As you implement your fundraising program this year, make sure your case for support is clear, crisp, and compelling. Use stories prominently. To quote Hank Russo: “The case tells the story. It reaches beyond the organization to where constituents live. Its purpose is to inform, inspire, excite, uplift and motivate the reader.”
But great stories are only half the equation. You also must talk about your value proposition and the impact you are having in words that are practical and pragmatic. John Templeton once said, “If your charity isn’t raising money, it probably isn’t doing anything worthwhile.” Although there is truth in that statement, sometimes we fall short not in what we are doing, but in our ability to communicate it from our donor’s point of view. To paraphrase my good friend and branding expert, Jim Paglia, “You don’t own your brand, your customers do. Customers become loyal when they can say “I see me!”
Have you listened to your donors lately? Do you know how they view your programs? Your mission? Your vision? There’s still time to ask your donors before they are on the receiving end of the fall fundraising deluge. Will your appeal catch their attention and speak to their desires, beliefs, and values? Those that do will be the winners.
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