The Not for Profit Challenge

I have been very fortunate over the last 6 months or so to be involved in The Orange Seed Project, the project is the clever collaboration between Jack in the box and The West Australian. The two businesses have joined forces to help WA not for profit organisations grow and develop, therefore giving them the ability to help more people. Being involved at ground level has meant I have been able to experience these organisations first hand, and the truly remarkable people we have in Western Australia.

However it also revealed the need for NFP organisations to focus on marketing themselves. I understand the funds are not there and yes, it does come down to funding. But marketing leads to more funding. Wow, what a big statement, but let me prove it. It’s simple, the more people who know about you, the more support you have in the community. Marketing also creates creditability and funding is awarded to creditable organisations. Marketing your not for profit organisation to the community will create brand awareness and the more people who know you, the better.

The NFP industry is highly competitive with innumerable organisations doing great things, this makes it more crucial for you to stand out and be different. Why should people support you? Find out what makes you ‘special’ and then tell the world. In the process of spreading the word; be creative, fresh and new. Just because you are an NFP organisation doesn’t mean you have to be information based and boring.

Educate people in a fun and captivating way. No longer can you do the right thing, work hard and expect to grow, you must put yourself, your brand and your organisation out among your community and begin to assemble your army.

Working with The Orange Seed Project we have heard numerous success stories and what they all have in common is the support of their local community. Here’s a few tips for getting the community ‘on board’; support other local businesses (NFP + other), let the community know your movements, be an active member of your community, get involved, don’t work in isolation and always remember the community has more power then you could ever imagine.

It is bloody hard out their for NFP’s at the moment and to succeed you must think like a business and for any business marketing is, and always will be, key.