Do you want to grow your donor base? Bring in new volunteers? Reach a wider audience?
If you are not hitting your goals, you most likely lack a comprehensive marketing plan. Marketing isn’t just for for-profit businesses.
That’s why we have curated the top 22 facts about nonprofit marketing you should know.
Table of Contents:
- What is a nonprofit?
- Why is marketing important for nonprofit organizations?
- Top 22 facts about nonprofit marketing you should know
- Who donates to nonprofits?
- Email marketing facts
- Social media marketing facts
- Content marketing facts
What Is A Nonprofit?
Nonprofits embody the best of America! Nonprofits are tax-exempt organizations that “generate profit and in which no part of the organization’s income is distributed to its members.”
There are 1.4 million charities in the United States that donate their resources to transforming hopes into actions and work towards the common good. Nonprofit organizations can be religious, educational, or philanthropic.
While for-profit businesses, both large and small, use revenue (profit) to sustain their operations, nonprofits depend on donations to continue doing their work. As such, nonprofits are highly dependent on their supporters and donors.
Fundraising is often their main source of revenue. That’s why many charitable organizations dedicate most of their time and resources to it.
Habitat for Humanity is one of the largest nonprofits in the United States. All rights reserved.
Why Is Marketing Important For Nonprofit Organizations?
Many nonprofit organizations are wary of spending money unnecessarily, as for many, budgets are tight. Even fewer nonprofits spend resources on marketing initiatives.
However, our world is growing increasingly digital. Gone are the days of distributing flyers around town. Traditional marketing techniques don’t work like they used to.
In fact, 63% of donors prefer to give online with a credit or debit card. 40% of those donate through a social media platform such as Facebook.
As more people begin to donate online or through social platforms, it is more important than ever for nonprofits to maintain a strong online presence. Implementing a nonprofit marketing plan can help to set you apart. If your nonprofit isn’t where you want it to be, curating a marketing campaign is the answer.
Let the numbers convince you! Take a look at the nonprofit statistics we’ve curated for you.
Top 22 Facts About Nonprofit Marketing You Should Know
- There are a lot of nonprofits in the United States. According to the National Center for Charitable Statistics (NCCS), there are more than 1.5 million nonprofits in the U.S. This number also includes private foundations, charitable organizations, and other types of nonprofits.
- The nonprofit sector is growing. It is more important than ever to leverage and differentiate your position now before the marketing becomes more saturated. Nonprofit employment has continued a striking record of growth expanding 2% between 2016 to 2017, compared with only 1.5% growth in the for-profit employment sector.
- Nonprofits employ a lot of people. Nonprofit organizations employ around 12.3 million people!
Who Donates to Nonprofits?
While the demographic may change per the organization, some aspects stay the same across the nonprofit sector.
The facts:
- The average donor in the U.S. is 64 years old and makes donations twice a year.
- Individuals account for over two-thirds of all donations that are given to nonprofits.
- Female donors are more likely to give due to the influence of social media marketing. Male donors are more likely to give because of email marketing.
Nonprofit Marketing Statistics Per Platform
The biggest issue many nonprofits face is fundraising. Did you know that overall, giving has grown 4.1% over the past year, for the 6th consecutive year of growth? Your organization could be capturing these donations.
There have been several nonprofits who have mastered the power of marketing and used it to their advantage. Feel free take a look at organizations who have excelled with their fundraising goals!
So, what are the best practices and platforms to use for fundraising?
Email Marketing
Over 65% of nonprofits use email marketing and regularly publish an email newsletter. Email marketing has quickly become a widely used and effective marketing tool for both for-profits and nonprofits worldwide.
The facts:
- 69% of Nonprofit professionals believe that eNewsletters are an effective content marketing tactic.
- 24.98% is the average open rate for email marketing campaigns for the nonprofit sector.
- Of nonprofit organizations that use email marketing, 93% use an email marketing service like MailChimp or ConstantContact.
- Most nonprofits send email newsletters regularly to their supporters. 41% send emails monthly, 28% quarterly, and 18% twice a month.
- Nonprofits send an average of 3 email newsletters and 2 donation appeals monthly.
- 74% of nonprofits fundraise through email, aka a “fundraising appeal.”
Social Media Marketing
Social media is booming – over 3.5 billion people globally are active on a social platform. Utilizing social media as a fundraising tool is growing incredibly fast and is incredibly effective if used properly. Have you considered social media marketing for fundraising?
The facts:
- 39% of donors are inspired to give by social media!
- Overwhelmingly, over 71% of nonprofits worldwide agree that social media is effective for online fundraising!
- On average, nonprofits post to Facebook and Twitter once a day and to Instagram twice a week.
- Instagram was the fastest-growing social media platform for nonprofits in 2017, with a 44% increase in followers.
- For every 1,000 email addresses, the average organization has 474 Facebook fans, 186 Twitter followers, and 41 Instagram followers.
- Social media drives 57% of traffic to fundraising campaign pages, according to Classy.
Content Marketing
The more high-quality content on your website, the more likely your audience will view you as an authority and trust your intentions. Integrating a content marketing strategy can help you to increase your site’s traffic which leads to greater brand awareness thus, more donations.
The biggest benefit to implementing a content marketing strategy is because it brings your site up in the search results and help spread the word about your nonprofit. Optimizing the SEO (search engine optimization) on your organization’s website can boost you in front of more potential donors.
The facts:
- 70% of nonprofit marketers lack an integrated content strategy.
- 42% of nonprofits say they find it difficult to produce engaging content.
- The top reason that nonprofits don’t use content marketing is due to a lack of time to create the content.
- 63% of nonprofits are increasing their budget for automation tools as part of their digital marketing plan.
You’re Not Alone
We want to help you do your job better and we want your nonprofit to excel in your industry and serve more people with your services. Let us do the hard work of setting up a marketing campaign and running it effectively.
Whether you need more donations, need help building greater brand awareness, creating branding tools, curating content, or simply some social media help, we can do it all.
Feel free to contact us today for your free consultation. Start making a difference today!
