This is a presentation given for Maryland Nonprofits on the importance of targeting messages to meet the interests of different constituencies, particularly donors, volunteers, and service recipients.

MANO Making Messages Matter

A well planned, coordinated communications effort will give your organization more visibility, for less money, than unplanned, hit-or-miss stabs at reaching your audiences. But how do you go about making a plan?

The attached template often works well to keep small group discussions focused and to help establish priorities. Here’s how it works:

1. Begin with the major short-term goals of the organization. What do you intend to accomplish in the next one to two years?
2. Then take the goals, one at a time, and identify who must be persuaded in order to achieve that goal. The who can be groups of people, specific individuals, or both.
3. For each person or group, brainstorm what message is likely to be persuasive. This means taking into account what they need, and looking for a way to align your message to show that helping your organization is helping them gain something. (The message must answer for each audience, “What’s in it for me?”)
4. How refers to the media that will be most effective at getting the message to the audience. Will it be a newsletter, a brochure, a face-to-face conversation, or a combination?
5. The last three columns get down to practical concerns that help establish priorities: how much each method of communication will cost, who will do the work, and when you expect to see the work completed.

A small group should be able to work through the process in one or two half-day sessions. The end result will be the outline of a communications plan for the organization.

A sample matrix is below.

Communications Planning Matrix

This article and matrix template were prepared by Don Akchin, communications program director for The Enterprise Foundation.

(C) 2001, The Enterprise Foundation, Inc. Reprinted by permission.

In the eternal quest for dollars, your first task is to construct a convincing case for funding.  The case statement, a document that usually runs six to twelve pages long, makes a clear, concise presentation of your organization’s history, mission, activities and vision. It argues why your organization is qualified to meet the challenges you see, and what you can achieve for those you serve with additional resources.  The case statement becomes the source document that you use and re-use for newsletters, brochures, reports and public relations.

It’s tempting to base your case on the reasons why you need money.  Call that an inside out approach – looking from your internal needs and wishes out to the external funders who can help you achieve it.  It is probably more effective, however, to look from the outside in – to build your case from the donor’s point of view.

A case statement, like any communication, is only effective if an audience receives it and responds.  What matters most is that the document resonates with donors.  The best way to do that is to frame the message to donors in ways that make their response more likely and more enthusiastic.  Sometimes a case framed from the inside out sounds to a donor like begging.  A case built from the outside in should sound to a donor like an investment.

This requires you to think like your potential donors.  What do they need to know before they willingly release their dollars to you? Here are some questions that the case statement must answer for the primary audience:

• Who benefits?

Who are the people you serve? How many do you serve? How does that number compare to the number who need your services? Where would your clients be without the help you provide? Portraying faces of clients and offering a few client testimonials adds credibility.

Are you good at what you do?
Do you provide services that make a difference? Are the services you offer the services your target population needs? Again, add testimonials from clients or respected civic leaders.

• Will you use the money well?

Do you provide services efficiently and effectively? Do you have a well-managed organization that follows through and tracks money carefully? In order words, can donors be certain that money invested in your organization will go towards your stated goals?

• What makes you so special?

With so many nonprofits serving those in need, why is your organization more deserving than others? What unique qualities do you bring to the table? What makes your mission more compelling?

• What’s in it for me (the donor)?

How will success of your mission improve the community? How will it strengthen the economic health? Will it do anything for my employees? How will you recognize my contribution? Even altruistic donors have their own agendas.  The better your work connects with a donor’s other needs, the more likely you’ll get funding.

By constructing your case statement from the donor’s perspective—from the outside in—you stand a better chance of catching the attention of potential funders and ultimately earning their support.

Copyright ©, 2001, The Enterprise Foundation, Inc.  All rights reserved.  Adaptation of this material is permitted only for noncommercial purposes.

Ask 100 nonprofits what they need most, and 90 will tell you quite simply, M-O-N-E-Y. The other 10 may be lying.

The obvious follow-up question that monopolizes the waking and sleeping hours of nonprofit development directors is  “How can we raise more of it?” Turning that question around may offer some new perspective and some surprising new answers.

