Welcome to the world of nonprofit marketing, where your mission is to make the world a better place by spreading your organization’s message far and wide. And guess what? We do it all on a shoestring budget, with tight deadlines, and too often, with only a handful of resources. Quite often, being a nonprofit marketer means juggling a million things at once.

But there is a silver lining. If you’re fortunate enough to have a marketing team (lucky you!), here’s your golden ticket: delegation.

• By delegating tasks, you can free up your valuable time and direct your focus toward the big picture while also reducing your stress and workload and giving you more breathing room to excel (more on balancing your mental health here).

But that’s not all!

• Delegation also fosters more participation, collaboration, and teamwork, allowing marketing teams to harness the diverse talents across the team. You’ll benefit from fresh perspectives and innovative ideas from both seasoned and new members, creating a dynamic and engaged environment.

Sometimes though, figuring out how to navigate delegation in relation to new hires specifically, can be a bit tricky. You want to strike the right balance between assigning them tasks that free you up but also challenge and help them grow. Successful marketing teams have the right level of guidance and support. 

Where to Begin?

It’s about finding that sweet spot where they can support and contribute effectively to the team, while gaining valuable experience along the way. 

Let’s explore some strategies to help you navigate this delegation journey with new hires like a pro.

4 Key Areas of Delegation for Marketing Teams

First up, let’s dive into the world of onboarding, where you lay the groundwork for success. Then, we’ll discover the significance of systems and processes, making sure things run smoothly and efficiently. Next, we’ll talk about trust, which is essential for effective delegation. Lastly, we’ll explore the idea of control, finding the right balance between guidance and independence.

1. Onboarding is the Foundation for Success

Effective onboarding is critical for the success of new hires. When you bring on a new team member, you want to make sure they have a clear understanding of what’s expected of them. To help ensure a smooth onboarding process, consider the use of the following tools and techniques:

1. Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs): SOPs are helpful because they documents or other visuals that provide a clear set of instructions for how recurring tasks should be completed. New hires can refer to them when needed.
2. Shadowing: involves pairing a new hire with a trusted representative of the organization. The assigned buddy or mentor assists and guides the new hire during their initial weeks, helping them become familiar with the organization’s culture, processes, and expectations.
   
   This support system eases the transition into the new role and facilitates a smoother integration within the team. Choose someone who represents the organization well to act as a buddy during the onboarding process. This person can provide support and guidance to the new hire during their first few weeks.

2. Setting Up Tools and Processes

Set your new hires up for success by giving them the tools they need to get the job done. This might mean a project management system, cloud-based storage, or an editorial calendar. Be sure to provide training and resources to help them learn these systems, as well as best practices. 

3. Building Trust with Effective Communication and Delegation

Trust is an important factor in any relationship but especially when it comes to your direct reports. Delegating becomes easier when you foster an environment of trust. Here are some ways to do that:

• Spend some time getting to know your new hires and their work style. Be open and approachable.
• Delegate smaller tasks to help build confidence and assurance. As trust grows, delegate more complex tasks. For example, if your new hire is responsible for event planning, delegate tasks such as coordinating vendor logistics or creating the event agenda at first, moving on to something bigger as those are completed successfully.
• Encourage open communication and regularly provide constructive feedback. 

Remember the more you trust in your new hire the more you will be building their confidence and motivation to succeed. 

4. Relinquishing Control and Finding the Right Balance

It’s a mindset shift to be able to let go and trust others to do the job. But, by doing so, you are setting your team up for success and helping to build a strong foundation for the future.

Relinquishing control involves finding the right balance between guidance and autonomy.

• Consider the strengths and skills of your new hire when delegating tasks, and provide clear instructions and expectations for each task.
• Prioritize tasks together to ensure that your new hire knows what is most important.
• Check in regularly to provide guidance and support, and use coaching questions to help them grow. Ex. “What alternative approaches or perspectives could you consider?”  or “What are the potential obstacles or challenges you foresee?” or “How can we break down this goal into smaller, manageable steps?”
• Be sure to also offer opportunities for growth and development. For example, if your new hire is responsible for email marketing, offer them resources such as Mailchimp’s email marketing best practices or other webinars on email marketing strategies so they can continue to hone their skills and effectively manage their workload.

