Mind the gap

It can be the toughest part of your fundraising communications to grasp. Like a slippery fish, it keeps jumping from your grasp.

I’m talking about your fundraising offer, of course. The gap that describes your need.

The central part of fundraising that’s so easy to slide over, or step around. The guts of the whole thing. It answers the question: “Why should I give and how much do you need?”

Now, some organizations have missions that make the ask quite simple and easy to communicate. They can say something like “$24 feeds a family for a week.”

Simple, tangible, something anyone can understand.

But for many organizations, that proposition is much less clear. Describing the mission requires thought and an explanation. So how in the world do you reduce it to one clear proposition?

And yet, you must!

Minding the gap

Many years ago, I was lucky enough to take a month-long theater course in London. (I was always involved in theater. And I read English history for fun as a kid. So this was extra special for me!)

One thing our group reacted to with smiles was the recording in the Tube: “Mind the gap!” It sounded so polite. So very British. We were charmed.

But years later, when fundraising for a theater, a different “gap” came rushing back to haunt me. How do you describe the need for a donation to a theater? People are hungry out there, without homes, for heaven’s sake!

But of course, we needed to find it: a simple way to describe why donated dollars were needed. And what they’d create.

The key was realizing that theater lovers really love theater. And while they might also give to social service organizations, a great theater in their community was important. And ticket prices didn’t cover the whole cost. They covered about half.

So there was the ask: Your ticket price only covers half of what it takes to bring you great theater. Would you give so you can continue to enjoy the art form you love?

Find your ask – or the gap

Your organization does something good, or it wouldn’t exist, right? So step outside your day-to-day understanding of the work. Then you’ll be in a better position to create a strong ask.

Ask yourself:

• Who do we help? (Identify who benefits and how.)
• What do we do? (Your answer needs to be concise. A sentence, not a paragraph.)
• What does it cost to help? (Look at the expense side of the budget.)
• Where’s the gap? (Now look at the income side. What’s the gap?)

Once you have that number, you can do a little more math. (You love math, right? Right? Yeah, me either.) Take that big number and divide it by the people you serve.

Now you should have something tangible. And something scalable. If the number you come up with is still large, see if there are ways to break it down. Parts of your work, maybe.

Now comes the fun part – Share a story to explain the gap

Once you’ve pinpointed the need you have, find a story that illustrates it. That’s because stories find their way into our minds – and hearts – much faster than facts.

And two tips: don’t forget to ask! You’re probably so familiar with what you’re writing that you might forget. But you need to ask, often.

And beware: this is not a chance to brag about your great organization. This is a chance to show a donor how their gift will affect someone’s life.

So your story is not:

“We’re recognized as the best organization serving people who need food in our area. We’re proud of the hard work that’s made us successful. Just last week, the governor mentioned us! So today, your gift will help us be even more successful.”

Take your organization out of the picture now, instead.

“Suddenly, more people than ever in our community are hungry. Our tables are crowded, and people are waiting on the sidewalk outside, hoping there will be enough to go around.

“Yesterday, I met one of our regulars, Harry, outside. He kept letting other people step through the door before him. When I asked, ‘Aren’t you hungry?’ he told me he was. But it seemed to him that other people were worse off.

“Your gift of $45 today will mean Harry has a chance to eat, too. With your help, we can keep up with the increase in need for our services.”

Your donors want to help. Let them see themselves as the actors in the story. Something as small to you as removing your organization can make a huge difference.

You need to leave room for the donor to mind the gap.