In marketing for nonprofits, the Messaging process consists of four key areas: Defining Your Target Audience, Selecting a Category, Creating Differentiation, and Constructing Reasons to Believe. The second phase, Selecting a Category, may seem like a simple task, but, according to ESC consultants Marjorie Bauer and Debra Yanofsky, there is a great deal of deliberation […]
ESC Blog
Establishing Mission Priorities in Nonprofit Financial Planning
From an operational perspective, establishing mission priorities within a nonprofit—while often associated with Marketing, Strategic Planning or other more ambiguous components of organizational development—is central to the financial stability of an NPO and should be a key part of any Financial Planning project. ESC has developed this particular strategy to help nonprofit leaders define those […]
Nonprofit Fundraising Tips: Reaching New Donors
Maintaining donor relations is a challenge in itself, so how can nonprofits effectively dedicate time to reaching new donors? The answers are simple, but nonprofit staff, volunteers and board members must follow guiding principles to conduct new donor outreach with the best results possible. ESC Consultant Bruce Enders and President & CEO Bethany Kendall present […]
The Structure of Strategic Planning
ESC’s number one consulting project type is Strategic Planning. Due to the number of Strategic Planning projects conducted through our organization each year, we often forget that not every nonprofit leader knows the ins and outs of such an undertaking if you know anything about this process at all, so today we’re breaking down this type […]
Guest Blog: Nonprofit vs. Corporate Board Smackdown
Guest blog post by ESC Consultant & Governance Expert Theresa Hamacher If there’s an evergreen topic in the governance world, it’s comparing and contrasting nonprofit and corporate boards. Lengthy articles analyzing the similarities and differences appear at regular intervals in the nonprofit press. Some of these pieces argue that the two types of boards are […]
Get the Most Out of the Best Social Media Platform for Nonprofits
ESC Consultant Mike Byrnes knows a thing or two about social media. You may have seen him speak at a past ESC engagement or at any one of his appearances around the globe—his company, Byrnes Consulting LLC, specializes in social media and online marketing, and he’s been an incredible resource for ESC nonprofit clients over […]
Nonprofit Marketing Tips: Define Your Target Audience
In nonprofit marketing, it is essential for leaders to define the target audience they hope to reach and make aware of their organization. In their Messaging workshop, ESC Consultants Marjorie Bauer and Debra Yanofsky teach that targeting is the first step in a market positioning process, which consists of: 1.) Defining the target audience […]
Improve Outcomes Measurement with a Logic Model Ladder
Every nonprofit management process needs tools to help organizations maximize their impact. Outcomes measurement is no exception. ESC Consultant Barry Seltser offers the idea of a Logic Model Ladder to help nonprofit leaders better organize their efforts during an outcomes measurement consulting project or everyday meeting. Outcomes are important to three main components of […]
Meet the Consultants: Gabriele Loebbert
ESC Consultant Gabriele Loebbert’s favorite experience in nonprofit consulting is bringing missions to results. She has enjoyed her experiences in expanding client reach and facilitating organizational growth as a part of her consulting project teams. “You have to capitalize on revenue-generating opportunities,” she said. “Growth is vital to expanding an organization’s reach and ability to […]
Social Media for Nonprofits: What to Aim For
“An archer cannot hit the bullseye if he doesn’t know where the target is.” – Anonymous It’s clear that social media helps nonprofits build relationships with a wealth of different individuals and organizations—donors, existing volunteers, potential new clients, and many more vital connections—but how can nonprofits best focus their social media efforts? ESC consultant Mike […]