Growing your nonprofit or business through digital marketing

Download the digital marketing impact map today…

There’s a Digital Gap today

51%

of donors research causes and charities online before making a donation.

>50%

of nonprofits don’t have a clearly defined digital marketing strategy.

70%

of consumers research a brand online before making a purchase.

67%

of businesses don’t have a clearly defined digital marketing strategy.

Sources:
Hubspot
Blackbaud
SmartInsights
Fit Small Business

Spark helps you close the Digital Gap by…

Reaching and engaging customers & donors

Increasing your team’s capacity

Growing your organization’s impact

Impact Map

Your mission is too important to waste time and resources on digital marketing without knowing how it’s growing the impact of your organization.

Go through this simple goals and strategy process to connect your digital marketing to your mission.

Organizations We Work With

IJM logo
Useful Group logo

"Spark Collective helped us build a foundational database of KPIs, giving us a clearer understanding of our organization and the people who support us as a nonprofit. We used this data to better serve our patrons and ultimately grew our revenue by 8%.

One of the greatest joys of working with Josh at Spark Collective was his ability to adapt and collaborate seamlessly with our leadership team to ensure we achieved our goals and stayed true to our mission. Josh’s humble approach and friendly demeanor made the entire process easy and enjoyable. We’re incredibly grateful for the opportunity to work with Spark Collective and highly recommend partnering with Josh if your organization is feeling the growing pains and you’re ready to flourish.”

Loren La Luz
Executive Officer
Streetlights

"By working with Josh at Spark Collective we were able to gain 3 things:

  • A clear understanding of how our marketing compared to other orgs

  • A thorough analysis of our marketing practices

  • Practical next steps for growing our marketing further

I'd recommend Spark Collective to other nonprofits because it would be very difficult to find another firm that is this knowledgeable about nonprofit marketing who is this willing to dig so deep with you."

Jeremy Lamour - New Life Centers

Jeremy Lamour
Director of Partner Engagement
New Life Centers

More growing clients

  • jerry kramer

    "I told my board that Spark is a non-negotiable."

    Jerry Kramer
    Executive Director
    Love for the Least

  • chiara headshot

    "Spark has been absolutely invaluable. Having someone who is trusted that I can go to who is an expert in digital marketing has been so invaluable."

    Chiara
    Head of Marketing
    CRM Software Company

  • ben ceo

    "We hit our Q1 sales goal by mid-February (6 weeks early!) and that is due in large part to the leads that Spark generates for us!"

    Ben
    CEO
    Addiction Counseling Group

  • rosario dominguez

    "Spark Collective's Audit was very clear about our marketing plan's strengths and weaknesses. Spark exceeded my expectations and I now have clarity in our organization's marketing plan!"

    Rosario Dominguez
    Marketing Director

  • "Spark Collective is knowledgeable, approachable, and thorough. We really benefitted from the deep dive of the competitive landscape, and I'd recommend Spark to other organizations because of their great grasp of the digital space."

    Tim Rockwell
    VP of Sales
    American Extraction
    (B2B Manufacturing Company)

  • “We used Spark’s foundational data and KPIs to ultimately grow our revenue by 8%. We highly recommend partnering with Josh if your organization is feeling the growing pains and you’re ready to flourish.”

    Loren La Luz
    Executive Officer
    Streetlights

  • “Spark stood out from the competition because of their expertise, timely communications, and perseverance when things get difficult. I'd recommend Spark Collective because they'll help you get value out of your investment.”

    James Kinnard
    CEO
    Useful Group

  • clive craigen

    "I am extremely satisfied with the services that Spark Collective provides—our return on investment has been great! I'd recommend that any nonprofit start working with Spark and see the results for yourself."

    Clive Craigen
    Executive Director
    Pursue Scholars

Spark Change.

You’re doing some of the most important work in the world. You shouldn’t be forced to choose between being efficient with your nonprofit’s resources and generating growth through digital marketing.

I’m Josh, and I founded Spark Collective with over a decade of experience generating positive ROI for nonprofits through digital marketing. I’ve created an offering for your nonprofit that connects digital marketing to your mission.

I’ve sat in your seat. I understand your challenges. I’m wired to grow your mission.

(re: The photo of Chicago - While I hail from the Cincinnati, OH area, I’ve lived almost the majority of my life in Chicago, and love almost everything about this great city, except their sports teams. Go Bengals!)

chicago
josh burns headshot

  • With mission-driven work being wired into Josh from a young age, he has a passion to grow endeavors that are making a positive impact in the world that will last forever.

