marketing

Do You Really Talk Like That?

Ann Green Communications, donor relations, fundraising, marketing, writing
Imagine that you are donor and you receive a newsletter from a nonprofit organization that you support.  As you read it, you come across phrases like generate social capital and culture-focused projects.  Does it make you want to read more, or put it aside and go on to your next piece of mail?

One of the keys to good writing is to be conversational.  Many nonprofit communications (newsletters, fundraising letters, etc) are not conversational and tend to be impersonal and abstract.

Don’t worry. it’s easy to fix this.  Here are a few ways to make your writing more conversational.

Write in the second person
Refer to your reader as you and your organization as we.  Since you want to be donor-focused, use you more than we.

Write as if you are talking to a friend. You may want to create donor personas to help you with that. How to Develop Donor Personas for Your Nonprofit

Ditch the jargon
Most industries have some type of insider language.  I think people like to use it because it makes them feel like they are “in the know.”

The problem is when this language starts creeping into your fundraising letters and newsletter articles.  Terms like capacity building and direct service don’t mean anything to most of your donors. Personally, I’d like to see nonprofit folks stop using jargon so much among themselves.

I found the examples cited above in a nonprofit newsletter I recently received.  I’m not sure what this organization is trying to convey when they say generate social capital. Are they talking about economic benefits or community building?

Donors want specific examples of how you are making a difference by helping homeless families find affordable housing or showing how your tutoring program boosts kids’ reading skills.

The culture-focused project referred to students creating a flag from their “country of origin.”  Why not tell a story about Sarah and Maria’s experience working on this project and include some quotes from the girls?

If you are not sure you are using jargon, this might help. Jargon Finder 

Don’t use the passive voice 
I’m not a fan of the passive voice. It weakens your writing, and if you use it in a conversation, you sound pretentious.

Instead of saying 200,000 meals were served at the Riverside Community Food Bank, say thanks to you (remember your donor) we served 200,000 meals….. 

Use strong, active verbs and limit passive verbs (is, was) as much as possible.

Back to school
Many major newspapers write at a sixth to eighth grade level  and so should you.  This is not dumbing down; you are making your stories easy to read and understand.  When you use big words, you are confusing and alienating your readers.

The Flesch Kinkaid tool in the review section of Word can be helpful.  It gives you readability statistics, number of passive sentences, and grade level.

Make this a priority
Your writing needs to be conversational so you can create clear and engaging messages.

You might want to read your letter/article out loud, or have someone outside your organization look at it.  I don’t always like to recommend multiple editors, and perhaps this is one of the reasons for flat writing, but what may be clear to you might not make sense to others.

Keep all this is mind as you start to craft your fall annual appeal letters and thank you letters. 

Your donors are busy and receive messages from a variety of sources besides yours.  Make your letter, email message, or social media post something they will take the time to read. 

Read below for more information to help you make your writing clear and specific.
Instead of Help, Support, Resources and Services
Crafting Fundraising Letters: What To Say Instead of “Programs and Services”

Resolutions Revisited

Ann Green donor relations, fundraising, marketing
We are already halfway through the year (hard to believe isn’t it?). Remember back at the beginning of the year when you made resolutions (or plans) for your nonprofit organization?Resolutions Nonprofits Need to Make

You may have long since given up on your personal resolutions, but you need to keep going with your nonprofit resolutions.

Let’s check in and see how you are doing.

Stick with your plan
How are you doing with your fundraising and marketing plans?  Please tell me you did create written plans for 2013.

Are you meeting your goals so far?  If you are not where you want to be right now, figure what’s not working and make any adjustments you need. 

Maybe you are coming up short in your fundraising goals because you are reaching out to the wrong potential donors or not engaging your current donors enough.

You should be monitoring your progress at least once a quarter, so schedule a time to do this again before October.

Be realistic
I’ve been writing a lot about dealing with limited resources and setting priorities so you can work successfully within your means. Take a good hard look at what you want to accomplish.

Perhaps your spring fundraising event isn’t worth the effort you put into it.

Make room for growth
Are you looking into new opportunities for your organization?  Don’t cast a wide net.  Analyze your audience and reach out to those who will be receptive to your cause.

Summer is also great time for your staff to learn new skills.  Look into professional development opportunities.

Do your best
Make a point to do your best whether it’s writing a thank you note or sharing accomplishments.  Be sure everything you do is high quality.  Give your donors what they want, such as photos and stories showing how you are making a difference.

