Free nonprofit marketing plan template & strategies for success

Most nonprofit marketers aren't trained marketers at all. They're executive directors, fundraisers, and program staff who've inherited the "comms" hat along with everything else on their plate. So if building a marketing plan has felt like one more overwhelming task, that tracks.

But an effective nonprofit marketing plan doesn't need to be a 40-page strategy deck. The most useful ones are simple enough to actually use: a clear audience, one or two focused goals, the right channels, and a way to measure what's working.

This guide walks you through how to build yours step by step, with a free template to make it even easier. Whether you're starting from scratch or tightening up an existing strategy, you'll walk away with a realistic plan you can put into action right away.

Key takeaways

• A marketing plan is a must-have ✔️ An effective marketing plan provides direction, guidance, and context, keeping your entire team aligned.
• Use a template for a strong foundation 💪 Our free template was created with all the sections your nonprofit needs for a strong start.
• Dive deep into your audience personas 👤 Understand who your target audience is and how you can reach them through their unique personas.
• Set clear goals 🎯 Define what your overall marketing goal is and determine how you'll reach it.
• Track the right metrics 📈 Monitor changes in subscriber and follower numbers or other valuable metrics, so you can demonstrate success.
• Elevate your marketing with best practices 🏆 Improve your marketing plan even further by implementing industry best practices.
• Put your plan into action with Givebutter 🧈 Streamline your nonprofit marketing efforts with Givebutter's email, direct mail, SMS, and social media marketing features.

Download your free nonprofit marketing plan template

Our free nonprofit marketing plan template can be customized to fit your specific goals and needs. It features key sections like audience, core message, channels, and resources to help plan your way to more impactful campaigns.

Access the free template now, and follow this guide for a step-by-step walkthrough on completing it.

Freebie alert!

Download your free nonprofit marketing plan template →

How to create a marketing plan for a nonprofit organization

Behind every effective campaign is a clear plan. Here's how to build yours.

Follow this step-by-step guide to create a nonprofit marketing plan that keeps your team on track.

1. Define your audiences & donor personas 👤

Reaching the right people in the right place is essential to a campaign's success. To determine your ideal audience, start with the donor data you already have.

Use your CRM system to filter, sort, and segment your supporters based on information such as previous gift size, geographic location, gender, age, or activity (volunteer, event attendee, etc.).

From this data, create target audiences or buyer personas, a fictional character that helps you understand your target audience. Consider common traits between your current donors, like demographic data and interests, such as job titles and income level, hobbies, other supported causes, and even the podcasts they listen to.

For every target audience or donor persona, include:

• Age range
• Relationship to your organization
• Giving or engagement history
• Motivations for supporting your cause
• Common questions or objections

Don't worry about creating the perfect donor personas. Use the data, patterns, and observations you have to build lightweight personas. You can always refine them over time.

💡 Pro tip: It's normal to have more than one donor persona in your audience. The key to success is tailoring your marketing efforts to each group.

More to explore

Your donor segmentation cheat sheet →

2. Set clear marketing goals tied to fundraising or growth 🎯

Clear objectives, or SMART goals (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound), tie your marketing plan back to your broader organizational goals. To set SMART goals for your marketing plan, consider what you're trying to achieve with a particular campaign.

For every marketing goal, include:

• What the goal is: e.g., grow your email list by 20%.
• Why this goal matters right now: For example, increasing awareness ahead of a project launch.
• Success metrics: Numbers you'll track, such as new email signups from the campaign.
• Timeline: e.g., three months.

Once you have clear goals, you can work backward to plan activities and schedule them on your campaign calendar.

Dive deeper

Learn how to create a fundraising plan for the year ahead →

3. Clarify your core message & positioning 💬

Before you can fully dive into your marketing campaign, you must develop a core message that's easy to understand and connected to the mission.

Ask yourself, “What is the main reason someone would support our cause?” Your answer becomes the core message you'll use across your marketing materials, such as website headlines, social media bios, and campaign pages.

💡 Pro tip: Alongside your core messaging, include a note about your tone of voice. Even better, link to your brand guidelines if you have them.

Learn more

Get the complete guide to nonprofit communications →

4. Choose the right channels & campaigns 📣

Consider the audiences developed in the buyer persona step and your budget to determine the best channels for your marketing plan.

Common channels for nonprofit content marketing include email, social media, website landing pages, SMS/text messages, direct mail, and events.

For this part of your marketing plan, identify:

• Primary channels: One or two channels to focus on.
• Key campaigns or moments: Awareness days or events to launch a campaign around.
• Primary call to action: The action you want readers to take, e.g., sign up for your newsletter or make a donation.
• Where this CTA will live: Where to place your call to action (CTA), such as a landing page, signup form, or event page.

💡 Pro tip: If you're managing multiple channels, consider using nonprofit marketing automation tools to streamline your content and campaigns.

Dive deeper

Social media for nonprofits: free guide and strategy template →

5. Plan around your budget, tools, & team capacity 💸

Every effective nonprofit marketing plan factors in budget, resources, tools, and team capacity. Outline who's responsible for executing the plan and what resources are available to support them.