Marketing Teams Achieving Success Together

Delegation can very well act as your superpower if done correctly. When you delegate tasks to new hires, make it a win-win situation where you get more time to focus on the big picture, and they get a starter’s chance to grow and shine in their brand-new roles. This is how marketing teams succeed!

It’s all about putting a focus on onboarding, systems, trust, and relinquishing control. By mastering these areas and assigning tasks that match their strengths, we’ll help our marketing teams thrive and our new hires succeed.

Bonus Tip? Keep in mind that delegation is not just for your marketing teams but for all others in your organization as well. Check out these tips on how to create a culture where everyone is a marketer at your organization.

What’s already working for you? Share your tips or join us to chat about this topic with your fellow nonprofit communicators by joining our FREE private community!

If there’s one thing nonprofit marketers could use more of, it is likely time and resources. Working with multiple social impact organizations, I constantly search for ways to optimize both and increase overall nonprofit productivity. During my journey, I have discovered the benefits of systematizing processes.

Words like these are not naturally attractive to us right-brained thinkers. Policies, protocols, standard operating procedures (SOPs), guidelines, documentation, and workflows all give an initial feeling of boring rigidity. The idea of sitting around and mapping out every step of a process or workflow for someone else to follow, isn’t my idea of creative progress. But over time, I’ve learned the many benefits that result from these concepts.

Why Nonprofit Productivity Matters

An intentional focus on nonprofit productivity is helpful if you’re looking to maximize mission output. Efficient use of time and resources ensures that more efforts go towards achieving your mission. We cover this concept a lot at the Nonprofit Marketing Guide including how to do this while remaining Calm, Not Busy. By implementing things like SOPs and other productivity tools, nonprofit organizations can streamline processes, reduce errors, and enhance overall productivity.

How many times have you found yourself onboarding a new staff member or walking a colleague through a necessary process? Or perhaps covering for a teammate who’s suddenly gone out, trying to pick up the pieces where they left off? Frequently, these involve recurring processes or campaigns that would benefit from being cataloged for easy future reference. There’s typically a set way of going about these processes or campaigns that has to be shared time and time again.

The Role of SOPs and Other Tools 

This is where the “boring rigidity” of documentation, standard operating procedures, and guidelines come in. They help save us time and frustration by eliminating the need to redo, re-teach, or remember how to perform a necessary task or process accurately. The idea is to take the time to catalog it once so that anyone who might need to can reference and follow the process moving forward in the right way.

Being able to move our ideas, teams, and organizations forward relies on our ability to organize and communicate clearly and seamlessly. It also means doing so in the most efficient ways possible. SOPs, project management tools, and automation software help with consistency and quality control. They ensure the same level of service or outcome each time.

Furthermore, we have a duty to our teams, donors, and those we serve to keep the mission moving forward. Implementing productivity concepts like SOPs and automation tools helps ensure business continuity. They allow an organization to continue its essential functions despite significant changes. This is something we should all be invested in.

Key Concepts and Tools

Here’s a quick breakdown of some of these time-saving and business continuity concepts.

• Workflows are visual representations of the sequence of steps in a process.
• Processes are a series of actions or steps taken to achieve a particular end.
• Policies are principles or rules to guide decisions and achieve rational outcomes.
• Procedures are specific methods or steps for performing tasks or activities.
• Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are written instructions with loads of detail that achieve uniformity in performing a specific function.
• Automation Tools are software that performs tasks automatically to reduce manual effort, such as email marketing automation.
• Systematization is arranging something according to a system or plan.

Get Started

I like to start by cataloging the most critical processes and tasks. Focus on those that impact our primary functions the most, such as managing brand reputation, donor and donation management, and other stakeholder engagement and communication. Here is a sampling of specific areas or processes you can start with:

• Create a SOP in detail for how log, process, and acknowledge donations.
• Develop guidelines for creating, scheduling, and monitoring posts on various platforms.
• Document each step involved in planning and executing events, including timelines and key responsibilities.
• Outline the process for recruiting, training, and integrating new volunteers into your organization.
•  Specify the steps for researching, writing, and submitting grant applications, including necessary approvals and follow-up.

