About Market Your Mission
Market Your Mission is a resource run by me, Ricardo Ibarra, to teach you proven strategies for marketing your nonprofit organization so you can focus on what you know best—your mission.
Picture this: I'm sitting in a nonprofit board meeting, and our executive director turns to me with desperation in her eyes.
"Can you help us redesign our website? People can't find anything, they're confused about what we do, and we haven't gotten a single new volunteer through our site in months."
In that moment, staring at their outdated, confusing website, something clicked. This wasn't just *their* problem – this was everywhere. So many nonprofits were struggling with the exact same thing, trying to make websites work for organizations that operate completely differently from businesses.
How I Got Here (The Long Way Around)
This was actually my second nonprofit website project. As I'd been building that first one, I kept hitting walls that didn't make sense. The marketing advice I found was all written for businesses trying to sell products – not nonprofits trying to inspire donors, recruit volunteers, AND serve clients.
So I did what any slightly obsessive person would do: I dove headfirst into understanding how nonprofits actually work. How they get funded. What motivates people to give. How they build volunteer teams. What drives someone to become a lifelong supporter.
I needed to crack the code on nonprofit marketing, because what I'd learned in my years as a marketer and designer wasn’t quite hitting the mark.
The Credentials That Matter
Over the past decade, I've served on multiple nonprofit boards – including 7 years as board chair. I've presented three times for the Nonprofits Association of Washington on websites and marketing. And through my board leadership, teachings, and strategies, I've helped organizations raise hundreds of thousands of dollars.
But honestly? The real education came from the trenches.
When Everything Felt Impossible
At first, I was really struggling. Nonprofits don't just have "customers" – they have donors, volunteers, board members, clients, stakeholders, sometimes government regulators. That's five completely different audiences with totally different motivations!
How do you write copy that speaks to a potential major donor AND a college student looking for volunteer hours? How do you structure a website that serves someone in crisis AND someone wanting to make their first $25 donation?
I felt like I was trying to solve five different puzzles at once.
The Turning Point That Changed Everything
Instead of giving up, I got curious. Really curious.
I started asking questions – lots of them. I talked to donors about what made them give. I interviewed volunteers about what kept them coming back. I picked the brains of board members and staff about their biggest challenges.
I read every book I could find on nonprofit fundraising. I binged podcasts during my gym workouts. And most importantly, I started experimenting with different copywriting techniques and website strategies specifically for nonprofits.
Slowly, patterns emerged. I started understanding the unique psychology of nonprofit marketing.
Where This Led Me (And How I Help Today)
That journey led me to create Market Your Mission. Because here's what I discovered: most marketing agencies charge tens of thousands of dollars to build nonprofit websites, but they're using the same strategies they'd use for a law firm or restaurant.
Nonprofits need specialized knowledge, but they also need accessible, affordable solutions.
So I set out to create online education and digital products that deliver the same results at a fraction of the cost. I want every nonprofit – from the scrappy grassroots organization to the established charity – to have access to marketing strategies that actually work for their unique needs.
Because your mission deserves a website and marketing approach that works as hard as you do.
Why I'm Sharing This
I'm telling you this story because I want you to know: I've been where you are. I've felt the frustration of trying to make traditional marketing advice work for nonprofit realities. I've stared at a website knowing it should be doing more but not knowing exactly what to change.
You're not behind. You're not doing it wrong. You just need strategies designed specifically for the incredible, complex, vital work you're doing.
That's exactly what I'm here to help with.