The Triangle Nonprofit & Volunteer Leadership Center
part of the Strengthening Nonprofits Training Series
The Ten Things No One Ever Told You About
Creating a Marketing Communications Plan
Stop guessing and start growing.
Many nonprofits treat marketing as a series of “to-dos” rather than developing a cohesive strategy, leading to missed opportunities with your various audiences or constituents. This session pulls back the curtain on the hidden realities of effective marketing, moving beyond basic templates to show what actually drives donor engagement and branding.
Whether you are starting from scratch or presently refining your approach, you’ll walk away with insider tips for building a roadmap that doesn’t just sit on a shelf but actively powers your organization’s success.
At the end of this session, participants will be poised to:
- Understand the importance of doing at least some research before siting down to develop a plan
- Understand the key elements that make up a marketing communications plan
- Develop and implement a three-year marketing communications plan to meet the specific needs of your nonprofit
- Think creatively about your audiences and use of media, including social media
This is a FREE Training
Date: June 11, 2026
Time: 10am-11am
Access: Log-in instructions will be provided upon Zoom registration
Presenter
Ed McCraw
Ed McCraw is a retired senior corporate executive and marketing leader who served as a corporate vice president at MasterCard and Verizon.
Throughout his career, he directed integrated marketing, public relations, and corporate philanthropy, helping MasterCard earn top-tier business rankings from Barron’s, CEO, and BusinessWeek.
Following his corporate tenure, Ed became a Professor of Practice at the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School for nine years and was the 2013 Expert in Residence in Marketing at Duke University. He has guest-lectured at several institutions, including USC and Elon. As a business consultant, he has led crisis management seminars for the U.S. Military, AMA, and EPA, alongside developing strategic communication plans for 18 nonprofits in the Research Triangle. Ed also has served on several nonprofit boards.