I am currently working with a client who is looking to better target the Latino market. One of their two offices is in a city with a Latino majority (above 75%).  The office staff speaks Spanish, and all their material is translated. Yet they know that to attract and keep their clients they need to go beyond translated materials and bilingual staff, and really understand who their clients are.  I applaud them– it’s unfortunate that more nonprofits don’t think this way.

Nonprofits are often given kudos for their ability to work with diverse audiences.  Overall, the sector is good at translating materials, hiring staff to provide services in different languages, and creating programs directed at diverse audiences. However, the sector is also traditionally bad at promoting minorities into top leadership positions, as well as fully understanding what diverse communities need or how to best reach out to them.  

Why does this happen? Beyond the lack of resources, the reality is that many nonprofits seem to get very comfortable with what they know or think they know.  It is very easy to fall into the trap of addressing some of the needs of your clients, but not paying attention to how their needs have changed or even how your clients have changed.   

The reality is that despite good intentions many nonprofits fail to adapt to market changes in a timely manner or even understand  what  they should be doing to address today’s diverse population.  Some larger, national nonprofits have done a great job at moving forward with this, using their more substantial resources to better understand their respective markets. (Who are they? What do they need? How are they different?) Two organizations that have been highlighted for their diversity initiatives include the Boy Scouts of America and the YMCA (national).  Smaller and medium sized nonprofits primarily rely on general quantitative and syndicated demographic data, combined with anecdotal information gathered in the field, to make decisions. While this is a good start, generalized data will not provide an accurate picture of an individual organization’s clients— to really understand your clients, you need to speak with them.  Doing so can have a huge positive impact on your ability to serve them better, now and in the future.

What is the best way to do this?  While conducting in-depth market research may not be financially possible for many nonprofits, there are simpler alternatives.  Individual interviews or basic focus groups with a cross section of your clients can help put some context to other syndicated data about your market.  Or, one of my favorite techniques is to walk the neighborhoods being served and talk to and take pictures of the community and the clients being served. You would be surprised at the distinct picture you get when you talk to clients on their terms.

Ultimately, how you get a better picture of your clients is less important than the fact that you do it.  Demographic shifts are occurring faster than ever and you need to stay on top of them if you serve diverse communities.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 12th, 2010 at 1:15 pm and is filed under Growing Diversity. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.