Ah, February - The Month of Love

When we think of price we often think of cost.  But it can also be the value of something.  And, sometimes it can be both.

A local nonprofit recently lost a donor and a skilled volunteer.  All for the want of a simple thank you.  This volunteer spent her time and talent on a specific project for a local nonprofit she supports. Her work, offered pro-bono, would have cost thousands of dollars if this organization had paid for it.

She waited. “Surely,” she thought, “they will tell me they appreciate my contribution.” But sadly, they did not. In the future, this organization will have to figure out how to pay for similar projects or find another volunteer.

A friend of mine gives to all of the rescue shelters in her town.  She doesn’t give a lot, but she gives regularly.  Now in her late eighties, she may not have many more years of giving left. But, she does have a large estate—and no heirs.  She recently told me that she’s re-writing her will – with a focus on the organizations that have shown their appreciation for her small, but regular gifts.

As nonprofit professionals we often hear about taking care of, or stewarding, our donors. Stories like these demonstrate how a simple thank-you can make a profound difference in how our donors feel about their efforts to support our mission.  Saying thank you is such an easy way to enrich those relationships. And, it ensures that your donors continue to make YOUR organization the recipient of their time, talent or treasure.

The Association of Fundraising Professionals just released data from 2016 showing that again for the ninth straight year, new donor retention continues to decline.  This means that first-time donors to your organization are less likely than ever to make a second gift which will reduce your revenue significantly over the course of the year.

February is the month of love.  Valentine’s Day is traditionally set aside to tell those we love how we feel about them. Wouldn’t this be a great opportunity to let your donors know you appreciate their BIG heart? Why not pick two, three, five, ten or more donors you haven’t talked with in a while and pick up the phone? Or, cut out a paper heart from pink construction paper, write “you have a big heart” or “we love you” on it and drop it in the mail. Make it fun and joyful … and be sure to involve your Board and your staff!

Which of your donors deserves a heartfelt “thank you” today?  All of them!

Six tips to Usher in the Season of Giving

From now until January is a perfect time to show gratitude to our donors and volunteers!

Some experts estimate that as much as 50% of all annual giving is made during this time of year. Those same nonprofit experts also note that as much as 22 percent of online giving is done during the last two days of the year—and that’s just in the U.S.!  When you consider that giving in the U.S. tops $350 billion annually, that’s a lot of donations given at this time of year.

To help usher in this giving season, back in 2012 the Tuesday after Black Friday and Cyber Monday was designated as #GivingTuesday. Its intent was—and still is— to provide people with a reason to get as excited about giving back to their communities as they were to buy that large flat-screen TV on the cheap. It seems, however, that over the past four years, the #GivingTuesday movement has evolved so that more and more often we see messages that are targeting the nonprofits themselves—encouraging them to reach out to their donors and ask for their support, financial or otherwise.  It becomes an event, something to spend time, money and energy on.

For many it’s hard to embrace the idea of asking donors to support their organization on #GivingTuesday.  Does that mean you focus on #GivingTuesday and forego the traditional annual appeal letter? Can you do both? How do you create balance with your supporters?  Won’t they feel like an ATM machine? Many organizations rely on their annual appeal letter for a large portion of their budget, particularly those unrestricted funds that don’t have to be allocated to a specific program. What about those donors who say they look forward to our annual letter and update?

Well, what if we change the rules just a bit?  What if we embrace the concept of #GivingTuesday by shifting our focus to #GivingBackTuesday? Spend our energy and focus on sharing the gratitude of the season by showing our appreciation to our donors, volunteers, and supporters instead of asking them to give us money?

As a sector we don’t do a very good job of appreciating our donors. Some studies estimate that nonprofit donor retention is at an all-time low of 27%. That means that as much as 73% of our donors are taking their money and time elsewhere and much of that attrition can be attributed to them not feeling valued or respected. #GivingTuesday offers us the perfect opportunity to show our gratitude.

