As a nonprofit, your resources are limited. When you’re dependent on others volunteering their time or giving donations, having well-established community relations is vital to your survival. That doesn’t only mean the general public or your target audience, but also your fellow businesses, especially other nonprofits. Nonprofit or not, you’ll find that allying with businesses is a powerful tool to not only save time, money, and resources, but also to spread your message to audiences who may not have seen it otherwise.
What We’ve Done
We’ve been working with the Houston nonprofit community for nine years now. Many of the organizations have been our clients, or better yet, our friends. Several of these organizations have similar goals or plans that they may not have realized were aligned. In the spirit of connectedness, we like to host, attend, and brand gatherings where our friends can meet. Our founder, Gracie, hosts Wilton Park Sessions, quarterly events where representatives of local nonprofits are invited to mingle and discuss the landscape of Houston nonprofits and how we can further our missions together.
Through Wilton Park and other events, Gracie has facilitated collaborations between multiple clients, most of whom are nonprofits. These are just a few:
- Our longtime client, Buffalo Soldiers National Museum, included in its museum experience the history of African-American astronauts, whom they consider the modern incarnation of the Buffalo Soldiers. Gracie saw an opportunity and invited the social media team of Space Center Houston, a past client, to a BSNM exhibit premiere. The two would create a collaborative post about African-American astronauts, encouraging followers to visit both museums. This was not only a kind gesture, but also connected their audiences, as Space Center Houston was trying to attract more local visitors.
- Two of our past clients, Southern Yankee Beer Co. and Undies for Everyone, collaborated to create a special beer, with a percentage of the proceeds from that beer being donated to UfE.
- Gracie introduced our client, Ars Lyrica, to our friends at Special Olympics Texas at an event for the American Marketing Association, where Gracie spoke. Ars Lyrica would go on to perform sensory-friendly shows for the athletes of the Special Olympics.
Gracie actively fosters these relationships not for financial gain, but because she believes the world will be a better place if these nonprofits partner up and uncover opportunities they otherwise wouldn’t realize exist.
What You Need to Know
These kinds of relationships can’t be forced, and it may seem difficult to cultivate them. Here are a few questions to consider before making a connection:
- What are the goals and needs of your nonprofit friends?
- Even if their purposes are entirely different, what could they gain or achieve from working together?
- Is there a space where these nonprofits can or already do interact?
Gracie’s Advice
- Find time at the places & events built for collaboration. If you can’t find places or time, make your own. Hold gatherings, events, or invite the people behind these nonprofits out for coffee or lunch.
- The relationships formed between two nonprofit organizations are ultimately connections made between humans. It’s that human connection that changes this from being a business partnership to a collaboration between people striving to better their community together.
We Know Nonprofit Marketing
We are experienced veterans of the Houston nonprofit community. Over the years, we’ve:
- Served 60+ nonprofits
- Raised over $25 million for our nonprofit clients
To us, nonprofit marketing is more than just business; it’s empowering those who do good to help as many people as possible. If you’re looking to put your nonprofit out there, our marketing experts are ready to help you spread the word!
