Last week my travels took me to Phoenix, Arizona and the Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors (AFA) Annual Meeting for the launch party for the newly established Circle of Sisterhood Foundation. As a volunteer for Circle of Sisterhood I offer my marketing and fundraising expertise (and a little of my elbow grease too). In these trying economic times, where donors are increasingly difficult to acquire, one might think it is less than ideal to establish a new non-profit organization. But knowing how to position your organization with your target audience has more to do with your success than the economy. It also means using the resources you have wisely.

Guerrilla marketing is all about creating buzz and using unconventional marketing tactics. The father of guerrilla marketing, Jay Conrad Levinson, defines it as “achieving conventional goals, such as profits and joy, with unconventional methods, such as investing energy instead of money.” Levinson and co-authors Chris Forbes, and Frank Adkins wrote the book Guerrilla Marketing for Nonprofits and in it they offer scores of marketing ideas that are low cost or completely free. For a small business or non-profit organization guerrilla marketing can be useful tactic. But as with all marketing it must be authentic to your organization, relevant to your target audience, and both strategic and meaningful. Circle of Sisterhood took advantage of guerrilla marketing tactics to achieve all of the above.

With a solid marketing plan and committed volunteers, Circle of Sisterhood is positioning itself as the avenue for sorority women to work together to make education possible for women around the world. The organization’s founder, Ginny Carroll, had an ah-ha moment after reading the book, Half the Sky, which details the oppression of women throughout the world. In the marketing materials prepared by the organization they remind their target audience, sorority women, that in the late 1800s, American women stood together for the right to go to college. The sorority movement began as a system to support women in their academic efforts. Now, 140 years later, there are more than 4 million sorority women. More important, they are educated women. By joining together, they have an opportunity to continue the legacy of their Founders’ by helping less fortunate girls and women go to school around the world.

Stay tuned tomorrow for a list of the guerrilla marketing tactics used by Circle of Sisterhood.