Here are six fun ideas on how to turn #GivingTuesday into #GivingBackTuesday:

                                                   

Use social media.

Take a silly selfie or make a short video on your smart phone and post it … it doesn’t need to be professional … in fact, it shouldn’t be.  But it should be authentic and sincere.  Post pictures on Twitter and Facebook throughout the day that show all the ways you’re grateful.

Make phone calls.

Have your staff and board each make 3-5 calls to donors and volunteers.  No script needed, simply say “we wanted to call and say thanks, we couldn’t do what we do without you!” Choose donors you haven’t talked with in a while as well as those you have … chances are your last conversation didn’t involve a thank you.

Send a hand addressed greeting card – with a stamp.

I don’t know about you, but when I see a hand addressed envelope – with a real stamp – in my mailbox I do a little happy dance. Pick up a packet of note cards at the dollar store and have your staff and board hand address them and include a short personal note.

Send a thank-you email.

Subject line : “You rock our world”, “You’re the best”, or “What would we do without you?” Tell a story in your email that shows how much you value the recipient’s contribution.

Send a picture.

Use an online picture puzzle generator and send the picture with a caption … “you help us put the puzzle together.” Or generate a “connect-the-dots” picture … “you help us connect the dots and make a beautiful picture.”

Tell a story of impact that couldn’t have happened without the donor or volunteer.

Stories are always a great thank you. Start your story … “Because of you …”

By showing your gratitude before you hold out your hand for additional donations by way of an annual appeal letter, you are offering both you and your supporters a way to truly experience the “reason for the season” — the power of gratitude combined with the joy of giving.

The Power of an Ensemble Story

When we share our stories—whether it’s in a personal conversation, on social media, or in our newsletter—it’s always best practice to tell a story that you “own,” a story that you’ve experienced personally or is meaningful to you in some way. And, importantly, one that shows the impact of your organization. A personal connection to the story helps create necessary authenticity and credibility.

But what if there is something standing in the way of you telling a compelling, effective, and completely truthful story?  For example, you’re a twelve-step program or work with kids in foster care. Both of these situations could potentially keep you from telling someone’s specific story. Or maybe you simply can’t get permission.

You get the idea. There are hundreds of reasons why we “can’t tell our story.” But there is one good reason why you can. It doesn’t have to be real. Wait. What? A made-up story? Isn’t that illegal or something? What about that authenticity?

Remember, our job as a storyteller is to move our listener to take some action; to be engaged with the organization in some capacity, preferably financially! There are a lot of things an effective, and persuasive, story must include besides authenticity including enthusiasm and a story character who needs empathy and support. But, the veracity of your story character is not one of them. Now, don’t get me wrong, you can’t just out and out lie. Your impact and your need must be real. Your call to action must be compelling.

But you can create what I call an “ensemble story.” A little bit of this … a little bit of that, like a group of musicians who come together playing different instruments, different notes and yet make beautiful music together. By creating an ensemble story, you have the power to build a compelling case for why: why your clients need help and why your organization makes a difference in your community.

As Simon Sinek says, “people don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.”

So, if you want to tell the story of Alice’s journey through the foster care system, it’s perfectly fine to turn Alice into “Timmy” and instead of Alice’s curly blonde hair, Timmy has cropped red hair and wears his tennis shoes on the wrong feet. Maybe throw in a little of John’s journey through the system … he has emotionally abusive foster parents. All of this comes together to create a vivid mental image where the need is real and your agency provides hope. And, not once in that story is Alice’s privacy compromised or your veracity questioned.

So how do you authentically tell an ensemble story? You start with something like, “Just imagine …” or “What if …” 

For example, you might start the story this way–Just imagine you’re a little boy living with strangers who have given you a place to sleep, but you’re not really part of the family. Let’s take a look at the life of a boy we’ll call Timmy. His story represents the types of children we often see in foster care. At five or six or ten, these kids are often sad and angry at a world that’s let them down. Kids like Timmy keep all their stuff in a garbage bag because they have no real place to call home. At our agency we help kids just like Timmy find a place to call home with parents who love him and make him feel safe. Won’t you please help us help kids like Timmy?. (Remember to include a call to action!!)

