stories

How to Improve Your Communication for Better Donor Engagement

Ann Green appeal letters, Communications, donor engagement, donor-centered, planning, stories, thank you letters, writing , , , , , , , ,

In my last post, I wrote about potential missed opportunities for donor engagement. You may think you’re practicing donor engagement by sending thank you letters and an e-newsletter, but is the content actually engaging? It’s often formulaic and just downright dull.

Many nonprofits send all their donors the same appeal and thank you letters. In these letters, they never thank a donor for their past support or acknowledge they’re a monthly donor.

If that’s not bad enough, many of these letters use vague and impersonal language and even worse, jargon.

It sounds obvious, but your donor engagement should be engaging. If it’s not, it’s time to move away from generic and impersonal communication. Your donors deserve better. Here are a few suggestions to help you improve your donor communication.

Segment your donors

Your donors aren’t the same, so they shouldn’t all get the same letter or other types of communication. Segment your donors into different groups as much as you can. At the very least, create different letters for new donors, repeat donors, and monthly donors. You can also personalize letters to lapsed donors, event attendees, volunteers, etc.

I emphasize segmenting your donors a lot in my posts because it’s so important. Both because it allows you to send your messages to the right audience and you can personalize those messages. Donors like it if you recognize their past giving or anything that shows them this is more than a generic, one-size-fits-all message. 

Also, please stop sending Dear Friend letters. You’re not being a good friend if you don’t even use your donors’ names.

I know this will take more time, but it’s worth the investment. So is a good CRM/database to help you with this. Your donors will feel appreciated and are more likely to give again, possibly at a higher level.

Use language your donors will understand

If you use vague, generic language and jargon, you’re going to instantly bore and/or confuse your donors. Most of your donors don’t have a medical or social services background. They don’t use terms like food insecurity, at-risk populations, and underserved communities – and neither should you. Stay away from insider language. 

Connect with your donors by using language they’ll understand. Instead of writing about food insecurity, give an example of a single mother choosing between buying groceries and paying the heating bill.

What do you mean by at-risk or underserved? Are high school students less likely to graduate on time? Do residents of a certain community not have good health care nearby? Is housing too expensive? Get specific, but at the same time, keep it simple. Also, terms like at-risk and underserved undermine your clients/community. Remember, these are human beings you’re writing about.

A great way to break free from generic language and jargon is to tell stories. Most people respond better to a human-interest story than a bunch of boring statistics.

Make time for improvement

You may be between fundraising campaigns right now and have a little more time (or maybe not). If so, work on segmenting the donors in your database, if you haven’t already done that. Segment your donors on an ongoing basis. For example, some of your single-gift donors may have upgraded to monthly. If you can do this after every campaign, you should have fairly up-to-date information on your donors.

In addition, dust off those templates and freshen up your appeal letters and thank you letters. Situations throughout the world keep changing and your communication needs to be relevant. Create letter templates for different donor groups and replace your vague, generic language with something clear, conversational, and specific.

You can also use this time to add new stories to your story bank or start putting one together, if you don’t already have one.

Have someone outside of your organization, a friend or family member, look at your messages. Something that’s clear to you may confuse others.

Create communication that shows your donors how much you appreciate them by recognizing who they are and giving them engaging content they can relate to.

The Problem with “Annual Reports”

Ann Green Communications, donor relations, donor-centered, gratitude, impact report, planning, stories, writing , , , , , ,

Time for a quick quiz (don’t worry it should be easy). 

What’s the problem with “annual reports”?

A. They’re too long.

B. They’re boring.

C. They focus too much on the organization and not on the donors.

D. They require a lot of time and effort from staff and there’s no guarantee donors will even look at them.

E. All of the above

If you answered E, you would be right! This poses a dilemma. Organizations need to share accomplishments and show gratitude to their donors, but is the “annual report” the way to do that? 

First, let’s stop calling it an annual report and call it an impact or gratitude report instead. Plus, sharing accomplishments and showing gratitude is something you can do more than once a year (more on that below). In this post, I’ll use the term impact report (but don’t forget about gratitude). One organization recently sent me something called 2023 Donor Impact Report (yes!).

However, renaming it is just the first step. If you’re still creating one of those long, boring booklets, you’re not making much of an improvement.

It’s possible to make this a better experience for both donors and nonprofit organizations. Here’s how.

You don’t have to do an “annual report”

Nonprofit organizations aren’t required to do an annual report. This doesn’t let you off the hook for sharing accomplishments with your donors. You could send short impact reports a couple of times a year. This makes a lot of sense if taking on a big report sounds too overwhelming. Shorter, more frequent updates are better for your donors, too.

If you decide to do a report once a year, I encourage you to move away from the traditional multi-page one. Aim for something no longer than four pages. Bigger isn’t always better.

Your impact report is for your donors

Keep your donors in mind when you create your impact report and include information you know will interest them. Also, donors have a lot going on, so that’s another reason not to create a huge report that they may or may not read. 

You might want to consider different types of impact reports for different donor groups. You could send an oversized postcard with photos and infographics or a one-to-two-page report to most of your donors. Your grant and corporate funders might want more detail, but not 20 pages. See if you can impress them with no more than four pages.

Keep in mind that the human attention span is about eight seconds. Granted, most of us can stay focused longer than that, but your impact report is competing with other pieces of mail and whatever else is going on in your donors’ lives. 

Imagine your donor receiving a traditional long report and thinking it might be interesting but she doesn’t have time to read it right now, so it sits in a pile for two months and then gets recycled, unread. But if you send a postcard or a short report, your donors can get a quick glimpse of how they’re helping you make a difference.

Pour on the gratitude

Donors want to feel good about giving to your nonprofit. Make sure your impact report is focused on thanking donors. You could go one step further and call it a gratitude report. If you decide to do three or four short reports a year (highly recommended), make at least one of them an all-out gratitude report.

Use phrases like Thanks to you or Because of you to show appreciation to your donors for their role in helping you make a difference. 

Tell a story

Donors want to hear about the people they’re helping. You can tell a story with words, a photo, or a video. 

For example – Leah, a single mother with three kids, has been struggling to make ends meet over the last few years. It’s been hard to find steady work and rising food costs make it difficult to afford groceries. She also wonders if she’ll have enough money to pay rent and utilities each month. 

Leah had never gone to a food pantry before and felt ashamed to have to do that. But when she reached out to the Eastside Community Food Pantry, she was treated with respect and dignity. Now, thanks to donors like you, she’s able to bring home healthy food for her family.

An engaging story is one of the most important elements of your impact report.

How are you making a difference?

The theme of many reports is look how great we are. They’re organization-centered instead of being donor-centered and community-centered.

They also include a bunch of statistics, such as the number of clients served. You need to share specific accomplishments that show how you’re making a difference.

Focus on the why and not the what. Numbers don’t mean a lot without a story or example. For instance, Thanks to donors like you, we were able to serve more students in our tutoring program. X number of students are now getting better grades and are able to graduate from high school on time.

Make it visual

Remember, your donors have a lot going on and won’t have much time to read your report. Engage them with some great photos, which can tell a story in an instant. Choose photos of people participating in an activity, such as volunteers working at a food pantry or a one-to-one tutoring session. Be sure to get permission if you want to use pictures of clients.

Use colorful charts or infographics to highlight your financials. This is a great way to keep it simple and easy to understand. Include some quotes and short testimonials to help break up the text.

Be sure your report is easy to read (and scan). Use at least a 12-point font and black type on a white background. A colored background may be pretty, but it makes it hard to read. You can, however, add some color with photos, headings, charts, and infographics.

