{"id":7883,"date":"2020-08-03T06:00:07","date_gmt":"2020-08-03T06:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/?p=7883"},"modified":"2020-07-31T18:46:21","modified_gmt":"2020-07-31T18:46:21","slug":"non-profit-marketing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/?p=7883","title":{"rendered":"My 5-Step Marketing Plan for a Friend\u2019s Non-Profit"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"c7\"><span class=\"c1\">A few weeks back, a friend approached me with a marketing challenge:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"c8 lst-kix_2s398a80lah1-0\">\n<li class=\"c2 c5\"><span class=\"c1\">He and his wife were starting a non-profit \ud83d\udca1<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"c2 c5\"><span class=\"c1\">Their goal was to get to $8,350\/month in recurring donations ASAP \ud83d\udcb8<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"c2 c5\"><span class=\"c1\">They needed a plan to help them hit that goal \ud83d\udcc8<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"c7\"><span class=\"c1\">Even though we typically create marketing plans for for-profit businesses, I didn\u2019t see any reason why we couldn\u2019t apply our approach to a non-profit.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"c7\"><span class=\"c1\">In this post, I\u2019m going to show you the plan we created for them to hit their goal within 60 days.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"c7\"><span class=\"c1\">Check it out and see what ideas you could steal for your own marketing plan. \ud83d\ude42<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"c7\"><span class=\"c15 c10\">Step #1: Get TOTAL clarity on the problem your company\/product solves<\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"c7\"><span class=\"c1\">I get it. This part doesn\u2019t sound sexy. You can\u2019t frame it as a \u201cgrowth hack.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"c7\">But most marketing plans don\u2019t fail because they don\u2019t have the right growth hacks.\u00a0<strong><span class=\"c3\">They fail because the business never had clarity on the problem they solve (and who they can best solve it for) before they made the plan.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"c7\"><span class=\"c1\">There are 6 questions you must ask before making any plan (apply these to your own product and company ASAP):<\/span><\/p>\n<ol class=\"c8 lst-kix_uqa09dett0f-0 start\" start=\"1\">\n<li class=\"c2 c5\"><span class=\"c1\">What problem does your product solve?<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"c2 c5\"><span class=\"c1\">How are you solving the problem?<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"c2 c5\"><span class=\"c1\">Who is your best fit customer?<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"c2 c5\"><span class=\"c1\">What guarantee are you making your customer?<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"c2 c5\"><span class=\"c1\">What is the goal of the organization?<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"c2 c5\"><span class=\"c1\">What will the organization and impact look like in 3 years?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p class=\"c7\"><span class=\"c1\">For example, here are the answers I came up with after talking to my friends about their non-profit idea:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"c8 lst-kix_auerze3dr2j7-0\">\n<li class=\"c2 c5\"><strong><span class=\"c3\">Problem<\/span><\/strong>\n<ul class=\"c8 lst-kix_auerze3dr2j7-0\">\n<li class=\"c2 c5\"><span class=\"c1\">Refugees come to the U.S. in distress from war torn and persecuted countries. They live in tent cities for years and have seen many of their loved ones die. They are looked down on as pariahs by the U.S. government. The kids are traumatized and severely behind in education. This puts them at a large disadvantage in life. Job opportunities are lower. Stigma follows them. And they have a tough time assimilating to the U.S. culture and language. This creates a cycle that is hard to escape.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\"><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul class=\"c8 lst-kix_auerze3dr2j7-0\">\n<li class=\"c0\"><strong><span class=\"c3\">Solution<\/span><\/strong>\n<ul class=\"c8 lst-kix_auerze3dr2j7-0\">\n<li class=\"c0\"><span class=\"c1\">Work with refugee kids in Nashville 1:1 to train, teach, and mentor them so they break the cycle (Job training, Spiritual development, Leadership, U.S. culture)<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"c0\"><span class=\"c1\">Do this via these 3 programs:<\/span>\n<ul class=\"c8 lst-kix_auerze3dr2j7-0\">\n<li class=\"c0\"><span class=\"c1\">1:1 mentoring and training<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"c0\"><span class=\"c1\">After School program for school age kids<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"c0\"><span class=\"c1\">Summer camp<br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\"><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul class=\"c8 lst-kix_auerze3dr2j7-0\">\n<li class=\"c0\"><strong><span class=\"c3\">Best Fit Child: \u00a0<\/span><\/strong>\n<ul class=\"c8 lst-kix_auerze3dr2j7-0\">\n<li