CharityVillage® Research: Communications: Your nonprofit and communications research

Resources & Library

Path: Main Street > Resources/Library > Research Articles > Feature Article

Your nonprofit and communications research

By Mark Buzan
April 13, 2009

As a nonprofit or association executive, you know that keeping abreast of the needs and wants of your membership, donors, and potential supporters is vital to your nonprofit’s objectives and overall success. Ensuring that you are providing exactly what your audiences want can seem like a never-ending battle.
Many nonprofits and profit-earning businesses alike do their best to assume they know what their customers want through halfhearted marketing, but never really hit home. This, in turn, makes them assume that gathering a solid opinion consensus is impossible and all efforts toward it futile. More time is spent on generic marketing and less time is spent evaluating these efforts. Consequently, as you may have guessed, the final product is a mixed bag of results. Without measuring marketing and advocacy efforts, nonprofits throw money and time out the window.
The case for polling and surveys
Market research is essential in ensuring that your message is effectively targeted to specific audiences. With a plethora of media for dissemination of key messages, it is imperative that nonprofit and association executives make sure their organization sustains their advocacy by thinking with a clear line towards understanding what motivates their audiences and stakeholders. Strategic communication planning begins with a concrete foundation of audience research, and then effectively applies that research to targeted messaging.
So, the obvious question is: how do I effectively measure my marketing efforts? How do I know if the messages are inspiring my membership to act, interact, or donate? By knowing exactly what it is your audiences are looking for on a majority level, you can provide it; and re-strategize your advocacy plans accordingly.
Here are some of the best ways and tips for analyzing your PR and marketing efforts for the future enhanced success of your nonprofit business.

Polling and surveys. One of the most obvious answers is polling and surveying your members, donors or target audiences. But how do you best go about that? Though many people are too busy to leave feedback and comments for a service or program, if you approach them in the correct way, they will be more likely to do so. One good way is to ask for feedback and comments on your email notices and newsletters. Another is to address them from your website for general or specific feedback.

Specific and general feedback. Make sure when reaching out to your membership that you ask for both general feedback as well as specific. For example, if you are trying to determine if a specific program is effective in generating support, ask a specific question to that end. If, on the contrary, you are just beginning to gather responses on your organization, ask for general feedback. Depending on the general response of this collection, you’ll see a pattern in the elements that your membership like and dislike about your organization.

Just ask. Simply asking your membership at programs, events, and the like can garnish a lot more information that you might expect. Not only does it make your customers feel like their opinion matters and that they are part of your organization’s mission, but it also gives them the opportunity to candidly express their opinions on general and specific matters at your nonprofit. Remember it is vital that nonprofit and association executives keep their finger on the pulse of their organization. The best way to do this is through face-to-face networking.

Record. Most importantly, do not think that you can keep a running memory bank on all the different feedback you receive. With all the short and long term happenings of a nonprofit, it is impossible to keep every opinion coherent and unblemished in your mind. Find a way to effectively record these responses. This can as simple and as cost-free as a variety of excel spreadsheets on your laptop.

Analyze. It should go without saying that finding a set time and manner to analyze all these results is just as important as collecting the information. Set time aside regularly to review each means of response, dividing the responses according to question and topic.

Poll and analyze often. Polling and doing customer research once in awhile is a good start, but the more you can enact this sort of response system, the better you can stay on top of what your membership wants from you in relation to your nonprofit’s mission, goals, and community action.

Devise a plan and act. After gathering the information, devising a short and long term plan to optimize your nonprofit’s initiatives and overall scope is crucial. While it’s good to know what your customers want, it is more important to offer them the actual solution. Even if the answer is expensive or will require more than what you have in resources, manpower, and/or funds; developing a plan to reach that goal and taking small, measurable steps towards i, will make your membership feel connected to your nonprofit and also that their voice counts for something.
These are all simple ways that organizations can keep tabs on the effectiveness of their marketing strategies. It is always beneficial to perform a communications or marketing audit through a third party. The help of a professional specialized in nonprofit advocacy can assist your organization in an exhaustive analysis of your marketing efforts and as a result, carry out your objectives.
Mark Buzan is principal and chief magnifier in Action Strategies, a full service strategic communications, public relations and public affairs consultancy for nonprofits and associations. Contact him for advice on reaching audiences you may or may not have yet considered in your marketing communications and PR campaigns. You can view his website at www.actionstrategies.ca.