Need New Fundraising Ideas for your Nonprofit? Try Affiliate Marketing


Affiliate Marketing / Wednesday, September 26th, 2018

They say the only sure things in life are death and taxes, but for nonprofits, fundraising can be added to that list. Survival depends on bringing in enough revenue to not only fund the programs but also the people running them; that means finding multiple revenue streams from events, donors, grants, endowments and other creative means.

One avenue that’s often overlooked by nonprofits is affiliate marketing. Affiliate marketing, a revenue generator well-known by successful online businesses for years, is slowly starting to gather momentum in the nonprofit world.

One difference between nonprofits who can barely keep the lights on every month and those that thrive is creating multiple and diverse revenue streams so that if one dries up, you won’t have to close your doors. While affiliate marketing won’t bring in the same large amounts as an auction or capital campaign, it does have the potential to provide a steady stream of monthly income.

What is affiliate marketing?

Affiliate marketing is when you earn a commission by promoting a company’s product that you believe in and want to share with your readers, subscribers and followers.

How does the VolunteerMark Affiliate Program work?

VolunteerMark’s Affiliate Program allows you to earn a commission every time you send a referral to VolunteerMark from your unique affiliate link (that we provide when you sign up) that eventually converts into a sale of the software. While it would be fantastic if you already used VolunteerMark, it’s not a requirement of the program. 

What’s the cost?

There is no cost to join VolunteerMark’s Affiliate Program and no minimum sales or referral requirements to earn a commission.

How do I promote VolunteerMark?

The number of ways to promote VolunteerMark is limited only by your creativity. Some of the most effective promotion methods are to:

  • Write a blog relevant to volunteers or volunteer managers and organically incorporate VolunteerMark links within the blog. For example, the blog could compare different volunteer management software, discuss the challenges of managing volunteers or give a review of VolunteerMark’s analytical features.  
  • Promote your blog by sharing it on your social media sites and to your email subscribers.
  • Offer a low-cost promotion that encourages media shares of the post that include the affiliate links, like a giveaway.
  • Create a static link to VolunteerMark on your toolbar.

How do I become a VolunteerMark affiliate?  

To get started, fill out the form, and we’ll reach out shortly.

How much and how often do I get paid?

Once a referral has signed up for a paid plan, we’ll pay you 10% of the initial payment. VolunteerMark pays affiliates once a month.

Why should I become an affiliate marketer with VolunteerMark?

Because we’re awesome! VolunteerMark helps nonprofit organizations manage their volunteers who are most likely doing awesome things themselves, like tutoring children, promoting pet adoptions or delivering meals to seniors. It’s easy to promote a service that’s helping make the world a better place. And the commission is one the highest in the industry.

Interested in learning more about how affiliate marketing can help your nonprofit? Send us an email and let’s chat!

To learn more how VolunteerMark can help with your volunteer management needs, check out out our webpage or schedule a personalized demo.

About VolunteerMark

VolunteerMark is an online volunteer management software company located in the heart of Kansas City, Missouri. Our mission is to provide nonprofits safe, secure and affordable software to train, manage and recruit volunteers along with cutting-edge reporting tools. Always free for volunteers, VolunteerMark is dedicated to improving the processes of nonprofits. We focus on building user-friendly software so organizations can focus on their mission.