NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION

Non-Profit Organization Marketing and Services

Non-Profit Organization Marketing and Services

Introduction

Unlike commercial companies non-profit organizations do not seek to profit and have "non-financial" goals and objectives. If a commercial company indicator of successful marketing activities can be obtained profits, for-profit organizations such index will not work. The effectiveness of nonprofit organizations is determined by the "public benefit" (Sargeant, 1999).

To work properly, every organization needs resources. Commercial firms are paying for unused resources - labor, materials, land, and knowledge of experts. Nonprofit organizations are often able to obtain these resources for free (McLeish, 1995). At the same time, commercial firms expect to cover their costs from the profits earned from the sale of their products. Nonprofit organizations also cannot cover its costs from the proceeds of the sale of products or services and should attract the necessary funds through donations, grants, social order, etc., providing a continuous flow of funds.

The need for care as the mobilization of resources and their use in accordance with the mission of the organization means that the leaders of NGOs have to deal with two groups of "clients". Maintaining a balance between the interests and expectations of these two groups is often very difficult (Ptacek & Salazar, 1997). 

The cornerstone of a successful business is the rule, "customer is always right." However, this stone is shattered when it comes to non-profit organizations. Often the "rightness customer" and his idea of what is good for him may be in conflict with the mission of the organization. 

Non-Profit Organization Marketing Options/Types

Print Media

Newspapers, journals, magazines, yellow pages, direct mail, newsletters, flyers, brochures, business cards, bumper stickers, bookmarks, temporary tattoos, et cetera, et cetera! There are many options when it comes to printed materials in marketing a nonprofit. The options are almost endless if one sits down and brainstorms the possibilities for a mere 15 minutes. Not only can a nonprofit place a traditional advertisement in a newspaper, but also it can send out a press release to have the newspaper run a story on its organization, submit a letter to the editor, or even place an advertisement in the classifieds (McNamara, 2002). The best individual to contact at a newspaper so that the press release is not buried in the pile of hundreds of releases received each day is the department editor and/or the specific reporter that covers the nonprofit's topic.

What a nonprofit decides to put in its direct mailing piece is extremely important. There are two main groups direct mail pieces are used to target: membership and charitable contributions. The mailing should be focused only on one or the other, so the organization must choose which group it wants to target (Greenfield, 2001).

Broadcast: Television, Radio

Most small nonprofits do not attempt to advertise on television, and this is mostly due to the cost. However, if a nonprofit plays its card right, it can get a television station to sponsor it through free airtime for a commercial (Rados, 1981). Even if this happens, the organization still needs all the equipment, time, and resources to produce a commercial, so this is ...