The Best Marketing for Goodness Sake

Marketing is not limited to for-profit organizations. It is also essential for non-profits.

However “non-profits” is not really a category. The variety of work each one does is as broad as the for-profit marketplace.

Some non-profits focus on raising money for research to cure a specific disease. Others work hard to share an important message. And some groups are focused on helping the less fortunate, those who struggle with basic needs – such as a daily meal.

One such group is The Community Soup Kitchen of Goldsboro, in North Carolina. Since they first opened in December 1980 (32 years), they have served over 850,000 meals to the hungry of Wayne County.

They do good work, and have embraced the value of goodness.

The Value of Goodness

As a differentiating value, Goodness means moral excellence or virtue; showing kindness, generosity or benevolence.

Those that embrace this value are often seen as angels by those they serve. And yet they are just like everyone else. They’re not perfect, but they care. In fact, they care so much that they MUST do something about it.

For those that embrace the value of goodness, the pain of not doing something is greater than at least doing ‘some good’ to help those in need.

Feeding The Hungry

The Soup Kitchen of Goldsboro is a non-profit that feeds 100+ people everyday, Monday through Saturday (and many get a ‘to-go’ box on Saturday so they can eat on Sunday). To fulfill their mission, they rely on food contributions of organizations and individuals, donations, a small staff, and lots of volunteers.

And everyone is welcomed.

Consider their motto: “Each person is welcomed with understanding, dignity and without obligation.” No one is judged for why they are there. The only criterion is to be hungry.

Goodness Promotes Creativity

Think of the challenge to feed 100+ people everyday. The menu is not based on serving something different from yesterday, or responding to what someone might want to eat tomorrow. What is served today is based on what’s available.

For example, the soup kitchen one time planned to make lasagna. But they had no noodles. So they made lasagna with tortillas, because they had it. And no one complained.

Another time a truckload of cabbages arrived. How to maximize this donation? With a little creativity, there are many different casserole dishes one can make with cabbage, so that no two days felt alike.

Of course, the motivation for creativity is “nothing goes to waste!”

The Best Marketing

In the world of non-profits, much of the marketing focus is on fundraising or obtaining necessary resources. Without it they can’t fulfill their mission.

But in a smaller community-based environment, traditional marketing techniques are not as effective. There would be much waste.

So for non-profit services like the Soup Kitchen of Goldsboro, real goodness must show itself. What people experience, witness, and hear from others gets shared.

Within such a community, the best marketing is word-of-mouth.

So, don’t criticize if their website is not up-to-date. That’s not their priority.

Don’t judge if they don’t spend time handing out flyers or solicit support through direct mail or phone calls. That’s not their priority.

What matters most is feeding the hungry – without any questions – everyday. That is a good work.

So for goodness sake, share their story and BE their marketing. That’s a good work YOU can do to help others in need.

 

Who do you know is doing a good work within your community? Please share!

How can the value of goodness help word-of-mouth marketing for your favorite non-profit?

 

Today’s value was selected from the “Devoutness-Purity” category, based on the e-book Developing Your Differentiating Values.