“Yay Us!”
Be honest… is that what your donor communications read like?
First, I want you to know that I’m pulling for you.
And if you’re lucky enough to work for a nonprofit whose work you absolutely love and believe in, I’m thrilled for you. Seriously. Not everyone is so fortunate.
But you know your organization in a way that your donors, and especially prospective donors, do not. You have a front-row seat to the work. If you’ve been building good staff relationships, you see how people benefit right up close. You even get to know the people your organization works with.
Your work can make you feel just wonderful
But that’s not where most of your donors are. And in a way, that’s amazing. They trust you. They don’t need to know every last detail to give you money.
But don’t confuse your organization’s good work with what your donors are giving to do. It’s not your hard work that attracts and keeps them.
It’s your results. Your impact on the community or the world. Or really, their impact – through your organization.
And as a fundraiser, that’s what you should focus on.
If you have colleagues whose work is to “sell” your organization, support them. But don’t follow their lead when writing to your donors. Organization-first language forces donors into a secondary role. It makes them feel like outsiders. And it makes them think they’re not needed.
How can you tell you’re sliding into “Yay Us” fundraising?
Here are a few simple tests. The good news is that they can help you not only avoid a pitfall but raise more money.
Look for how often you use the word “you” or some variant.
Why? Because you want to focus on the person you’re talking to. And yes, you want to give them credit for your organization’s good work. (You don’t need credit as much as you need support, right?)
If you think about this as you write, you’re forced to change how you talk about your work. Less “we” and more “you”. (The inclusive “we”, that includes the donor, is good. The “we” that means your organization only is not.)
If you review your communications and it’s all “we, we, we”… it’s time for a serious rewrite. You don’t have to brag. Your donors already believe in you. They want to know how THEY can help. Tell them.
Get the real stories from the people you help whenever possible.
You want to hear about their experiences, without the need to gloss over the situation. You should also assure them that you want the truth… and they don’t need to rave about their experience if that isn’t true.
(And of course, they have the last say on what you send out. Always.)
When you do this, you cut through the organizational shine. It’s the difference between a handwritten note and a brochure. More personal. More direct.
And what are your donors looking for? A chance to help someone, as directly as possible. A real person always beats an organization. They’re not giving to your organization as much as to a person without a home, or someone whose child has a terrible illness. They want to help, to right a wrong. Let them feel that.
Don’t be afraid to share bad news.
This can be hard, I know. But no matter how amazing your nonprofit is, you are not perfect. If you were, you’d have solved the problem you’re there to solve and be done.
So, scary as it might be, share the problems with your donors. There might be some organizational ego involved here. No one likes to feel that they haven’t done everything just right.
But it’s OK. Some problems are just too darned big to be solved in a few years – or a few decades. And those problems are why your donors are your donors.
Honest rather than “Yay Us”
This program is new, and we don’t have the funding to be sure it will succeed. That means 40 kids won’t be able to attend our after-school programs… unless you help.”
We really thought we could convince the city council to agree to share the costs of cleaning the parks. But they said no. Can we turn to you to help keep our parks clean this year?”
“We’re planning the new season. And to be painfully honest with you, ticket sales weren’t all we’d hoped for this past season. We have some great ideas in the works – plays we think you’ll love! But we need your support today so we can include them.”
Be emotional, not “professional”
If you’re a fundraiser – especially one who communicates directly with donors – then emotion is your friend. And it’s definitely not the opposite of professional. It’s what your profession demands.
So when you’re writing to your donors, put your heart on the page. Don’t be afraid of feelings. Fundraising is human. Emotions are what humans pay attention to.
Be human.
Photo by Jewel Mitchell on Unsplash
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