The Lighthouse Program:
Apply for a Free Nonprofit Marketing Makeover

Stop Guessing, Start Growing: Get a Free, Comprehensive Marketing Strategy for Your Nonprofit.

The Lighthouse Program is a special, free-of-charge service offered by Blue Trident Marketing designed to guide local nonprofits through the choppy waters of growth, funding, and audience retention.

The Challenge We Solve

Local nonprofits often struggle with the same critical issues: securing consistent and diverse funding, and ensuring donor retention amidst intense competition and donor fatigue. Beyond funding, finding the right volunteers and passionate fans of your mission can feel like searching in the dark.

The Lighthouse Program exists to shine a light on the clearest path forward.

What We Deliver: Your Free Marketing Makeover

We provide much more than just advice—we provide a complete makeover of your marketing strategy and fundraising events. Our goal is to advise you on how to grow your SEO organically and build a scalable strategy that lasts.

Here’s what you receive as part of your Makeover:

Custom Strategic Plan: Each organization receives a written 30, 60, or even 90-day action plan tailored specifically to your needs.
Comprehensive Audit: We conduct a thorough examination of your existing efforts, encompassing your website, current SEO keywords, newsletters, marketing materials, social media, and community outreach events.
The Right Tools: We advise you on the most effective, no-cost, open-source tools to use for form building, fundraising software, and newsletter services, ensuring your budget stays focused on your mission.
Ongoing Friendship & Support: We are committed to building long-term relationships. Once your plan is delivered, we remain available indefinitely for follow-ups and conversations—we never charge to talk to our friends!

How the Program Works

We are looking to build relationships, not just rush a report. Our process is designed for detailed attention and thoughtful strategy:

Application & Selection: Qualified local nonprofits complete our sign-up form. We then review applications and select organizations based on their current needs and readiness for growth.
The 60-Minute Deep Dive: Once selected, we schedule a 60-minute meeting (Zoom or in-person) to discuss your organization’s wants, needs, and history. We will also email you key questions and information we need to begin our strategic work.
Plan Development: We immediately start crafting your strategic plan. While we don’t rush, you can expect your comprehensive, actionable plan to be ready in a few weeks.
Final Review: We schedule a final meeting (in person or via Zoom) to walk you through every detail of your plan, ensuring you fully understand how to implement the strategy and are happy with the outcome.

Eligibility & Our Only Request

This is an open, ongoing program. We happily offer this service at no cost because we know that helping local organizations grow will lead to happiness and, hopefully, future partnerships for more detailed services.

Eligibility Checklist:

501(c)(3) Certified: Your organization must have official 501(c)(3) certification.
Local Focus: You must be local to the Charlotte area.
Ready to Apply: You must fill out our application form completely to be considered.

Our Only "Payment":

Because our service is entirely free, the only payment we ask is for you to help us spread the word and grow our community. Don’t worry, we’ll send you an email with all the links and detailed instructions on what to do:
- Leave us a review on Google and our Facebook page.
- Follow us on our social media channels.
- Add our logo and a link back to our page on your website.