now. While waiting to solicit funds, it’s a good idea to develop a marketing plan. Maybe priority one is primary branding and then, as funds become available, a quality website. This way, when the organization can solicit funds, it has a clear and unified marketing message ready to go.

BryteBridge has a team of website developers, graphic designers and branding experts ready to aid your organization’s marketing goals.

Marketing Checklist

1. Develop Branding
2. Build A Website
3. Set Up Online Donations
4. Start A Blog
5. Set Up Social Media Accounts
6. Create a Social Media Calendar
7. Write/Issue A Press Release
8. Start an Email Newsletter