Here’s one thing we know about marketing: if you have a plan, you are way more effective. And yet, very few nonprofits have a marketing plan in place. We must put an end to this, people! As a way to help our fellow do gooders create mission-driven marketing plans in record time, we created the ‘1, 2, 3 Marketing Tree’. It guides you through the process of figuring out your plan in 3 simple steps.

1. 1,2,3
Marketing
Tree
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2. 1, 2, 3
Everyone uses slightly different
words to talk about what they
do. For simplicity, we use
“organization” to refer to a
nonprofit or a foundation,
and “supporters” to refer
to donors/volunteers
/patrons, etc.
What do a tree and marketing have in
common? Anyone can plant a tree and anyone
can do marketing. The trick in both cases is
knowing how to make it grow and thrive.
With the 1, 2, 3 Marketing Tree, you can
market your mission with confidence.
1 Define WHAT marketing success looks
like for your organization.
2
Identify WHO you need to reach for your
marketing to be successful.
3
Figure out HOW to most effectively
reach your ideal supporters.
First thing’s first —
turn the page and do the
1, 2, 3 Marketing Assessment.
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3. WHO HOW
WHAT 2. __________
3. __________
1. __________ 8. __________
4. __________
6. __________ 10. __________
5. __________
7. __________ 13. __________
9. __________
11. __________ 15. __________
14. __________
12. __________
TOTAL: ________
TOTAL: ________
TOTAL: ________
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4. Tree
eting
For more tools and resources
to help you market your
ark
mission with confidence,
visit our DIY page at
M
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,3
3c. Now imagine you get a call from your ideal
supporter. Tell them why they should work with you.
Mechanisms
Message
2
3d. List the top three ways (e.g. flyers,
3d. website,top 3 mechanisms (e.g. flyers,
List the Facebook, etc.) you will reach
1,
website, Facebook, etc.) you will use over
your ideal supporters over the next year.
Assign who will be inyour ideal supporters.
the next year reach charge of making
each one happen andcharge of making
Assign who will be in by when.
each one happen and by when. Measurement
3a. If your marketing is successful,
3e. How will you measure
in one year you will be known 3b. Imagine you are at a cocktail party. What would the success of each
as the organization that… you say if someone asked: “What do you do?” marketing mechanism?
3 Finally, figure out HOW
to most effectively reach
your ideal supporters.
2a. Name some common characteristics of HOW
your best supporters – past and present. 2d. Based on what you know
2b. Why do your best supporters say 2c. How do your best supporters of your best supporters,
they like working with you? find out about you? describe your ideal one.
2 Next, identify WHO
you need to reach
for your marketing
to be successful.
1b. What do you do best? 1c. Who is your competition?
WHO 1d. What differentiates you from your competition?
1e. What will be different for your organization one year from
1a. What does your organization offer? now if your marketing is successful?
1 First, define WHAT
marketing success
looks like for your
organization.
WHAT
Write your
organization’s name
here.
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5. Tree
For more tools and resources
eting
to help you market your
ark
mission with confidence,
visit our DIY page at
3M
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3c. Now imagine you get a call from your ideal
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here.
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