A Content Analysis of Compatible Fit among Message Elements in Philanthropy Ads

This research examined philanthropy ad messages in terms of four key elements: philanthropy goal, beneficiary, expected fundraising impact, and how the suggested donation is appraised. A content analysis was carried out to systematically study ad messages from nonprofit organizations on the Philanthropy 400 list. Specifically, the frequency of appearance of each type of message elements was analyzed in terms of four theoretical concepts: regulatory focus (promotion vs. prevention goal), egoism/altruism (self vs. others as beneficiary), temporal orientation (present vs. future fundraising impact), and efficacy appraisal (self- vs. response-efficacy in how a donation is appraised). Since past research further suggests that persuasion may be enhanced when message elements are well matched in terms of “compatible fits,” this study further analyzed how the four message elements were combined in usage. The findings of this research show that while most nonprofit organizations actively utilized all four types of elements in their messages, the current practice did not follow the guidelines as would be suggested by compatible fits literature. In this respect, more research is needed to understand the discrepancy and provide better guidelines for future communication strategies in the nonprofit sector.     

The Importance of Understanding Donor Preference and Relationship Cultivation Strategies

Relationship cultivation has been identified as a critical component of fundraising success. Cultivation strategies derived from interpersonal communication theory were identified and evaluated by the donors and fundraising team members from three nonprofit hospitals. Using co‐orientation methodology, statistical analysis reveals that donors and fundraisers agree that the six strategies are beneficial. However, their perceptions that they hold similar views as the other side were not accurate in terms of the magnitude of the ratings. These differences are discussed and suggestions are provided to bring both sides of the nonprofit organization‐donor relationship closer to agreement.     

Developing a Marketing Strategy for Nonprofit Organizations: An Exploratory Study

Nonprofit organizations have grown tremendously in the last three decades. With this growth has come a greater interest from the nonprofit sector in the importance of marketing. Nonprofits did not apply marketing techniques until 1960–1970, but it is now a well accepted practice. Traditional marketing strategies do not work for nonprofit organizations, and this study proposes the development of a new marketing strategy specifically for this sector. Through the use of interviews and surveys, the authors examine issues of marketing strategy that are distinct for nonprofits. Unlike previous studies, this study examines these issues from the viewpoint of the nonprofit organization. The perception of marketing is different in nonprofit organizations, and the strategic implications of this finding are discussed.     

The Conceptualization of Nonprofit Marketing Orientation: A Critical Reflection and Contributions Toward Closing the Practice–Theory Gap

In this article three generations of research addressing the marketing construct in nonprofit organizations are critically analyzed: (a) market orientation in nonprofit organizations, (b) societal orientation, and (c) research contributions aiming to close the existing practice–theory gap on this topic. A qualitative study among 24 nonprofit marketers is conducted in Canada and Germany to develop a construct labeled nonprofit marketing orientation. It includes the dimensions of brand orientation, supporters’ orientation, commercial orientation, and service orientation. Furthermore, the authors describe the nomological net of nonprofit marketing orientation to present interconstruct relationships and to inform future research.     

Market Orientation and Organizational Performance in the Nonprofit Context: Exploring Both Concepts and the Relationship Between Them

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between the concepts market orientation and organizational performance for nonprofit organizations. To understand the nature of this link in the nonprofit context, the authors will discuss and elaborate on the applicability of both concepts to nonprofits. They will develop multidimensional notions of “societal orientation” and “nonprofit organizational performance,” which fit the specific operating environment of nonprofit organizations engaged in the provision of health and social services. The authors also propose a conceptual framework that relates both notions and present the main underlying propositions. They conclude by suggesting items to empirically measure both constructs and venues for future research.     

The theoretical foundations of nonprofit competition: a resource-advantage theory approach

Competition in the nonprofit sector has dramatically intensified in the past two decades because of (1) the increased number of nonprofit organizations (NPOs), (2) the decline and diffusion of governmental support, and (3) the entry of for-profit companies into markets that traditionally have been the domain of nonprofits. In an attempt to enhance the understanding of nonprofit competition, the authors apply resource-advantage (R-A) theory, a dynamic theory of competition adapted from the for-profit business literature, to commercial nonprofits and explain how commercial nonprofits can leverage their various resources to successfully compete and deliver social value. Contributing to the understanding of nonprofit competition and the challenge that NPOs face in balancing mission and money, this paper provides a foundation for a theory of nonprofit competition that can guide future research in the area and help NPO managers as they maneuver in today’s increasingly competitive environment.     