Implementing SOPs and Tools for Enhanced Productivity

There are several platforms and companies that can support the development of workflow mapping and SOP documentation. However, you can also start simply with screenshots and step-by-step instructions documented in Microsoft Word or your favorite word processing application. If you want to get more visual, you can also screencast and record your processes via Loom, PowerPoint, or other platforms. Whatever you use, just be sure that you are cataloging the most critical steps and doing so in an easy-to-follow way. Before you finalize it, it is always helpful to have someone else test, follow, or read through your procedure, workflow, or policy for clarity.

Systematization for the Win

Training and operations manuals, handbooks, and training videos may not be things we look forward to creating or following, but they are all useful in our desire to keep our work moving forward efficiently and effectively. By investing time in systematizing our processes and leveraging nonprofit productivity tools, we ensure our missions stay on track and our organizations thrive.

If you are looking for more ways to maximize output and work smarter not harder, check out 8 Productivity Hacks you Might Want to Try

And if you need a pulse check on if you are already doing to much, definitely review our bit on Toxic Productivity!

Finally if you want to chat about this topic and more with your fellow nonprofit communicators, join our FREE private community.

Ever thought about how we, as communicators, can build deeper, long-lasting relationships with our stakeholders, especially our donors? It’s crucial because donors are emotionally connected to our mission. Plus, it’s more cost-efficient to retain a donor than to find a new one. We should honor their commitment by viewing them as long-term relationships rather than transactional interactions. Good donor communications is a part of that!

Having a good grasp on the wants and needs of your donors, can really make a difference in your donor communications. The concept of love languages, popularized by Gary Chapman in his book “The Five Love Languages,” is all about understanding how people prefer to give and receive appreciation. By applying this idea, we can enhance our donor communication and thank you strategies in a truly fresh way.

Here are some ways to apply the love languages to your donor cultivation and outreach strategies.

Words of Affirmation

Let’s start with telling your donors how awesome they are! This language is pretty familiar to most of us, but using positive, uplifting language helps to affirm their impact and make them feel like the hero. Personal notes that mention specific contributions, public shoutouts on social media, and personalized stories of how their donations make a difference also show them that they’re truly valued. This type of donor communication builds a strong emotional connection.

Acts of Service

Or you can show your appreciation with actions. Acts of service can demonstrate that you’re willing to go the extra mile for your donors, enhancing donor cultivation. Some ideas that would align with this love language are:

• Offering to customize their donor engagement journey by asking for their preferences on communication and interests.
• Providing a dedicated contact person for inquiries, and invite them to special events that make them feel valued.
• Meeting them where they are when asking for a meeting or other engagement.
• Providing easy access to updates or materials for them to share with others in their network.

Quality Time

You can take it a step further and spend some meaningful time with your donors. One idea is to host one-on-one meetings, either over coffee or virtually, and invite them to exclusive behind-the-scenes tours. Personalized updates and regular communication also shoes your commitment to keeping them in the loop fand feeling like part of the team. Quality time strengthens the relationship and shows that you value their time and investment in your mission.

Gifts

Some people much prefer the warmth of a thoughtful gift. Send small, meaningful tokens like custom bookmarks, artwork from program participants, or branded items to connect with donors on this level. You can also celebrate significant milestones with relevant special gifts or share customized and personalized updates to show donors their own specific long-term impact. Thoughtful gifts serve as tangible reminders of their contributions and strengthen donor loyalty.

Physical Touch (Adapted)

This final love language can certainly be tricky in our professional connections, but there are ways to tap into the concept.

• Create a warm and welcoming environment during events or tours with friendly handshakes and personal greetings.
• Offer VIP treatment with special seating and exclusive access.
• Even virtual high-fives through enthusiastic messages can convey appreciation and connection.

These adapted forms of physical touch helps make donors feel physically connected and appreciated.

The Great Donor Communications Formula?

Engaged Donors are Long-term Donors.

Having a good grasp on the wants and needs of your donors, whether that is looking at their love language or otherwise, can make the difference between an engaged donor and a passive one. By incorporating words of affirmation, acts of service, quality time, thoughtful gifts, and adapting the idea of physical touch into your donor thank you messages, you create deeper, more personal connections with your supporters.

If you are looking to go deeper on this topic, join us as we host a webinar at the end of this month on crafting messages that build stronger donor communications and connections. We will be talking about about how to keep your donors appreciated and engaged all year long!

