What is the most important role of the marketing department in a for-profit organization & a non-for-profit organization?

For profit business, the marketing department must set and meet targets, actualize annual sales target with the support of all departments and teams, design an adequate and feasible marketing plan.

Not for Profit/Nonprofit Organizations marketing department seems to have much work to do than that of the profit making ventures as they actually have no goods to sell but services which sometimes donors might not have to benefit any physical returns from.

NPO's (Nonprofit Organizations) marketing department needs a very good strategic plan and resource development plan to convince donors on the relevance to sponsor their projects to help them meet with their desired goals and projects. The Board of the Nonprofit Organizations, the chief executive of the organization and some senior staffs are obligated with this task to help not for profit/NGO's (Non-Governmental Organizations) raise funds to execute their projects.

Although both are significant economically but both are left with totally different ways of operations in the marketing department.

Publicity is equally important in the marketing of for-profit and nonprofit organizations. The process of marketing also differs, with the biggest differing factor being that the purpose of for profit marketing is to encourage customers to buy, while the purpose of nonprofit marketing is usually to encourage people to give. This means that the return on investment differs between the two. Although the principles of marketing remain the same, some of the methods must, of necessity, be differen