    Josh shares, “You know that drive deep down inside you that motivates you to do what you do? For me, that’s serving other people.”

    Growing up, he saw this service modeled for him by his grandparents and parents, who volunteered weekly in his local church, and his mother who taught in educational nonprofits his entire life. As Josh got older his mentors modeled service for him by giving of their time, energy, and resources to develop him and others.

    Rooted in Josh’s faith and desire to love God and love others, he has been leading efforts in mission-driven organizations for over a decade. Connecting his passion for impactful service with digital marketing—he has driven hundreds of volunteers, thousands of donations, and supported the fundraising of millions of dollars.

    Spark Collective is the culmination of years of experience and the desire to make effective digital marketing strategies accessible for organizations who are doing the most important work in the world.

    Josh lives with his wife and three children in Chicago, IL. He’s currently trying to resist the urge to live vicariously through his kids’ soccer teams, and is always looking for ways to give his wife small tastes of her Australian roots during the frigid Chicago winters. Email him with ideas!

Spark’s Process

  • Audit & Strategy

    Nonprofits are not one-size-fits-all. Your organization has unique challenges that deserve a tailored digital strategy. Before we implement anything, we recommend a Digital Audit & Strategy. We’ll audit your entire digital journey and give you a clear strategy to grow your impact through digital marketing.

  • High-Impact Implementation (Done-for-you)

    Based on our audit and strategy process, we’ll implement a High-Impact Strategy to spark growth for the mission of your organization. This could include digital paid ads, Google Ad Grant, SEO, website optimizations, email marketing, and/or marketing automation. This is a retainer commitment, as we’ve seen that extended partnership together is the best way to generate results.

  • High-Impact Coaching (Done-with-you)

    You may have the team, but need a guide. Digital Marketing can be a maze and you could waste valuable time and resources if you choose the wrong path. I’ll walk with you to ensure you’re asking the right questions, have the right tools, and are moving in the right direction. This is a retainer commitment as we’ve seen that extended partnership is the best way to generate results.

Your Questions Answered

  • Spark’s services are specifically tailored for your goals. This is why I always start with the Audit & Strategy Process to ensure we are recommending the strategies that will drive the most growth for your organization.

    Spark’s services include:

    • SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

    • Paid Ads (Google Ad Grant, Meta Ads, LinkedIn Ads, etc.)

    • Organic Social Media Management

    • Website optimizations

    • Email Marketing

    • Marketing Automation

    • Copywriting

  • I’m wired to serve people and meet needs. That can happen in nonprofits and for-profits, and I do have experience having generated growth in for-profit businesses, so yes! If you’d like to generate growth in your business, I’d be more than happy to connect and see if it’s a good fit!

  • After spending over a decade in in-house roles in nonprofits and working for agencies that have served nonprofits and businesses, I have a unique understanding of your needs and budgetary restraints. That’s why I’ve worked hard to offer services at a price that is typically half of what you’d pay at other agencies, while still maintaining excellence and growth in results. Typically nonprofits and small businesses are forced to make a choice between hiring a full-time marketing team or working with an agency. My hope is that my pricing enables you to get the best of both worlds. The advantage of working with an agency like Spark is that I bring agility and expertise to the table that is going to be difficult to find elsewhere at the same price.

    I build a tailored strategy to suit your organization’s needs. In order to do that, pricing can vary and I can typically give you a pricing range after we discuss your needs. Spark Retainers typically start at $5,000 per month.

    One-time projects are offered on a case-by-case basis and pricing for those is determined based on specific needs.

    Also, with all of that said, if cost is a barrier, please still reach out and I’d love to talk about potential ways we can still partner together.

    Please keep in mind, these fees are separate from paid ad budget. If I recommend paid ads as part of your strategy, additional resources will be required to pay for those ads.

  • While digital marketing seems to move quickly, it does take time to gather actionable data to make good decisions. It doesn’t happen overnight. Also, every organization is different. I typically advise that it takes 3-6 months before seeing substantive growth.

  • This is why Spark exists. I don’t want your organization to waste time and resources on efforts that aren’t aligned with your overall goals. I work hard in the Audit & Strategy Process to understand your overall goals, and create a strategy that connects to those goals. Each month you receive reports that connect my work to your goals, and each quarter I do audits to, and pivot if needed.

  • The best way to see long-term impact is by working together in a retainer relationship. This ensures you have consistency in a digital marketing partner, and also is typically the most cost-effective for you as an organization.

    With that said, I do offer one-time projects on a case-by-case basis. If you’re interested in this, please contact me.

Have more questions?

Let’s talk!

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