Be nice
Keep being nice to the people who support you.  If you haven’t sent out a special thank you message to your donors this summer,Time To Thank Your Donors make a point to do that soon.  Be donor-centered and always show appreciation.  Create an attitude of gratitude.

Don’t give up right away
Again, if something isn’t working, figure out why.  If people aren’t responding to your messages, maybe your messages aren’t clear, you are reaching out to the wrong audience, or you need to send your message through a different channel.   Make the adjustments you need.    

Sometimes you do need to give up what you are doing and do something else that will give you better results.

Relax
Remember you don’t have to work 24/7.  Take care of yourself, especially if you are feeling really stressed.  Hopefully, you have a vacation planned this summer.

Most nonprofits are very busy in the fall, so fit in some relaxation time over the summer.

Keep up your resolutions this summer and throughout the fall. 

How are you doing with your resolutions?

Photo by Roberto Ventre via Flickr

Make An Investment To Keep Your Donors Happy

Ann Green Communications, donor relations, fundraising, marketing

In my last post, I wrote about figuring out the best ways for you to reach out to your donors.  I suggested sending out short surveys with questions such as do your donors prefer print or electronic communication and which types of communication are they most likely to read.


What happens if what your donors want is difficult for you to do because of limited resources?  Let’s say a majority of your donors tell you they prefer print newsletters.

Many organizations send electronic newsletters because it’s easier and less expensive, but if your donors want print, you are doing a huge disservice to the people who support you.

Don’t panic.  I have some suggestions on how you can produce a print newsletter with limited resources.  If you run into other conflicts such as donors wanting more photos and stories, you can apply some of these as well.

Prioritize
If you have limited resources (budget, time, staff), you need to prioritize.  Being donor-centered and keeping your donors happy is a priority. 

Make an investment
Nonprofit organizations often skimp on their fundraising and marketing budgets, and want to pour all their resources into programming.  There’s been a lot of buzz about overhead costs lately. The Overhead Myth 

My take on this is your entire budget is program related. If your donors want a print newsletter, then this is a legitimate expense.  You need to spend money to make money.  It might sound simplistic, but if you keep your donors happy, they will continue to donate money to keep your programs running.

Can you allocate more of your budget towards printing, mailing, staff, equipment etc?  If not, find additional funding sources that will cover general operating expenses. 

DIY
You don’t need to spend a lot of money on a fancy newsletter, but it should look professional.  You could print it yourself.  Invest in a high-quality color printer and newsletter software.  Also, look into bulk mailing options.

Don’t leave anyone out
Ideally a print newsletter should be no longer than four pages and go out at least once a quarter.  If you are really strapped, you could send one twice a year.  But if your donors want print or don’t use email or social media, they need to hear from you more often than that.  

If they aren’t getting updates from you, and the only communication they receive are fundraising appeals, that’s not good. You need to reach out to these donors by mail.  

The fact is some donors prefer print newsletters. This Fundchat transcript explores that further and offers other insights on newsletters. Do Traditional Newsletters Still Work For Nonprofits?

Other options
You could figure out which donors want a print newsletter and which want an electronic one.  Some organizations do this. This may also be hard to pull off if you have limited resources. Be careful not to short change one group. Give everyone equal quality.

You may decide you just can’t do a print newsletter.  If that’s the case, consider sending out postcards or other short pieces updating your donors on your success.

Keep your donors happy
Again your priority should be to keep your donors happy.  If you don’t reach out to these donors by mail, you are ignoring and alienating them.

On the other hand, if your donors say they want you to save trees and not communicate by mail, don’t spend the extra resources.

Do the best you can, but also do what’s best for your donors.

Conquering Your Communication Challenges – Getting People To Respond To Your Messages

Ann Green Communications, fundraising, marketing, writing
Over the last few weeks, I’ve been writing about different ways to conquer some of your communication challenges.  Another challenge that nonprofit organizations face is that people aren’t responding to their messages.
 
There can be a number of reasons for this.  Perhaps it is one of the following.
 
Your content isn’t strong enough
In my last post I wrote about creating engaging content, which is most often success stories where you show your donor how they are helping you make a difference.
 
Let’s use a fundraising letter as an example.  Some of the key components should include a story, an ask, thanking donors for their past gift, how their money will be spent, what you have accomplished, and what you plan to do in the future.
 
