We do not believe that inbound marketing is only beneficial for for-profit organizations, but that non-profit organizations can use inbound marketing to fund, educate, and engage stakeholders, as well as to attract high-skilled individuals to work for your organization.

Currently, we discuss how non-profit organizations can use inbound marketing to achieve high revenues, and most leading non-profit organizations today focus on earning revenue and earned income to support their causes, ensuring their long-term sustainability, as well as liberating themselves from excessive reliance on donations or government funding.

Among the most notable examples of successful non-profit organizations in generating revenue is “Goodwill,” which employs sales of used goods in its retail stores to support beneficial programs that serve the interests of those unable to work; such as veterans, individuals with disabilities, or those with criminal records. Thus, it is not just federal organizations that work towards generating revenue to support their causes.

Additionally, we can refer to “826 Chicago,” which is based in the Windy City “Chicago,” and operates a company called “Wicker Park,” selling books and gifts to fund the free creative writing programs they hold behind the store.

On another side, “Open Books” uses a similar model in its store selling new and used books, employing sales proceeds in writing programs for university students. Meanwhile, “Rebuilding Exchange,” based in Chicago, holds workshops for artisans to create furniture in support of its cause, which is to recover materials from landfills and promote sustainable deconstruction practices.

While many organizations use the earned income model by focusing on retail sales, there are also great examples of non-profits generating sustainable revenue by providing services and transactions similar to those that occur among commercial enterprises.

For instance, “Rising Sun Energy Services” generates revenue by employing ex-convicts in a home rehabilitation project using energy efficiency technology. Moreover, “Kiva,” a platform focused on providing small microloans, operates as a non-profit social organization, where individuals and institutions can lend money to entrepreneurs in the developing world, while Kiva charges a small fee to lenders to generate a return that encourages its growth.

If your non-profit organization employs a social model similar to generate sustainable revenue, online marketing is essential for attracting potential clients. Here’s how you can make the most of it:

1- Understanding and engaging stakeholders:

To convey the right messages to those most likely to use your products or services, you need to understand the nature of your target audience and what stakeholders are interested in. The first step in achieving this is to develop stakeholder profiles by preparing specific and detailed descriptions of your target audience, getting into the depth of what they want and how you can assist them. These profiles should contain answers to the following key questions:

– What strongly interests stakeholders?

– What do they expect from your organization?

– Why do they want to use your product or service? (or why wouldn’t they?)

– What marketing materials are they likely to respond to?

2- Educate and persuade stakeholders:

Once you have attracted stakeholders' attention, shift to the stage of engaging them and educating them through various means such as email marketing, advertising on social media, and educational content. Through these channels, make sure to clarify the benefits of your non-profit product or service to stakeholders.

Remember that customers who wish to support your earned income project may have a different mindset than donors or volunteers; potential customers may want to achieve benefits through purchasing your products or enrolling in your services more than they wish to give back. Therefore, while helping them make a decision to purchase your product or subscribe to your service, engage with them from this perspective.

3- Show your gratitude:

Many individuals who buy your product or use your service may be potential donors, volunteers, or supporters of your cause in other ways, or they might adopt this position soon. Therefore, try not to overlook communicating with them via social media and email after they purchase one of the products that your organization offers.

Location: Prosper Strategies

Writer: Katie Devilly