Write as if you’re having a conversation with a friend

Be careful about using jargon. Most of your donors don’t use words like underserved or at-risk, and neither should you. Use everyday language such as – Because of you, we found affordable housing for over 100 homeless families. Housing prices continue to skyrocket and a shelter is no place to raise a family. We’re also seeing an influx of migrants who need housing. Now, these families have a place to call home.

Write in the second person and use a warm, friendly tone. Use you much more than we.

Skip the donor list (and the letter from your executive director)

Think twice about including a donor list in your impact report. It takes up a lot of space and there are better ways to show appreciation. If you feel you must have a donor list, you could put one on your website or just include major funders. Including a QR code directing people to your website for more detailed information is a good way to ensure a shorter report.

Also, do you need a letter from the executive director? These tend to be very organization-centered. If you must have one, make sure it focuses on thanking your donors.

Send it by mail

Be sure to send your impact report by mail. It’s more personal and donors are more likely to see it. Don’t let costs deter you from sending something by mail. Remember, you have the option of sending short impact reports.

You could also send an electronic version a few weeks later as a follow up.

Planning is crucial

I know putting together a yearly impact report can be time-consuming. One way to make it easier is to set aside a time each month to make a list of accomplishments. This way you’re not going crazy at the end of the year trying to come up with a list. You can just turn to the list you’ve been working on throughout the year.

You also want to create a story and photo bank and you can draw from those when you put together your impact report.

Creating a shorter report or an infographic postcard will also help make this easier for you. Once again, you have the option of not doing a yearly impact report and sending periodic short updates instead.

Whatever you decide, put together an impact report that’s a better experience for everyone. 

Sharing Donor Stories on Your Nonprofit Website: 4 Tips

Ann Green Communications, donor engagement, donor relations, donor-centered, stories, website, writing , , , , , ,

Donor stories and testimonials help show appreciation for supporters and encourage others to get involved. Use these tips to write better donor stories. 

By Anne Stefanyk 

Donors want to know that their contributions matter to your nonprofit. According to Double the Donation’s donor retention guide, not receiving a proper thank-you is one of the top reasons donors stop giving. One way to effectively thank supporters while encouraging others to get involved is to incorporate donor stories and testimonials into your website. 

Often, nonprofits share donor stories to promote participation in planned and legacy giving programs. However, you can incorporate donor stories on other fundraising pages too, like peer-to-peer fundraising information pages or your ways to support page. You can even create a dedicated donor stories page to highlight a variety of supporters.

With that being said, here are a few tips to create better online donor stories: 

  1. Include rich details
  2. Show impact
  3. Ensure stories are engaging
  4. Include a call to action

Throughout this post, we’ll highlight examples of effective donor stories from the best nonprofit websites, including some best practices used and ways to emulate each example in your content strategy.  

1. Include rich details

Your donor stories should paint a detailed picture of who donors are, how they became involved with your cause, and what motivates them to continue participating. Use the following strategies to infuse your donor stories with informative detail: 

  • Incorporate facts about your donors’ lives. Help website visitors understand your donors on a personal level by including information about their interests and backgrounds in addition to their giving motivations. For instance, you could mention their hobbies, job histories, or family information. This helps potential donors find more in common with your current supporters, generating a stronger sense of community. 
  • Make the stories relatable. Choose a wide array of diverse stories that resonate with different audience segments. For example, The Michael J. Fox Foundation website includes donor stories that cover all types of giving, including supporters who participated in peer-to-peer fundraising, donated through their estates, gave in tribute to their loved ones, and more. 
  • Use donor-focused language. Make sure the text on your donor stories page uses supporter-focused language. For example, the CARE donor stories page includes a “Supporters Like You” title to inspire a sense of belonging to a community. 

When you provide plenty of details and relatable information about your current donors, you’ll make it easier for prospects to envision themselves becoming part of your donor community. For example, if a wealthy prospect feels connected to a donor testimonial because of a shared interest in your volunteer program, they might feel inspired to leave your organization a bequest in their will. 

2. Show impact

Another common reason donors stop supporting nonprofits is because they didn’t receive any information about how their gift was used. Ensure your donor stories include information about the impact of your donors’ gifts to show supporters that your nonprofit uses donations effectively. 

The Santa Clara University “Why We Give”page offers a few helpful examples of ways to show impact. For example, a story about a recent grad details the positive impact of receiving an endowed scholarship. The story includes direct quotes from the grad about how the support allowed her to become the first member of her family to graduate from college. 

Showcase your donors’ impact on your website by including:

  • Direct quotes or audio clips from beneficiaries
  • Statistics, charts, graphs, or maps that demonstrate the extent of your donors’ impact
  • Before and after comparisons via images or videos that visually demonstrate the power of donations

Impact updates give current donors a greater sense of fulfillment from their involvement. Meanwhile, prospective supporters will be able to see how your organization has put past donations to good use, reassuring them that you’ll also make the most of their gift. 

3. Ensure stories are engaging

By making your donor stories interesting and fun to read, you’ll encourage more website visitors to engage with them. This can increase the chances that they’ll connect with your mission and be inspired to give. 

Write interactive and intriguing stories by taking these steps: 

  • Include multimedia elements. Photos, videos, audio clips, infographics, and other multimedia content help break up text blocks and add more visual intrigue to your donor stories. Check out the University of Georgia’s donor recognition stories for some examples. These gratitude stories feature photos, videos of donor interviews, information about donors’ impact, and more. 
  • Naturally incorporate stories throughout your web design. Your donor stories don’t have to be limited to a page of links to testimonials. You can incorporate shorter snippets or features on pages like your online donation page or ways to give page. For example, look at how the Girls Who Code Ways to Support page features a short donor story and image seamlessly incorporated into the page’s layout. 

An example of a donor story on the Girls Who Code website, with a short text description and image

  • Keep your stories fresh and up to date with a regular posting schedule. Maintaining content freshness shows potential supporters that your organization is successful at continually bringing new donors on board. Freshness is also one of many factors that can help your content rank higher on search engines. Create a schedule for your content team to follow that provides deadlines for writing new donor stories, gathering images and other visuals, publishing the stories, and promoting them on social media and other marketing channels. Assign clear task owners to each step of the process to promote accountability. 

Kanopi’s WordPress for Nonprofits guide recommends writing for the web as you develop your content to make your testimonials more readable and accessible to all. Avoid jargon, use simple language, and incorporate more “you” pronouns rather than “I or “our.” Keeping the focus on the reader helps promote donor-centricity, making supporters and constituents the heroes of your stories.  

4. Include a call to action

Your donor stories should end on an inspiring, uplifting note that encourages readers to take action immediately. 

For example, the American Heart Association offers an effective example of useful calls to action (CTAs) for healthcare websites. Their donor stories end with CTAs that help visitors open a charitable giving account or reach out to a local representative with any questions. 

American Heart Association CTAs for opening a charitable giving account or contacting a representative

Welcome new donors with clear CTAs that allow website visitors to take the next step that aligns with their interests and needs. For example, your CTAs could say:

  • Support our scholarship fund today to help other students in need.
  • Leave a positive legacy with a planned gift.
  • Contact a local representative for more information about the impact of your gift.
  • Find the giving opportunity that works for you.

Your CTAs should be specific and welcoming, and they should lead to a user-friendly form or information page where supporters can take the next steps toward becoming donors or getting more involved in your cause. 

After optimizing your donor stories, promote them across multiple channels, including social media, email, and your printed newsletter. This will help reach a wider potential donor audience and ensure as many current donors as possible see your gratitude efforts. 

As Founder and CEO of Kanopi Studios, Anne Stefanyk helps create clarity around project needs, and turns client conversations into actionable outcomes. She enjoys helping clients identify their problems, and then empowering the Kanopi team to execute great solutions.