Defining the Content of Sustainability Reports in Nonprofit Organizations: Do Stakeholders Really Matter?

The aim of the article is to investigate the role of stakeholder engagement and participation in nonprofit organizations’ sustainability reporting, according to the literature on third sector and stakeholder theory. To verify the levels of involvement, the authors conducted an empirical survey, using content analysis, on a sample of 54 sustainability reports of nonprofit organizations included in the Global Reporting Initiative database as of September 1, 2012. In order to strengthen the results obtained from the content analysis, the authors shared their findings with the organizations of the sample. The survey showed that there were some criticisms regarding stakeholder participation in the targeted research field. These are considered in the conclusions. Questions for the future included whether stakeholder engagement is moving from being simply a way to consult and influence stakeholders to being an effective instrument for involving them in nonprofit organizations’ reporting and decision-making processes, through mutual commitment.     

Market Orientation and Nonprofit Organizations

This paper discusses the concept of market orientation within the context of nonprofit organizations. Three elements of market orientation-market intelligence, intelligence dissemination, and responsiveness-are examined for their association with performance in nonprofit organizations. A conceptual framework is developed which identifies select senior management characteristics, organizational characteristics, and external factors as key determinants of market orientation and subsequent performance of nonprofit organizations. In all, fourteen propositions are advanced for future research. This conceptual work posits that nonprofit decision makers can create a market orientation by focusing on specific organizational and senior management characteristics, and adapting to certain external factors. The ultimate objective is to achieve and sustain organizational performance.     

The Grape Escape–A FUNdraising Bike Tour for the Multiple Sclerosis Society

ABSTRACT

As the fundraising climate for nonprofit organizations becomes increasingly competitive for the public's attention and charitable giving, social marketing research can help to gather information for mutual benefit. This paper describes a study that evaluated a weekend cycling fundraising event for the Multiple Sclerosis Society to better understand participants' experiences and improve the event. Data were collected via questionnaires (n = 78) revealing perceptions of the benefits and costs of participation, as well as cyclists' ratings of self and external efficacy. Telephone interviews (n = 25) captured participants' reactions to the event's marketing materials and communication strategies. Implications for improving the event to maximize benefits and reduce costs, enhance its marketing, recruit future and retain existing participants and positioning the event are offered.     

The Impact of Revenue Sources on Marketing Behavior: Examining Web‐Promotion and Place‐Marketing in Nonprofit Organizations

To overcome failure to generate profits from the goods they produce, nonprofit organizations have unique methods to generate and sustain capital flows resulting in distinct exchange relationships. This leads scholars to argue that nonprofit marketing strategies should differ as well. Given the lack of empirical work that investigates this possibility, this article explores how the uniqueness of the nonprofit funding environment shapes the ways in which nonprofits use business principles to market their products and services, asking if the resource acquisition process is the primary mechanism that predicts business‐like marketing behavior. Findings indicate that both the resource acquisition process and institutional relationships are influential in predicting business‐like marketing behavior.     

Transfer of Marketing Knowledge Within Business‐Nonprofit Collaborations

Companies often develop collaborative joint ventures with nonprofits, and sometimes help their nonprofit partners with the marketing activities associated with these projects. Often, the assistance furnished is embodied in a transfer of knowledge from a firm to a nonprofit and involves knowledge about marketing techniques, strategies and methods. This article presents the results of a survey concerning the extents, natures and effectiveness of marketing knowledge transfers taking place between 291 UK enterprises and their nonprofit partner organisations. The survey covered the knowledge transfer methods that companies employed, the scope of the knowledge communicated, the factors that encouraged or impeded marketing knowledge transfer, and the considerations that determined which partner completed most of the marketing tasks associated with a project. It emerged that knowledge transfers occurred mainly through face‐to‐face communications, though with little formal teamworking. Both the extent and the effectiveness of transfers depended on the degree of marketing knowledge within the nonprofit partner, on levels of knowledge specificity and project complexity, and on the financial importance of the collaboration. The extent of knowledge transfer was additionally influenced by cultural and organisational distance. Similar considerations affected commercial partners' decisions to do most of the marketing work required by a collaboration. Such decisions were especially likely if anti‐marketing bias existed within the nonprofit organisation and if the nonprofit's staff knew little about marketing.     

