Marketing? For Nonprofits?

Many in the nonprofit field don't like to talk about marketing. Marketing is sometimes considered a dirty word. It's all about selling, and we don't sell, we fix! Selling is considered crass, and therefore, we don't talk about marketing.

But how do you get patients in the door of your clinic if not for marketing? How do parents in the neighborhood find out about your free book give-away program if not for marketing? How does anybody know about your theater group if not for marketing? I can go on and on, but you get the idea.

Nonprofit marketing may not always take the flashy, glossy, expensive route that you might associate with a marketing campaign for a new car, but it is marketing never-the-less. And what does our disdain for sales and marketing get us?

The just released 2007 Nonprofit Marketing Survey gives us a glimpse, and it's not too pretty.

More than 55% of nonprofits are frustrated by lack of resources and leadership support for marketing, but only 37% do the tracking that generates increased budgets and confidence.

For more information and the full survey results please see the Getting Attention blog.