It’s not about you

It’s not about you. Sorry.

Quite often, I go through my mail and see appeals that disappoint me. It’s not that the cause is wrong (those I rarely even open). It’s the self-aggrandizing tone.

I’ve been thinking about this for years and have held off writing anything. I don’t want to point fingers at any particular charity (and I won’t). But I will say the charities that are most likely to do this are quite large. We’ll leave it at that.

The reason I decided to say something today is the nagging realization that organizations that do this are losing money for good causes. And that smaller organizations – who also need to raise money – might be taking cues from these others and really losing money.

So here are my takes on common issues I see from organizations who seem to have forgotten it’s not all about them.

Bragging: No | Stories: Yes

Are you really proud of the work your organization does? I sure hope you are! It makes the work so much more meaningful. And when your work brings you joy, life is just better. So, I want people to feel proud of their work and their organization. Shout it to your family and friends!

But when you’re communicating with your donors – people who are also vested in your organization’s success – bragging is a big turn-off. Why? Because they get to decide whether you’re fantastic or not. They’ll vote with their gifts.

And because too much tooting of your own horn leaves so many others out. The people you serve. And the people who support you. Those donors of yours need to know how much they matter. You need to leave room for them.

There’s also a tricky line between “The organization you’re supporting is well-run and will be around to keep doing the work you care about” and “We’re great. We’ve got this. Send some money, you mere donor.”

Instead, tell great stories. Show the mission at work. Show how donor support makes it all possible. Bring them in as close to your important work as you can – through stories.

Star CEO: No | Star supporters: Yes

I once worked for an organization with a beloved CEO. He was well-known throughout the city. He was well-connected politically and socially. Was he important? Sure! Did we treat him like a star? Nope.

He was a terrific communicator, so he usually signed our appeals. But we never made him the focus of the work.

The thing is, the daily activities happening inside an organization aren’t as interesting as what you can accomplish with donor support. And making the CEO the organization’s only personality can hurt. What if that person leaves? What if donors need to interact with other staff? What if a big personality gets in the way of raising money?

I’ve also worked for theater artistic directors who were big deals in the theater world. But always, the work on stage was what mattered. Did we use the artistic director to sign special letters or come to special gatherings? You bet. But what we always talked about was the upcoming play. THAT was what attracted our theater-loving donors.

Ego doesn’t sit well with fundraising. Let it go.

Your communication preferences: No | Your donors’ preferences: Yes

Ah. That awesome new look your graphic designers came up with! So modern, so cool! And your favorite colors, which is nice. Finally, that boring old serif font is gone. And your logo can now be plastered everywhere!

Change does sometimes need to happen. But if the changes are a reflection of what insiders like and if they make your marketing team happy, then you may be missing out on fundraising dollars.

Because what’s harder to read (a sans serif font, for instance) won’t be read. And if supporters have come to know and love the old look of your organization, you’ll need to introduce them gently to a new one.

If you’re communicating with donors, you need to use the tools that make it easier for them. Large enough serif font. Lots of space. Photos of the mission, not the staff.

Your organization as heroes: No | Your beneficiaries and donors as heroes: Yes

This might sound a bit repetitive, but repetition works. You and your organization may very well be heroes. I’m not disputing that at all. You work hard to bring your mission to life. Celebrate that with your staff and board.

But leave the hero role to the people you serve and the people who chose to give you their support. You don’t need public kudos in your next newsletter. You need mission stories that inspire people to be part of that mission. So have a staff party and cheer each other on. Give everyone a surprise day off. But focus your donor communications on your donors.

Talking at your audience: No | Listening to your audience: Yes

Communication is meant to be two-way. Yes, you’re probably working hard to communicate enough and well enough. But leave yourself the time and energy to listen as well. Donor surveys, asking questions in email and inviting responses, talking to donors at events or even over the phone… all of these opens the door to stronger donor relationships. When you’re a communicator, sometimes the hardest thing to do is to be quiet and listen. But everyone loves to be listened to. Give donors that gift.