The Importance of “You” in Effective Nonprofit Messaging

Whether you’re engaging people on social media, using direct mail, or email blasts, your message needs to focus more on donors or the prospective donors than about your organization. I see a lot of organizations who, in their appeal letter, say “we, we, we…” and talk about themselves a lot. They don’t use the “you” perspective they should. I know that seems odd because you’re telling your story, but it’s more effective to convey your story with language that will appeal more to donors or prospective donors:

• You make this possible.
• You are a key part of our organization.
• Your support is critical.

Paint a Clear Picture of Your Organization

You also want to paint a picture of the life of your organization and what your needs are. You know how you’re helpful to people, animals, the environment, or whatever your mission may be. Make sure your story is strong and helps readers feel a personal connection to it to make it come alive for them. One tactic you can use is to tell the story of a client or two without giving identifying information. It’s also acceptable to use an amalgamation of several clients, and the outcomes that were achieved.

The nonprofit sector often tells a happy story, and unfortunately, happy stories are not as motivating for donors as sad stories. That’s just a fact. When we tell a story with a happy ending, and certainly that does happen, the message that donors hear is, “They don’t need me because they’re already solving these problems without my support.” But you can position that message to clearly show need:

• What are the needs of your organization?
• What are the needs of your clients or your participants?
• What do you need to achieve your goals?

Explain How You Use Donor Funding

In addition to knowing you need their money, donors also need to know that your organization will use the money raised the way it is intended. Make your ask very clear. Explain that their donation will support your organization overall in an annual fund. Or if the ask is programmatic, explain exactly what it’s going to be used for, and tell them why you need it.

People’s heart strings need to be pulled, but they also need to understand that you’re a good steward of their donation. You want to show that you have good practices and processes in place to effectively manage the money the organization receives. You need to say, “This is how we use the money. This is how we’ll put your money to work,” and talk in layman’s terms about how you monitor it. That message can be as simple as saying, “We have an accreditation from this organization as a high-performing nonprofit,” or that you are good stewards through your accounting practices and all their donations go where you say it’s going.

Transparency in Funding

I think it’s a mystery for most people who don’t work in the nonprofit sector how organizations are funded. To some people it’s a mystery that nonprofits seem to just have money. But it’s difficult for nonprofit organizations to fundraise to support their missions, cover their overhead costs, and keep their doors open. Donors need to understand that fundraising is an ongoing challenge. Nonprofits work hard to fund their work, and it’s okay to tell donors that you cannot do this work without their donations.

Brady Ware Nonprofit Advisors want to help you fulfill your mission with financial health and compliance services and a network of nonprofit consultants who specialize in strategic decision-making.