Nonprofit money comes from individuals, philanthropies and foundations, government and business.  As the competition for dollars intensifies,  donors must choose which organizations and causes to support. Many limit their philanthropy to causes that are most meaningful to them personally, or to organizations with whom they have the deepest connections.

When seeing the situation through the donors’ eyes, the question  “How can we raise more money?”  might be framed more productively as this:  “How can we be more important to our donors?”  The question from this angle has some very clear answers, based on best practice models that are quite effective:

1) Better Communication. Not necessarily more communication, but thoughtful communication that always has a clear purpose, such as one or more of the following:

• Communicate the underlying issue. When you’re passionate and fully invested in your cause, you may assume everyone feels the same, or at least, understands instinctively why the cause is so important.  Sadly, that is almost never true. Moreover, even those who know benefit from being reminded.  Communicate your passion: Remind donors why affordable housing or affordable health care or a liberal education is critical. Remind them why your cause merits their passionate support as well.

• Communicate the value of the solution. How is your organization making an impact on the issue? What difference have you made in the lives of real individuals and families? What would the community be like if your organization were not there? Compelling client stories and testimonials often say it best.

• Communicate the value of the donor. How are donors making a difference for real people, for progress on your issue, or for the community as a whole? What practical effect does a donor’s gift have? Whether it’s better nutrition for 200 pregnant women or 10 new books for the community library, donors need to know that their commitment counts – and is appreciated.

At least one of these purposes should drive every communication to donors.

2) Involvement. Increasingly, donors want to be more than your ATM. They want to roll up their sleeves and join the work – figuratively if not literally.  Involvement might take the form of volunteering for events, fund-raising, advocacy or service delivery. It may also appear as a desire to be an “insider” with more intimate knowledge of your internal issues and challenges than you would normally share with the public.  Donors expect nonprofits to be more transparent – to them, at least.

Meeting donor expectations for involvement may mean making some changes in how your  organization operates. But good donor communications is also crucial in giving donors a sense that their involvement is welcomed, that they are valued, and that they are part of a larger community of like-minded people who share a commitment to the work you do.  A few nonprofits are experimenting with new communications vehicles such as blogs, which can put a more personal face on the organization while providing a direct channel for donors and supporters to engage in dialogue with the staff (or board).

To paraphrase a famous dictum from an Inauguration long ago, nonprofits should ask not what donors can give to them;  but ask, instead, what they can do for their donors.  The money will follow.

Don Akchin Strategic Communications is proud to be a partner with these fine individuals and organizations:

MKCREATIVE

MKCREATIVE is a full-service agency supporting social enterprises, socially-responsible corporations, and nonprofit organizations that provide community-enhancing services or products. The agency’s mission is to help their clients create positive change through the strategic use of graphic design, marketing and public relations.

Rick Pallansch

Rick Pallansch is an outstanding graphic designer who always puts the marketing aims of the client ahead of the artistic impact of the design. He has an extensive, successful track record in design and creative management at colleges and universities, most recently Towson University.

The Array Group

The Array Group acts as an outsourced Information Technology department for small companies and nonprofits, solving a host of technical issues from removing viruses to networking to providing remote access. Pablo Jusem and his staff take pride in showing clients ways to use the latest tech tools to operate more efficiently – and save money doing it.

Mael Consulting

Dr. Fred Mael, the head of Mael Consulting, provides quantitative and qualitative research, among many other consulting services in the areas of performance management and employee selection systems, employee and customer loyalty and retention, organizational culture analysis, and best practices studies. He also provides executive coaching and process facilitation to executives, senior managers, and entrepreneurs. He conducts training seminars in areas such as mentoring employees, coping with fear of change, work-life balance, and retention of employees and nonprofit volunteers.

Curtis 1000

A national company with a strong mid-Atlantic presence, Curtis 1000 is a full-service  printer with special  expertise in direct mail production and fulfillment, integrated print and Internet solutions, e-marketing and multichannel marketing.  They have a strong niche in higher education marketing.

