Six Nonprofits to Learn From

Today we are covering a list of nonprofits to learn from.

We will give you six different organizations along with some background information, as well as one main takeaway from each.

So you can step up your marketing and get the best results possible for your own nonprofit! 

Six Nonprofits Your Own Organization Can Learn From

1) Oxfam International

This is a well-known international nonprofit that specializes in disaster relief and actions to end poverty. This includes constant work to provide those most in need with food and clothing, as well as basic health services.

Main takeaway: A good website is essential. In fact, your website is usually the very first experience that a potential donor has with your organization. Because of that, it is the most powerful asset you have to make a good first impression. Fail here, and it’s going to be difficult to get your site visitor to take an interest in your cause. 

Some of the most important things to keep in mind here are navigation and ease of use. This is something Oxfam International does well. It’s easy to navigate their website and intuitive to find the information you are looking for. Check out our post on user experience for more actionable information.

2) The Student Conservation Association

This organization focuses on many different aspects of wildlife protection. This includes maintaining parks, protecting endangered species, and cleaning up forest areas. 

Main takeaway: Make donating easy. For a nonprofit organization, it’s important to give people as many chances to donate as possible. If they have to go looking for a place to become a donor, or if there is even slight confusion, you risk driving them away. 

Make donation easy through clear and obvious buttons. You should also make it possible to donate on every page of your website. Look into crafting compelling headers for the best results possible. This is exactly what the Student Conservation Association does, and it clearly works!

3) American Red Cross

The American Red Cross provides disaster relief and military support. This includes food, water, and shelter for people directly affected. The organization also provides blood donation services as well as services for veterans.

Main takeaway: Images are important. In fact, pictures are likely even more important in the nonprofit sector than your traditional business. That’s because with for profit organizations, the consumer knows they are getting a product that brings some sort of benefit with purchasing. The company can theoretically neglect product images if the offer and copy are strong enough. 

No such luck with nonprofits. In this industry, donors aren’t getting an immediate benefit and need to be shown what their money is achieving. Literally. Images are one of the most effective ways to do this. This is something the American Red Cross has taken to heart with their heavy emphasis on pictures.

4) Feed The Children

One of the most well-known nonprofits today, Feed The Children fights to end poverty for people everywhere. While this includes food distribution, the organization also specializes in measures to support self-reliance in communities around the world.

Main takeaway: Your copy should be clear and compelling. As we’ve written before on our blog, copywriting is important for almost every conceivable business. That’s because words are the way you communicate, and the method through which you convince people to do something. You might have the most interesting nonprofit with a great mission, but it doesn’t matter much if you are unable to show it through the copy you write. 

As you can learn from Feed The Children, it’s important to state your mission, and do it in a way that gets people excited to join the cause. If you don’t have time to craft the copy yourself, check out these main tips for hiring a copywriter.

5) Feeding America

The main goal of Feeding America is to end hunger for all people in the United States. They work towards this by connecting people in need with organizations in their area that can provide food.

Main takeaway: Content marketing is equally applicable in just about any industry. Indeed, content is how you entertain your audience long enough to get them sucked into your website. It’s also how you educate them and get them to care about something. This is exactly what Feeding America does through their active blog.

Simply put, if you aren’t fully utilizing content marketing for your nonprofit, you’re missing out. Check out our ultimate guide to content marketing for some important tips on getting started. 

6) Doctors Without Borders

Doctors Without Borders provides medical access to the people most in need of it around the world. Their services strive to be “independent, neutral, and impartial.”

Main takeaway: The color of your brand should be considered. While this is something most nonprofits have at least thought about, brand color is often one of the least considered aspects of an organization. This is unfortunate, as your color pallet and logo have been proven to have a strong effect on how your donors act.

Doctors Without Borders is not only recognizable for the work they do, but also their famous red and white logo. This helps them stick in the minds of potential donors, the first step towards securing more donations. If you are hurting for inspiration, check out this list of businesses with different color brands. You might just find your next design!

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Are you an enterprise, nonprofit or small business looking for help on your website? Give us a shout! We provide a free consultation. Email us at info@lughstudio.com or call us at (718) 855-1919!