Include the following details in your plan:

• Responsible person: Name the person or role who will oversee or execute the plan.
• Estimated marketing budget: A rough figure is fine here. You can include a more detailed breakdown in your nonprofit business plan.
• Available resources: List the resources you already have available, such as staff time, volunteers, board support, blog posts, existing marketing materials, and design help.
• Marketing tools: List the tools you'll use to manage campaigns, such as a CRM, email marketing platform, donation pages, Canva, or a social media scheduler.

💡 Pro tip: Be realistic about your resources and what you can achieve. If your budget feels too limited, present a research-backed proposal to your leader or board for additional funds.

More to explore

How to build your fundraising dream team →

6. Measure results & revisit your plan regularly 📈

To know whether your marketing plan is on track, review your results regularly. Your marketing plan should evolve as you learn what works and what doesn't.

Stay organized with these results-focused prompts:

• What data will you review? List the metrics you'll analyze over time, e.g., number of email subscribers, social media followers, subscribers converted into first-time donors, or website page views.
• How often will you review progress? Decide whether this should happen monthly, quarterly, or after every campaign.
• What will you adjust if things aren't working? Determine how you'll evaluate a campaign's success and what to improve for the future.
• Next review date: Set a date for your next plan review to stay accountable.

To see how these steps come together, here are three realistic approaches for teams of different sizes and goals.

Nonprofit marketing plan examples

When it comes to nonprofit marketing, knowing what to do and what your plan actually looks like can feel very different. Use these examples to see what a nonprofit marketing plan can look like in practice.

Example 1: Small nonprofit with one staff member & limited budget 🧢

Focus: Awareness + email list growth

• Primary goal 🎯 To increase the number of email subscribers by 15% in three months.
• Core audience 👥 Potential supporters close to their network, such as friends of donors or local community members.
• Channels selected (and why) ✉️ Social media platforms (for reaching new audiences) and email marketing (for keeping supporters engaged long term).
• What success looks like 🏆 Growth in newsletter subscribers, higher open rates, and more donors converting from email campaigns.

Example 2: Small nonprofit with one staff member & a volunteer team 🤝

Focus: Promote an upcoming fundraising event

• Primary goal 🎯 To sell 80% of tickets for an upcoming gala night and auction.
• Core audience 👥 Existing supporters and donors who typically buy tickets to events.
• Channels selected (and why) ✉️ Targeted email campaigns to segmented audiences (to attract relevant guests that are more likely to be interested).
• What success looks like 🏆 Selling the target number of event tickets, hosting a full event, and raising more money than last year's gala.

Example 3: Marketing team within a small nonprofit organization 🎉

Focus: Original content that makes a long-term impact

• Primary goal 🎯 To attract and retain donors through high-quality video content.
• Core audience 👥 Potential donors, corporate sponsors, and grant funders.
• Channels selected (and why) ✉️ Video series on YouTube (to widen reach and share captivating long-form video content).
• What success looks like 🏆 Positive engagement on videos, click-throughs from video description to donation page, and new corporate sponsor signups that reference the video.

Nonprofit marketing best practices

A strong plan gets you started. These best practices help you go further.

• Set yourself apart ⚡ The nonprofit world is crowded. To stand out, focus on what makes you different. Let your personality and values shine through in every piece of content.
• Be human 👊 Write the way you speak: warm, authentic, and mission-driven.
• Lean on your team 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Train your staff, board members, volunteers, and loyal donors as brand advocates for your mission.
• Use storytelling ✍ Evoke emotion with real-life narratives and impact stories.
• Try a new format 🎤 Experiment with different formats like podcasts or livestreaming.
• Talk about your mission often 💻 Return to your why and carry it across all content and channels.
• Ask for reviews 💬 Make referrals a regular part of your donor engagement strategy. For example, send a short survey or referral request once or twice a year.
• Automate, but keep it personal 🤖 Implement marketing automation to streamline workflows while still tailoring messages through smart targeting and personalization.

Bring your nonprofit marketing strategy to life with Givebutter

You came in with a blank doc and a long to-do list. You're leaving with a clear audience, a focused goal, and a plan you can follow through with.

Start small. Set up a fundraising page, send your first segmented email, or promote an upcoming event. Givebutter gives you the tools to do all of it from one place—email, text-to-give, donor segmentation, and reporting—so your plan turns into real campaigns without the juggling act.

Sign up for Givebutter for free today to start the first of many marketing campaigns.

FAQs about marketing plans for nonprofit organizations

What is nonprofit marketing?

Nonprofit marketing is an organization's ongoing strategic efforts to raise awareness about its mission and connect with current and potential supporters. Effective marketing helps nonprofits establish a brand identity, attract supporters, and bring in donations.

Do nonprofits really need a marketing plan if they're small or all-volunteer?

Yes, it's helpful for nonprofits of any size to have a marketing plan. It's especially beneficial for organizations with a smaller budget because having a strategic plan with a realistic budget allows you to create the biggest impact with limited funds.

How do I create a marketing plan with little to no budget?

List what you can do for free (e.g., social media updates) and which areas require funds (e.g., social media ads or launching a professional video series). Consider partnering with a corporate sponsor to help cover costs, or have them provide services in-kind to make the most of your budget.

How do I show my board or leadership that the marketing plan is working?

Keep your board or leadership team informed with monthly or quarterly marketing updates, including specific metrics or key performance indicators (KPIs) tied to your original goals.