News and Updates
Plan for a Crisis with a Crisis Communications Plan
Prepare your organization for the unexpected with a comprehensive crisis communications plan. From risk analysis to team building and media training, ensure your readiness for any crisis situation with expert guidance and support.
Join our Team: Digital Marketing Lead
Join our Team! The Digital Marketing Lead is responsible for developing and implementing digital marketing strategies, managing campaigns, optimizing user experience, and supporting the Agency's overall digital marketing activities.
Join our Team: Marketing Coordinator
Are you a marketing enthusiast looking for a dynamic role in a collaborative environment? Join us as a Marketing Coordinator at Graf-Martin Communications Inc.!
Elevating Your Mission: The Graf-Martin Approach to Donor Acquisition
Discover a transformative approach to donor acquisition with Graf-Martin Communications. Our unique blend of expertise, rooted in lived experiences within faith-based nonprofits, crafts personalized storytelling, strategic digital outreach, and genuine community engagement. Say goodbye to cookie-cutter solutions. We tailor strategies to your unique mission, fostering conversations, not just campaigns. Partner with us for enduring support and a measurable difference. Elevate your nonprofit's potential with Graf-Martin Communications - where each dollar raised is a step towards achieving your mission.
Navigating Nonprofit PR: Why Cutting Budgets Isn't the Answer
In challenging economic times, while the instinct may be to slash budgets in PR, marketing, and advertising, doing so could be counterproductive. Find out how to keep your cause at the forefront with strategic PR solutions.
Empowering Nonprofits Through Strategic Branding
Explore how strategic branding can differentiate and empower nonprofits, build trust, and create lasting connections. Gain insights on enhancing identity, trust, donor engagement, and market positioning for impactful nonprofit success.
What Makes a Successful Year-End Campaign?
Unlock the secrets to a successful year-end campaign with our comprehensive guide. Discover how early planning, SMART goals, compelling storytelling, and Tangible Impact Goals (TIGs) can transform your nonprofit's end-of-year fundraising efforts. Learn why up to 50% of a charity's annual income is generated in the last quarter and how to engage donors effectively during this crucial period. Whether it's through emotional storytelling, using visual aids like photos and videos, or setting clear, measurable objectives, our blog post provides invaluable insights for maximizing your year-end appeal. Perfect for marketing managers and nonprofit leaders looking to boost their year-end results and celebrate their achievements.
GivingTuesday: Generosity is our Privilege
This November 28, join a global movement where every act of kindness, big or small, contributes to a larger narrative of hope and positive change. Learn how GivingTuesday transcends mere donations, embodying a core human value and privilege that empowers us all to make a meaningful difference. Get inspired to participate in this day of global generosity and discover how your contributions, whether through time, talent, voice, or resources, can help shape a more compassionate world.
Stories That Inspire: Transforming Nonprofit Marketing with the Power of Narrative
Discover the transformative power of storytelling in nonprofit marketing with our insightful blog post, 'Stories That Inspire.' Learn how emotional narratives can build deep connections, foster trust, and create a community of supporters. Dive into the strategic approach of using compelling stories to differentiate your nonprofit, engage audiences, and build a lasting brand. Perfect for nonprofit professionals seeking innovative ways to inspire action and sustain advocacy.
The Only Woman In The Room
Equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging are genuine needs, and often, we don't know where to start addressing them. Surprisingly, I regularly get asked how to diversify a team or charity board, which might seem odd (it did to me.) Thank you to Faith Today Magazine for inviting me to contribute my thoughts on this in their brand-new issue.
The reality is, sometimes getting started means looking at who is the "only one" in the room, making room and inviting more underrepresented people in. And it might be as simple as starting with women. (Don't stop there. 😉)
Tip Tuesday: Marketing for Nonprofits
For today’s Tip Tuesday, we want to lend a helping hand to nonprofits who need to market their organization. We believe every organization needs its own voice to be heard in order to spread awareness and gain support for its mission, and that is done through marketing.
Why Donors Should Fund Brand & Marketing Strategy
Donors rarely get asked to fund Brand initiatives or strategy development, or Marketing Strategy, and I get why not. It’s not what they “signed up for” as a donor, is it?
How’s Your Brand Strategy?
We love working to strengthen organizations committed to hope, generosity and justice. The leaders of these organizations (let’s call them Kim and Paul), don’t just love what they do - they love who they serve, and they love how they get to serve.
Industry News: Ellen Graf-Martin Inducted into 2023 Canadian Marketing Hall of Fame
Just last week, Founder and President, Ellen Graf-Martin, was inducted into the 2023 Canada Marketing, Advertising, PR and Communication ‘Hall of Fame’ presented by Marketing News Canada. The announcement was made on June 8, 2023 at this year’s Social West Marketing Conference in Calgary, AB.
Why Your Missing Marketing Strategy Matters
A clear, simple marketing and communications strategy moves your brand into action, with simple, measurable targets, clear strategic focus, and ties your charitable or ministry goals to tangible activities. It’s how you intentionally move people toward your organization - with a plan!
A Revolution of Love
Over 70 years ago, a scrappy, young college student named George Verwer (1938 - 2023) decided to sell his possessions to fund a trip to Mexico - convincing his two friends to join him and taking thousands of Spanish-language tracts and Gospel booklets with him. That boot-strapping trip would eventually lead to one of the world’s largest missionary organizations, Operation Mobilization (OM).
8 Questions to Ask Before You Hire A Marketing Agency
Hiring a marketing agency can be daunting. How do you know if they’re the right fit? Will they actually deliver what they promise? How do you know if it’s worth the investment?
We’ve Won ‘Business of the Year’
Graf-Martin Communications Inc. was awarded Business of the Year (one to ten employees) by the Greater Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber of Commerce at the Business Excellence Awards Gala on March 23, 2023. The event is dedicated to recognizing outstanding business achievements for the 2022 calendar year.
Why International Women’s Day Still Matters
The earliest reported Women’s Day observance was held in 1909 in New York City. Over 100 years later, does it still matter? Surely enough has changed in over a century. Don’t women get all the opportunities and access and rights they need?
3 Best Communication & Donor Engagement Practices for NGO’s
Change is hard work. Organizations can ask themselves these questions, but the hard work is taking the time to shift. It does pay off to ask the right questions and answer them truthfully.