Sir Speedy Printing, Owings Mills

This locally owned printing company  provides both offset and digital printing, direct mail and email marketing, mailing services, promotional products and signs, posters and banners. The owners and staff take customer satisfaction seriously and take pains to understand and meet their customers’ marketing needs

The Sandtown Habitat for Humanity needed a professional looking, yet inexpensive brochure to convince business and civic organizations to provide financial and volunteer support. The brickwork imagery is consistent with the group’s housing rehab projects and provides strong color to what could have been a dull brochure.

You will find more sample projects here and other case studies here.

The Bon Secours Spiritual Center, a retreat and conference center operated by the Sisters of Bon Secours, had not been growing enrollments for several years.  The new executive director decided a livelier image would help set a tone to encourage awareness , attendance, and involvement.  Don Akchin Strategic Communications was asked to convert the Center’s  twice-annual, two-color schedule of classes into a four-color magazine format, with articles of interest to the prospective audience for workshops and retreats, and to act as its editor.  Bridges continues to draw high praise from readers . It is an important tool of a total communications plan – including a redesigned website, active media relations, and email communications – that has fostered revenue growth while promoting both the Center programs and the mission of the Sisters of Bon Secours.

You will find more sample projects here and other case studies here.

The Baltimore Collegetown Network is a consortium of 16 area colleges and universities that, together, account for more than 100,000 college students in the Baltimore area.  The consortium hired two economic research firms to analyze the impact the higher education industry has on the area’s economy and its quality of life.  Don Akchin Strategic Communications was hired to translate the results of these studies into a readable, engaging report that would capture the interest of media and opinion leaders. The report consisted of text, photographs and a series of colorful charts and graphs that made the major findings visually arresting. The report was announced at a press conference that received excellent media coverage.

You will find more sample projects here and other case studies here.

St. Ambrose Housing Aid Center, a well respected organization serving low-income residents of Baltimore for more than 40 years, wanted to expand its donor base. We agreed that one good way to catch the attention of those unfamiliar with St. Ambrose was to discuss what the organization does to solve major problems impacting everyone. Don Akchin Strategic Communication created a series of in-depth articles in newsletter format. The first discussed the origins of the foreclosure crisis and the work St. Ambrose was engaged in to help struggling homeowners; the second discussed the lack of good affordable housing and how St. Ambrose has been addressing it. The newsletters, mailed four weeks apart to a purchased list of 10,000 prospects, did not include a request for funds. They were followed by an end-of-year appeal letter. Results: The appeal letter produced $8,000 in donations from 58 new donors. Considering that the mailing went out in late fall 2008, in the depths of a severe recession, the client was quite pleased by the outcome.

You will find more sample projects here and other case studies here.

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Attracting New Donors

St. Ambrose Housing Aid Center, a well respected organization serving low-income residents of Baltimore for more than 40 years, wanted to expand its donor base. We agreed that one good way to catch the attention of those unfamiliar with St. Ambrose was to discuss what the organization does to solve major problems impacting everyone. Don Akchin Strategic Communication created a series of in-depth articles in newsletter format. The first discussed the origins of the foreclosure crisis and the work St. Ambrose was engaged in to help struggling homeowners; the second discussed the lack of good affordable housing and how St. Ambrose has been addressing it. The newsletters, mailed four weeks apart to a purchased list of 10,000 prospects, did not include a request for funds. They were followed by an end-of-year appeal letter. Results: The appeal letter produced $8,000 in donations from 58 new donors. Considering that the mailing went out in late fall 2008, in the depths of a severe recession, the client was quite pleased by the outcome.

You will find more sample projects here

Attracting Sponsors

The Sandtown Habitat for Humanity needed a professional looking, yet inexpensive brochure to convince business and civic organizations to provide financial and volunteer support. The brickwork imagery is consistent with the group’s housing rehab projects and provides strong color to what could have been a dull brochure.