Anne is an advocate for open source and co-organizes the Bay Area Drupal Camp. When she’s not contributing to the community or running her thoughtful web agency, she enjoys yoga, meditation, treehouses, dharma, cycling, paddle boarding, kayaking, and hanging with her nephew.

Lights, Camera, Action! 5 Tips to Engage Donors with Video

Ann Green Communications, donor engagement, donor retention, stories, video , , , ,

The right video has the power to spark an emotional connection between your nonprofit and its donors. Learn how to engage donors through video in this guide. 

By Doug Scott

Imagine a donor is searching online for charitable causes to support. With a desire to make a difference, they scroll through various nonprofit websites, reading about their missions and impact. Suddenly, something catches their eye. It’s a compelling and emotionally charged video showcasing your nonprofit’s work. Impressed by the video, they immediately sign up for your mailing list and follow you on social media.

Video has the unparalleled ability to grab people’s attention. By combining visuals, music, and storytelling techniques into one unique package, nonprofits can resonate with donors in a way that’s difficult to achieve through other mediums.

In this guide, we’ll explore five ways you can use video to engage, inspire, and leave a lasting impact on the hearts and minds of donors.

1. Film for each stage of the donor journey

The donor journey refers to the process by which individuals progress from being unaware of your nonprofit to becoming engaged and committed donors. When you know which stage of the donor journey an individual is at, you can more effectively appeal to their interests and solicit their support.

For each stage of the donor journey, you can create engaging videos:

  • Awareness stage: At this stage, donors are learning about your organization for the first time. Create compelling “Who We Are” videos that introduce them to your mission, values, and impact. 
  • Consideration stage: Here, donors are evaluating whether or not they have a connection to your cause. Produce educational videos that explain how your programs address specific issues and share success stories of those you’ve helped, emphasizing positive outcomes. 
  • Decision stage: As donors prepare to give, they need assurance that their support will make a real impact. Create testimonial videos featuring past donors that reinforce their decision to give. Have them share their experiences and the impact they have witnessed. 
  • Retention Stage: After donating, donors want to stay engaged and see the impact of their gift. Update them through video, demonstrating the progress you have made and thank donors for their contributions. Highlight upcoming projects and events to encourage ongoing involvement.

Track engagement at each of these stages to gain insight into the content that resonates with donors and adjust your communication strategies accordingly. 

2. Create a compelling story

Whether you’re creating content for donors in the awareness or retention stage, it’s important to use storytelling techniques to create an emotional connection with donors and transport them to the heart of your mission. To tell a compelling video story, follow these steps:

  1. Set the scene. Decide where your video will take place, whether that’s behind the scenes of your facility, through the communities you serve, or in front of a plain backdrop. 
  2. Showcase character development. Introduce relatable characters, such as beneficiaries, volunteers, staff members, or other donors. Share their personal challenges, aspirations, and journeys. Through their experiences, viewers can emotionally connect to the cause and the impact your organization makes.
  3. Highlight conflict and resolution. Present the challenge that your beneficiaries face. Then, showcase how your organization’s efforts and your donors’ support lead to resolution and positive change. 

Let’s explore how these elements can be translated into a campaign video. Opening with a close-up of volunteer Sarah’s passionate smile, the scene expands to show her engaging with beneficiaries at a community center. As Sarah narrates the food insecurity challenges faced by her community, she shares the transformative story of a young girl who receives free, nutritious meals due in part to the donations of generous viewers.

3. Keep it short and sweet. 

Attention spans are declining, so keep your videos short and sweet. According to Tectonic Video, the ideal length of a nonprofit video is around two to three minutes, meaning you have a small window of opportunity to grab people’s attention and get them invested in your cause. 

Write a script in advance to outline key points and ensure that the video stays focused. Make sure to read the script out loud and time it before filming to verify it’s the right length. Then, after filming, use editing tools to remove any redundant or repetitive information.

If you have more information to share, create a series of videos related to the same topic and stagger their release over a longer period of time. This will help you maintain a steady stream of engagement.

4. Include a call to action

Add a call to action to the final scene of your video to provide clear and immediate next steps for donors feeling inspired by the content. Encourage them to take specific actions, such as visiting your website to explore involvement opportunities, following you on social media for updates, or sharing the video to spread awareness. 

This can be accomplished through narration, on-screen text, and buttons. For instance, the narrator could say, “Join us in our mission to provide clean drinking water to communities in need.” Then, on-screen text could appear that says, “Visit our website to contribute to the construction and maintenance of water infrastructure,” pointing viewers to a large donation button. 

5. Share it widely 

Once you have created a compelling video, publish it on Vimeo or YouTube. Then, Double the Donation recommends sharing the content across several channels, which may include:

  • Direct mail: Include a QR code or a short URL in your direct mail materials that recipients can scan or type to access the video online. Use a compelling image from the video on the mailer to pique interest. 
  • Email: Embed the video directly in targeted email campaigns or your email newsletter for easy viewing. Craft a captivating subject line that hints at the video’s content. Then, use a short, attention-grabbing preview image that encourages recipients to click and watch. 
  • Social media: Customize the video for each platform’s specifications. For instance, videos must be vertical for Instagram Stories and square for Facebook. Write engaging captions that highlight the purpose of the video and use relevant hashtags to increase visibility. 
  • Website: Embed the video prominently on your website’s homepage and relevant landing pages, such as your donation page. For optimal performance, compress videos to reduce load time and use responsive video players that adapt to different screen sizes.

With multiple touchpoints, you can reach people on their preferred platforms and grab the attention of as many donors as possible. In turn, you’ll see higher engagement rates.

Now that you know how to engage donors with video, it’s time to create content! If you want to ensure the highest level of quality and engagement, partner with a nonprofit video production company. Their teams of experts will work alongside your nonprofit to get to know your mission, target audience, and goals, before translating these insights into a compelling video concept. Together, you can harness the power of video to leave a lasting impact on donors, one frame at a time.

Doug Scott is the Founder & CEO of Tectonic Video. He has more than 20 years of nonprofit communications experience as a filmmaker, communications director, chief marketing officer, and leader of two creative agencies for nonprofits. Doug is a global citizen having traveled to more than 50 countries. He earned his B.A. in Strategic Communications from DePaul University, and he’s a frequent guest lecturer at Stanford University on topics related to nonprofit storytelling and storytelling ethics.

The Many Forms of Nonprofit Stories

Ann Green Communications, donor engagement, donor relations, photos, stories, video, writing , , , , ,

Stories come in many forms. You can tell a story with words, pictures, and videos. I prefer written stories, but others are drawn to videos. Some people might not have the time or energy to look at anything but a photo or infographic.

Your nonprofit organization needs to share stories using all these forms. Sharing stories will help you connect with your donors.

Donors want to hear your stories

I imagine you’re not using stories as much as you should. That’s a mistake because people respond better to stories than a bunch of facts and statistics. Stories bring the work you do to life by using everyday language to create a scene.

You may be reluctant to use stories because it’s more work for your organization, but that shouldn’t stop you. Make time to come up with some engaging stories.

Your stories need to be relevant

Update your stories at least once a year. They need to take the everchanging current situations into account. How are the economy, the aftereffects of the pandemic, discrimination, climate change, etc impacting your clients/community right now?

Create a culture of storytelling

If you create a storytelling culture in your organization, you can make storytelling the norm instead of the exception.

Work with your program staff to create stories that will help you connect with your donors. Everyone needs to understand how important this is. Share stories at staff meetings and/or set up regular meetings with program staff to gather stories. 

When you put together a story, ask.

