It’s the time of year when people are wrapping up their year and planning for the year ahead. What are going to be the most important priorities for nonprofit communicators next year? What are the most (and least) important communication channels? Join us as Kivi Leroux Miller, president of NonprofitMarketingGuide.com, shares the biggest challenges nonprofits will be faced with while implementing their communications plans, and what excites and what scares nonprofit communicators about the coming year. Presenters: Kivi Leroux Miller, President, NonprofitMarketingGuide.com, and Lindsay J.K. Nichols, Communications Director, GuideStar USA(moderator)

1. Welcome!
Preview of the
2014 Nonprofit
Communications
Trends Report
Trends Report
Full Report Will Be Released January 7, 2014
npmg.us/2014

2. The Voice You’re Hearing
Kivi Leroux Miller
Nonprofit Marketing Guide.com

7. This is Miss Ellie,
2009 World’s Ugliest Dog Winner
Forgive the
Ugly Slides . . .
Pretty Graphics
in Progress

8. Who Says? Where’s This Data From?
• Online survey by NonprofitMarketingGuide.com during
November 2013 (This is our 4th year doing the survey)
• Full survey completed by 2,135 nonprofits
• 88% in the United States, 6% in Canada
• 50.2% with annual budget under $1 million;
49.8% over $1 million
• 23% in Human Services, Housing, Food, Jobs;
16% in Education; 10% in Health, Disease, Medical
Research

9. 60% are EDs, Directors or Managers
40% are communications/marketing staff/mgmt
20% are development/fundraising staff/mgmt

10. Great Mix of Age Groups

11. Goals

12. What Drives Your Success?

13. Communications Goals: Why You Do It

14. Most Important Goals?
Communications Staff and
Managers believe Engaging Our
Community is most important.
Executive Directors and
Development Staff and
Managers believe Acquiring
New Donors is most important.
Watch for Differences,
So You Can Discuss
and Resolve.

15. What About Donor Retention?
Who believes donor retention is a
Top Three Goal?
Development Directors – 64%
Executive Directors – 34%
Communications Directors – 16%
Watch for Differences,
So You Can Discuss
and Resolve.

16. Tools

17. Big Six Remain the Same
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
Very Important
20%
10%
0%
Somewhat
Important
Least Important

18. 100%
90%
80%
24%
70%
36%
28%
60%
36%
50%
33%
40%
37%
69%
30%
51%
56%
25%
20%
36%
19%
29%
15%
21%
10%
9%
0%
Social
Email
Media
Media
In-Person
Website Other Marketin
Relations
Events
g
/PR
Than
Blogging
10%
Print
Video
(YouTube
etc.)
Blog
12%
4%
5%
14%
3%
3%
1%
8%
2%
Paid
Phone
Mobile
Photo Podcastin
Advertisin Calls/Pho
Apps or
Sharing
g
g
ne Banks
Texting
Somewhat Important
24%
36%
28%
36%
33%
37%
25%
19%
15%
12%
14%
3%
8%
Very Important
69%
51%
56%
36%
29%
21%
9%
10%
4%
5%
3%
1%
2%
Relative Importance of Tools in 2013

19. Email marketing bumps back up
100%
90%
80%
29%
70%
36%
32%
60%
Video up 2% overall
32%
50%
34%
40%
30%
37%
62%
50%
55%
25%
41%
20%
19%
29%
14%
21%
10%
11%
0%
Social
Email
Media
Media
In-Person
Website Other Marketin
Relations
Events
g
/PR
Than
Blogging
9%
Print
Video
(YouTube
etc.)
Blog
11%
4%
6%
12%
2%
8%
2%
1%
3%
Paid
Phone
Mobile
Photo Podcastin
Advertisin Calls/Pho
Apps or
Sharing
g
g
ne Banks
Texting
Somewhat Important
29%
36%
32%
32%
34%
37%
25%
19%
14%
11%
12%
2%
8%
Very Important
62%
50%
55%
41%
29%
21%
11%
9%
4%
6%
2%
1%
3%
Relative Importance of Tools in 2014

20. POP QUIZ!
Do the “very important”
communications tools vary by age of
survey participant?

21. Not Really, with a Two Small Exceptions
Top Two (Website and Email) are
consistent across age groups.
3rd place for 20s-40s = social
media. For 50-60+ 3rd place is inperson events. Those flip-flop for
4th place.
Press Releases increases in
importance with age (26% for 20s
to 34% for 60+)
Watch for Differences,
So You Can Discuss
and Resolve.

23. Executive Directors Pick as #1
Communicators Pick as #1
Fundraisers Pick as #1
Watch for Differences,
So You Can Discuss
and Resolve.

24. Social Media

25. Facebook Is Still Social Media King
(this didn’t change much from last year)

26. Order of Importance Does NOT Vary by Job Title.

27. Instagram Wins Big on the Playground
(from fifth place in 2013 to first for 2014)

28. POP QUIZ!
Would you expect the social media site
people want to add or experiment
with to vary by age?

29. Where to Experiment in 2014 DOES Vary by Age
20-30’s are most likely to add or experiment with Instagram.
40-50’s are most likely to add or experiment with Pinterest.
60+ most likely to add or experiment with YouTube.

30. Frequency

31. Email Frequency:
1/3 Send Email Appeals at Least Monthly

32. Email Frequency:
59% Send Email Newsletters at Least Monthly

33. Direct Mail Appeals: Twice a Year Most Common

34. Direct Mail Newsletters: Quarterly Most Popular
(Almost 1/3 not doing one)

35. Workload

36. Email Newsletters and Facebook
Take the Most Time

37. Time and Money Are the Biggest Challenges

38. Where Position (Not Goal) Really Matters
Directors/Managers Pick as #1
Executive Directors Pick as #1
Coordinators/Assistants
Pick as #1
Watch for Differences,
So You Can Discuss
and Resolve.

39. NEW QUESTION: Which best describes how you
feel about your current workload?
• Overworked - I am asked to do more than I
can in the time allotted
• About right - My work matches well the time
allotted to do it
• Underworked - I could do more than I am
asked to do in the time allotted

40. POP QUIZ!
Would You Expect the “Overworked,
Underworked, Just Right” Results to
Vary by Job Title?

41. In every job title, a majority said they were overworked.
This was most acute for executive directors,
followed by communications/marketing directors.

42. POP QUIZ!
Would You Expect the “Overworked,
Underworked, Just Right” Results to
Vary by Age of Participant?

43. In every age group, a majority said they were overworked.
This was most acute for those in their 30s.

44. What Will Be in the Report?
• What I Shared Today in Lovely Graphics
• Further Analysis by
• Budget Size
• U.S. Region
• Mission Category
• Top Marketing Goals
• Who Reports to Whom
• Trends in “#1 Priority,”
“What Excites” and
“What Scares”

47. Kivi Leroux Miller
@kivilm
Facebook.com/
nonprofitmarketingguide
kivi@ecoscribe.com