Marketing a Non-profit Organization
by Kathryn Katz
Non-profit organizations face many challenges when
transitioning onto the Web. Working with limited
budgets, many non-profits have to make sure that they
get their Web campaign right from the beginning. Some
non-profits may find that they're competing for the same
"commercial" terms as the for-profit companies. These
for-profit companies have bigger marketing budgets to
throw at the search engines.
Don't get discouraged -- there are several ways
non-profit organizations can make their non-profit
status work to their advantage. Here are some ideas for
your non-profit organization:
Google Grants Program
(Beta)
www.google.com/grants
Google Grants Program offers 501(c)(3) non-profit
organizations the opportunity to run PSAs (public
service ads) on their AdSense Network. The AdSense
Network consists of both small and large content
portals, which include big names like About.com,
Forbes.com, ABC.com, TheStreet.com and National
Geographic. Automatic filters are used to detect the
topic of the content on these portals, and if there is
no AdWords ad that's appropriate, the ad space is filled
with PSAs. Google Grants picks new recipients every
quarter, and right now they're currently accepting
applications at <http://services.google.com/googlegrants/application>.
Directory Submissions
Many directories like Yahoo! Directory offer free
directory submissions to non-profit organizations. Just
be sure to check on the directory's specific
requirements before submitting. For example, Yahoo!
Directory requires that non-profits submit themselves to
non-commercial categories, and it can take several weeks
to be included, if they include you at all. Non-profit
organizations can use the Yahoo! Express submission;
however, like other businesses, they will have to pay
the $299 review fee. So your non-profit will have to
decide whether or not it's worth the wait.
Some directories may not post their policies on
non-profit organizations. It never hurts to ask if the
directory is willing to donate a free submission to your
non-profit organization. On several occasions, I've had
directory editors waive their submission fee.
Online Press Releases
Your non-profit organization can use this service to
inform the public about things you're doing in the
community and provide education. Because journalists
read the newswire, you may get additional media
opportunities from the press releases. (Check
out our PR online database)
SEO Consultants
If your non-profit organization doesn't have anyone on
staff that's familiar with search engine optimization (SEO),
you may want to consider contracting with a professional
SEO consultant. (Check
out our Search Engine Optimization services) A good
SEO can be invaluable to the success of your Web
campaign. Some SEO consultants will provide discounts to
non-profit organizations. I recommend using
SEOConsultants.com to find your consultant, because when
I did a search for "non-profit" I got excellent results.
Plus, SEOConsultants.com does review the SEOs listed in
their directory through their Peer Review Network and
Editorial Staff for their search engine marketing
practices.
As you can see, there are several online opportunities
available for non-profit organizations. I'm sure if you
sit down and brainstorm, you can come up with even more
ideas on how to use your non-profit status to your
advantage. Just be sure to inform any company you're
seeking to receive free/discounted services from that
you are a 501(c)(3) organization and that their donation
is tax-deductible.
Additionally, there are other ways you can use the Web
to work for you. Here are some wonderful resources that
can help your non-profit
organization:
* Grants.gov
-- find and electronically apply for federally
sponsored grants online.
*
GuideStar.org -- create or update your profile on
GuideStar, and gain access to donors and grant-makers.
*
Idealist.org -- post job openings, volunteer
opportunities, events, internships, campaigns, and
resources.
So what are you waiting for? Get your valuable message
out there by making the World Wide Web work for your
non-profit organization.
Article found on:
www.creditguard.org
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