Get Organized

If you’ve ever worked in a small arts nonprofit, you already know what it feels like to be Elphaba before she ever touches that broom—doing the impossible with no applause. Balancing rehearsals, fundraising, newsletters, social posts, and board reports feels a lot less like “running a theatre company” and more like trying to keep Oz spinning with bubble gum and borrowed glitter.

After several seasons observing the human species (and binging Third Rock from the Sun for inspiration), I’ve come to a groundbreaking realization: audience segmentation, as Earthlings practice it, is deeply flawed—but not useless.

Don't miss out on the most loyal, event-attending, art-loving generation out there: Generation X.

If marketing has ever made you whisper, I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Congratulations. You are running a nonprofit.

In the grand desert of nonprofit work, marketing often feels like an unrelenting sandstorm—shifting priorities, endless to-do lists, and the ever-present question: “What are we even posting this week?” A content calendar is your stillsuit, designed to conserve precious energy and keep you alive in the face of chaos.

By following this workflow, you’ve automated outreach, built engagement, and created a sustainable marketing pipeline—all in about 6-8 work hours.

Picture it. It’s 2025, and you’re a performing arts nonprofit with four part-time employees. You’re about to launch a world-premiere musical theater production for children, Papa’s Pagris. You have seven months until opening night, a tiny marketing budget, and about a million things on your plate. How do you get eyes on your pre-production efforts? And, most importantly, how do you get butts in seats?

Okay, you’ve identified your overarching message, you know your audience, and your mission statement is solid. You’re ready to take the marketing arena by storm! Except… life happens.

In "Planning for Success Throughout the Year," Tanesha Ford, founder of For de Arts, outlines a "holistic marketing" framework designed specifically for small arts nonprofits. Rather than treating marketing as a series of isolated tasks, Ford encourages organizations to view their annual calendar as an interconnected ecosystem where early actions fuel later successes.

All nonprofits must have a mission, right? It’s the guiding principle that directs everything an organization does.