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Ken!
Partnering with Not for Profit Agencies
By John
Jantsch
As a
rule, non-profit agencies can make great marketing resources.
Now, before I get too far into this, let me state, for the record
that what I really talking about is lending help to one of the many
worthy charitable organizations in the world that provide community
and health services by forming a partner relationship that includes
showing them how to better communicate their story.
To take full advantage of partnering with a non-profit group you
should approach it as a formal relationship. While many consider
writing a check to the organization to be such a relationship, I'm
talking about something much deeper. I believe both parties can be
big winners if find an organization whose mission motivate you and
then you propose ways that you can contribute cash, products and
services, volunteers, event management, promotions with incentives
for the organization, marketing muscle to tell their story and maybe
even creating online tools such as blog.
My experience is that many non-profits are hungry for this deeper
form of relationship and would be more than happy to communicate
your roll in creating this unique relationship to their staff,
board, committees, volunteers, donors and constituents as well.
You can really kick this type of referral into high gear if you can
create a promotion that generates dollars and exposure for your
group when people participate.
I will warn you though that you must believe in the cause you
partner with and pursue this path because of a desire to help.
That's the only way everyone will win. But, I believe, and many
non-profits know for a fact, that your company will be most prepared
to provide the greatest level of help when everyone wins.
Here's an example of a program I put together for one of my
clients.
The client, a major wireless phone provider, approached three local
not for profit groups and proposed a formal partnership. The three
agencies represented a cross section of community needs.
The company proposed making a donation to each group, taking over
and running an event, allowing each group to put marketing materials
in the company's retail stores, providing volunteers to fill
identified needs and facilitating public relations opportunities
including radio show appearances through the company's advertising
contacts. In addition, the company ran a month long promotion
offering a special discount and contribution towards each group for
any new customers signing up for their service.
In return, each agency (voluntarily) outlined this new relationship
for their boards and committees, featured the partnership in their
already established newsletter and encouraged all constituents to
participate in the month long promotion.
The relationship also garnered significant media attention for both
the company and the participating agencies. All of the agencies
involved further used this relationship as a model for future
corporate outreach.
And another example
Soli's Printing, a print shop in Kansas City has administered a
creative promotion it calls PressRun for over 15 years. Any customer
can designate a portion of their printing sales be donated as
in-kind printing services to any qualified non profit group they
choose.
From their web site:
SOLI PRINTING has always been committed to helping the
non-profit organizations in our community. For this reason, in 1991,
we developed the PressRun program; a way for non-profit
organizations to receive free printing services and products. Since
the program's inception we've donated over $1.6 million in PressRun
to our business clients and non-profit customers. Over 500
organizations have taken advantage of this program over the years,
with some receiving hundreds of dollars worth of free services and
products each month.
A side benefit of this approach is that the non-profit agencies are
motivated to encourage their business partners to use the services
of the print shop in their everyday use as a way to donate to the
charity. Everyone wins!
Any non-profit agency readers out there care to comment on how you
would like to see organizations partner better with you?
~ ~ ~
John Jantsch is a veteran marketing coach, award winning blogger and
author of Duct Tape Marketing: The World's Most Practical Small
Business Marketing Guide published by Thomas Nelson - due out
in the fall of 2006
He is the creator of the Duct Tape Marketing small business
marketing system. You can find more information by visiting
http://www.ducttapemarketing.com/