NfPV Presentations

Marketing is a poor stepchild in the world of not-for-profit management. Some consider it a dirty word, some a nuisance, and others just prefer to ignore it. The word has a reputation, justified by misuse in the for-profit world, which makes it antithetical to the essence of not-for-profit mission statements.

This presentation will give reasons for marketing’s suspect reputation among many in the not-for-profit world. The case will be made for how, if properly understood, marketing is a vital and wholly appropriate tool for carrying out not-for-profit mission statements. Specifically, it will be shown that not-for-profit marketing should involve the following:

In an era of skyrocketing personnel costs and increasing competition for funding, not-for-profits are being stretched to and beyond their limits. Efficient resource stewardship demands careful planning. Yet strategic planning—especially for small and mid-size not-for profits—is often seen as an attractive luxury at best, a profligate waste of time at worst.

This presentation will examine the reasons for organizational reticence with respect to planning, provide a compelling rationale for pursuing a planning process, and provide insights as to how the pitfalls of planning may be avoided. It is intended for representatives of organizations which have never undertaken a planning process as well as those which suffer from the ennui of having completed a resultless plan.

There is an unfortunate tendency to allow the funding patterns and interests of grant-makers to drive programming initiatives in the not-for-profit world. This practice is dangerous for organizational health on a number of levels. Programs that are not adequately centered on an organization's core mission inevitably drain human and financial resources away from vital activities. In addition, incomplete understanding of the true nature of a program limits the number of funders that might be interested in a project.

This session will present participants with tools to use in evaluating the appropriateness of a particular program for their organization. It will then proceed to provide means of analyzing potential projects that will expand the pool of potential funders and maximize the intiative's attractiveness to those funders. As time allows, participants will be able to put these concepts into practice with programmatic options their own organizations have under consideration.

We’re Not in Kansas Anymore: Not-for-Profit vs. For-Profit Management

Too many people think that the problems of not-for-profits would be solved if they were "run more like a business." By that they mean for-profit businesses. There is no question that many not-for-profits could benefit from more rigorous and thoughtful management. The sector's origins in pure volunteerism have generated a topsy-like chaos in some of its operation. However, there are substantial and critical differences between for-profit and not-for-profit management. These differences are rooted in the essential nature of the not-for-profit world and are insufficiently understood by for-profit executives and educators of for-profit management.

This presentation will illuminate the differences in for-profit and not-for-profit management which are inherent in the nature of those two forms of enterprise. It will briefly touch upon mission statements, economics, volunteerism, employee relations, fundraising, and marketing and the special considerations which apply to each in not-for-profit management.

This session will benefit those who are mystified by the apparent eccentricities of the not-for-profit world as well as for not-for-profit managers seeking to make themselves understood to board members from the for-profit world.

Return to Presentation List