Using marketing to position yourself strongly

Whilst you may not know exactly where the cuts will fall in your area, we do know that with increased competition, marketing becomes crucial.

We are currently producing a publication, written by Ian Bruce, applying marketing theory to fundraising techniques. It should be published in September. Ahead of its publication, here is one of the key concepts that you can use when considering your fundraising.

The marketing mix

Product (what you are selling)
Philosophy (your values)
Price (how much you are asking, what packages you can offer)
Promotion (how you advertise your product)
Place (how you distribute your product)
People (who do you need, with what skills and contacts?)
Physical evidence (make your product tangible and believable)
Process (is your product easy to take up, use and pay for?)

You should address all eight in every fundraising method - and plan for them in advance.

So, for instance, when you meet a potential funder you need to send in someone with the right skills (people), with well-produced materials to underline your organisation's reputation (promotion, and philosophy). You need to meet somewhere that is convenient and suitable - perhaps at one of your projects so you cover both place and physical evidence. You need to make sure you acknowledge any offer from the funder and keep in touch with them - filling out any monitoring on time (process). And, of course, you need to have a product that is suitable (and by product here, we mean an idea - not necessarily the service; the idea of sponsoring a goat is very different from the holistic project with a rural community) at a price that is acceptable (do you have the flexibility to negotiate on the spot here?).

If you would like to learn more about marketing principles and fundraising, register your interest in our new publication by emailing sfp@ncvo-vol.org.uk or sign up for our newsletter.