  • Why is this important?
  • Who is affected?
  • Why would your donors be interested in this story?
  • Are you using clear, everyday language (no jargon) to make sure your donors understand your story?
  • How are your donors helping you make a difference or How can your donors help you make a difference?

Client or program recipient stories are best. Remember, donors want to hear how they’re helping you make a difference for your clients/community.

Another way to find stories is to put a Share Your Story page on your website. This could be a good way to get some current, relevant stories.

Your stories aren’t about your organization

Keep in mind that your stories aren’t about your organization. Your organization may have had to make a lot of changes over the last few years to do some of the work you do, but that’s not your story. Your story is why this is important for the people/community you work with. 

Maybe you had to change the way you run your food pantry, but what’s most important is that people in your community continue to have access to healthy food. 

Make your stories personal 

Tell a story of one (person or family). Use people’s names to make your stories more personal. I realize you might run into confidentiality issues, but you can change names to protect someone’s privacy. You could also do a composite story, but don’t make up anything.

Use different stories for different types of communication

Create a story bank to help you organize all your stories. You want to use stories as much as possible. Use them in your appeals, thank you letters, newsletters, updates, impact (annual) reports, website, blog, and other types of social media. 

While you can come up with some core stories, they’ll be slightly different depending on the type of communication. 

In a fundraising appeal (all appeals should start with a story), you want to highlight a problem or need. Let’s return to the food pantry example. Here you can tell a story about Melanie, a working single mother with three kids who’s having trouble feeding her family because of rising food costs and cuts in benefits. 

In your thank you letter, you can let your donor know that because of their generous gift, Melanie can get healthy food for her family at the Eastside Community Food Pantry.

Then in your newsletter, impact report, or update, you can tell a success story that because of your generous donors, Melanie doesn’t have to worry so much about how she’ll be able to feed her family.

Tell a story in an instant with an engaging photo

You’ve probably heard the phrase a picture is worth a 1000 words. Cliche, yes, but it’s true.

You can capture your donors’ attention in an instant with an engaging photo. That doesn’t mean one of your executive director receiving an award. Use photos of your programs in action or something else that’s engaging.

Print newsletters and impact reports tend to be dominated by long-winded text. Most of your donors won’t want to read the whole thing. But if you share some engaging photos, they can get a quick glance at the impact of their gift without having to plow through a bunch of tedious text.

Photos can enhance your print communication by breaking up the narrative. You can also complement your written stories with photos. If you’re worried about mailing costs, postcards and other short pieces with photos are the way to go. You could even do a Postcard Impact/Annual Report.

If you use social media, you need to communicate several times a week. As your donors scroll through an endless number of posts, an engaging photo can stand out and get their attention.

Use photos everywhere – fundraising appeals, thank you letters/cards, newsletters, impact reports, updates, your website, and social media. Create a photo bank to help you with this.

It’s fine to use the same photos in different channels. It can help with your brand identity. Be sure to use high-quality pictures. Also, make sure your photos match your messages. If you’re writing a fundraising appeal about children who aren’t getting enough to eat every day, don’t use a picture of happy kids.

Work with your program staff to get photos and videos (more on videos below). Confidentiality issues may come up and you’ll need to get permission to use pictures of kids.

Showcase your work with a video

Videos are becoming a more popular way to connect. They can be used to show your programs in action, share an interview, give a behind-the-scenes look at your organization, or my favorite – thanking your donors. 

I would definitely recommend creating a personalized thank you video. If that’s not possible, you can make a general one.

Make your videos short and high quality. Short is key. If your video is more than a couple of minutes, your donors may not bother to watch it. 

You can use videos on your website, in an email message, on social media, and at an event.

Spiff up your statistics by using infographics

A typical impact report is loaded with statistics. You want to share these, along with your accomplishments, but you don’t want to overwhelm your donors with a lot of text.

Why not use an infographic in your impact report instead of including the usual laundry list of statistics and accomplishments? 

Infographics are also great in other types of communication such as newsletters and updates. Good visuals will enhance both your print and electronic communication.

Connect with your donors and keep them engaged by using all types of stories.

Don’t Wait Too Long to Start Planning Your Year-End Fundraising Campaign

Ann Green appeal letters, Communications, database, direct mail, donor-centered, fundraising, planning, stories, thank you letters, writing , , , , , , ,

It’s hard to think about fall when it’s been so hot in many parts of the United States and Europe, but September will be here before you know it.

Even though it might be sweltering outside, now is a good time to start planning your year-end fundraising campaign, hopefully in an air-conditioned space. If you’re behind in your revenue goals, you may want to launch it earlier than you have in the past. 

I’ve put together a checklist to help you get started. You can also use this for fundraising campaigns at other times of the year.

How much money do you need to raise?

You may have already set a goal for your year-end campaign in your 2023 fundraising plan (at least I hope you did) and maybe that has changed. 

You must determine how much money you need to raise before you start your campaign and raising as much as we can is not a goal.

Do you have a campaign plan?

Put together a plan for your campaign that includes a timeline, task list, and the different channels you’ll use. Make it as detailed as possible.

When do you want to launch your appeal? Plan on everything taking longer than you think it will, so earlier is better. Keep in mind you’ll be competing with many other organizations who are doing appeals. 

I strongly encourage you to mail an appeal letter. Direct mail appeals are more successful. You can also send an email appeal and follow up with email, as well. 

Maybe you want to send your appeal letters the first week in November. Maybe it’s better to send them in October. Whenever it is, make your goal to have the letters done at least a week before that. Work backwards to figure out how you can get to your proposed send date.

Also, how are you mailing your appeal? Do you use a mail house or get staff and volunteers together to stuff envelopes? Either way, plan ahead, so you’re not scrambling at the last minute.

Do you have a good story and photo to share?

If you’ve been using the same boring, generic appeal letter template for the last few years, it’s time for a refresh. It’s a good idea to revise your templates at least once a year. Our world has changed a lot in the last three years and you need to take that into account.

A good way to start is to create an engaging story for your appeal. Even though the public health emergency is over, COVID is still a part of our lives. Are your clients/community feeling the aftereffects of the pandemic? Are they facing economic challenges? Focus on them, not your organization. Each year is different and this is why you need new stories.  

You’ll want some good photos for your letter and donation page, too. Quotes from clients will also enhance your appeal.

How can your donors help you make a difference?

Your appeal letter should focus on a need and let your donors know how they can help you make a difference. You might want to start by creating a brief and an outline.

You may be seeing more people at your food pantry because of rising food costs and cuts in benefits. Maybe your clients are struggling to find affordable housing.

You can also highlight some of the accomplishments you’ve made recently and state what you would like to do in the coming year, although these are usually more appropriate for a newsletter or impact report. 

One way to frame this is to describe a situation such as this. You run a tutoring program in your community and work with students who are falling behind in school. You can describe how thanks to your generous donors, your one-to-one tutoring program has helped students get better grades and are now less likely to be held back a year. You want to keep that going and serve more students.

Remember to focus on your clients/community and don’t brag about your organization.

Are your mailing lists in good shape?

Make sure your mailing lists are up-to-date. Check for duplicate addresses and typos. Your donors don’t want to receive three letters at the same time or have their names misspelled. Take a little time to do some data hygiene. Give your email list some attention, too.

Also, now is a good time to segment your mailing lists – current donors, monthly donors, lapsed donors, event attendees, etc. This is so important. Your current donors are your best source of donations. You should have more success if you can personalize your appeal letters. Acknowledge if someone has donated in the past or is a monthly donor. Donors like it when you recognize them for who they are.

Do you have enough letterhead, envelopes, and stamps?

