As a non-profit, fundraising is essential not only to cover operation cost, but also to provide resources for the community or cause for which you are working. Advertising is expensive because you have to pay for design, materials and airtime (if applicable). If you're a non-profit organization looking to promote your company through advertising, you may want to partner with advertising companies that do pro bono work.
Instructions
1. Create a proposal to send out to advertising agencies. This proposal should include a short statement about your organization as well as information about the specific project that you want to promote through advertising. Lay out what this partnership would mean for your organization and the results you expect. This will give the agency an idea of the magnitude of your organization and project, and help them determine if they can do the work.
2. List the benefits the advertising agency can receive, such as company logo placement in promotional materials, recognition at a gala dinner, or a receipt for their tax-deductible gift to your organization. Depending on your organization, you can also leverage your network and visibility in the community to entice the advertising agency into helping you with free advertising.
3. Ask people you know who may have a contact in an advertising agency. Whether it's an employee, alumni, community member or someone from another non-profit, reaching out to your network may score leads. Get a feel for the advertising agencies that are out there.
4. Contact agencies and be sure to mention a connection if you have one. Many advertising agencies understand the value of doing pro bono work as it positions them as a socially responsible agency, and because partnering with a non-profit organization can lead to other projects through networking and referrals.
5. Create a contract between your organization and the advertising agency. Even if it's pro bono work, it's important to have a contract stating the objectives and expectations of each party. Also, since the advertising agency is doing this service for your organization, be sure to match that service by contributing with idea development, following up promptly, and abiding by any benefits you may have promised them.
6. Consider other partnerships such as online advertising to supplement your advertising needs. Google Grants is a program created by Google to help non-profit organizations by providing in-kind advertising for their website. When people search on Google, non-profit ads that are relevant to the search will appear on the right sidebar, enabling Google users to connect to the non-profit organization.
