Message & Media: Marketing Your
Small Community-Based Nonprofit Presented by Kivi Leroux Miller for the United Way Agencies of Davidson County, North Carolina

This is Me

… and So is This

Enough Me, How About You?
<ul><li>Everyone </li></ul><ul><li>Stand </li></ul><ul><li>Up! </li></ul>Flickr: Zen

Running a Nonprofit is Hard
So is Finding Funding and Supporters

So What Can You Do
About It?

Focus on . . .
. <ul><li>What You Say </li></ul><ul><li>and How You Say It </li></ul>Flickr: Eszter

Your Message: What You Say
<ul><li>What You Do – Quickly and Clearly </li></ul><ul><li>Your Three Most Important Things </li></ul><ul><li>Your Best Stories </li></ul>Flickr: Zoomar

Match Game – Who Said
This? <ul><li>We feed those that are homebound and alone. </li></ul><ul><li>We provide quality day time care for older and impaired adults. </li></ul><ul><li>Help people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies. </li></ul>

Match Game – Who Said
This? <ul><li>We feed those that are homebound and alone. Meals on Wheels - Thomasville </li></ul><ul><li>We provide quality day time care for older and impaired adults. The Life Center </li></ul><ul><li>Help people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies. American Red Cross - Thomasville </li></ul>

Who Are These Groups? <ul><li>We
serve by enriching the community and its residents. </li></ul><ul><li>We facilitate the connection between community resources and students. </li></ul><ul><li>We assist impoverished families with needed direct and indirect services. </li></ul>

Who Are These Groups? <ul><li>We
serve by enriching the community and its residents. </li></ul><ul><li>We facilitate the connection between community resources and students. </li></ul><ul><li>We assist impoverished families with needed direct and indirect services. </li></ul>MISSION STATEMENT LANGUAGE NORMAL PEOPLE DON’T UNDERSTAND

1. What Does Your Nonprofit
Do? <ul><li>Your answer MUST be </li></ul><ul><li>Very Short </li></ul><ul><li>Very Clear (no jargon at all) </li></ul><ul><li>Quite Distinctive </li></ul>

2. Three Most Important Things
<ul><li>What do you want to be known for? </li></ul>Flickr: downing.amanda

2. Three Most Important Things
<ul><li>What sets you apart from everyone else here? </li></ul>

3. Your Best Stories <ul><li>“
Stories provide simulation (knowledge about how to act) and inspiration (motivation to act).” </li></ul><ul><li>– Chip Heath and Dan Heath in Made to Stick </li></ul>

Act I: <ul><li>Introduces the character,
his situation, and his goal. </li></ul>

Act II: <ul><li>Character faces obstacles.
Tension mounts. </li></ul>

Act III: <ul><li>Action peaks. Character
triumphs, gets payoff. </li></ul>

So Who Is This Guy
in Your Nonprofit’s Best Stories?

Your Message is Right if
. . . <ul><li>It’s all about them, not you! </li></ul>

So You Have Your Messages
<ul><li>Now what? </li></ul>Flickr: mandj98

Your Media: How You Say
It <ul><li>Get Personal </li></ul><ul><li>Feed Your Biggest Fans </li></ul><ul><li>Build Your Lists and Use Them Regularly </li></ul>

1. Giving is Always Personal
. . . Let me out of here!

. . . So Get
Personal When Asking! <ul><li>Get Out There & Give Good Face Time </li></ul>T-shirt from zazzle.com

2. Feed Your Biggest Fans
Flickr: brendio You rock! Let us help you!

Give SWAG to Spread the
Word <ul><li>Teach Your Messages </li></ul><ul><li>Wearables </li></ul><ul><li>Stuff to Pass On </li></ul>Flickr: omar chatriwala

Let People Raise $ and
Friends for You

You Are Already Online Whether
You Know It or Not!

Nonprofits Are Also Here

3. Build Your Lists and
Use Them! <ul><li>Media Contacts </li></ul><ul><li>Friendly Businesses </li></ul><ul><li>Evangelists </li></ul><ul><li>Print Mailing List of Supporters </li></ul><ul><li>Email List of Supporters </li></ul><ul><li>RSS Subscribers </li></ul>Flickr: fuzzyjay

What a Real Marketing Genius
Says You Should Do . . . <ul><li>Kivi Leroux Miller: What are some of your favorite offline tactics for small nonprofits that are marketing in a fairly small area geographically (like a single county)? Seth Godin : Answer your phone. Visit with people. Talk to them. Write hand-written letters. Do retail marketing with wholesale people like foundations. Personalize everything, don't depersonalize anything. </li></ul>

What Do You Get Out
of It? Flickr: shira golding

Do Not Fear Failure. Instead
. . . <ul><li>Measure, Learn and Adjust </li></ul>Flickr: hoyasmeg

Want More? Try the Webinars
<ul><li>Easy and Effective Ways to Build Your Email List (June 4) </li></ul><ul><li>Writing a Quick & Dirty Marketing Strategy (June 11) </li></ul><ul><li>Creating a Compelling Message (June 19) </li></ul><ul><li>Must-Have Features for Nonprofit Websites (June 25) </li></ul>

You’ll find a copy of
this presentation and additional resources at NonprofitMarketingGuide.com/davidson