Promotional Products, Non-Profit Organizations and Fundraising Strategies

Non-profit organizations are, perhaps, not typically seen as the type of organization likely to give away promotional products.  Often understood as groups looking for money, they seem like unlikely candidates to be able to afford to give away high quality products for free. However, the main goal of these organizations is to spread the word about their cause and to get traction around a particular issue. For this reason, the non-profit sector is one of the industries most likely to purchase promotional products.  Here are the main reasons the non-profit sector utilizes promotional products and some recommended strategies for your next promotional campaign.
 

1. Use promotional items to help build brand awareness.
   
   According to a recent study by the Advertising Speciality Institute (ASI)¹, recipients of promotional products demonstrated significant retention rates. On average, most people kept their promotional products for upwards of eight months, while some products such as calendars had a longer lasting impact as they remained for an entire calendar year. Given this, promotional products help build and maintain brand awareness by staying around on donor walls and desks, long after a campaign has passed serving as gentle but persistent reminders of a brand or fundraising goal.
   
   In the case of really strong campaigns, such as Livestrong which utilised the now-famous yellow silicone bracelet, some promotional products have become synonymous with a brand itself.   Raising awareness through branding not only helps to create community, but also helps generate funds for important research towards a cause. Be strategic when you tie your promotional items to your campaign; your promo item may come to represent your cause!
   
   
   
   
   
2. Express appreciation to donors. 
   
   Promotional products are perfect for giving your thanks to donors as you can tailor products based on donor level. For example, smaller financial donations might be easily thanked by gifting t-shirts, caps, or coffee mugs. These are little tokens of appreciation that go a long way in terms of recognizing the significance of your donor contributions. Larger amounts from donors can be reciprocated by giving gift baskets or customized products of higher value. These items demonstrate recognition and appreciation of the higher monetary gift that your donors have provided. Buy your promotional items in bulk to help minimize your cost per piece. This keeps more money for your campaign budget and means a higher overall return on your fundraising efforts!
   
    
3. Fundraise directly.
   
   High quality branded items can be used directly to promote and fundraise for a specific cause. According to the 2010 Cone Cause Evolution Study², many American consumers are not only active supporters of major causes, but 41% of them have purchased a branded promotional product specifically because it was tied to a cause or an issue. This is key to note for several reasons:
   
   
   
   
   
• Branded items can be auctioned off or sold for nominal amounts. This not only generates money but also ensures that your campaign sticks around as a reminder for months to come. 
• Consumers are more likely to associate with, and make purchases from, companies that demonstrate a long-term commitment to a cause or issue. In fact, the Cone Study² suggests that as many as 61% of all consumers are swayed by a company’s commitment to a cause and 53% prefer to donate by tying their donation to a purchase they would have made anyway. 

Associate your campaign and your cause with high quality products that will encourage donors to give generously and, as above, purchase your promo products in bulk to minimize your costs and maximize your return. Promotional products are not only useful to the non-profit sector; they can make your next fundraising campaign more effective!

¹http://media.asicentral.com/resources/impressions-study-2016.pdf 
2 http://www.care2services.com/care2blog/ninety-percent-of-consumers-want-companies-to-support-causes