When creating content, remember the four C’s – clear, concise, conversational, and compelling. The 4 Cs of Writing Good Content
 
Besides being well written, your messages need to be easy to read and navigate.  Use short paragraphs with lots of white space and at least a 12-point font.  If your email message or web page is a cluttered mess with tiny type, your supporters are less likely to read it.
 
Here is more on creating good content.
 
It Ain’t Natural
You are reaching out to the wrong audience
Maybe not the “wrong” audience, but a weaker one.  Your current donors are more likely to give to your annual appeal than other supporters, such as email list subscribers.  You also probably won’t have as much success with event attendees or mailing to a cold list.
 
If you are holding an event, you should get a better response if you post an announcement on your Facebook page as opposed to the events calendar in your local paper.  Get social on social media and take it a step further.  Ask your followers to spread the word about your event, as well as help you recruit volunteers and even raise money.
 
You may also be using the wrong channels.  Perhaps your donors don’t use Twitter very often.
 
This is why you need to know your audience.  If you have limited resources, which is the case for many nonprofits, don’t spend a lot of time and energy reaching out to a weak audience.
 
Once is not enough
Maybe you do have strong messages and you are reaching out to a good audience, but your supporters still aren’t responding.  Well, these folks are busy and are barraged with messages from a variety of sources.  That’s why you need to send your message again (and again).
 
You should never send out one fundraising letter and sit around and wait for the money to flow in, because it will come in as a trickle.  Remind your donors via email, social media, your website, phone, and maybe even another letter.  The same goes for promoting events.
 
Keep track of your response rate, because if it’s not as strong as you would like it to be, you can often fix it.
 
Here are some other reasons why your messages may not be getting a response.  You should be able to avoid the first one if you reach out to the right audience.

 

Why Your Fundraising Copy Isn’t Fundraising
How do you get people to respond to your messages?

Conquering Your Communication Challenges – Creating Engaging Content

Ann Green Communications, donor relations, marketing, writing

Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve been writing about how to conquer some of your communication challenges.  Another challenge many nonprofit organizations face is coming up with engaging content on a regular basis.

Do you find yourself saying any of the following?

We’re having trouble getting organized
Your biggest ally here is an editorial calendar.  How to Create an Editorial Calendar You can do one for the year, but also break it down into smaller components. This doesn’t need to take a lot of time, and it’s a huge time-saver overall. Each month figure out what you will include in your newsletter. Every week decide how you are going to connect with your supporters. Spend 15-20 minutes a day looking for content you can share on social media. 

Your editorial calendar will include time-sensitive content, such as events or that April is national volunteer month, as well as evergreen content – stories you can use at any time.  

We don’t know what to write about
Your content should focus on how you are making a difference for the people/community you serve.  You have good stories to tell.  Work with your program staff to create a story bank to use for your annual appeal, website, newsletter, etc.  You can also include profiles of clients, donors, board members, volunteers, and staff.   

Don’t forget to thank your donors in your newsletter and other updates.  Avoid stories that are more focused on your organization, such as obtaining new computers for your staff, unless you can tie that back to your mission.

Here is more information on creating stories.

How Story Trumps Description
Do You Have Good Stories To Tell?
Use measurement and analytics to see what types of content hit home with your supporters.  Most likely it will be success stories that emphasize how they are helping you make a difference.

We don’t a lot of time to do this
I covered time constraints in my last post, and this is a challenge for many organizations. 

Nonprofits do need to communicate often with their supporters.  Try to reach out once a week.  If that’s impossible, aim for every other week.  It’s not as daunting as you may think. Planning and strategy always helps.

Some consistency is good for your newsletter.  Use a template that you can fill in each month. Maybe you will always include a success story or a profile. Also, keep in mind that your newsletter only needs a few articles.

Your supporters are busy and will appreciate short messages. In addition to your monthly newsletter, you can reach out with a brief update, advocacy alert, or one-question survey.  Another way to connect is to share the outcome of your advocacy alert or the results from your survey.

Use the same content in different channels.  For example include links to your newsletter, as well as updates, advocacy alerts, and surveys on Facebook and Twitter.

Another good way to engage is to post a photo of your program in action on social media.  A great photo can tell a story in an instant. 
Don’t Just Post Photos. Post Stories!
I hope this helps you conquer the some of the challenges of creating engaging content.  How do you handle this challenge?

Conquering Your Communication Challenges – Dealing with Limited Resources

Ann Green Communications, fundraising, marketing

This is the second post in my series about how to conquer some of your communication challenges.  Many nonprofit organizations have limited resources, and one thing to remember is that planning and prioritizing can help.

