Howard Adam Levy spoke about Nonprofit Marketing on a Shoestring at the Foundation Center yesterday. He described the process for updating Friends of Karens’ brand and website and then interviewed Jill Gold, Friends of Karen’s Communications Coordinator. Marketing Consultant Nancy Schwartz opened the session with an overview of marketing for nonprofits.

10 Ways to Save Money on Your Marketing

1.   Be consistent to foster recognition. This will save your audience from having to “decode” your message every time they encounter your organization.

2.   Conduct your own research – do interviews over the phone and surveys online with Survey Monkey.

3.    Have a Brand Manual that features your message points and design templates so that you are not constantly re-inventing
the wheel when it comes to grant applications, newsletters, and other marketing.

4.    Use colors wisely. Digital printing typically becomes cost effective at quantities of 1,000.

5.    Get support online. Join a discussion forum on LinkedIn.

6.    Talk to your printer before you start your project — or better yet, at the beginning of the year, so they can find efficiencies.

7.    Tap into volunteers for marketing functions such as photography. You won’t know what you can get until you ask.

8.    Empower your board as brand ambassadors to speak about your organization. Give them the tools and make them aware
of this role.

9.  Make your fundraising event budget go further by adding “mission awareness” as part of your events so that donors
are aware of what your organization does.

10.   Plan your marketing for the year. It’s worth taking the time to determine your goals and the best way to reach them.

Howard Adam Levy discusses how Red Rooster Group developed Friends of Karen’s website. and then interviewed Jill Gold, Friends of Karen’s Communications Coordinator.

Read the full Nonprofit Branding Case Study on the Friends of Karen branding process.