If there’s one adage nonprofit marketers can live by, it’s “Do more with less.” These teams are tasked with putting their organization’s message out into the world in a way that will build its reputation, gain followers, and most importantly, attract a variety of donors to support the organization and further its cause.
But how can nonprofit marketers do all of that when the budgets are small and the ROIs are paramount? At OneTouchPoint, this is our favorite kind of problem to solve, and we’ll share five key strategies in this blog post.
Efficient direct mail.
In today’s online world, it can be easy to assume that direct mail is dead, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Rather, direct mail remains a powerful investment for marketers in every industry, and nonprofits can benefit greatly from the old-school strategy — especially if they take care to minimize spend and maximize impact.
This starts with mail list rental. It can seem like an unnecessary expense, but a well-curated list pays for itself by enabling organizations to reach potential donors who are more likely to be interested in their cause. This targeted outreach strategy ensures every piece of mail has the highest possible impact.
Of course, the process of printing, assembling, and sending that direct mail outreach can be prohibitively costly (and time consuming, too) without the proper supports in place. Working with a partner that can handle the production and distribution of direct mail materials (and ideally support digital marketing initiatives as well) will ease the burden on companies while minimizing costs and maximizing results.
OneTouchPoint’s world-class production facilities and quality control processes ensure every mailer showcases your nonprofit’s mission in its best light, and our suite of mailing services are tailored to fit virtually any project or budget. We mail over 155 million pieces of mail each year, offer list rental services, and have USPS experts on staff to ensure your mail pieces meet all regulations and are mailed at the most cost-effective rates possible.
Standout promos.
Promotional items are a fantastic way for nonprofits to keep their messages in the minds of current and prospective donors. Wearables like t-shirts and caps can turn supporters into walking advertisements, while plaques and other high-end promos for large gifts can be great incentives for donors to give a little extra.
Today, savvy nonprofits are investing in high-quality, stylish swag that both aligns with the organization’s brand identity and a functional purpose (making it more likely recipients will use and keep it). From trendy apparel to cutting-edge tech accessories, swag can be a powerful tool to enhance an association’s reputation and incentivize donations.
Donor recognition at headquarters.
Along with the high-end promos you give donors as gifts, consider opportunities to recognize donors publicly, whether at headquarters or at fundraising or community events. Awards, plaques, and even grand-format signage like wall wraps can be a powerful way to showcase supporters’ generosity, foster a sense of pride in the community and even incentivize others to add their names to the wall by making gifts of their own.
Wearables, plaques, wall-wraps and awards…that’s a lot of production for a small team to manage. But again, with the right partner on your side, it’s a fully manageable — and fully worthwhile — investment. At OneTouchPoint, our print and distribution expertise extends beyond direct mail and into all the promotional signage and materials needs our nonprofit clients may have, and we pride ourselves on delivering high-quality promotional signage and materials that make donors proud to be a part of our nonprofit clients’ communities. Learn more about our commercial print solutions here.
Donor kits.
Donor welcome kits are an essential nonprofit marketing tool for building loyalty and encouraging repeat support. These kits can include a mix of informative materials about the nonprofit’s work, pathways to further donations or other involvement with the organization and branded items that donors can use or display. A well-curated donor kit can make a lasting impression, helping to build a strong, loyal donor base.
However, if your nonprofit has been handling kitting and fulfillment in-house, dedicating the intern cubicles to mailing and kit assembly — or tackling it piecemeal by doing some of the work in-house and outsourcing other pieces — you know the significant logistics challenge this poses. We wrote here on what to look for in the ideal partner for all your kitting and fulfillment needs, but here’s a spoiler: OneTouchPoint does that, too.
Yes, we do a lot. That’s because we know the value — in money, time and effort — of working with a single-source vendor for all of your marketing needs, from asset production to warehousing materials to kitting to distribution.
And one more thing, too:
Asset hub.
When you’re working with so many different materials — digital, printed mailers, signage, swag, etc. — it’s important to keep all the latest brand and messaging details and assets easily accessible. A central asset hub, like OneTouchPoint’s U.Connect, acts as a repository for all marketing materials, ensuring all team members have access to the latest resources, streamlining the production and distribution processes and enabling airtight brand consistency.
Your single-source partner for all things nonprofit marketing.
At OneTouchPoint, we know the value of a single-source marketing management and supply chain vendor, and we strive to be that partner for our clients. From digital and physical asset management to print and distribution of wearables and promotional products, to old-school direct mail, we empower our clients to design and implement powerful multichannel marketing campaigns — the kind that attract new donors and keep existing supporters involved.
When you’re ready to learn how OneTouchPoint can help elevate your nonprofit marketing strategies, contact us, and one of our experts will be happy to walk you through our process and solutions.