The Missing Piece in Nonprofit Marketing: Foundational Training That Builds Capacity

Most nonprofits have never had access to foundational marketing training that actually shows them what to do. What I’ve found is that most care about their mission and are very hard workers, but when it comes to marketing, they’re not sure what to say and how to say it. Sound familiar?

If you support nonprofits (talking to all you community foundations out there!), then you have seen this.

• Social media is inconsistent
• Messages are unclear
• Good work goes unnoticed
• Donations are down
• Volunteers are difficult to find
• No one knows what the nonprofit does

It is not because they do not care. It is because they have not been taught how to do it! And they have a million other things on their plate, so trying to learn basic social media functions is too overwhelming. Your nonprofits need foundational marketing training — something simple and practical, and more basic than you’ve ever done before.

A Different Approach

In Henry County, we are trying something different. Through the Henry County Community Foundation, we are running a 3-part marketing lab for nonprofits. It is totally hands-on. Everyone brings their laptops and does the work together.

In these sessions, nonprofits:

• Learn how to use ChatGPT to generate ideas and drafts
• Learn how to use Canva to create simple, repeatable graphics
• Build a small library of content they can actually use

They leave with content, not just notes on how to create it — which gets buried in that pile on their desk after the session anyway.

And let me stress this again: This is basic. Think: log on, here’s where to type in a prompt, here’s what the program can do for you, etc.

What This Changes

When nonprofits have the right tools and guidance, things shift. They show up more and they’re more confident. It’s what your nonprofit marketing training should do.

Want to Learn More?

If you are thinking about how to bring something like this to your community, let’s talk. Schedule a complimentary 15-minute call today.