Have you ever found yourself saying the following?

We feel like we have no time to get anything done
If you have plans and strategies in place, you probably won’t feel as strapped for time.  I covered that in my last post.  Conquering Your Communication Challenges – Planning, Strategy, and Measurement

Find ways to help you get organized. For example, use an editorial calendar to plan your content  How to Create an Editorial Calendar and a style guide to help keep your messages and look consistent. Create a Style Guide for Your Organization
Figure out what is most important and do the best you can with the resources you have.  Fundraisng is always a priority.  So is making your supporters happy.  That includes current donors and potential donors (email subscribers, website visitors, etc.). Thank your donors, keep your supporters engaged with newsletters and other updates, and be sure your website is up-to-date.

Look at how you are spending your time.  Are you doing work that may not be that important?  Meetings can be a huge time sink.  Evaluate whether you need to have so many meetings, and make the ones you have efficient.  Use measurement to make sure you are taking on initiatives that are beneficial to your organization.  

You may feel so overwhelmed that you think you need to chain yourself to your desk in order to get your work done.  Not true.  In fact getting away from your desk and out of the office can make you more productive.

Our budget is tiny
If you have a small budget, again figure out what’s most important. Printing and mailing are two of the biggest expenses.  Perhaps you will forgo a printed newsletter and send out a high-quality electronic one instead.

You don’t need fancy materials, but you do need to look professional.  You can often get printed materials such as an event invitation or annual report donated.  Ask a print shop to do it pro bono or find a foundation to sponsor it. 

Speaking of funding, reach out to granting agencies that will cover general operating support.

Spend wisely.  You should mail out an annual appeal letter, but you don’t need to mail out an annual report to ALL your donors.  

We have don’t have enough staff
Many nonprofits are understaffed, and some organizations turn to interns and volunteers to fill in the gaps.  This can be a mixed bag.  Interns and volunteers may not be that experienced and often don’t stay around very long.   If you do take them on, make sure they are well-trained and supported. If you can find good people, it might work in your favor.  How To Ensure Effective and Engaged Volunteers 

It’s not uncommon for board members to be more involved at a small nonprofit.  This doesn’t mean they should be running the day-to-day operations, but they can share their expertise in an advisory role. Your board should have a fundraising committee, and preferably a marketing committee.  Find board members who are willing and able to give you a little boost as you try to grow.

Having limited resources, whether it’s time, budget, staff, or a combination of the three, is a challenge.  Planning and prioritizing can help you conquer these challenges. 

How do you deal with limited resources? 

Conquering Your Communication Challenges – Planning, Strategy, and Measurement

Ann Green Communications, fundraising, marketing

Over the next few weeks, I’m going to write about how to conquer some of your communication challenges.  Do these sound familiar to you?

We don’t have a plan or strategy
This is where you need to begin.  You need to have fundraising and marketing plans.  Not having a plan is like starting a journey without a map (or these days programming your GPS).  You need to know where you are headed and how you will get there.

How to Create a Fundraising Plan
How to Create a Marketing Plan
Not only do you need to have overall plans, but each campaign or communication tool (website, newsletter, etc.) needs a strategy. Make it as detailed as possible.  Figure out each step of your annual appeal or event.  Create a timeline.

Set goals. These include the obvious such as how much money you need to raise and how many volunteers you want to recruit, as well as what you want your newsletter to achieve.  In this case it could be to engage, educate, entertain, or a combination of the three.

Here is some more detailed information about putting together a campaign. Campaign, champagne – what’s that thing called again?

Creating plans and strategies will take some time upfront, but it will save you time in the end. And it is time well spent.

We know we should be measuring our progress, but it’s so overwhelming
It’s not as overwhelming as you might think.  Now that you have plans and strategies, use those as your basis to figure out what you need to measure.   I wrote an entire post about measuring your progress a few weeks ago, so I won’t go into a huge amount of detail.

For your annual plans, measure your progress at least once a quarter.  For engagement (newsletter, social media, website), try to look at analytics once a month.  In addition, use a more personal approach and ask questions through social media and conduct short surveys in your newsletter and website.  You can also do a longer, but not too long, survey once or twice a year.

Once you have completed a campaign or event, figure out what worked and what didn’t.  Then make changes for the future. 