Don’t be afraid to gather truthful elements of several stories to help you craft an effective ensemble story. Your authenticity and enthusiasm for your cause, coupled with a compelling story, will make all the difference between “we just can’t tell our story” and “we are a powerful voice for our clients and our community.”

Where are the stories hiding?

Come out, come out wherever you are!

In response to a recent Asking Matters poll, hundreds of you told me that identifying and collecting stories is, by far, your biggest story challenge! 

Finding stories is a lot like playing hide and seek; the stories are doing the hiding and you’re doing the seeking!  So, what are some of the “unwritten rules” of playing hide and seek that might help you with your search for stories?  Ready or not, here they come!

1. Just like you need to recruit players to the game, you must recruit people to share their stories.
2. Get your bearings.  After you’ve counted to ten and opened your eyes, you need to take a moment to observe your surroundings.  Where could those stories be hiding?
3. Listen carefully.  Just like people might make a noise that gives away their position, it’s important to listen carefully for story clues. 
4. Some people are really good at hiding; some stories are really good at hiding, too.
5. People seldom go very far to hide.  Chances are there are stories close at hand. 
6. Sometimes being “it” is frustrating.  Be patient and persistent. 
7. Don’t forget to look in unexpected places.  Sometimes people (and stories) hide in plain sight. 

 And, last, but not least:
      8.  Make it fun! When you find a great story … celebrate!

 Finding and crafting effective stories of social change is not child’s play.  But there’s nothing to say it can’t be fun.  Just like with hide and seek, the more people you have sharing the experience, the more likely you are to have a great stories to tell!

Over the next several weeks we’ll dive a little deeper into each of these concepts along with other strategies that will offer specific—and easy to implement—ways for you to begin to locate, build, curate, document and share your stories!  Visit The Story Corner with Sue or my website here.

Follow me on  Facebook and Twitter @storytellingrva

A Blueprint for Getting it Wrong!!

Yesterday I received an email request to make a donation to a national nonprofit.  The subject line was “You’re an inspiration.”  Hmmm … I was intrigued.  So I opened it.

 It was from an animal rescue organization and it started out with 3 pictures of abused animals.  A tripod boxer with the caption “you fixed my broken leg” (by removing it?), a sweet-looking grey kitty “you removed an arrow from my stomach” and the third picture was of a terribly naked puppy, “you fixed my third-degree burns.”  Wow, if I did all that, I am impressed!

Beneath the pictures was the text.  It started:  “friend.” 

Yes, just friend. Without the capitalization, without any kind of “dear friend” or “howdy friend”, just “friend.”  and THEN it said, “because of your generous support”, which by itself seems like a great start.  BUT, I’ve never donated to this organization.  So, right off the bat my take-away is 1) they don’t know my name and 2) they don’t know I’ve never given them money. Pretty sad for a national nonprofit.

The rest of the email said:

Because of your generous support, [we] were able to help save neglected animals like Nicky, Arrow, and Rocky – animals desperately in need of lifesaving medical care.

Thank you for stepping up to help these abandoned animals receive the love and care they deserve – you truly are an inspiration! I hope you are as proud as I am to know that Nicky, Arrow, and Rocky, each made full recoveries, all because of support from friends like you.

To help more abandoned, abused, and neglected animals, please click here.

It was signed, “Warmly” by the President & CEO.  I wanted to shout:  “Where’s the story??!”  Pick one of these animals and TELL ME THEIR STORY!”  Tell me how you found them and whether they still need a forever home.  Your only job was to make me care, and you totally botched it.   

I likely would have overlooked all the other obvious missteps if they’d just given me a story.  And an effective story? One that follows the rules of effective story telling for social change? Well, that might just have made me pull out my credit card.

To learn more about how to craft stories that create social change, check out our storytelling website and follow us on Facebook and Twitter @storytellingrva