Nonprofit Marketing

Nonprofit marketing is the use of marketing tactics and strategies to amplify an organization’s cause and mission, solicit donations, and attract volunteers and supporters. Nonprofit marketing can amplify your mission, encourage donations, attract volunteers, and help your organization grow. Your nonprofit organization is a brand, therefore you need to raise awareness just like any other business or company. Marketing raises awareness of your brand, and brand awareness spreads the word about your organization and your overall cause. Nonprofit marketing and nonprofit fundraising go hand-in-hand. The more people that know about your organization, the more potential funding you can bring in. Nonprofit marketing drives donor memberships and recurring donations. Nonprofit marketing isn’t just for funding — it also drives volunteers to your organization. Awareness, funding, and volunteers are integral to your nonprofit, but what about the purpose of your organization? What about the people, animals, or cause you’re helping? Marketing can help with that, too. The more people who know about your nonprofit organization, the more people you can help.

Nonprofit marketing is near and dear to Grace & Grit Marketing. Our founder is fueled by a passion for charity and making a positive impact on her community. She is well-known member of the philanthropic community in Washington DC, and has many contacts in this community across the country.

In an effort to give back to her community after 9/11, she became heavily involved in Washington’s charity circuit. She has served on numerous boards and committees, and volunteered with or partnered with many national and local charities including Corcoran Museum of Art, Junior League, American Red Cross, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, American Heart Association, Fight for Children, Bright Beginnings, CentroNia, House of Ruth, Campagna Center, and Susan G. Komen. She currently serves on the Board of Advisors to the AmeriCorps NCCC.

Our founder has a reputation for creativity and leadership skills. She created and co-founded three successful fundraisers which brought together her talent for public relations and event marketing with her love of nonprofit fundraising.

In 2005, she and Sara Allen Abbott created and co-founded Blondes vs. Brunettes a volunteer-driven event that engages young professionals in friendly but fierce flag football game. This third-party event has since grown nationwide and raised more than $5 million to date for Alzheimer’s Association. In April 2015, the event was rebranded as RivALZ to include other age-old rivalries, such as East vs. West, City vs. Suburbs, etc.

In 2006, our founder along with Keri Ann Meslar and Jennifer Faust co-founded The Courage Cup polo fundraiser to benefit Work to Ride. The Courage Cup was one of the largest polo events on the East Coast, and featured a day of exciting polo matches, featuring the talented kids of the Work to Ride program playing along with professional polo players and celebrities.

Based in Philadelphia’s inner city, the nonprofit provides kids with a positive outlet for their energy and an alternative to negative “street” activities. Participants develop discipline, responsibility, and life skills through horse sports and horse care and barn management chores. Polo has proven to be the perennial favorite of WTR youth. In addition to acquisition of life-skills, WTR also emphasizes the necessity of academic achievement. Staff and volunteers provide after school tutoring to help students maintain the passing grades required for program participation.

After the 2008 recession, she rebranded The Courage Cup nonprofit as Courage for Kids and launched an initiative to support homeless and at-risk youth closer to home in the greater Washington, DC area. The program donates $30,000 annually in backpacks filled with school supplies to homeless and at-risk children starting kindergarten.

In 2007, our founder created and co-founded the Fashion for Paws modeling fundraiser for the Washington Humane Society which has since grown and raised more than $3 million to date now benefiting the Humane Rescue Alliance. Serving as the events first Event Chair in 2007, Rodgers served as Committee Chair in 2008 and served on the host committee through 2010.