MARKETING EVOLUTION
Non-Profit Marketing
By Marion Wakahe
In his book Outliers , Malcolm Gladwell criticizes the notion of the self-made man . We all had a helping hand in the form of the people around us , the environment we were raised in and the timing of our existence .
Granted , a significant portion of the people we ultimately become is dependent on our efforts . We set stretch goals , push limits and in realizing these we grow and become better versions of ourselves . This however does not cover the entire story . All of us can credit a relative , school , teacher , friend , boss , mentor , our residence , and even complete strangers for facilitating our growth .
Across the globe , there are opportunities to make the world a better place and life a little easier for many . Causes as they are known give us the opportunity to improve living standards , fight injustices and protect the environment .
Individually , we are limited in resources such as time , skillset and money , however , together , much can be achieved . This is where non-profit organizations come in .
Walking in the street for example , one may meet a beggar . This person could drop some money in his or her tin and they could use that money to buy a meal . Hours later , this beggar will need money again for another meal . ‘ Kidole kimoja hakivunji chawa ’ as the Kiswahili saying goes , joint effort makes a greater impact .
For most of us the past year has been an eye opener to the need for social support . In a New York Times article titled , “ Policymakers Used to Ignore Child Care . Then Came the Pandemic ,” Maria Nguyen speaks of the care sector , looking after the needy which may result in economic benefit of caregivers but greater so for those that are cared for and for the society .
Economists , especially men , argued that childcare and other care work was done by women out of love and could not be contemplated as an economic issue . Then came the pandemic . Schools were closed and so were childcare centers . Parents were pushed . An estimated 1.4 million mothers in the US left formal employment to care for their families .
2020 witnessed an increase in charitable giving . Human beings share the same troubles , dreams and abilities . The Covid-19 pandemic reminded us of our interdependence . This is a good time for non-profits to share their mission and get stakeholders on board as people are now more sensitive to the needs of others .
Having a deeper appreciation of the role of caregiving , the Biden administration is fronting the notion that care is just as crucial to a functioning economy as is good infrastructure . Yet to be approved , Biden has proposed greater funding for home-based care and paid family leave .
Locally , we too witnessed a great strain on parents and the increase in dire straits for the less fortunate . Most businesses recorded a decline in profits resulting in furloughs , layoffs and closed shops . The trying time brought other social ills to the fore , such as increase in domestic violence and substance and alcohol abuse . We lost friends and family . The collective strain on mental and psychological health has been palpable . 2020 made it clear the need for community and witnessed a surge in collective assistance be it through time or money or both .
Non-profits offer the opportunity for structured support , touching lives that individually could not be achieved . They operate for public benefit in contrast with for profit organizations that operate to generate a profit for owners . In the case of non-profits , any revenues that exceed expenses are reinvested to meet the organization ’ s purpose .
Non-profits are answerable to their donors , founders , volunteers , program beneficiaries , and the public . Like businesses , nonprofits are expected to responsibly manage resources increasing the chance of better meeting the organization ’ s purpose .
Non-profits raise money in different ways . This includes income from donations ;
64 MAL42 / 21 ISSUE