I used to work in the non-profit sector so I understand all too well the challenges faced by those working in this industry. With the pressure to make donor dollars stretch as far as possible, research is either never considered or quickly chopped from the budget. Non-profits, however, often need research as much, if not more, than their for-profit counterparts because they often have a much smaller margin of error when making big decisions. If one Geico ad bombs, they have the budget and resources to change directions. One ad might, however, be all a non-profit can afford in one budget cycle so getting it right is paramount. Angie Moore, does a great job of explaining the value of research for the non-profit sector in her recent blog.
