Elevator Pitches and Consistency in Messaging

Ann Green brand identity, marketing, writing

If you got your staff or board together and asked them to write a few sentences about what your organization does, it’s likely you might get a variety of different answers.

It’s very important that all your staff, board, and volunteers know what your organization does and that they are consistent with their messaging. 

This is something that should be covered in an orientation (you should have an orientation for your board members and volunteers, too) and revisited periodically.


A 30 second pitch about your organization is often know as an elevator pitch.

If your organization doesn’t have a written elevator pitch, you need to create one as soon as possible and make it available to all staff, board members, and volunteers.  Creating one as a group can be beneficial.

General Information About Elevator Pitches
  • Elevator pitches should be short and conversational.
  • Keep it simple.
  • Keep the following in mind – who are we, what do we do, how do we do it, and why is it important?
  • Don’t recite your mission statement when giving your elevator pitch.
  • Don’t use jargon.
  • Let your audience know the impact and importance of what you do.
Putting Together Your Elevator Pitch
  • What makes your organization unique? Come up with some key words and talking points.
  • Make sure everyone is consistent in their messaging.
  • Remember to revisit your pitch periodically (maybe once a year) to make sure it’s still relevant.
Using Your Elevator Pitch
  • Engage with the person/people you are talking to and tie what you do with their interests.
  • Find a way to tell a story.
  • If appropriate, initiate a call to action. Give the person your business card and ask them to call you for more information or let them know how they can donate or volunteer.
  • Remember that you are always an ambassador for your organization and how you represent yourself reflects upon the organization.
  • Keep practicing!
Photo by robinsonsmay 



    Five Things That May Not Be "Urgent", But Are Important

    Ann Green Uncategorized
    You are a nonprofit professional – overworked  in an understaffed environment. You may feel like you are going crazy  trying to get everything done.  You are dealing with urgent, short-term items, but are you overlooking some important ones?   No matter how busy you are, here are five things you or your organization needs to do.

    You need to plan
    For all of your initiatives – program, marketing, fundraising, etc, you need a plan.  I’m not even talking about a strategic plan, which you should have as well.  Each year you need to make a plan with goals and objectives.  Every quarter you should be tracking your progress (see second item). You may find that you need to make changes to your plan, which is understandable.  Yes, this takes time, but it’s time well spent.

    You need to keep track of your progress
    On a regular basis, you should be keeping track of  your accomplishments. Don’t wait until a funder requests this.  You should also keep track of your progress in conjunction with your plans (see first item). Document everything and make sure it’s accessible in the future.

    You need to thank your donors
    You’ve worked hard on your annual appeal and now the money is coming in.  Don’t stop there – you need to thank your donors.  Set aside a time each day (or every other day) to write thank you notes to your donors.  If possible, add a personal note or have your board members call donors to thank them.

    You need to be consistent
    Consistency is key.  All of your messaging, marketing materials, etc. need to be consistent.  When your staff and board are talking about your organization, is everyone conveying the same message?  Take time at your next staff and board meetings to make sure everyone is on the same page.  Also, make sure that new staff, board members, and volunteers are well oriented to your organization and its mission.

    You need to take care of  yourself
    Finally, you are working really hard.  Don’t forget to take time to care of yourself.  Be sure to take a lunch break (and if possible, don’t eat at your desk).  Make sure you are well-hydrated and give yourself opportunities to walk or stretch.  If things get really crazy, go take a walk, or even give yourself a mental health day.

    I’ll be going into more detail about some of these in future posts.