Don’t wait until September or October to check your supply of letterhead and envelopes. Make sure you have enough. 

Speaking of envelopes, something besides the standard white business envelope can improve your response rate. Think about using an oversized, colored, or embellished envelope. If that’s not possible, don’t use a window envelope because it resembles a bill. A general rule is you don’t want any of your direct mail pieces to look like a bill or junk mail.

Even though many people donate online, you want to make it easy for donors who prefer to mail a check. Include a pledge envelope or a return envelope and a preprinted form with the donor’s contact information and the amount of their last gift.

Stamps are more personal, so you might want to find some nice ones to use. 

Is it easy to donate online?

Be sure your donation page is user-friendly and consistent with your other fundraising materials. Using a branded donation page and not a third-party site is best. Highlight your year-end appeal on your homepage and include a prominent Donate Now button.

One way to ensure a good experience is to have someone on your staff or, even better, someone outside of your organization make a donation on your website. If they want to tear their hair out, you have some work to do.

Do you offer a monthly or recurring giving option?

I’m a huge fan of monthly giving. It’s a win-win for your organization. You can raise more money, boost your retention rate, receive a steady stream of revenue, and allow your donors to spread out their gifts.

If you don’t have a monthly giving program or have a small one, don’t wait any longer to start one or grow the one you have. Be sure to highlight it as a giving option.

Do you want to find a major funder who will give a matching gift?

One way to raise additional revenue is to find a major funder to match a portion or all of what you raise in your year-end appeal. If you want to go down this route, now would be a good time to reach out to these potential funders.

How will you thank your donors?

Spend as much time on your thank you letter/note as you do on your appeal letter and write them at the same time. And if it’s been a while since you’ve freshened up your thank you templates, you know what you need to do. It’s so important to thank your donors, and thank them well, as soon as you receive their gifts, so have a thank you letter/note ready to go.

Handwritten notes and phone calls are much better than a preprinted letter. Create or buy some thank you cards and start recruiting board members and volunteers to make thank you calls or write notes. 

You’ll want to put together a welcome plan for your new donors and that also needs to be ready to roll after the donations come in.

How will you keep up with your donor communication?

Even though you’ll be busy with your appeal, you want to ramp up your donor communication this fall. Keep engaging your donors and other supporters (who may become donors) by sharing updates and gratitude. Pour on the appreciation! 

Send at least one warm-up letter or email. You could create a thank you video or a video that gives a behind-the-scenes look at your organization. Maybe you could hold an open house or offer tours. Just don’t disappear until appeal time.

Yes, we’re still in a period of economic uncertainty. Some donors may not give as much or at all, but others will give more. They won’t give anything if you don’t ask.

There’s still plenty of time to go to the beach and get ice cream, but right now find that air-conditioned space and start planning your year-end campaign.

Best of luck!

Photo by CreditDebitPro

4 Storytelling Tips for Your Online Donation Page

Ann Green Communications, donor engagement, fundraising, stories, website, writing , , , , ,

Storytelling is a powerful way to strengthen people’s connection with your cause and inspire support. Use these storytelling tips for your online donation page.

By Murad Bushnaq

People have been telling stories for at least 30,000 years. Whether we’re sharing them out loud, in writing, or with pictures, stories unite us through empathy and understanding. 

Because of this, storytelling is an essential skill for nonprofits to master. By telling stories that help people connect with your cause, you’ll generate more support to push your organization closer to achieving its mission.

While you won’t be recording stories on cave walls as people did thousands of years ago, thanks to modern technology, you have many excellent tools at your disposal for sharing stories related to your cause, such as your nonprofit’s website. Your donation page, in particular, is an essential place for inspiring donors to support your organization.

We’ve rounded up four tips for leveraging your content management system (CMS) to help you make the most of your donation page’s storytelling potential:

  1. Incorporate engaging visuals.
  2. Share real people’s stories.
  3. Use emotionally compelling language.
  4. Craft strategic CTAs.

As you begin to enhance your donation page and other parts of your website with strong storytelling, think about which stories will resonate most with your audience members. Keeping your audience in mind ensures that your stories will leave a lasting impression, inspiring ongoing support.

1. Incorporate engaging visuals.

In some ways, a picture can be worth a thousand words. While effective writing is vital to sharing your organization’s stories, images can enhance your message by conveying what words cannot. Visual storytelling has the power to stir up emotions upon just the briefest of glimpses, elevating the information spelled out on the page.

As you begin selecting your nonprofit’s visuals and planning how you’ll incorporate them into your donation page, keep these tips in mind:

  • Photos of your beneficiaries can cultivate empathy. Tap into your supporters’ empathetic side by featuring pictures of your nonprofit’s beneficiaries on your donation page. This allows prospective donors to see who their donations are helping and how they’re actively making a difference in people’s lives. Of course, you’ll want to get permission from your beneficiaries first.
  • Ensure that your images match your nonprofit’s branding. Unify your donation page by ensuring that the visual branding is consistent with the rest of your website.
  • Use your CMS to optimize your images. The right nonprofit CMS can ensure that your images are up-to-par for a professional and conversion-driving donation page. Use your CMS to convert your images to web-friendly versions and resize them appropriately. Additionally, you can zoom and crop your images to get your desired focus.
  • Consider adding other multimedia elements. Consider adding a short video or audio clip to your donation page to further encourage donors to give. Incorporate these elements thoughtfully—they should compel supporters to complete the giving process, rather than distract from it.
  • Tie relevant images to your suggested donation amounts. By adding relevant images to the suggested donation amounts on your page, you can make it easier for prospective donors to visualize the specific impact their gifts will have, whether that’s providing meals to shelter animals with a donation of $10 or covering their medical treatment with a donation of $50.

Pet Rescue’s online donation page includes images with each of its programs so supporters can see the impact their donations will have.

To maximize your results, take a look at other stellar donation page examples, like Pet Rescue, for inspiration and guidance. Morweb’s list of the best nonprofit websites walks through a number of additional websites that effectively convey the organization’s purpose and provide an excellent user experience.

2. Share real people’s stories.

In addition to including pictures of your nonprofit’s beneficiaries on your donation page, share their written stories so your supporters can associate a name and a face with your cause. This ensures that your mission stands out from the crowd and compels donors to take action.

Some impactful ways to share people’s stories on your donation page include:

  • Presenting a story about a specific individual at the top of your donation page. When a potential donor navigates to your donation page, your goal is to have them complete the giving process. Grab their attention at the top of your page by sharing a specific beneficiary’s story. Keep the written copy concise, describing the individual’s background and clearly explain how the donor can help make a difference.
  • Using your CMS to create a section of “testimonials” for supporters to scroll through. Gather quotes from your beneficiaries to use as short testimonials on your page. This allows you to communicate multiple stories at once without slowing donors down in their giving journey.
  • Adding a gallery of beneficiary pictures that lead to specific stories. For those of your supporters interested in exploring more about your impact, use your CMS to create a gallery of pictures that act as buttons to access specific beneficiary stories. A striking visual and a call to action (CTA) like “Read Joseph’s recovery story” or “Learn more about Whisker’s adoption journey” can capture donors’ interest and motivate them to read.

No matter how you decide to share your beneficiaries’ stories, remember that they are real people. Use plain language and aim to capture their real voices, perspectives, and journeys. This ensures that your stories feel more authentic to donors, which adds legitimacy to your nonprofit’s cause. Once again, be sure to ask permission to include your beneficiaries’ stories, and you always have the option of changing peoples’ names to protect their privacy.

3. Use emotionally compelling language.

Every word in a story counts, contributing to its overall message and emotional impact. Therefore, it’s essential to be thoughtful with your words when writing a story to share on your donation page.

