boogle
10-11-2010, 12:17 PM
So I am working with a non-profit that runs sports programs for special needs children. They have been around 6 years and have a steady base of kids, typically around 150/year. They have asked me to evaluate their marketing plan and try to find ways to get more kids involved, they have been steady at around 150-200 kids for 3 years now. They run sports year-round, baseball, soccer, basketball, bowling, and hockey. They are also adapted to meet the needs of any kid regardless of how sever their disability is.
Right now, they have almost no marketing. They have a pretty poorly built website, they stay in touch with the kids already involved, have an okay base of donors, and their income pretty much meets their expenses with a little each year to drop in savings. As always, they are not wanting to spend much if anything on marketing.
Those of you that know a little about me, I am pretty new to this and this is one of my first jobs. I have come up with 2 strategies that I want to implement simultaneously (on top of streamlining their materials and revamping the site). (I will add databases of families with special needs children is legally protected, so a strategic mailer or contact list is out of the picture)
First, they do not really have a newsletter. They have their participants emails on file and contact them when the next sports signups are etc. But they do not have a way to get prospects on their list. I am recommending they begin a monthly newsletter that tackles issues faced by a lot of special needs families. Tax breaks that are available, local pediatricians that specialize in the area, ideas for games and activities etc. The organization has a lot of this knowledge and there is no centralized place to find information like this in our town. A lot of parents who have special needs children have at least one stay at home parent, which to me suggests that a lot of them spend a substantial amount of time online. I think the newsletter, promoted through local forums, facebook groups, and even promoted to local schools and doctors would be a great way to get people signed up and valuing the organization, and then eventually signing up for a program. The newsletter would have a side bar with a new testimonial and information about getting involved in their sports.
Secondly, they have around 150 kids who love their program and they are doing nothing to turn those families into marketers. I want to implement a referral system, offering any current participant 50% off their next program for any new client who signs up for a program.
As I said, this is one of my first jobs, so I just wanted some input. How does this sound? Are their ideas to make these strategies better? Am I on the right track or should I be looking at things differently?
Thank you all so much for your help.
Right now, they have almost no marketing. They have a pretty poorly built website, they stay in touch with the kids already involved, have an okay base of donors, and their income pretty much meets their expenses with a little each year to drop in savings. As always, they are not wanting to spend much if anything on marketing.
Those of you that know a little about me, I am pretty new to this and this is one of my first jobs. I have come up with 2 strategies that I want to implement simultaneously (on top of streamlining their materials and revamping the site). (I will add databases of families with special needs children is legally protected, so a strategic mailer or contact list is out of the picture)
First, they do not really have a newsletter. They have their participants emails on file and contact them when the next sports signups are etc. But they do not have a way to get prospects on their list. I am recommending they begin a monthly newsletter that tackles issues faced by a lot of special needs families. Tax breaks that are available, local pediatricians that specialize in the area, ideas for games and activities etc. The organization has a lot of this knowledge and there is no centralized place to find information like this in our town. A lot of parents who have special needs children have at least one stay at home parent, which to me suggests that a lot of them spend a substantial amount of time online. I think the newsletter, promoted through local forums, facebook groups, and even promoted to local schools and doctors would be a great way to get people signed up and valuing the organization, and then eventually signing up for a program. The newsletter would have a side bar with a new testimonial and information about getting involved in their sports.
Secondly, they have around 150 kids who love their program and they are doing nothing to turn those families into marketers. I want to implement a referral system, offering any current participant 50% off their next program for any new client who signs up for a program.
As I said, this is one of my first jobs, so I just wanted some input. How does this sound? Are their ideas to make these strategies better? Am I on the right track or should I be looking at things differently?
Thank you all so much for your help.