Delivering the Case for Support – Part 4

If it isn’t really “news” articles that people want to see and will respond to, what is it that will turn on our donors and prospects?

Let’s take that article about decorating the charity’s offices and teaching rooms that we talked about yesterday. Suppose we add an element of donor involvement. Then let’s give some examples that connect donor generosity to our mission with youth. Let’s thank, and commend, and talk about “going beyond” the expected.

“We’re extremely appreciative of the many donors who responded to our spring mail appeal. People like you gave us an unprecedented $5000 over our goal for this mailing. So we are using your generous gifts to reach our young learners with new enhancements to their learning environment.

“For example, thanks to your generosity, and that of three long-time volunteers, we now have newly painted learning rooms that are brighter and more professional-looking. We have found that already there is a keener interest on the part of our students. The teachers are using the new corkboards for exhibiting students’ work, and we invite you to come see how their learning has improved with the new decor and arrangements.

“Thank you so much for going that extra mile to give us more than we had hoped. You have made such a difference in the lives of our students. Take Julie and Mary, for example. They were so excited by their new homeroom that they now come a half our early, and we can’t get them out of there at closing time because they are so eager to stay involved in their projects.”

Or we could delve into that second article about teaching components. The first sentence in this article is good, with just a little modification. But then we need to take it in a different direction:

“Some of our generous donors, like you, often wonder why we tutor our students at our site as opposed to our volunteer tutors meeting the children in their homes or in a public setting such as a school or library. After all, wouldn’t it reduce our overhead costs?

“We know you want us to deliver our highly effective curriculum in the most efficient ways possible. That makes your hard-earned, generously-given dollars go further. So we’ve done studies with our students to see which environment offers the most complete and lasting learning experience. After all, we know that you would agree that if the learning doesn’t “stick” then it’s not real “learning,” is it?

“We set three groups a similar learning task. One group went through their learning process at our center; the second group went to a public library; the third group was taught in a local school classroom after school hours. All students were taught by our trained volunteers. And we know you are wondering about the results obtained from a curriculum that was exactly the same for all three groups.

“What we found was that the ingredients of our learning center were 75% more effective than those experienced by the other groups. You’ll appreciate the fact that when we asked the students in each group what motivated them the most, the students who learned in our center environment said they preferred our private rooms where they could have one-on-one learning experiences. You might also identify with some of the students who felt that the peer-to-peer learning in our small group writing sessions was invaluable, too.

“Your generous donations have made it possible for us to set up our center with unique advantages for this type of student. As you may know, often these students have pretty low levels of self-esteem. That means privacy is helpful at the start, because many are embarrassed that they don’t know much. Later, their peers, struggling together, become the best teachers. You can imagine our surprise to see Susan – the one who started out last in the class – now teaching the younger kids coming up through the ranks!

“We would love to have you come and visit with us to see the progress these young people can make in our new environment. And, if I haven’t already said it, we are so grateful that you gave more than we asked for! It has helped immensely. One of our girls said just the other day, ‘Don’t forget, Miss Hamilton, to mention how thankful I am to the people who gave the money for the paint and pictures.’ So I’m letting you know that your gifts have brightened the hearts, the learning and the lives of our 15 young learners. Thank you so much!”

In other words, the “newsletter” is just a long “thank you” letter to donors. You see, the point here is not to give a list of pedagogical features of the ABC Charity’s program. That’s academic, dry and uninteresting, unless you’re an academic and a researcher in the field. What donors and prospects want to know is how THEY figure into the learning equation, and how THEY are getting THEIR OWN objectives accomplished through the charity’s work. They feel great about the fact that ABC Charity is being effective. They want to know that the work is carried out efficiently and that it gets results. They want to know that staff is doing a lot with a little bit, and that volunteers are involved. But mostly they want to know how THEY are making a difference, and how THEY have helped people learn.

The “newsletter” is not about the organization; it is about the donors and prospects out there. The “newsletter” is not a newspaper, but a “thank you” and a “here’s what you did” sort of publication. It keeps people in touch in a motivational way that builds both involvement and a set of expectations in the donors. The so-called “newsletter” is a “reach out and touch” kind of publication, and if it doesn’t result in new, more and bigger gifts, it’s a waste of time and money.

Delivering the Case for Support – Part 3

Let’s take a look at the content that charities are putting out there. There’s quite a variety of communications. Mostly what comes across my computer screen or desk is newsletters. And a lot of those newsletters still have the “we do, we do” or “we need, we need” kinds of entries, but nothing compelling or motivating for donors to sink their teeth into.

It may be the case that those nonprofits that are publishing these newsletters have taken the term “newsletters” a bit too seriously. Maybe these folks feel that any missal that carries “news” or any word of what’s going on in the charity, will serve as a communication that “stays in touch with donors.” But this isn’t really what donors want to see.

It might also be the case that some of the board members, other volunteers or constituents have given development and marketing staff the idea that they want “news” from the nonprofit. I’ve heard comments such as “I just want to be kept informed of what’s going on here,” and “just let me know what’s happening from time to time.” But these comments, when carefully analyzed, are not exactly true and complete representations of what constituents really want to know.

What people won’t tell you is that they want to know how THEIR OWN involvement with the charity is able to help them feel good about themselves and their priority choices to support and be involved with ABC Charity. They can’t come right out and say this in a focus group or board discussion, because it makes them look more self-centered than they want to be seen. But, in truth, if you look at the donor’s eyes and check their interest level, you’ll find that there’s quite a difference between a “news” article and a motivational, compelling article that demonstrates how a donor’s gift went to work on a program recipient with unusual power and great results.

