How to Create More Effective Nonprofit Marketing Materials

Are you looking to win more donors for an upcoming fundraiser? Or get volunteer sign ups for a charity event? Whatever your cause might be, using the right design, messaging and partner will help you deliver the right message to the right people at the right time. Some of the benefits of using nonprofit marketing materials like postcards, flyers and brochures for your non-profit include:

• Educating people on your cause:

Many of us want to give back to our communities but don’t necessarily know how to get started. Letting your community know you’re a resource could be a first step for folks waiting for a sign.

• Helping fundraising efforts:

The best way to measure your nonprofit’s success is by looking at how much you’re able to raise for your cause. Show your audience that their money will be well spent.

• Building donor relationships:

It’s more cost effective to keep your existing donors involved than it is to win new ones. Foster relationships by always keeping them in the know on how their money is changing the world for the better.

 

• Recruiting new supporters:

Marketing your non-profit effectively will help you recruit more than just donors. You can win new volunteers, board members and event attendees with well-crafted postcards.

 

Here are some steps to keep in mind that can help you create better nonprofit marketing materials:

Connect your reader with high quality images

High quality images will emotionally connect your reader to the cause that you support and persuade them to take action. Most of us remember the iconic ASPCA commercials with an emotional Sarah McLachlan and “In the Arms of an Angel” in the background. But if you aren’t working with a Hollywood budget, here are a couple ways to get started:

 

• Hire a photographer: 

There are affordable photographers on sites like Fiverr that will help capture the moments where you make a difference, like at an event you’re hosting that affects change in your community.

 

• Stock image sites:

Subscribe to sites like Shutterstock or iStock to find high quality images from world class photographers that could help convey your message. You’re usually able to look at a watermarked preview before spending any money. Typically, the paid photos will be higher quality and more unique, but if you’re looking for free options you can explore options like Unsplash or Freepik.

 

Create an impression with design and branding

The overall design, color tone and feel of your postcard helps the reader decide at a glance if your message is important. It also creates a first impression on how it makes them feel emotionally before they read the copy. Consistency on all of your materials from your website, to your digital ads and postcards help create a picture perfect image of your nonprofit for recipients. Don’t overlook the impact your design decisions will have on the success of your campaign. We suggest hiring a professional designer or working with GrowMail’s team of in-house designers.

 

Here are some starter tips to keep in mind:

 

Scale: Use size to draw attention to the most important items like headlines and call-to-action.

 

Contrast: Dramatic shifts in color can help drive urgency and highlight the main message within the message of your design.

 

Alignment: Designers use the Gutenberg Diagram to make designs appealing based on how English and other Latin-alphabet readers (left-to-right, top-to-bottom) interpret information (Source).

 

Proximity: Group items together to give your layout structure. Pay attention to spacing and make sure items associated with each other are closer together.

Write Copy That Conveys Your Mission

When it comes to messaging that drives your reader to take action, the magic is in simplicity. Writing a powerful headline makes it easy for people to absorb the importance of what you’re trying to accomplish and how they can contribute. Being open about your organization’s operations will help lay a solid foundation with potential supporters.

 

Include storytelling to let them know the roots of your nonprofit came to be, especially if there’s a meaningful origin. And finally, don’t be afraid to brag. The work that you do is important and confidence in your cause is contagious!

 

Pick the right list for your campaign

Deciding on the type of list you want to use is an important strategic move. In a nutshell, you get to decide on a balance between lower cost or higher targeting. Here are a few options that you’ll typically see with direct mail marketing vendors:

 

Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM): The most effective method allowing you to deliver a piece of mail at every address along a mail carrier’s route.

 

Targeted Direct Mail: Build a list from options like location, age, income, marital status, home ownership and more. A smart option if you want to focus on your best potential customers.

 

New Mover Direct Mail: 43 million people a year move to a new home and begin searching for new businesses and hang outs. Explore this choice if you want to be one of the firsts to greet them to the community.

 

Automated Direct Mail (API): Integrate your Donor Management data to deliver targeted and personalized messages to donors. This is great for thank yous, milestone celebrations,  newsletters, etc.

 

Mailing Lists: Work with a GrowMail consultant to identify your ideal audience, determine the size of your target market and purchase the most effective mailing list for your business.

When choosing your list, consider picking a vendor that checks all of the boxes. Specifically, vendors that are USPS Preferred so they can offer the most effective options for delivery.

 

Personalize Your Nonprofit Marketing Materials

Personalization is a marketing strategy that is becoming increasingly essential.  Consumers are choosing to do business with companies that provide personalized experiences. For non-profit marketing, it’s especially important when asking for donations or volunteer time. Give your reader a warmer experience so they choose to hold on to your postcard rather than throwing it away.

 

With the right vendor, you can use the recipient’s first name or family name on the postcard, reference their location and even create a personalized landing page for them.

Explore automation options

As mentioned above, you can sync your data with your donor relationship management system and set specifications on when to send nonprofit marketing materials and follow ups. A few examples:

• Automatically send a thank you to all volunteers who showed up to an event.
• Follow up six months or a year after a donation to let them know their contribution was appreciated, give them another opportunity to give if they choose.
• Create a list that receives a newsletter-like postcard or flyer with organizational updates, exciting news or other announcements.

Track results

Finally, tracking results of your nonprofit marketing materials like postcards is important because it allows you to track what parts of your marketing are working and what isn’t.

 

That way you can double down on attributes that are gaining traction and fix those that are not. Without the proper tracking methods, most marketers are left guessing based on feeling and gambling on whether or not they’re making the correct decision.

 

The most effective ways to track your results include:

 

Landing pages: The most effective way to generate and convert leads because they can be built to include lead magnets or contact forms to collect information.

 

URL shorteners: Create short URLs that are easy for your recipients to access and are trackable. This helps them get to your landing page quicker and gives you data on total traffic so you can analyze conversion rates.

 

QR codes: Give your readers a physical way to bridge the gap to your landing page. You can also offer promotions and other incentives for scanning.

 

Unique Phone Numbers: Set up a dedicated toll-free number that redirects to your business line or subscribe to a service with a call software company that reports analytics.

 

Start Creating Great Nonprofit Marketing Materials With GrowMail Today!

Your nonprofit is helping make the world a better place. And we’re not afraid to help you tell the world all about it. When you’re ready to pick a partner to help you deliver, schedule a consultation with GrowMail.

 

GrowMail offers everything you need in your next direct mail partner and more. Our marketing consultants have 20 years of experience helping marketers get results with our full suite of marketing solutions. If you’re ready to begin getting results from your nonprofit marketing materials, request a free printing quote today.