Use these best practices to tap into your readers’ emotions:

  • Be descriptive. Remember when your high school English teacher taught you the “show, don’t tell” rule? It still applies here. For instance, if you’re an animal shelter, go beyond sharing that you recently took in a homeless dog and found it a home. Describe the conditions you found the dog in, then elaborate on how the dog looks and behaves after you saved it. Descriptions and details make your story much more emotionally captivating.
  • Include the donor in the story. According to GoodUnited, the more personal your messaging is, the more impact you’ll have on each reader. Use pronouns like “you,” “your,” “we,” and “our” so donors can feel a part of your story’s narrative. This will make them more invested in your nonprofit’s cause. For example, you might write a sentence like, “Because of donors like you, we were able to provide 500 meals to families in need.”
  • Illustrate how your organization can provide solutions to problems. A story needs both a conflict and a resolution. Once you’ve presented donors with the problem you’re focused on solving, indicate how, with their support, you’re going to solve it. This can go a long way toward convincing donors that your organization is the one they should support because you’ll be able to make an actual difference.

You don’t need to be a trained writer to construct an emotionally engaging story for your donation page. Simply focus on providing details and emphasizing the solutions to the problem you’re aiming to address. This way, you can effectively build an emotional connection between readers and your cause.

4. Craft strategic CTAs.

A call to action (CTA) is a statement that encourages someone to complete an action. On your nonprofit’s donation page, you should feature CTAs encouraging your donors to take action after learning about your cause or a specific beneficiary’s experience with your organization. Those CTAs can lead donors to:

After someone donates online they should be taken to a thank you landing page. Besides saying thank you, you can include other CTAs that provide additional engagement opportunities for your donors, so be open to incorporating them into your storytelling.

  • Subscribe to your email newsletter.
  • Register for an upcoming event.
  • Sign up for a volunteer opportunity.
  • Advocate for your cause online.
  • Share your donation page on social media.

When crafting a CTA, keep it clear and simple, but remember to make it specific to your cause. For instance, “Give now to help stomp out cancer” will be more effective than just “Give now.”

Additionally, you can use your CMS to make your CTAs into buttons that link to other resources, like your donation form or volunteer page. Including these within a story can break up the text and ensure that when a supporter feels inspired to act, they can do so right away.

The Gist

By leveraging powerful storytelling, your nonprofit can level up its donation page and inspire more supporters to give. As you’re tapping into the human element of your stories and using your CMS to enhance them with visuals and CTAs, remember to track metrics such as the average time visitors spend on the page to evaluate the effectiveness of your efforts.

As you delve deeper into optimizing your donation page, take a look at donation page templates if you need a little added guidance. Stories, when crafted well, can motivate supporters to act and stay invested in your nonprofit for the long term. By continually fine-tuning your storytelling efforts, you’ll improve your results over time and boost the revenue you need to further your purpose!

Murad Bushnaq is the Founder and CEO of Morweb. Since its inception in 2014, Murad has acted as Creative Director and Chief Technologist to help nonprofits spread their vision online through engaging design, intuitive software, and strategic communication.

Engage Your Donors With a Great Newsletter

Ann Green Communications, donor engagement, donor-centered, email, marketing, newsletter, stories, writing , , , , , ,

In theory, a newsletter can be a great way to engage with your donors. In reality, that doesn’t often happen because most donor newsletters can be used as a cure for insomnia. They’re too long and filled with boring articles that brag about how wonderful the organization is.

The good news is you can create an engaging newsletter your donors will want to read. Here’s what you need to do.

Think about what your donors want

You need to include content that will interest your donors. Do you think your donors would rather read an article about your CEO receiving an award or one about Tina, a single mother who is having trouble making ends meet, but is grateful because thanks to your generous donors, she can get food for her family at the Westside Community food pantry? 

The answer should be obvious. Your donors want to hear about how they’re helping you make a difference for your clients/community.

If you’re a larger organization, you could create different newsletters for different programs or one specifically for monthly donors.

A print newsletter is a must

You may opt not to do a print newsletter because it’s expensive and takes too much time, but you’re making a mistake if many of your donors prefer print.

I think you’ll have more success if you can do both print and email newsletters. I recommend a short email newsletter once or twice a month and one to four print newsletters a year.

Donors are more likely to see any communication that comes in the mail, as opposed to the excessive volume of email most of us get.

Follow the Domain Formula, which was developed by the Domain fundraising group. A couple of things they recommend is to send your print newsletter only to donors and to put it in an envelope, not send it as a self-mailer.

They also recommend putting a donation envelope in your print newsletter. This is a proven way to raise additional revenue and you may be able to recoup your expenses.

You can also save money by creating a shorter print newsletter (maybe two pages instead of four) or only mailing it once or twice a year. You can print them in-house, as long as it looks professional.

Be sure you have a clean mailing list. If you can get rid of duplicate and undeliverable addresses, that’s another way to save a little money.

Remember, donors are more likely to read a print newsletter. But ask them what they like, and listen to what they say. If a majority of them prefer print, then you need to find a way to accommodate them.

Give some thought to your email newsletter

Your print and email newsletter are separate entities. Therefore, you shouldn’t email people a PDF of your print newsletter. Use an email service provider and a newsletter template to create the best experience for your readers.

Send your email newsletter to anyone who signed up for it and only to people who signed up to receive it. This can be both donors and non-donors. It could be a good cultivation tool for future donors. Give people ample opportunities to sign up for your email newsletter, but understand not everyone will want to receive it.

Use an engaging headline (not April newsletter) so you can stand out in your donor’s inbox and be sure people can read it on a mobile device.

Share your stories

Stories are the most important part of a nonprofit newsletter (print and email). Each newsletter needs to begin with a compelling story. If you’re making a difference, you have stories to tell.

Client stories are best, but you could also do profiles of volunteers, board members, and donors. Focus on what drew them to your mission (more on that below).

Create a story bank that includes at least four client stories to use every year.

Don’t stray from your mission

A common article I see in many nonprofit newsletters is one about a foundation or major donor giving a large gift. This may be accompanied by a picture of someone holding a giant check. Of course, you should recognize these donors (and all donors), but why is this gift important? How will it help your clients/community?

For example – This generous $50,000 grant from the Westside Community Foundation will help us serve more students in our tutoring program. Many students have fallen behind since the pandemic started and are struggling to catch up.

Something else I see a lot is a profile of a new board member. Instead of focusing so much on their professional background, let your donors know what drew them to your organization. We welcome Jennifer Davis, Vice President of First National Bank, to our board. Jennifer has a brother with autism and is very passionate about finding ways for people with autism to live independent lives. 

Write to your donors

Write your newsletter in the second person, emphasizing you much more than we. Be personal and conversational. Say – You helped Tina feed her family or Because of donors like you, X number of families have been able to get healthy food every week. 

Leave out jargon and other language your donors won’t understand. Write as if you’re having a conversation with a friend.

I’m not a fan of the letter from the CEO because those tend to be organization-centered instead of donor-centered. If you feel you must include one of these, be sure to thank your donors.

Pour on the gratitude 

Never miss an opportunity to thank your donors. You couldn’t do your work without them. Every one of your newsletters needs to show gratitude and emphasize how much you appreciate your donors.

Make it easy to read (and scan)

Most of your donors aren’t going to read your newsletter word for word, especially your email newsletter. Include enticing headlines and email subject lines (if you don’t, your donors may not read it at all), at least a 12-point font, and lots of white space so your donors can easily scan your newsletter.

Stick to black type on a white background as much as possible. Colors are pretty, but not if it’s hindering your donor’s ability to read your newsletter. Photos can be a great way to add some color, as well as tell a story in an instant.

