Tips on Telling Your Non-Profit Story

For non-profits, it is easy to get caught up in always pushing your cause or need you are trying to fill. Let’s face it, there are thousands of nonprofits trying to help thousands of different causes. So what tends to make your nonprofit stand out is your story. A compelling non-profit story can connect people to your nonprofit on an emotional level. This helps with your donations and getting volunteers. Here are some tips on telling your nonprofit story.

Big goals

Your nonprofit may be just starting out, or maybe small, but regardless of the cause, to those you affect, your effects on their lives are big. Therefore,  regardless of how small you are you want to have some big goals. For example, your cause could be Type 1 diabetes in a small town, but your goal could be to help every family have the insulin that is needed. You may not be able to fix this issue all around the world, but to those who you do help, it can be life-saving. These types of goals are things that draw donations in. 

Don’t be afraid to tell your connection

Again, there are thousands of different needs to be met.  For instance, let’s take hunger.  According to Feeding America, 1 in 7 people in the U.S. face hunger every year. That is an appalling statistic. Yet if you were starting a non-profit, and your chosen cause was feeding children, that statistic though appalling may not be enough to connect to your chosen audience. Yet, if you were to tell your connection, for example, if you grew up as a hungry child and you do not want another child to feel the way you did, it puts a connection to it. Your chosen audience may be more moved to help through your connection with your chosen cause.

Tie your connection to core values 

Core values are things like safety, freedom, good health, and a better life for our children. And though many people may disagree on how to achieve these goals, most can agree that these are valued goals. Successful nonprofits tailor their messages to appeal to these core human values as well. Don’t just focus on stats and studies and what you do to combat these numbers, also focus on the benefits of your work regarding the core human values you are working towards.  

Use examples and include results

Statistics have their place and you should definitely use them. Yet they are not enough alone. One of the best things you can do is to put a face on the numbers by relating them to real-life examples and stories about your work. For example, going back toon the example of child hunger, you could tell the story of a boy whose grades went up because he did not have to worry about where his next meal was going to come from. But don’t stop just there. Demonstrate how the donor’s gifts allowed the boy to get his grades up because he was not hungry. It’s all about building an emotional connection with your prospective donor.

Create a two-way conversion 

Telling your story and getting it to resonate with people is more than just dictating your cause and actions. The best way to build better donor relationships is to make your fundraising a two-way conversation. This means asking the donor what they think about your work, why they are interested in your mission, and how they would like to get involved. That could be through social media, emails, and even surveys. You want to build a relationship with your donors, so they have an emotional connection with your cause and your non-profit.