Marketing Plan

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

Your arts organization is trying to increase attendance, boost donations, and attract a loyal audience. You’ve tried appealing to Millennials (who, let’s face it, are still drowning in student loans), and you’ve reached out to Boomers (who love the arts but aren’t necessarily engaging with new formats).

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.

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.

These goals will guide your decision-making, help allocate your limited resources, and allow you to evaluate what’s working and what isn’t.

Now, let’s dive into the next five steps, which focus on implementation, evaluation, and refinement.

Creating an effective marketing plan for your nonprofit doesn’t have to be overwhelming