The 1939 New York World's Fair

Decades before the literature on marketing for non-profit organization emerged in Journal of Marketing, the New York World's Fair 1939 Corporation undertook the challenge to make the 1939 fair in New York City a truly “world's” fair. That nonprofit organization recognized, from its inception in October 1934, that only a customer-oriented marketing effort could transform a then ash-dump in Queens into a site where 60 nations and international organizations would ultimately construct memorable exhibits alongside showcases prepared by U.S. firms. While such a degree of foreign participation in a U.S. fair was unprecedented, success came largely because the nonprofit sponsors devised and executed a six-part international marketing strategy. This paper is a case study of how that nonprofit managed objectives, strategies, and tactics within an international marketing concept, with lessons still applicable for those managing such events in the 1990s.     

Social marketing: dimensions of power and politics

The effective us of marketing strategies by nonprofit organizations necessitates involvement in political activities, i.e., mobilizing power to influence others. Most nonprofit groups and marketing experts who work for nonprofit groups are not sufficiently aware of the value of using the tactics of politics to win support for their causes. The experiences of a voluntary group which used politics and power to develop a program aimed at assisting unemployed black youth were presented. The group wanted to establish a workshop to provide training for hard core unemployed youth. The group needed to raise funds to set up the workshop. The 1st step was to identify a target group of potential donors, and then to develop a strategy for selling their product, i.e., the worthiness of the workshop project. The group decided to direct its fund raising activities toward organizations in the community rather than individuals. The market was segmented, and the product was presented differently to differ groups. Initially, the voluntary group was powerless. Political tactics were subsequently used to legitimate the group and its product. A network of influencial sympathizers, primarily clergymen and politicians, was established. This network helped the group garner the support of the targeted donor organizations. The threat of sanctions was used to gain support for the project, but sanctions were applied with considerable care. For example, the support of local politicians was obtained partially by implicitly threatening them with the possibility of bad publicity if they failed to promote the project. Voluntary organizations are not immune to internal conflict and competition. In introducing a marketing perspective into a voluntary organization, internal politics must be taken into account. In the case presented here, the marketer had to decide who in the organization to align himself with and then develop strategies to increase his influence and the influence of his allies. In organizing and operating the workshop it was sometimes necessary to engage in the political strategies of negotiation and compromise to settle conflicts arising out of the differing perspectives of the project's donors and clients (the unemployed youth). In summary, a group which seeks to exert changes in the attitudes, values, and behavior of another group must involve itself in the political tactics of negotiation, bargaining, legitimizing, and manipulating. Marketers are advised to accept as clients only those nonprofit organizations with which they share common values. They may then abandon their customary role of dispassionate expert and adopt the more effective role of committed power broker.     

Toward an Understanding of Donor Loyalty: Demographics,Personality, Persuasion,and Revenue

Donor loyalty is linked to revenue generation in nonprofit organizations. This study utilized a consumer-based marketing approach to donors and their contributions via examining loyalty to nonprofit organizations. Through a detailed literature review that identified five specific hypotheses, tested using a secondary analysis of a large survey, and the design and implementation of a second (online) survey, this article empirically assesses donor loyalty and provides findings that develop the literature, support practice, and identify areas of future research. The results demonstrate the linkages between donor loyalty and revenue, and provide a deeper understanding of the relationship of demographic factors, preference for consistency, materialism, and maximization to donor loyalty. Notably, the results clearly illustrate that habitual switchers donate substantially less than loyal donors. A series of areas for future research are identified and a number of recommendations are provided to practitioners vis-à-vis understanding their donors and enhancing their revenues through donations.     

