Oops, I forgot about the bananas again!

When people think of marketing, most do not think of it in terms of non-profits.  Marketing has become a negative term synonymous with manipulation.  Not only that, but marketing does not look great as a budget line item.  And it’s a terrible appeal to new donors: “Can you give more so we can do more ‘marketing’?”  Because of these and other reasons, people that run non-profit organizations that are trying to champion a great cause are very weary of “marketing”.

However, this typically separates the large and highly funded organizations from the small and discouraged non-profits.  American Red Cross, United Way, and others spend millions on marketing their products.  They understand the value of putting their cause in front of more and more people and to do so in the best possible way.  Their television campaigns, radio ads, event sponsorships, and other campaigns keep them in front of their donors and help them find new ones.  They know that the worst thing that could happen is if their organization did not constantly remind people of who they are and what they’re about.

There’s an old saying that says “out of sight, out of mind”.  It essentially means that you don’t think about something if you don’t see it.  That’s why the food you bought last week in the back of the fridge went bad.  It’s why you forget to call a friend for way too long.  And it’s why you got a late notice when your utility bill got stuck under your piles of paperwork.  It’s not that you don’t care about these things.  But if you’re not reminded about them, you’ll forget.

Marketing brings your non-profit organization to the surface. It reminds people of your mission, your goals, and your need.  So what if you told them once.  That was last quarter.  And your donors have probably forgotten by now.  Tell them again and again.  And do it well.  Otherwise, your mission might become “out of sight”.