class=\"c0\"><span class=\"c1\">Refugee<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"c0\"><span class=\"c1\">Lives in Nashville<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"c0\"><span class=\"c1\">Under the age of 18<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"c0\"><span class=\"c1\">Wants to learn and grow<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"c0\"><span class=\"c1\">Doesn\u2019t know how<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"c0\"><span class=\"c1\">Hears about our programs and lights up<br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul class=\"c8 lst-kix_auerze3dr2j7-0\">\n<li class=\"c0\"><strong><span class=\"c10\">Promise to children:<\/span><\/strong><span class=\"c1\"><span class=\"c1\">\u00a0You will gain the skills needed to succeed in life. We\u2019ll support, encourage, and empower you to be the best version of yourself.<\/span><\/span>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li class=\"c0\"><strong><span class=\"c3\">Best Fit Donor:<\/span><\/strong>\n<ul class=\"c8 lst-kix_auerze3dr2j7-0\">\n<li class=\"c0\"><span class=\"c1\">Hears about this problem and is immediately drawn to it<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"c0\"><span class=\"c1\">History of giving to causes they believe in<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"c0\"><span class=\"c1\">Wants to make a difference<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"c0\"><span class=\"c1\">Believes in both of you as people and founders<br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul class=\"c8 lst-kix_auerze3dr2j7-0\">\n<li class=\"c0\"><strong><span class=\"c10\">Promise to donors:<\/span><\/strong><span class=\"c1\"><span class=\"c1\">\u00a0You will be the difference in 1 kid\u2019s life. You will enable 1 child to escape the cyclical disadvantages that refugees face, and you will make a substantial difference in the world.<\/span><\/span>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li class=\"c0\"><strong><span class=\"c10\">What they do:<\/span><\/strong><span class=\"c1\"><span class=\"c1\">\u00a0We help child refugees in Nashville survive and thrive in their new life by training and mentoring them.<\/span><\/span>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li class=\"c0\"><span class=\"c3\"><strong>Their goal w\/ the organization:<\/strong><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul class=\"c8 lst-kix_auerze3dr2j7-1 start\">\n<li class=\"c5 c11\"><strong><span class=\"c10\">Fundraising<\/span><\/strong><span class=\"c1\"><strong>:<\/strong> $8,350 per month in recurring donations.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"c11 c5\"><strong><span class=\"c10\">Donors<\/span><\/strong><span class=\"c1\"><strong>:<\/strong> Have at least 1 touch point per month with 1 child.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"c7 c5 c13\"><span class=\"c10\"><strong>Children:<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"c1\">Work with every child refugee in Nashville to have a better and more meaningful life (High test scores, job satisfaction, happiness, and community engagement).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"c7\"><span class=\"c1\">These details have an amazing clarifying effect as you start mapping out a marketing plan.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"c7\"><span class=\"c10 c15\">Step 2: Hit Your Network (1-2 months)<\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"c7\"><span class=\"c1\">The heart of the first 60 days is a manual 1:1 outreach campaign that targets highest potential donors first and then works down to lower donors. I believe this campaign alone can raise 50-100% of the monthly donations needed within 60 days.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"c8 lst-kix_4zl4c6lbehms-0\">\n<li class=\"c2 c5\"><strong><span class=\"c10\">Make a List with 3 Types of Potential Donors:<\/span><\/strong><span class=\"c1\"><span class=\"c1\"> The first step is for my friends to make a list of EVERYONE they know and sort it into 3 groups:<\/span><\/span>&nbsp;\n<ul class=\"c8 lst-kix_4zl4c6lbehms-0\">\n<li class=\"c2 c5\"><strong><span class=\"c10\">High Rollers<\/span><\/strong><span class=\"c1\"><strong>\u00a0&#8211;<\/strong> People in their network who would be able to commit ~$300\/month.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul class=\"c8 lst-kix_4zl4c6lbehms-1\">\n<li class=\"c7 c13 c5\"><strong><span class=\"c10\">Mid Rollers<\/span><\/strong><span class=\"c1\"><strong>\u00a0&#8211;<\/strong> People who would be able to commit ~$100\/month.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul class=\"c8 lst-kix_4zl4c6lbehms-1\">\n<li class=\"c7 c13 c5\"><strong><span class=\"c10\">Everyone Else<\/span><\/strong><span class=\"c1\"><strong>\u00a0&#8211;<\/strong> Literally everyone else they know, kinda know, met one time, or are friends with on Facebook. This ain\u2019t the time to get shy.