If you don’t measure your progress, how will you know if you are successful?   Perhaps you’ve had an annual event for years that’s really more trouble than it’s worth.  Or, you are trying to engage with your donors on Twitter, and not many of them use it. 

Don’t get too discouraged if you encounter a setback. Think of it as a learning experience.

Time to Measure Your Progress
How to Plan When You Are Already Doing It

You don’t need to be a data geek to do measurement. You can do a lot of it on a spreadsheet.  Here are a few examples you might find helpful.

Library of Sample Dashboard Indicators
The Beyond Cash Fundraising Management Dashboard
Now That’s A Spreadsheet!
Creating plans and strategies and coming up with a system for measurement is your first step towards conquering your communication challenges.  In my next post, I’ll write about dealing with limited resources – time, budget, and staff.

What are some of your communication challenges?

Make Your Newsletter Shine

Ann Green Communications, marketing, writing

In our social media world, is a newsletter still a relevant form of communication?  It can be, if it’s done well, which it often isn’t. 

Marketing consultant Kivi Leroux Miller recently surveyed a number of nonprofit organizations and found a majority of the respondents were either somewhat satisfied or not satisfied with their newsletter.  Some of the responses she received included organizations weren’t getting the response rates they wanted and they were unclear on their goals.
Nonprofit Email Newsletter Happiness
Leroux Miller also asked a more specific question about newsletter goals and found over half of the respondents had rather vague goals  like “Keep people informed about the work of our organization.” and “Remind people we are here and doing good work,” as opposed to 10% who replied “share results and gratitude with current donors.”
I Was Afraid of This: E-Newsletter Goals
How does your newsletter fare?  Do you have strong goals?

As I mentioned above, newsletters still have a role in nonprofit communications.  Here are a few ways to make your newsletter shine.

Make it visual
Your donors are busy and don’t have a lot of time to read your newsletter, and likely won’t read all of it (sad, but true).  That’s why it needs to be visual.

Whether you have a print or electronic newsletter, use pictures.  With an electronic newsletter, you could include a link to a video.  Showcase engaging photos and video of your work in action. Tell a visual story.

Be reader-friendly
Continuing with the visual theme, make your newsletter is easy to read and scan. Use bold headings, short paragraphs, and at least a 12-point font.  Make sure your headings convey enough information to give your readers the gist of your stories.

Consider including just the opening paragraph in your electronic newsletter with a link to your website, so you are not cluttering up the screen with lots of text.

Short and sweet
The problem with many newsletters is they are too long. A monthly newsletter only needs three or four stories. Think quality over quantity.

Engage your readers
Another problem with newsletters is they are boring.  Your donor wants to be thanked and hear how you making a difference for the people you serve.  They are not as interested in hearing that your CEO received 
an award from the Chamber of Commerce.

Lead with a story that shows how you are helping people.  Use the inverted pyramid and put your most important story first. 

You can include profiles of board members and volunteers, but tie it back to how you are making difference.

Write in the second person and draw in your readers by being personal and conversational.

Be professional
No matter the size of your organization, make sure your newsletter looks professional.  Give it a consistent look, such as always having your logo in the same place.  Using an email service provider can help with that. 

Use other channels to promote your newsletter
Include links to your newsletter on social media.  This can be useful in case your donor misses your original email.  Also, include links to your newsletter on your website.

Make it mobile friendly
Many of your donors will read your newsletter on a mobile device, so make sure it fits nicely on the screen.  Here’s some information to help you with that. 
How to Format Your Nonprofit Newsletter
Measure your success
One way to monitor your success is to measure click through rates.  That may not give you all the information you need.  You can also survey your readers at least once a year to get their feedback.

Take into account what you have learned.  If you are struggling with your newsletter, figure out why. 

You will have more success with your newsletter if you produce one that’s easy to read and filled stories about how you are making a difference.  Make it shine!

The Communication Journey

Ann Green Communications, donor relations, fundraising, marketing, writing

Marketing expert Seth Godin recently blogged Communication is a path, not an event 

In short, it’s not a one-time thing.  While he focuses more on sales, this also applies to all your nonprofit fundraising and marketing.  You don’t just send a fundraising letter or even a thank you letter and not communicate again for awhile.  It’s an ongoing process. 

Here are few ways to ensure a successful communication journey.

Lots of drops will help your garden grow
Godin ends his post by saying “Drip, drip, drip.”  Drip marketing is a strategy where you send a series of messages to prospects.  An example would be sending welcoming messages to prospective donors before making an ask.  The term’s origin is thought to have come from a gardening technique in which small amounts of water are fed to plants over a long period of time. 

