Foundation Lab · Free nonprofit digital marketing programPro bono marketing for nonprofits.
Two nonprofits a year get the full platform and a strategist at no cost for twelve months. Applications open in January and July.
Doing the work, short on reach.
Registered nonprofits
Any size, any cause, DFW first. A real program that would grow with more people knowing.
One person who says yes
Someone who reads the brief and approves the crew's proposals. Twenty minutes a week.
Where marketing is the gap
Not the mission, not the team. The reach.
The full engagement.
Twelve months, four quarters.
- Quarter oneAudit, fixes, replies, reviews. The foundation.
- Quarter twoPages, campaigns, the first fundraising push.
- Quarter threeEvents, volunteers, donors. Journeys for each.
- Quarter fourThe case study and the handoff plan.
What happens next.
A funded engagement
Hand it off
Foundation Lab, in depth.
Why Foundation Lab exists
We believe every organization with a powerful mission deserves the tools to succeed. Foundation Lab is our commitment to leveling the playing field for nonprofits that are making a difference but need a digital boost to reach more people.
Whether you are amplifying a cause, filling an event, recruiting volunteers or growing a donor base, your story deserves to be heard. Foundation Lab exists to amplify it.
The causes Foundation Lab supports
Foundation Lab partners with registered nonprofits doing real work in healthcare, education, community development and social causes, including organizations that serve underserved and marginalized communities. Your mission matters, and a stronger presence in search and on the map helps more of the right people find it.
The same work paying clients get
This is not a watered-down version of what paying clients receive. Foundation Lab nonprofits work with the same AI-driven marketing tools and the same senior strategy.
- Professional marketing services: the full platform and expert guidance.
- A custom growth strategy: a plan built around your goals and challenges, reviewed every quarter.
- Ongoing support: a dedicated strategist on the phone, so the growth holds.
- Training and resources: the skills to maintain and build on your digital presence after the year ends.
How the twelve months unfold
The year runs in four quarters, and the plan inside each one is shaped around your organization's goals and progress.
- Quarter one, discovery and setup: a needs assessment and audit, the strategy, platform setup, and the first fixes, replies and reviews.
- Quarter two, growth and execution: new pages, campaign launches, content creation and search work, the first fundraising push, and performance tracking from the start.
- Quarter three, scale: journeys for events, volunteers and donors, automation that keeps each one running, and training for the person who approves the work.
- Quarter four, sustain and graduate: the case study, knowledge transfer, automations your team can maintain, and documentation so the momentum continues after the handoff.
How to apply to Foundation Lab
Applications open in January and July. Our team reviews every submission personally. After the first review, selected organizations are invited to a brief discovery call to talk through the mission and its challenges, and every applicant hears back within a month of the deadline.
Foundation Lab questions, answered.
Is Foundation Lab really free for nonprofits?
Yes. Foundation Lab gives two nonprofits a year the full platform and a strategist at no cost for twelve months, and there is no catch. We are selective, because we want organizations that are committed to their mission and ready to put in the work alongside us, starting with one person who says yes each week.
Why does Foundation Lab take only two nonprofits a year?
Because each Foundation Lab nonprofit gets a real strategist for the whole year, and two is what we can give away well. That strategist writes the quarterly plan, sends the monthly deck and picks up the phone. It is the same senior attention paying clients get, not a watered-down version.
Does Foundation Lab accept religious or political organizations?
Yes, if the program serves people. Foundation Lab is open to registered nonprofits of any size and any cause, so a faith-based program that serves its community can apply. We do not do campaigns, so political campaign work is not part of the program.
When does Foundation Lab announce which nonprofits are accepted?
Within a month of the application deadline, and everyone hears back. Applications open twice a year, in January and July. A nonprofit that is not chosen is welcome to reapply in the next round, because sometimes the timing is wrong or the round is simply full.
Which nonprofits are eligible for Foundation Lab?
Registered nonprofits of any size and any cause, with DFW organizations first. The best fit runs a real program that would grow if more people knew about it, is short on reach rather than on mission or team, and has one person who reads the brief and approves the crew's proposals in about twenty minutes a week.
How does Foundation Lab choose which nonprofits to accept?
We look at three things: the program's impact on the community, the organization's commitment to growth, and whether marketing is truly the gap. We are not looking for perfect organizations, we are looking for passionate ones. Our team reads every application personally before anyone is invited to talk.
What does a Foundation Lab nonprofit get during the twelve months?
The full engagement. That means the platform with all six products and the morning brief, and a strategist with a quarterly plan and a monthly deck. It covers search and reputation work on your map, pages, reviews and listings, plus a month of posts drawn from your real work and proofread. Paid media is managed if you have a grant or an ad credit to spend, and a case study under your name is yours at the end if you want it.
What happens when the Foundation Lab year ends?
You choose one of two paths. Continue with a funded engagement at a nonprofit rate if a grant covers it. Or hand it off: everything documented, accounts in your name, no strings.
Keep reading about Foundation Lab.
Apply for next round.
Applications open in January and July.