Endless revisions? Missed deadlines? Going over budget? Oh my! Making pretty things isn’t always fun and games. These are common issues many of us have faced while producing creative projects for our organizations. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or just starting out, understanding how to collaborate effectively with graphic designers is number one in elevating your organization’s visual presence.

Here are a few tips to make the most of your design partnerships:

1. Get the communication right.

Success in design starts with clear communication. By articulating your vision clearly and sharing your mission upfront, you set a solid foundation for the project. Utilize visual examples to bridge the gap between concept and reality, ensuring that your designer fully grasps your expectations.

2. Creative briefs were made for this.

A creative brief is what is going to help you turn those good conversations in to action. This document not only guides your designer but also aligns the project with your strategic goals. A creative brief outlines the objectives, target audience, and key messages of your project. You can find easy-to-use templates on platforms like Canva or Adobe that will help streamline this process.

• DO include the project’s purpose, specific deliverables, target audience, and desired message.
• DO specify brand elements like colors, fonts, and logos to be used.

3. Stay constructive with the feedback.

As your project progresses, offering constructive feedback becomes essential. Compare these approaches: Instead of vague dislikes, pinpoint specific elements like alignment or color schemes that could be improved. This specificity helps prevent misunderstandings and keeps your project on track.

• Constructive Feedback: “Could we try aligning the text with the graphics to enhance readability?”
• Non-Constructive Feedback: “I don’t like it.” OR “Can we…make it prettier?”
• Encourage open dialogue and implement a process for feedback throughout the design phase to discuss progress and make adjustments.

4. Pick the right person.

The choice of designer can significantly influence the outcome of your project. It’s essential to assess both the style and the substance of potential designers. While it’s tempting to prioritize cost, remember that quality and compatibility with your mission are paramount for a successful partnership that truly represents your organization.

• DO look for designers with experience in similar projects to understand your needs.
• DO review their portfolios to assess their style and breadth of work.
• DO prioritize quality and fit over cost; cheaper isn’t always better and can compromise the project’s outcome.

5. Make the money make sense.

Even with financial constraints, there are ways to maximize your design budget without compromising on quality. From bundling tasks to using templates and negotiating rates, every nonprofit can find strategies to stretch their resources further. Effective planning and clear briefs can also reduce the need for costly revisions.

• DO bundle multiple design tasks together for potential package deals or discounts.
• DO use templates for recurring design needs to save costs.
• DO plan your design needs well in advance to avoid rush charges.

To dive deeper into these topics, join our upcoming workshop, Better Ways to Work with Graphic Designers. It’s a great opportunity to sharpen your skills and ensure your next design project is as successful as possible. Let’s keep all parties happy and producing beautiful creative products for our mission!

Working in nonprofit marketing and communication teaches us many things, but perhaps most importantly, that we’re all in this together. No matter the size or type of our organizations, we face similar challenges every day. As a nonprofit marketer we strive to advance our missions with limited budgets and manpower, juggling multiple priorities and often battling misconceptions about the value of good marketing.

Some days are tougher than others. On those challenging days, it can be helpful to recall a few key affirmations that have helped me through my years in nonprofit marketing:

I am a Nonprofit Marketer and…

1. “I can do hard things.”

This might sound a bit cliché, like something out of a motivational poster, but it’s a vital reminder. We are stretched thin at times. Have competing priorities. Outlandish external expectations. A new process, project, software, audience, or leadership idea. Every new challenge seems daunting at first, but remember, it’s always hard, until it isn’t. Remind yourself why the work is necessary, focus on the goal, and push through the discomfort (within reason). It’s through these challenges that we grow.

2. “I was selected to be here.”

You’re here because you have something valuable to contribute and because you understand this discipline—perhaps better than anyone else in your organization. Often, as nonprofit marketers we find ourselves defending our work, budgets, strategies, or the necessity of our roles, especially in nonprofits where the importance of marketing and communications can be underestimated or misunderstood. Embrace your role as the subject matter expert in communications and marketing.

Remember, you were chosen for this position to offer crucial insights and drive your organization’s mission forward. Even if your role is multifaceted, remember that someone trusted you to manage this vital area. Own it, nurture it, and speak with authority.

3. “Spend the money.”

