It’s a Marathon, Not a Sprint: How to Build a Sustainable Marketing Strategy
No judgment here because we’re in the same boat… but a lot of mission drive organizations don’t actually have marketing plans. They have a string of last-minute Instagram posts, month-end newsletter scrambles, and internal emails that start with “How quickly could someone pull together X, Y, Z?”
Sound familiar? You’re not alone. We’re all sprinting from one fire drill to the next.
But if you want your marketing to actually work, you’ve got to make the time to sit down with all relevant stakeholders, create a plan, allocate the resources needed to execute that plan, and set up systems to monitor along the way… you need to embrace the marathon mindset. Here’s how:
1. Set Goals That Actually Mean Something
First thing's first: what are you trying to do with your marketing? Raise awareness? Recruit volunteers? Increase donations? Boost attendance at your next event? “Post more” is not a strategy - it’s a coping mechanism. Instead, get clear on your objectives, and tie each one to a measurable outcome. For example:
Grow your email list by 25% by year-end
Secure media coverage in 3 local outlets this quarter
Drive 100 new people to your volunteer page
Increase monthly giving by 15%
Set tangible goals, assign ownership, and make them visible. (For real. Write them down and physically put them where your team can see them. Bonus points if you’re able to also show your progress as you try to reach your goal!)
2. Map Out the Big Moments
You don’t need to reinvent the wheel every month — you just need to plan ahead. Start by identifying your organization’s “anchor moments” for the year. These may include things like:
Program launches
Annual fundraisers
Milestone impact numbers
Community events
Awareness months relevant to your work
Giving Tuesday, end-of-year campaigns, etc.
These are your tentpoles. Build around them. Start planning your content at least 4–6 weeks out from each major event or campaign — not four days before. And remember: the quieter months still matter. Use those to tell deeper stories, highlight your people, or test new formats without the pressure of a big moment looming.
3. Build Systems, Not Surprises
You don’t need a 40-page content calendar with color coding and drop shadows. You do need a simple system that helps you:
Stay consistent
Repurpose content (one story, repackaged for multiple channels/audiences!)
Track deadlines and approvals
Collaborate across your team
Pick a tool that works for you - Google Sheets, Asana, an old-school whiteboard in your office. A good system should make things easier, not more complicated.
4. Don’t Let Marketing Fall Through the Cracks
If you’re making a commitment to prioritizing marketing, then commit to it. Someone has to own marketing - and everyone needs to know who that someone is. Whether it’s your development lead, your executive director, or a staff member wearing three hats and juggling Canva after hours, marketing can’t just be a “nice to have” that gets pushed to the bottom of the to do list when things get busy. (Because spoiler: things are always busy.)
Make it official. Put it in writing. Share it with your team - even if that team is just three people and a part-time intern. When people know their role, they’re more likely to prioritize it. When they don’t? Marketing becomes that thing you meant to do, but never quite got around to.
And whoever is leading the charge needs to be in the loop. If they don’t know what’s happening across the organization - new partnerships, exciting program milestones, upcoming events - they can’t tell the story. Make marketing part of the conversation early and often. It’s not a follow-up. It’s foundational.
5. Set a Budget. Yes, Really.
Marketing needs a line item. Period. Even if it’s a small one.
Whether you’re hiring a designer, paying for software, running social ads, or having new business cards printed, you need to know what you can spend, and what you expect to get from it.
6. Leave Space to Breathe
This one’s important: build margin into your plan. Not everything can be a campaign. Not every week needs a new initiative. Your team is human. Your audience is human. Give everyone space to absorb, reflect, and engage without the constant churn.
(P.S. You’ll create better content when you’re not burnt out and running on fumes.)
The Bottom Line
Scrambling is not a strategy. Marketing — done right — is a long game. And the organizations that win are the ones who play it with intention, consistency, and just enough patience to let the momentum build.
Ready to get out of sprint mode and actually run the race? Let’s talk.