Use the inverted pyramid and put the most important story first (client story or profile), keeping in mind your donors may not get to all the articles.

Keep it short

Your print newsletter should be no more than four pages. Limit your monthly email newsletter to three articles. Some organizations send an email newsletter twice a month. Those should be even shorter – maybe just two articles. People have a lot going on and don’t want to be bombarded with too much information.

Shorter, more frequent updates, are often better.

Do the best you can, but do something

For some of you, putting together a newsletter may be too much to take on. You don’t have to do an actual newsletter, but you do need to keep your donors updated.

Do what you can, but be sure to update your donors at least once a month. You may find you have more success with shorter, more frequent email updates and postcards with an infographic a few times a year. You could also send a Donor Care Letter. 

Take time to create a great newsletter that will engage your donors.

5 Public Speaking Tips That Can Help Nonprofit Professionals

Ann Green Communications, donor-centered, events, fundraising, stories , , , ,

Building public speaking skills can help you make a strong case to nonprofit donors and other audiences. Use these public speaking tips for better engagement. 

By Patti Schutte

Fundraising is all about engaging with supporters and telling your organization’s story. When you build confidence as a public speaker, you can become a more effective fundraiser and nonprofit communicator. 

Public speaking skills can support nonprofit professionals as they give fundraising presentations, host one-on-one meetings with donors and supporters, speak at board meetings and conferences, and deliver other types of presentations. 

In this post, we’ll highlight five public speaking tips to grow your presentation skills and engage audiences effectively: 

  1. Tailor your presentation to your audience. 
  2. Plan your presentation conclusion first. 
  3. Use stories to create an emotional connection.
  4. Practice your pitch.
  5. Learn to pivot. 

With public speaking training, you can make a more compelling case to donors and be comfortable speaking to any audience. You’ll also be able to tell your nonprofit’s story effectively and recruit more support for your cause. 

1. Tailor your presentation to your audience. 

Whether you’re speaking to a major donor, your nonprofit’s board, or other nonprofit professionals at a conference, tailor your message to your audience. Use examples and anecdotes that resonate with your audience and appeal to their interests and motivations. 

For example, let’s say you’re speaking to your board to encourage them to get involved with fundraising. The benefits of engaging your board in fundraising are clear for your organization—they bring a high level of expertise in engaging major donors and can advocate for your organization’s cause from a leadership position. 

However, as a fundraising professional, it’s your job to help your board members understand and embrace their role in fundraising. Using an audience-oriented public speaking approach, you can complete activities with your board such as:

  • Setting fundraising goals as a group to give board members a stake in your success.
  • Speaking with board members one-on-one to assign individual tasks.
  • Educating your board members on your organization’s overall goals, successes, and areas for growth.
  • Walking board members through basic fundraising training, which is especially helpful for members who don’t have a strong fundraising background.

No matter what audience you’re speaking to, take some time beforehand to put yourself in their shoes to understand their perspective, motivations, and personal goals. 

Lastly, make your presentation accessible to your audience. If anyone in your audience has hearing or visual impairments, offer accommodations such as presentation captions or audio descriptions so they can engage with your presentation. This ensures you’re meeting your audience’s needs and creating inclusive presentations that everyone can engage with. 

2. Plan your presentation conclusion first. 

When preparing for fundraising presentations, it’s helpful to work backward from the end. Your ending is what will stick in audience members’ minds as they go about the rest of their day, so a memorable conclusion is crucial. 

Be Brilliant Presentation Group recommends concluding your presentation with a “Do-Remember-Feel” ending. To accomplish this type of conclusion, you can: 

  • End with a rousing call to action. Give audience members clear instructions for something they can do right away. For example, if you’re speaking to a group of current donors, highlight a few giving options audience members can take advantage of right away, such as writing a check, making a cash contribution, or submitting an online donation. 
  • Reemphasize your main talking points. Repeat your main points so audience members remember exactly what your core message is. 
  • Wrap up with a story or inspiring quote. Wrap up the story you started telling at the beginning of your presentation, or share an inspirational quote from your organization’s founder or someone who has benefited from your nonprofit’s services. This will give your audience members a lasting feeling that resonates with them. 

This type of presentation conclusion is especially effective when delivering presentations to donors. You can remind them why your organization is worthy of support, leave them with a lasting, powerful feeling, and give them the tools they need to get involved right away. 

3. Use stories to create an emotional connection.

Stories are approximately 22 times more memorable than straightforward facts. Whether you’re communicating the value of workplace giving to donors or explaining the importance of your nonprofit’s afterschool programs, use a story to bring the information to life. 

According to Getting Attention’s guide to nonprofit storytelling, stories can help donors understand a new problem and make your organization’s mission much more tangible. 

Stories are most effective when they follow a clear structure. For example, let’s say you’re speaking at a fundraising auction to raise money for your nonprofit’s after-school SAT tutoring program. Here’s how you might structure your story:

  • Introduce the main character and the issues they face. For this story, your main character might be a local student who had been struggling to prepare for the SAT. 
  • Describe your main character’s attempts to fix the issue on their own. For instance, perhaps the student looked into taking an SAT prep class but couldn’t afford the fees.
  • Explain how, thanks to your donors, your organization supported the main character. Describe how the student was referred to your organization and how your tutoring program helped them improve their SAT score. 
  • Resolve the story and call listeners to action. Explain how the student was accepted into a good college with the help of their excellent SAT score. Bring audience members into the story by describing how they can make a difference and support other students in similar situations. 

Ensure your story includes direct quotes from your main character to create an emotional connection with the audience. Donors want to know their gifts are helping real people, and you can make that clear through compelling storytelling. 

4. Practice your pitch.

Once you’ve developed your fundraising presentation, dedicated practice will help you refine your pitch and get comfortable with speaking to your audience. Practice is especially critical when you’re speaking at a larger event, such as a gala or conference. 

Your preparation process will be different based on whether you’re speaking in person, virtually, or in a hybrid setting. Let’s look at an auction event as an example. Here are a few ways you can prepare for different types of auctions: 

  • In-person: Practice your introductory presentation in the event space, if possible. Test out the equipment, such as the microphone, lighting, and any visual presentation elements. If you’re hosting a live auction, ensure the stage and the audience are properly lit so you can see attendees’ paddles. 
  • Virtual: Practice recording yourself giving the auction introduction. Test out your virtual presentation tools, such as your slideshow or livestreaming platform tools. In addition, ensure your virtual auction tools, such as your mobile bidding system, item catalog, and payment processing tools are ready to go. 
  • Hybrid: When preparing for a hybrid event, you’ll need to test elements of both your in-person presentation and the livestreaming presentation. Your presentation should feature moments where you reference and engage with both your in-person and virtual audiences. 

Practicing multiple times can help you get comfortable with the presentation format so your speech is natural and relaxed. Plus, practicing beforehand can help you identify any technical issues or continuity errors and address them before presentation day. 

5. Learn to pivot. 

As a fundraiser, you know that not every meeting or presentation you hold with donors will be successful. Learning to pivot when prospective donors turn you down can help you turn more rejections into ongoing conversations. 

When you face rejection after a fundraising presentation or one-on-one meeting, it’s important to understand why the prospect said no:

  • If the prospect said “not right now,” it may be a timing issue, or they could still be figuring out where they want to direct their charitable giving for the year. Ask the prospect whether they’re open to hearing about future giving opportunities or when they would be available to discuss future projects. 
  • If the prospect said “maybe,” you can ask what kind of additional information might help them make their final decision. 
  • If the prospect says “yes” but stalls after your meeting, follow up within a couple of weeks to ask if they’d like any additional information or have further questions. 