When you are a nonprofit marketer, it’s natural to want to save as much as possible to direct funds towards your cause. However, investing in the right tools, education, and marketing strategies is crucial. Effective outreach requires resources, and being too frugal can mean missing out on opportunities to amplify your message and impact.

4. “Embrace failure.”

Not every initiative will be a success, and that’s okay. Each failure is a lesson in disguise. If you’re not failing, you’re likely not innovating or pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. Recognize that every setback is a step forward in disguise, giving us lessons that can refine your strategies and improve future outcomes.

For instance, if a fundraising campaign doesn’t meet its target, instead of viewing it as a setback, see it as a chance to analyze what didn’t work and why. Perhaps the promotional methods didn’t resonate with your audience, or the timing was off. Remember, the path to success is often paved with lessons learned from failure—embrace it as part of your growth journey.

5. “My mask first.”

Working as a nonprofit marketer often means putting others first, but you can’t pour from an empty cup. Take care of yourself, set boundaries, and ensure you’re not heading towards burnout. It’s not selfish; it’s necessary. Make self-care a priority, not an afterthought. By maintaining your well-being, you ensure you have the energy and clarity to give your best to the causes you champion. Just like in airplane safety, securing your mask first is essential before assisting others.

Remember these affirmations, especially on the tough days. What you do is crucial, and sometimes, just reminding yourself of these simple truths can provide the strength to persevere. Say it with me: “What I do is important and necessary!”

If you need a little more support, check out 10 Easy Ways to Lower Your Stress Levels or more tips on Balancing Mental Health in Nonprofit Marketing

The online search landscape is changing. A November 2023 study by HubSpot highlighted a shift towards social media over search engines for information, especially among younger audiences like Gen Z and Millennials. They go on to share that their Trends report shows 31% of consumers now use social platforms for finding information.

Another report from DataReportal stated that back in 2022, 75% of internet users used social media to research products, look for reviews, and recommendations. And another 27.9% used social media to find inspiration for things to do and buy. All signs and reports point to that number having increased today.

Social SEO, as a result, is now becoming as popular as traditional SEO once was. Unlike traditional SEO, which optimizes for search engines like Google and Bing, Social SEO focuses on making content visible on social platforms. It’s about making our content easier to find and ensuring it shows up in users’ feeds.

The American Marketing Association named Social SEO as one of the top six 2024 trends for marketers. This highlights how important Social SEO is for nonprofits like ours, especially as social media search and AI chatbots become more common.

So, what does optimizing social media platforms for search look like?

Top Tips for Enhancing Social SEO:

1. Tailoring content for each social platform.
2. Incorporating keywords and phrases relevant to your audience’s search habits.
3. Optimizing your social media profiles for SEO.
4. Using relevant hashtags to improve discoverability.
5. Analyzing and adapting content based on performance insights.
6. Using interactive campaigns to engage and inform.
7. Optimizing posts for visibility and search relevance.
8. Sharing high-quality, shareable content that aligns with your mission.

Now let’s see it in practice for mission-based organizations. Let’s take a look at some examples of Social SEO in action:

Optimizing Profiles for SEO

Example: A homeless shelter nonprofit enhancing its Facebook profile by including keywords such as “homeless support services” and “emergency shelter” in its bio section. They also link directly to their donation page and use a consistent naming convention across platforms to improve their searchability and brand recognition.

Optimizing Posts for Search Relevance

Example: A mental health nonprofit uses Instagram to share content that directly addresses common search queries, such as “how to cope with anxiety.” They include these phrases in their post captions and video content, making their posts more likely to be discovered by users seeking information on these topics.

Tailored Content for Each Platform

Example: A literacy nonprofit can share quick tips on Twitter/X, in-depth articles or long post content on LinkedIn, and visual testimonials on Instagram to connect with different segments of their audience.

Interactive Campaigns

Example: Hosting live Q&A sessions on social platforms to address common queries that come into the organization and encouraging followers to submit questions before, during, and after.

Strategic Hashtag Use

Example: An environmental nonprofit could increase content discoverability and connect with like-minded users by using targeted but somewhat mainstream hashtags such as #PlasticFreeOceans to connect with a targeted audience.

Engaging Visual Content

Example: Sharing compelling stories and images of rescued animals, an animal welfare nonprofit can use Instagram Stories or Facebook Live to boost engagement and visibility.

