How Nonprofit Organizations Can Compete Successfully for Donors and Clients

Mission-Based Marketing: Positioning Your Not-for-Profit in an Increasingly Competitive World, Second Edition
by Peter C. Brinckerhoff

Charities that want to flourish must become more attuned to the desires of donors, as well as the people the charities serve, writes Peter C. Brinckerhoff, president of the consulting company Corporate Alternatives, in Springfield, Ill.

Nonprofit organizations face increasing competition from for-profit companies and other charities for grants, donations, and clients, he writes. Yet, Mr. Brinckerhoff says, many organizations are wary of undertaking marketing activities that can generate income and attract clients.

Mr. Brinckerhoff believes that it is essential for charities to “become market-oriented while remaining mission-based,” a shift that can run counter to an organization’s culture and must be led by the board and senior managers. Mr. Brinckerhoff says that a nonprofit organization must be able to pinpoint the strengths and weaknesses of other groups that provide similar services, and remain responsive and flexible. For example, it should evaluate its own capabilities and decide whether it needs to change its services, hours of operation, or fees to remain competitive.

As part of this process, Mr. Brinckerhoff suggests that charities solicit feedback and respond to concerns from employees, volunteers, and board members; individuals who use the services of the charity; and people who might refer the charity to others. He believes that the concept of “customer service” applies just as much to a charity’s mission and marketing efforts as it does to a for-profit entity, and that charities should strive to meet not just clients’ needs, but also their “wants.”

This new edition also includes a chapter describing how to use e-mail, Web sites, and other technology to augment marketing strategies.

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, 1 Wiley Drive, Somerset, N.J. 08875; (800) 225-5945; fax (800) 597-3299; http://www.wiley.com; 258 pages; $35; I.S.B.N. 0-471-23718-3.