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul class=\"c8 lst-kix_kbehwc15oer5-0\">\n<li class=\"c2 c5\"><strong><span class=\"c10\">Pitch High Rollers:<\/span><\/strong><span class=\"c1\"><span class=\"c1\">\u00a0This group has the highest upside, so they\u2019ll do the most time-intensive types of pitching here. ALL of it should be done in person. Schedule lunches, dinners, coffee meetings, etc. Tell them about the project and ask if they know anyone who would be interested in supporting it. They should be able to get 6-12 committed at this donor level.<\/span><\/span>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li class=\"c2 c5\"><span class=\"c10\"><strong>Pitch Mid Rollers:<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"c1\"><span class=\"c1\">Schedule in-person meetings with people in this group when possible, but at the very least get them on the phone. They should be able to get 15-25 committed at this donor level.<\/span><\/span>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li class=\"c2 c5\"><span class=\"c10\"><strong>Pitch Everyone Else:<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"c1\">Last but not least is everyone else in their network. The donations here are small (probably $15-50\/month) but it\u2019s the largest group. It\u2019s not worth meeting with everyone individually in person, but the outreach should still be 1:1 and personal. Mass Facebook posts and email broadcasts don\u2019t count and won\u2019t be that effective. These are DMs, individual emails, text messages, phone calls, etc.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul class=\"c8 lst-kix_kbehwc15oer5-0\">\n<li class=\"c2 c5\"><strong><span class=\"c10\">What to Do When People Say No:<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0Thank them for responding and ask them to join your email list for bi-weekly updates on what you\u2019re up to. Don\u2019t send them a link to an opt-in page. Just ask for their best email address so you can send them bi-weekly updates. When they send it to you, manually add it to your email service provider. This should bring your email list to 500-1,000 by the end of this campaign. This is important. (<span class=\"c10\">Note:\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"c1\">Do this for people who say yes, too)<br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"c7\"><strong><span class=\"c10\">Potential Results:<\/span><\/strong><span class=\"c1\">\u00a0On the low end, they should be able to raise around half of their $8,350\/month goal from this manual campaign. On the high end, they raise all of it. As a stretch goal, $10k\/month is possible.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"c7\"><span class=\"c15 c10\">Step 3: Build Relationships (Every 2 weeks)<\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"c7\">This step begins after the first two weeks or so of manual outreach. By then, they\u2019ll have their first wave of donors and email subscribers, so they need a\u00a0<strong><span class=\"c10\">simple content plan<\/span><\/strong><span class=\"c1\">\u00a0to keep them engaged:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"c8 lst-kix_vkh2vyp72fxo-0\">\n<li class=\"c2 c5\"><span class=\"c1\">One email every 2 weeks<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul class=\"c8 lst-kix_vkh2vyp72fxo-0\">\n<li class=\"c2 c5\"><span class=\"c1\">Each email contains simple updates, stories, and tips on how to help<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul class=\"c8 lst-kix_vkh2vyp72fxo-0\">\n<li class=\"c2 c5\"><span class=\"c1\">They can discuss kids they are working with and progress updates on the programs they\u2019re starting<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul class=\"c8 lst-kix_vkh2vyp72fxo-0\">\n<li class=\"c2 c5\"><span class=\"c1\">Each email reinforces the difference you can make by donating<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"c7\"><span class=\"c1\">These emails will increase retention because current donors will have a tangible reminder of the difference they\u2019re making.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"c7\"><span class=\"c1\">Meanwhile, the potential donors on the list will keep getting reminders to start contributing.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"c7\"><span class=\"c15 c10\">Step 4: Start Speaking Publicly and\/or Virtually (2x per week)<\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"c7\"><span class=\"c1\">Long term, speaking will be the engine that drives donations (whether it\u2019s virtual or in person). Both founders need to be in front of a crowd 1x per week telling their stories.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"c8 lst-kix_84je7oczt1i2-0\">\n<li class=\"c2 c5\"><strong><span class=\"c10\">Create a Dream 100:<\/span><\/strong><span class=\"c1\"><span class=\"c1\"> This is a list of the 100 organizations, influencers, events, podcasts, etc. that have audiences full of their Best Fit Donors. They\u2019ll start by listing out any that existing donors are affiliated with\u2014churches, companies, clubs, etc. The remaining targets can be found by researching where other local non-profits have been featured.<\/span><\/span>&nbsp;\n<p>(You can\u00a0<span class=\"c9\"><a class=\"c6\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/blog\/partnership-marketing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">get our complete Dream 100 template + our system for filling it up in this blog post<\/a><\/span><span class=\"c1\">).