Marketing for businesses is straight forward. You are marketing to make money. While you might think that an NFP has the same intentions, marketing for NFPs requires much more balance. It’s not purely money focused.

Not all NFPs get their marketing to work properly and here are three of the key marketing mistakes they make.

1.  Losing sight of your mission.

In the struggle for money and ways to find it, some NFPs forget about why they need it. That’s not unusual when you consider how hard you have to work to find funding. Where it becomes a problem is that the message becomes separated from the marketing. You market for money, not for the cause you need the money to support.

2. Marketing sucks up your money.

Advertising and marketing can be very expensive. Even a small ad in your local paper can cost hundreds of dollars. Yes, it’s one way to get your name out there, but is it the right way? What else could you have done with that money? What other ways could you look at to promote your cause?

3. Leaving your marketing to volunteers.

No matter how willing or capable your volunteers may be, your marketing efforts need to be managed by your board. One slip on social media – and it could be simply an incorrect use of jargon – and your message and purpose instantly lose credibility. Yes, by all means seek volunteer assistance and call on skills within the pool, but always oversee the process.

NFP marketing is about building relationships with people, including potential sponsors. It’s not simply about getting your hands on instant money. The money will come when you’ve sent a clear message, shown your ethics and established solid relationships with the marketplace.