This is a helpful analogy to consider when you communicate with your donors and other supporters.  Read on for more information about drip campaigns. How to Create an Email Drip Campaign for Your Nonprofit 

Consistency is key
Be consistent in your fundraising and marketing.  This means your messages and look must be consistent, as well as how often you send out your messages.  If you send out a monthly newsletter, make sure it goes out around the same time each month.  Don’t skip a month. 

Don’t start your journey without a map
Creating a strategy and putting together an editorial calendar can serve as a road map for your communication journey.  Here’s more information, as well as an editorial calendar link. 
Creating Content on the Topics You Want to be Known for  
The LightBox Collaborative 2013 Editorial Calendar
Communication is a two way street
Listen to your audience.  Ask questions on social media, respond to comments, and send out surveys or polls.

Take your supporters’ feedback into account and give them information they want.

Communication takes different paths
Most of us communicate through more than one channel – email, social media, direct mail, phone. Different modes work for different audiences, but often you use a combination of channels.

This is very helpful during fundraising campaigns. A multi-channel approach gives you more than one opportunity to reach your audience, in case they miss your first message.

Be known but don’t be annoying
Communicate often enough so your supporters will remember you, but not too much so that you are bothering them.  Most organizations don’t communicate enough.  Remember to be consistent.  Don’t send three email messages in one day and not communicate again for three weeks.

As a general rule, send email once a week and post on social media once a day.

In your quest not to annoy your supporters, share content where you show gratitude and demonstrate how you are making a difference for the people you serve.  Keep your supporters engaged.

One of the benefits of communicating weekly is that your messages can be short.  Shorter more frequent communication usually works better for getting your message across.

Don’t get derailed
It may seem daunting to keep up this ongoing communication journey, but good relationships, like gardens, need lots of attention.  It’s not as difficult as you might think.  Having an editorial calendar and strategy will help.  And your messages don’t need to be long.  Also, it can be fun to thank donors and share success.   

Make it a worthwhile journey for your supporters.

How Are You Making a Difference?

Ann Green Communications, donor relations, fundraising, marketing, writing

When nonprofit organizations reach out to donors and other supporters to share accomplishments, I often see something like the examples below.  (All names are fictitious).

We started a community garden in the Westside neighborhood.

Youth First just opened a new activity center for our afterschool program.

We received a $50,000 grant from the Jones Foundation.

A Place to Call Home found affordable housing for over 100 families last year.

These are okay on one level, but they are more focused on activities than accomplishments.  They don’t answer the question – How are you making a difference for the people you serve?

Focus on why rather than what
When you are communicating with donors, think about why your accomplishments are important.

Instead of just reporting that you have started a community garden, emphasize how that will make a difference.  Now neighborhood residents have access to fresh fruit and vegetables, which are often not available at nearby stores or are too expensive.

Instead of just noting that your afterschool program has a brand new activity center, demonstrate that you are providing a safe place for young people to interact and learn new skills.

Of course, publically acknowledging your major funders is important, but what will that $50,000 grant be used for?  How will it help people?

What does it mean for the families who you helped find affordable housing?  Show how a family that was living in a shelter or with relatives now has a place they can call home.

Be conversational and personal
Draw in your reader with something personal.  Use stories, quotes, and testimonials, as well as photos and videos.  Go easy on the statistics and avoid using jargon.  

When you tell a story, choose a protagonist – an individual or family- and give them a name. You can change their names to protect their privacy.

This post by Katya Andreson is about mission statements, but can apply to all your communications. How do I make my mission sound more exciting?  She recommends giving your messages a heartbeat, which I think is great advice.  She also says, “Always answer the question, at the end of the day, whose life is better for what we do?” 

Many people donate because they have a personal connection to your cause.  Don’t bore them with a lot of long-winded facts.

They want to see how you are making a difference. 

Work with program staff to find stories
Often development and marketing staff don’t have firsthand knowledge of how your organization is making a difference.  This is why you need to work with program staff to create compelling stories and testimonials.  

Come up with a system that won’t make anyone feel overburdened.  Let’s Work Together – The Importance of a Good Relationship with the Program Department 

Show your donors how they are helping you make a difference
Finally, don’t forget to thank your donors and let them know that they are a key to your success.  After all, you wouldn’t be able to make a difference for the people you serve without their support.

How is your organization making a difference?