Why Non-Profits Need Awesome Websites

The very name "non-profit" should suggest that many organizations do not have much in terms of excessive funds. Fortunately, this is because non-profit organizations work to ensure a great percentage of their donations goes toward their cause rather than administrative and overhead costs. Unfortunately, this means that many organizations do not have the extra money required to design and distribute successful promotion/marketing materials. But in today's day and age, many non-profits are doing awesome things in the world of web design to promote their cause. You can find Vandelay's list of the 40 Best Websites of Non-Profit Organizations here. 

Consider the website for The Memphis Zoo. They are constantly touring new exhibits and educating the public about conservation. Their website is easy to use, colorful, and interactive. The possibilities seem endless. Their website is so multi-faceted that you can purchase a zoo membership, learn about new exhibits, and book a sleepover at the zoo all within a matter of a few clicks. I think they do an excellent job of catering to their audience. The website is informative enough for adults, but interactive enough for young children. And it is constantly being updated with new events, animal feeding times, and conservation projects. 

We learned in our JTC class that one of the beautiful things about websites is cost. Compared to the financial backing needed to launch a print ad campaign every time a new event occurs, many companies (both for and non-profit) can build and maintain a flexible, current website that offers more features and produces less waste. I think it would be wise for any non-profit to gear their marketing strategies toward the online world because they can get a great "bang" for their tiny "buck." 

OMG! TXT 4 CHANGE

You can walk into any establishment that is frequented by young adults and I guarantee at least one person will be texting. It's just how our generation communicates. It's fast, discreet, and oddly still personal. So why wouldn't a non-profit organization jump on this market opportunity?

As we learned in our Digital Promotions class this month, texting provides a great alternative to traditional (and even some digital) promotion methods. It's eco-friendly unlike fliers and brochures, it's faster and less skipped over than emails and best of all, you can even arrange to have money transferred directly to your organization by adding the fee to the person's phone bill. Not to mention you can reach an entirely new audience-- teens! And while they may not have the money to donate now, you can be sure that reaching this market now will greatly benefit you in the future when they do have some change to spare.

Even the Non-Profit Quarterly, a nationwide publication of all things non-profit, wonders why so few organizations are looking into this technology. Check out their article below:

http://www.nonprofitquarterly.org/management/20877-omg-youre-not-using-text-messaging-to-reach-constituents.html

E-mail Marketing and the Generation Gap

With the rise of technology it seems that the internet, especially emails, have become the go-to marketing strategy for most organizations. Why? Because it's relatively easy and, if done correctly, can communicate a message to hundreds, if not thousands, of people. For many for-profit companies, the key to email communication is finding the right balance. You don't want to flood your customers' inbox. You want to make sure that the email is quick to convey your point. You have to avoid being filtered into the dreaded "spam" folder. These are some factors that large corporations must consider every day.

In the non-profit world, things are a little different. They must address all of the above factors, of course. Email marketing is still a large contender in the donor-outreach arena. But many non-profits have to deal with an additional factor: the age range of their audience.

Now, I'm a proud member of the "tech-savvy" generation, so when my internship supervisor told me that one of our donor groups was looking for a way to communicate dates, events and meetings with all of its members in one fell swoop, my instant response was, "Let's make a gmail account!"

It was brilliant I tell you! Brilliant! Calendars! Emails! Documents! You name it, gmail has it, all in one place. Boom!

My ego was quickly deflated when my supervisor said, "Well, there's a tiny problem. Only about a third of the group owns a computer."

Say what?! What bizarre group of people DOESN'T walk around with their eyes glued to a touchscreen mobile device? The answer? Our donors.

You see, the donor world is getting older. As Jenna Weiner points out in The Daily Tell, AARP members are almost TWICE as likely to donate money to organizations that serve the public need. Not to mention the fact that volunteers over the age of 65 donate the most time out of all age groups, averaging about 96 hours per year, with 10% of that population exceeding 500 volunteer hours per year! Compare that to the 25-34-year-old population, which only donates 34 hours per year on average.

In order to communicate with this awesome audience, organizations need to rely on "old school" marketing. I personally have created numerous brochures, made tons of reminder phone calls, and sent countless letters to ensure this population remains "in the loop." The 65+ population can make all the difference in the world, yet they are often overlooked.

In the non-profit world, if you are willing to go the extra mile to reach out to this population, you might just be surprised how much support comes back to you.

Photo By: Xavi Talleda