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul class=\"c8 lst-kix_84je7oczt1i2-0\">\n<li class=\"c2 c5\"><strong><span class=\"c10\">Pitch Dream 100:<\/span><\/strong><span class=\"c1\">\u00a0Starting with the targets they already have a direct connection to, they\u2019ll pitch them on a 1:1 basis. Depending on the target, they may be pitching a speaking engagement, interview, Zoom meeting, webinar, Facebook Live session, etc. This will be tailored based on how the target typically features organizations to their audience.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul class=\"c8 lst-kix_84je7oczt1i2-0\">\n<li class=\"c2 c5\"><strong><span class=\"c10\">Start Speaking Once Per Week:<\/span><\/strong><span class=\"c1\">\u00a0Each engagement, regardless of the format, should end with a specific CTA. For example, they could start by experimenting with a CTA to sponsor 1 child for $100\/month. Something simple that allows each donor to see their impact. As a secondary CTA, they should create a lead magnet to get attendees to join their email list.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 class=\"c7\"><span class=\"c10 c17\">Step 5: Pour Gas on the Fire (Q4 2020 \/ Q1 2021)<\/span><span class=\"c1\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"c7\"><span class=\"c1\">Over the next 1-2 years, constant speaking engagements will be the single biggest source of new donations. But there are also several things they can implement in the background that will accelerate growth once they have a firm foundation in place.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"c8 lst-kix_os04rh33cvbg-0\">\n<li class=\"c2 c5\"><strong><span class=\"c10\">New Subscriber Offer:<\/span><\/strong><span class=\"c1\"><span class=\"c1\"> This is a basic email sequence that lets all new subscribers that learn about their Sponsor 1 Child program. It will ask them to donate within 2 days of signing up. While this campaign will allow them to pick up some evergreen donors, it\u2019s biggest value is that it will frame up every new subscriber to be ready to donate when they run a bigger campaign.<\/span><\/span>&nbsp;\n<p>You can\u00a0<span class=\"c9\"><a class=\"c6\" href=\"https:\/\/dripscripts.com\/seq\/new-subscriber-welcome\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">swipe dozens of New Subscriber Offer email sequences in our free tool DripScripts.<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul class=\"c8 lst-kix_os04rh33cvbg-0\">\n<li class=\"c2 c5\"><strong><span class=\"c10\">Monthly Webinar:<\/span><\/strong><span class=\"c1\"><span class=\"c1\">\u00a0Every month, they\u2019ll feature one child\/family to their email list on a webinar. It will show their journey and how the organization is helping. At the end, they\u2019ll let people know there are more kids who need sponsors. Goal is to get 5-10 new donors per month from this.<\/span><\/span>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li class=\"c2 c5\"><strong><span class=\"c10\">1 Big Promo Drive Per Year:<\/span><\/strong><span class=\"c1\"> They\u2019ll run a big live promo drive to their email list 1x per year. The list will be the engine, but the goal is to broadcast EVERYWHERE. Utilize any available channels so that everyone in earshot, every place they\u2019ve ever spoken at, and anyone who has ever donated will hear about it. Repeat every year for 100-200 new donors.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"c7\"><span class=\"c1\">That\u2019s the marketing plan we came up with.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"c7\"><span class=\"c1\">What would you do differently?<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"c7\">Leave a comment and let me know.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c2\"><span class=\"c1\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"c2\"><span class=\"c1\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"c2\"><span class=\"c1\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"c2\"><span class=\"c1\">If you want help growing your email list and building a sustainable business on it, we help people do exactly that.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"c2\"><a href=\"https:\/\/lp.growthtools.com\/apply-course?source=Newsletter-BlogPost-August3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span class=\"c17\">Schedule a free Strategy Session<\/span><\/a><span class=\"c1\">\u00a0and we\u2019ll audit your business, put together a custom plan for your unique situation, and walk you through every step.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A few weeks back, a friend approached me with a marketing challenge: He and his wife were starting a non-profit&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7883","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7883","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7883"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7883\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7883"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7883"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7883"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}