Of course, if the prospect responds with a hard no, respect their choice and don’t push the issue further. Your organization’s mission and values won’t resonate with every prospect, which is just a fact that fundraisers must accept. However, if you see an opportunity to keep the door open, your public speaking skills will allow you to stay flexible and pivot the conversation in a productive direction. 

Dedicating yourself to ongoing fundraising professional development and public speaking advancement is a great way to become a better representative of your nonprofit’s mission. When you can communicate your organization’s goals and values to a variety of audiences and in multiple formats, you can effectively grow awareness and support for your mission. 

Patti Schutte is the CEO, Founder, and Principal Coach of Be Brilliant Presentation Group. Be Brilliant Presentation Group’s coaching system results in speakers moving from fear and avoidance to confidence and purpose. 

If fear of presenting runs through the veins of the majority, then Patti is the minority. She’ll be the one to grab the mic and quickly have the room engaged, laughing, and learning. Not skills you’d expect from someone who has a degree in mathematics. Her unique combination of being analytically minded, extroverted, charismatic, and skilled in presenting and training has guided her career journey. Her diverse presentation experiences include classroom and corporate training, growing and motivating an independent sales force, developing a team of national presenters, speaking at conferences, and transforming the presentation skill of professionals. She believes everyone deserves the advantage of brilliant presentation and speaking skills. 

If you are tired of giving subpar presentations, frustrated by the opportunity loss you’ve experienced, want to streamline your presentation process, and are motivated to learn and improve, Be Brilliant Presentation Group is ready to work with you! Patti’s four-step process efficiently gets you from the brainstorming phase to completed, well-practiced slides that you’re proud of and a feeling of preparedness for your presentation. Patti has had many people say they accomplish more in 30 minutes with her than they did in two full days without her.

Transform Your Annual Report Into an Impact or Gratitude Report

Ann Green Communications, donor engagement, donor-centered, gratitude, impact report, planning, stories, writing , , , , , ,

Annual reports get a bad rap in the nonprofit world. Many of them are long, boring bragfests with little appreciation for donors. They also require a lot of time and effort from staff and there’s no guarantee your donors will even look at them. 

What do you do? Organizations need to share accomplishments and show gratitude to their donors, but is the “annual report” the way to do that? 

First, let’s stop calling it an annual report and call it an impact or gratitude report instead. Plus, sharing accomplishments and showing gratitude is something you can do more than once a year (more on that below). In this post, I will use the term impact report (but don’t forget about gratitude).

It’s possible to make this a better experience for both donors and nonprofit organizations. Here’s how.

You don’t have to do an “annual report”

Nonprofit organizations aren’t required to do an annual report. This doesn’t let you off the hook for sharing accomplishments with your donors. You could send short impact reports a couple of times a year. This makes a lot of sense if taking on a big report sounds too overwhelming. Shorter, more frequent updates are better for your donors, too.

If you decide to do a report once a year, I encourage you to move away from the traditional multi-page one. Aim for something no longer than four pages. Bigger isn’t always better.

Your impact report is for your donors

Keep your donors in mind when you create your impact report and include information you know will interest them. Also, donors have a lot going on, so that’s another reason not to create a huge report that they may or may not read.

You might want to consider different types of impact reports for different donor groups. You could send an oversized postcard with photos and infographics or a one-to-two-page report to most of your donors. Your grant and corporate funders might want more detail, but not 20 pages. See if you can impress them with no more than four pages.

Pour on the gratitude

Donors want to feel good about giving to your nonprofit. Make sure your impact report is focused on thanking donors. You could go one step further and call it a gratitude report. If you decide to do three or four short reports a year (highly recommended), make at least one of them an all-out gratitude report.

Many donors have stepped up to help during the past three years and deserve to be thanked for that. Use phrases like Thanks to you or Because of you to show appreciation to your donors for their role in helping you make a difference. 

Tell a story

Donors want to hear about the people they’re helping. You can tell a story with words, a photo, or a video. 

For example – Jenna, a single mother with three kids, has been struggling to make ends meet over the last few years. It’s been hard to find steady work and rising food costs make it difficult to afford groceries. She also wonders if she’ll have enough money to pay rent and utilities each month. 

Jenna had never gone to a food pantry before and felt ashamed to have to do that. But when she reached out to the Northside Community Food Pantry, she was treated with respect and dignity. Now, thanks to donors like you, she’s able to bring home healthy food for her family.

An engaging story is one of the most important elements of your impact report.

Address the current situations

We’re still in a pandemic and while many people are returning to some sense of normalcy, its after effects are still with us. We’re also dealing with an uncertain economy and inequality. Your donors will want you to address these situations and focus on how they’re affecting your clients/community.

How are you making a difference?

The theme of many reports is look how great we are. They’re organization-centered instead of being donor-centered and community-centered.

They also include a bunch of statistics, such as the number of clients served. You need to share specific accomplishments that show how you’re making a difference.

Focus on the why and not the what. Numbers don’t mean a lot without a story or example. For instance, Thanks to donors like you, we were able to serve more students in our tutoring program. X number of students are now getting better grades and are able to graduate from high school on time.

Make it visual

Your donors have a lot going on and won’t have much time to read your report. Engage them with some great photos, which can tell a story in an instant. Choose photos of people participating in an activity, such as volunteers working at a food pantry or a one-to-one tutoring session. Be sure to get permission if you want to use pictures of clients.

Use colorful charts or infographics to highlight your financials. This is a great way to keep it simple and easy to understand. Include some quotes and short testimonials to help break up the text.

Be sure your report is easy to read (and scan). Use at least a 12-point font and black type on a white background. A colored background may be pretty, but it makes it hard to read. You can, however, add a splash of color with headings, charts, and infographics.

Write as if you’re having a conversation with a friend

Beware of using jargon. Most of your donors don’t use words like underserved or at-risk, and neither should you. Use everyday language such as – Because of you, we found affordable housing for over 100 homeless families. Housing prices continue to skyrocket and a shelter is no place to raise a family. Now, these families have a place to call home.

Write in the second person and use a warm, friendly tone. Use you much more than we.

Skip the donor list (and the letter from your executive director)

Think twice about including a donor list in your impact report. It takes up a lot of space and there are better ways to show appreciation. If you feel you must have a donor list, you could put one on your website or just include major funders. Including a QR code directing people to your website for more detailed information is a good way to ensure a shorter report.

Also, do you need a letter from the executive director? These tend to be very organization-centered. If you must have one, put the focus on thanking your donors.

Send it by mail

Be sure to send your impact report by mail. It’s more personal and donors are more likely to see it. Don’t let costs deter you from sending something by mail. Remember, you have the option of sending short impact reports.

You could also send an electronic version a few weeks later as a follow up.

Planning is key

I know putting together a yearly impact report can be time-consuming. One way to make it easier is to set aside a time each month to make a list of accomplishments. This way you’re not going crazy at the end of the year trying to come up with a list. You can just turn to the list you’ve been working on throughout the year.

You also want to create a story and photo bank and you can draw from those when you put together your impact report.

Creating a shorter report or an infographic postcard will also help make this easier for you. Once again, you have the option of not doing a yearly impact report and sending periodic short updates instead.

Whatever you decide, put together an impact report that’s a better experience for everyone. 

Here is more information about creating a great impact report. Although some folks are still using the term “annual report,” maybe we’ll move past that at some point. 

Why You Should Stop Saying “Annual Report” (And What to Call it Instead)

Nonprofit Annual Reports: 8 Essential Tips [& Template]

Two Ways to Transform Your Annual Report from Dull to Dynamic