As you’ve probably seen in the Chronicle of Philanthropy or in coverage of 2022’s Giving Tuesday, the recent philanthropic environment has been a volatile one. While trends are unpredictable and notable outliers continue to emerge from data, the most pragmatic approach for not-for-profit organizations is to take a look at their own fundraising efforts and analyze effectiveness.
Are you reaching your target audiences—and are they the right target audiences? Is your messaging clear, compelling, and authentic? Do you have a strong brand? These are just a few of the questions you might consider while building a strategy that protects against the variability of the economy, demographic shifts, or changing behaviors within populations.
With all the information swirling around about the state of giving, here are a few tips on how to navigate a turbulent philanthropic landscape so you can confidently invest in your marketing strategy, plan for the future, or set up your fundraising program for long-term success.
- Don’t forget about the newest generation of donors. When determining who your target audience should be, a narrow focus on your current relationships with longtime donors may seem like the ideal route for a favorable ROI. However, building relationships now and instilling a giving habit in new donors is always important, and is a necessary first step on the path to cultivating those impactful long-term relationships.
- Assemble a core messaging platform. No single message or message platform will speak to everyone, but elements can be translated for your target audiences and for subsets of those audiences. If your primary audience is wealthy homeowners between 50-65, there are many subsets that make up that broad group. And each of these subsets needs to hear slightly different variations of your core message.
- Develop a brand narrative that will spark your foundational marketing story. A brand is far more than just a visual identity. At Yes& Lipman Hearne, we believe every brand is an invitation—an opportunity to be part of something bigger.
There are a multitude of ways to analyze your positioning, strengthen your brand, and ultimately increase giving. We start by discovering those key, actionable insights and creating a strong, effective strategy to build the bond between you and your audiences.
Want to learn more about our capabilities? Let’s keep the conversation going! Send us an email through our contact form.
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