For those of you who have had any experience working with a non-profit organization in the course of your career, I’m sure you’d agree with me when I say that non-profits are a ‘different beast’.  I am aware of schools of thought that suggest you should treat non-profits as you would any other paying design client.  While I can appreciate my colleagues’ desires to simplify the equation, I politely disagree.  Let’s be honest- clients run the gamut in our industry.  There is no one-size-fits all approach to addressing client needs and circumstances. Because of this, our communication style and actions must adjust according to the needs of our client; especially when our client is a non-profit.

As designers, there are universal obstacles that we all must face from time to time: the tight deadline, the hard-to-please client, bouts of lacking inspiration… on and on the list goes.  This article is the first in a three-part series dedicated to addressing obstacles that, while relevant to the graphic design profession as a whole, pose an especially unique challenge to designers who find themselves working for non-profit organizations.  In today’s article we are going address an obstacle that uniquely challenges non-profit designers across the globe: dealing with an extremely restrictive budget.

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Budget… what budget?

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The very name, ‘non-profit’, is indicative of the first, and often most crippling obstacle that designers face when working with a non-profit organization: the budget.  This leads us to the first reason why we cannot afford to treat non-profits like for-profit organizations.  Simply put: non-profits are not in the business of making money, they are in the business of making change. The sooner we understand this concept, the sooner we will understand what our role is as a graphic designer.  Certainly non-profits do desire the acquisition of funding via marketing materials, but only as a means to an end.

During one of my first experiences working with a start-up non-profit, I was asked to create a detailed document that conveyed the purpose, vision, and methods of the client.  I proceeded to create an extensive, full-color layout that I felt represented the company well.  My intentions were good: I honestly wanted to see this non-profit hit it out of the ballpark with their overall branding and initial marketing materials.  The client, while being extremely gracious, communicated to me that my ambitious project would cost far too much for them to produce…

I soon found myself playing the ‘what-do-I-cut’ game in which I methodically reviewed each aspect of the document in an effort to reduce overall cost whilst not sacrificing the aesthetic integrity of the piece.  The result was a document that was rewritten to reduce the page content by half!  The more expensive printing processes were relegated to the cover pages only, while the inside of the piece was reduced to a duo-tone printing process.  The final piece looked good, but was definitely not what I would have originally envisioned.  I was left stumped with this question: “How am I to do anything worthwhile or groundbreaking for this organization if I don’t have the budget for it?”

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Slaying the Budget Monster

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It is imperative that you own this obstacle before it owns you, as it can quickly become a frustrating process.  Establishing some simple, routine habits can make working with non-profits on low budget projects much easier (and more enjoyable!).  Here are a seven suggestions to help you on your way to slaying the notorious ‘budget monster’:

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• Work on setting up discounted rates with local printers. It should be second nature for you to inquire about discounts for non-profits whenever you are approaching printers or fabricators for your non-profit projects.  Once set up, these discounted rates will become invaluable for future work and projects.

• Search out fellow industry professionals who are passionate about the change your non-profit is promoting. These could be fellow designers, web developers, or communication professionals.  Oftentimes creative professionals are willing to work together at a discounted rate if they believe in the work that is being done by the non-profit.

• Make it a goal to only work with non-profits that you believe in. If you don’t believe in the organization you are performing the work for, you are going into the situation with the odds stacked against you.  Don’t make this mistake.  Try to only work with non-profits that you identify with and believe in- it’ll make your work more authentic and your labor more enjoyable.

• Learn about printing processes that may save you and your organization money. It pays to know about the end process.  Take the time to interview your printer about the cost and results of a particular printing processes.  Quiz them about new and innovative ways to reduce print costs while maintaining quality.  Your printer has seen far more client projects completed than you have- take advantage of that knowledge and experience.

• Request quotes early and often. Requesting quotes from your printer or fabricator can help to take the guesswork out of a project.  Be sure to request written quotes near the beginning of the project so that all parties (including yourself, the requestor, and the printer) know where they stand with regards to a particular budget.

• Be realistic with the requesting party and establish a budget that you will work within to complete the piece. It is important to be up front and honest with the requestor.  Let them know what is and is not doable with the budget they are giving you for a project.  Make sure that you have their buy-in for a set amount so that there are no surprises around the corner later on.

• Make sure that your non-profit understands return on investment. While budgets are often a non-negotiable item with non-profits, it is also important to note that many non-profit’s operate under the mindset that cheaper is better.  This is why it is important to stress the return on investment of a well-designed piece.  Remember that the benefits of an effective piece take precedence over the benefits of a cheaper piece in the long run.

I cannot express how important it is to do these things before you begin the design process.  Start thinking about your non-profit’s budgeting constraints today.  Keep in mind that non-profits are used to pinching pennies with good reason- they have to find a way to cover their operating costs without selling goods or services- that’s tough!  Remember to keep a level head when working within a constrained budget.  With a little extra effort on your part, your non-profit design project can be one of the most rewarding experiences you’ve had as a creative professional.

In the next installment of this series, we will be talking about defending your non-profit’s brand and the unique challenges designers face in accomplishing this task.  Stay tuned!