Community Building Through Engagement

Example: Fostering two-way conversation through comments and shares, to build deeper connections with your audience.

Befriend the Algorithms

The shift towards social media as a primary search tool offers nonprofits an invaluable opportunity to connect with their audience on a deeper level. By leveraging the unique strengths of each social platform and aligning your content strategy with your audience’s search behaviors, your nonprofit can significantly enhance its social SEO. The addition of strategic hashtag use, engaging visual content, and community building through engagement further enriches this approach, ensuring your nonprofit’s message not only reaches but resonates with the right audience.

With every hashtag, every shareable moment, and every community dialogue, we’re not just reaching audiences; we’re inviting them into our story. Stay curious, stay engaged, and let’s make every search a step towards new relationships and achieving your mission.

As a nonprofit marketer, getting your budget items or overall budget approved is a crucial part of rolling out an effective marketing strategic plan but can sometimes be intimidating. Here are 4 ways to get you there!

For more on nonprofit marketing budgets, join us for Strategic Nonprofit Marketing Budgets: Your Roadmap to Approval and Impact. You can pay $99 to register for just this webinar or attend ALL of our 2024 webinars and workshops for only $599 with an All-Access Pass (normally $799; sale ends 1/5/24). To learn more about what we are offering in 2024, see Reveal Video: Our 2024 Nonprofit Communications Training Schedule.

1. Align with Strategic Goals

Understanding and aligning your budget request with the organization’s strategic plan and business goals is numero uno. Successful leaders are focused on propelling their organizations forward with sustainable revenue and impact. Whatever aspect of marketing your request pertains to, it must demonstrate a clear return on investment (ROI) in relation to one of these two objectives. You must be able to articulate how those marketing activities will contribute to generating more revenue or increasing impact. The idea is to leave no doubt that we are all on the same page with achieving mission outcomes.

Gone are the days when marketing activities could solely be justified for “awareness” purposes; now, it’s all about tangible outcomes.

2. Build Strong Relationships

First things first is always people. Make sure you have a solid connection with your finance team or accounting person. You should be meeting with them regularly, or at least more than once a year, to grasp the organization’s current financial status. Understanding your team’s financial situation, even if it’s a one-person team, is equally important. If meeting with finance isn’t an option, maintain open communication with your supervisor to stay informed about the financial landscape. This context is essential when you’re considering your budget request.

Additionally, it’s beneficial to find a champion within senior leadership or someone with influence who understands your goals. Having an advocate makes everything easier. Try to locate someone who can help lay the groundwork for your request in advance.

Remember that your final budget should align with a clear and strategic marketing plan that fits within the organization’s financial capacity at that time. Being aware of the current financial outlook is crucial.

3. Benchmark and Measure with KPIs

Incorporate benchmarking practices to compare your marketing efforts and costs with industry standards and best practices.  This can be a little tricky the more niche you try to get with your organization’s cause but do the best you can.

Simultaneously, establish key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the success of your initiatives. Utilize these metrics to demonstrate the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns in achieving organizational goals. Data-driven insights show that you are serious about using the funds effectively and are compelling when seeking budget approval.

4. Responsible Fund Management

Show responsible management of previous funds or projects, especially if you’ve been working with limited resources. Highlight what you’ve achieved with these constraints and illustrate how additional financial support could lead to even greater accomplishments.

If you’ve had a budget in the past, be prepared to discuss the ROI it generated. That history of success can pave the way for future fund allocation.

Bonus Tip: Avoid Excessive Underspending!

While we all know that it’s essential to be mindful of budget spend, you want to steer clear of excessive underspending or being overly frugal. Request an amount that you genuinely believe is necessary for effectiveness and then use it.

What you should be doing is monitoring the use of funds as you go, ensuring they are being used effectively and efficiently. This proactive approach allows you to adjust your budget as needed.

Remember that striking the right balance of funds is key to reaching your target audience effectively,  enhancing visibility, and boosting engagement. Massive underspending is a no-no if you want to avoid the risk of being seen as so frugal in the past that future funding may be denied.

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Incorporate these strategies into your budget request process and you will  be sure to get at least a little closer to yes. Remember, it’s not just about asking for funds; it’s about making a compelling case for investing in your mission-driven marketing efforts.