Market Orientation of Riding Schools: A Comparison of For Profit and Nonprofit Organizations Using Structural Equation Modeling

For profit and nonprofit service providers compete in different areas of economy. Market orientation is a widely acknowledged concept that influences the performance of both for-profit companies and nonprofit organizations. Nevertheless, the different underlying attitudes and motivations of voluntary or professional managers may influence the market orientation of an organization. An empirical study was conducted for investigating the influence of different attitudes toward market orientation. Groups of non- and for-profit managers are compared using the example of German riding schools. Overall, 244 volunteer and professional managers answered the survey. A structural path model was evaluated using the software SmartPLS 3. Results show that attitudes and motivations exert influence differently in the non- and the for-profit contexts. The economic situation was found to have an influence solely on the satisfaction reported by professional managers but not on the satisfaction reported by volunteers. Implications for future research on nonprofit market orientation can be drawn from the findings.     

Focused versus General Marketing Strategies in a Religious Setting

This empirical study investigates the use of general versus niche marketing strategies within the nonprofit professional services sector. Using new churches as the unit of study, a more general strategy was found to make the greatest contribution toward numerical growth of the organization. Both general and focused approaches were found to have significant effects on personal growth of the individual church member.     

The Geometric Law of Annual Halving

We propose and test an empirical generalization: the probability that a customer will be active in a future window is reduced by half for every additional year the customer is inactive. We test this model over 6 nonprofit organizations and 30 B2C retail companies, and find that it fits very well. No significant differences in the decay constant were found between nonprofits and retailers, different customer groups defined by the frequency of previous purchases, or the length of the future period. The effect of frequency on the probability of future activity is empirically shown to follow the exponential learning curve. Norms are provided for asymptote, intercept and steepness coefficient.     

Recruiting and Retaining Older Adult Volunteers: Implications for Practice

There is an increased interest in the promotion of volunteering within nonprofit organizations. In this paper organizational supports for recruiting and managing volunteering among older adults are explored. The paper describes an intervention comprising an intergenerational reading program delivered by volunteers in eight schools in the Republic of Ireland. The research draws on qualitative data from a mixed-methods research project (2009–2011) that evaluated outcome and process aspects of the reading program. The qualitative data was collected from a group of older volunteers aged 55 years and older. This present study frames the empirical findings within a volunteering framework that involved deductively analyzing the data using attributes associated with “volunteerability” and “recruitability.” Through this analytical framework a number of features were identified as contributing to greater knowledge of marketing strategies to recruit and retain volunteers within nonprofit organizations. The paper concludes with a set of core practice messages for organizations that rely on volunteers in the delivery of their service.     

Fourth Generation NGOs: Communication Strategies in Social Campaigning and Resource Mobilization

Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have moved from small-scale community relief and services to complex advocacy missions at the international level. NGOs that operate in advocacy and social movement are addressed as fourth generation NGOs. Drawing on the literature of communication strategies in the nonprofit sector, the author investigates how fourth generation NGOs formulate and execute their communication strategies to achieve organizational goals. The author reports an in-depth case study of a single NGO. The results identify recurring themes in constructing and negotiating communication strategies in NGO campaigns for social support and resource mobilization. Organizational structures, public perceptions, and strategic approaches are examined to provide theoretical and practical implications related to understanding NGOs’ strategic communications choices.     

Young Adult Volunteers: Recruitment Appeals and Other Marketing Considerations

The long‐term survival of nonprofit charitable organizations depends on the recruitment and retention of today's young adults. A segmentation strategy proposed for retirees which was consistent with previous research on volunteer motivation was found to also be relevant for the young adult market, especially if implemented with consideration of this segment's unique interests and characteristics. In addition, young adults were found to be most inclined to volunteer for organizations that were either local and personal or nationally renowned. Organizations benefiting children were also highly regarded. The higher a college student's grade point average (GPA), the more likely they were to indicate an intention of volunteering in the future. Those most likely to volunteer in the future also exhibited higher teamwork and mentoring trait scores. The young adult market was found to be multidimensional and best approached with a variety of appeals.