Consider this story from a recent nonprofit newsletter that I received:
“The ABC Learning Center is currently undergoing a beautification process; an ongoing project we call 'Making Learning Beautiful.' The center will be cleaned, repaired and reorganized. Our new and improved facilities will be awaiting a response from [foundation grant maker] in the hopes of adding radiant artwork and new computer desks and chairs for our students...”

Here’s another “news” article:
“People often wonder why we tutor our students at our site as opposed to our volunteer tutors meeting the children in their homes or in a public setting such as a school or library. After all, wouldn’t it reduce our overhead costs? Having our students come to our center is imperative! Here is a list of crucial program components that are received by our students and volunteers when coming to our site.....” And the article goes on to give a laundry list of program components with the reasons why each component is considered necessary to the learning process.

Now, if you’re really into decorating, you might feel like continuing with the first article to see what new decor features are a part of that project. Otherwise, it leaves the reader cold, because there’s no involvement that meets the donor’s or prospect’s self-interest, or their own needs, wants and values.

In the second article, if you’re an academic or researcher into methods of teaching, this listing of program components might be valuable. Does it motivate donors? Does it wake them up and make them feel alive and well and happy? Does it compel them to give sacrificially?

But if that’s NOT the case, then why have the newsletter in the first place? What I’m saying here is that the nonprofit’s constituents really don’t want “news” so much as they want to see themselves reflected IN the news; they want to have their own egos stroked, they want to see how their own objectives are getting met.

Maybe the trick here is to stop calling these communications devices “newsletters” and start calling them “motivational shots in the arm.” Maybe we should call them our “ego boosters” or our “inoculations” against our donors moving to another charity. In any case, what is needed here is not a piece with a lot of “news” articles, like a newsPAPER – we’re not needed as journalists here, we’re looked to as fundraisers, development professionals. So let’s “develop” some continuing interest and motivation in the donors and prospects with whatever we put out there for people to read. Otherwise the money we spend on these kinds of communications is simply wasted, because these “news” articles aren’t any more than mildly interesting.

“But,” you might say, “if these sorts of news articles aren’t helpful, what kind of information would help donors and prospects respond more positively?” We’ll deal with that tomorrow.

Delivering the Case for Support to Prospects

My observation is that a great many charities give too little thought to delivering their case for support to their donors and prospects on a consistent, persistent and frequent basis.

For one thing, everyone seems to want to do this by remote control, so to speak. There’s the website and the newsletter and the email blast, and then folks stop because those are the easily automated ways of communicating.

But what do they typically do with those communications pieces? They write newsletter articles from their own viewpoint, not that of a donor or prospect. They write the website copy as if everyone visiting the site had the perspective of the executive director of the organization. Navigation generally suffers, too, on that count. You can’t find your way around the charity’s site unless you think like a nonprofit administrator! And the e-blasts come across as if the only thing a recipient donor or prospect had on their mind is that particular charity’s need.
So there are actually three issues here: first, the content of the communications that charities choose to put out there; second, the need to broaden and deepen the communication channels necessary to effectively get the case for support out to the people who can help the charity through financial support; third the definition of “case for support.”

Let’s start with the last one first, so we know what we’re talking about before we discuss how to get the CFS to the people who count.

The Case for Support, as I have come to understand it from a donor’s point of view, is a set of reasons why donors should support a charity. Mostly what I see happening out there in the real world is that charities want to make their case for support a list of their programs, and a statement of why they sorely need funds to accomplish their mission. But as tempting as I know that is to do, it nevertheless makes a donor‘s or a prospect’s eyes glaze over. This constant recitative of our programs and who they serve and down to the nth detail of what we do…. This is NOT a case for support, in my opinion. It is just a list of programs.

But there’s no motivation in it, nothing compelling, unless you read between the lines and understand that, for example, the reason we have this safe house is that there’s a maniac out there trying to get to Melissa to kill her, and we’re standing between Melissa and certain mayhem or death. Now THAT’s compelling. But nobody says it that way, of course.
So, let’s take it a step at a time. What are the reasons why anybody should give to ABC Charity? Well, one would think that the best reasons to give would have something to do with the reasons donors do, in fact, support the charity. Here is a list of the reasons donors typically give to charity:
1. The charity has a long-standing history in the community, a squeaky clean image, and is getting great results with their programs.

2. The charity is accomplishing something remarkable that the donor wants to get done in the community, or in society at large.

3. There is a crisis or an opportunity in the community that the charity is addressing so that the donor can see the crisis is clearly resolved or the opportunity is clearly being met.

4. The charity has a definite plan for meeting the opportunity or resolving the crisis and the plan is both workable and “ironclad and copper-bottomed.”

5. The charity needs a defined amount of contributed cash to support this effort over a defined amount of time.

6. The charity needs the donor’s gift, and cannot, in fact, do the job without that support, which donors are asked to give.

7. The result of making a gift to the charity is that the donor will be thanked and recognized for their support.

8. Those who donate to this effort will be considered “one of the family” and will be kept up-to-date on how their money is being used and the results it is bringing in the community.

Now, can we take the reasons why people give money to charity and transform them into a case for support that meets the donor’s needs rather than just meeting the needs of the charity’s administrators? And why is this so important?