• Fundraising is a Crowded Field: Have a Compelling Message that Will Bring In Bucks

Brief Description

Competition for nonprofit fundraising dollars is fierce, exasperated by a tough economy where individuals and companies often have less to give as the needs grow for the organizations that philanthropy supports. This session centers on sharpening your message to focus more on why the available fundraising dollars should come to you.

At the session's conclusion participants will begin to take a new approach on how they communicate with donors and prospects and have a greater appreciation for tracking the right things.

Longer Description

We first focus on compelling clarity. There are a thousand good causes but maybe only one of you is going to get a check. What’s your distinction? Too often, nonprofits only provide a long list of services to describe what they do. However, the communication explosion requires more than that to get noticed.

You provide benefits and you are better suited to provide those benefits than anyone else in your fundraising niche.

Is this distinction part of your message? You should be prepared to defend your “unique selling proposition” with data ---- to back up what you say with proof. This proof cannot be cloudy, or loaded with “association speak.” The plain spoken description must be simple and straightforward. Achieving clarity requires unvarnished introspection and a relentless process of eliminating details to get to the chore message. It is more about what your donors and prospects think than what your senior officers think.

Good messaging requires proof --- both reason and emotion. Quantification shows you track the things you say are important. If you want to be the top fundraiser, more is needed. Fundraisers need to study donors and prospects and formulate a specific plan on how they will help their donor succeed. Businesses want more business. Are you helping them?

It’s no longer enough to know what motivates a donor, a plan is needed to show how you can satisfy the desires that motivated them to give. That’s communication. We will conclude with concrete ideas you can start to use that day to strengthen your fundraising efforts.

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