Marketing and performance evaluations in non‐profit services

Abstract

Purpose -The paper aims to examine how not communicating stakeholders' expectations through marketing results in mis-targeting. It also aims to suggest that, when non-profit managers do not succeed in capturing stakeholders' definitions of performance, marketing is ineffective and may even result in decreased support for organisational goals. Design/methodology/approach -Surveys were administered to managers from a sample of 135 non-profits in Israel with a 63 per cent return rate. Findings -The findings suggest that marketing practices have a differential effect on public/private stakeholders; and the effect of marketing on performance increases when targeting public stakeholders, but negatively affects performance when targeting private stakeholders. These results suggest that not properly communicating funders' expectations is the cause for the ineffective use of marketing in non-profit organisations (NPOs). Research limitations/implications -Marketing may have both positive and negative effects on performance but attention should be addressed to the differences of marketing targets in order to fit between marketing techniques and marketing targets. Practical implications -The results highlight the importance of a professional approach to marketing practices in NPOs that consider the diversity of stakeholders in expectations and definitions of performance. Originality/value -This is the first paper that examines the reasons why marketing has not been a successful means to increase performance in non-profit settings.

Creative Industries Global Conference. Libro de actas

“…accreditation or funding, rather than as analytical tool. Crittenden et al (2004) questioned the value of this thinking, but, as small business literature argues, these museums lack resources to sustain a more formal process (Mano 2010); and the five smallest museums are arguably the smallest of the small. It could be argued that the trustees' lack of strategic planning to the stark reality that it was unnecessary in such small organisations.…”

Cash may be king, but goods are queen: Marketing for noncash donations by nonprofit organizations

“…During this time, researchers determined that marketing was important for NPOs; it was not limited to the sale of products in the for‐profit sector, it could also be used for social change. Researchers such as Mano (2010) have opined that marketing may be used by NPOs to “increase revenues from private stakeholders” (p. 566) and Rosnerova and Hraskova (2021) have aligned “donor membership” and repeat donations to NPO marketing efforts (p. 3).…”

Evaluation in nonprofit organizations: A defense of perception as a managerial and scientific tool

“…More specifically, stakeholders participate in defining the mission of NPOs and shape their performance and thus the way they are evaluated (Dubost & Zoukoua, 2011). In this, NPOs performance is about managing a multitude of internal and external influences, trying to make them converge around a common project and thus manage to meet stakeholders' expectations (Mano, 2010).…”

“…Second, the new expectations for NPOs evaluation are not the same across stakeholders (Greiling & Stötzer, 2016; Herman & Renz, 1997). Some are interested in a pragmatic and technical vision, close to efficiency; while others focus on ideological issues, far from effectiveness (Mano, 2010).…”