The NFP Competitive Advantage

Not for Profits should have more leverage to build meaningful donor connections…but do they, asks digital marketing expert Richenda Vermeulen.

Seth Godin was in Australia last week and marketers went wild.

Hailed as the most visionary marketer of the 21st century, the best selling author and leading blogger believes that in a marketplace where consumers have more power, marketers must show more respect.

At his talk in Melbourne he encouraged marketers to become highly targeted.

“‘People like us do things like this’ needs to be the center of your marketing strategy.”

Brands need to become so relevant that people need to notice when they aren’t around.

“The brands that are winning are the ones getting permission. Being missed when you are gone is an asset. Everyone asks about return on investment but what about return on connection?”

Think about that. What brands do you love hearing from? Are they also the brands you are most loyal to?

Based on Seth’s principles, Not for Profits have a competitive advantage. Inherently, the “product” of a Not for Profit is meaningful. For some Not for Profits their product is life-changing. Not for Profits also have a metric for “return on connection”, it's called Long Term Donor Value.

Not for Profits should have more leverage to build meaningful connections…but do they?

When was the last time you heard someone say “I love this email from *insert charity*”?

And yet, charities that keep their donors longer, get their supporters to ‘friendraise,’ share their inspirational stories, run marathons, wear the t-shirt …those are the ones building meaningful connections.

Our agency works with Not for Profits. We believe we have two clients, the Not for Profit and their donors. We always ask ourselves:

Are we building meaning in our interactions with donors or are we just trying to get their attention?

Are we asking someone to give… or are we sharing an inspirational story in an inspirational way?

Are we asking for money or are we finding ways to make donors lives better?

When was the last time we gave something away for free? An event. An e-book. A thank you.

Are we listening when people complain? Are we making things better?

These conversations build trust and provide us with an opportunity to be better for both our clients and the donor.

Building meaningful connections is the key ingredient behind charity: water and Pencils of Promise, the fastest growing charities in the world. They build connection by inspirational story telling, exceptional user experience and donor focused impact reporting.  

There are over 600,000 Not for Profits in Australia. According to Seth Godin, the ones that create the deepest connections will be the ones that prevail. Will that be you?

About the Author: Richenda Vermeulen is the Director of ntegrity, a Melbourne-based digital agency that empowers brands to become digital. Prior to ntegrity, Vermeulen spent a decade in the Not for Profit sector, launching social media at World Vision Australia and World Vision USA.