You will find more sample projects here

Explaining the Impact

The Baltimore Collegetown Network is a consortium of 16 area colleges and universities that, together, account for more than 100,000 college students in the Baltimore area. The consortium hired two economic research firms to analyze the impact the higher education industry has on the area’s economy and its quality of life. Don Akchin Strategic Communications was hired to translate the results of these studies into a readable, engaging report that would capture the interest of media and opinion leaders. The report consisted of text, photographs and a series of colorful charts and graphs that made the major findings visually arresting. The report was announced at a press conference that received excellent media coverage.

You will find more sample projects here

Increasing Awareness

The Bon Secours Spiritual Center, a retreat and conference center operated by the Sisters of Bon Secours, had not been growing enrollments for several years. The new executive director decided a livelier image would help set a tone to encourage awareness , attendance, and involvement. Don Akchin Strategic Communications was asked to convert the Center’s twice-annual, two-color schedule of classes into a four-color magazine format, with articles of interest to the prospective audience for workshops and retreats, and to act as its editor. Bridges continues to draw high praise from readers . It is an important tool of a total communications plan – including a redesigned website, active media relations, and email communications – that has fostered revenue growth while promoting both the Center programs and the mission of the Sisters of Bon Secours.

You will find more sample projects here

Articles

“The Secrets of Raising More Money.” An essay which asks, how can you be more important in the lives of your donors?

“Nonprofit Marketing: Just How Far Has it Come?” Nonprofit World, January-February 2001. A study of who performs marketing functions for Maryland nonprofits – and all the other things they do.

“Case Statements from the Outside In,” Enterprise Quarterly, Spring 2001. A brief for approaching your case documents from an outsiders’ perspective of your organization.

“Quick and Dirty Research”, Nonprofit World, May-June 2001. It’s good to know what your donors and clients think, and you can find out without breaking the bank.

Tools

“Communications Planning in Five Easy Steps” is a group exercise for developing a comprehensive communications plan for your organization – with minimal pain.

Contact Info:

Don Akchin Strategic Communications

221 Stony Run Lane, #JG

Baltimore, MD 21210

410.499.4996

don@donakchin.com

Drop us a line. We'd love to hear from you.

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Invisible Cities

Many middle- and high-income citizens never set foot in low-income neighborhoods, and therefore are unaware when these neighborhoods regenerate. This brochure explained the role of community development corporations and highlights their cumulative accomplishments nationally in rebuilding America’s “invisible cities.”

Expanding Regional Resources

Towson State University (now Towson University) was primarily known for teaching rather than research. This first annual report for the Office of Research and Sponsored Projects was designed to impress upon opinion leaders and business leaders that the university was also producing useful and consequential research.

The Enterprise Foundation History

The text for this piece was originally created as a two-page spread in the foundation’s 2002 Annual Report, which marked the nonprofit’s 20th anniversary. Executives were so pleased with the text that they used it, unchanged, in this separate printed piece.

Committed to the Community: Johns Hopkins in East Baltimore

Facing community opposition to its ambitious redevelopment of East Baltimore, the medical institutions wanted to publish a report to demonstrate to the community its good faith in meeting community needs. A first attempt at writing the report was unsuccessful. This second attempt took a peer-to-peer, rather than a top-down, focus, featuring stories of positive interactions between Hopkins’ students, staff and professionals and the campus’ neighbors.

Annual Fund in a Box

Grantwriting

Communications Alignment

A la carte

Could your communications be more effective?

Here’s a way to find out: a Communications Alignment.

This package of services includes:

• An audit of all your current donor communications
• Analysis of results from different communications
• A demographic/psychographic analysis of your donor base
• Evaluation of online communications and giving
• A review of the donor recognition program

Here’s what you get as a result of the Communications Alignment:

• Recommendations on sharper messages likely to gain higher response from your donors
• Sharper focus on the most productive donor relationships
• Recommendations for blending new and traditional communications tools
• Suggestions for making your fundraising operation more efficient and more effective

Learn how much better your communications efforts can be! Call today or email us!

Comments or questions are welcome.

* (denotes required field)

Name: *

E-Mail Address: *

Subject: *

Message: *

CAPTCHA Code: *

Powered by Fast Secure Contact Form

Could your communications be more effective?

Here’s a way to find out: a Communications Alignment.

This package of services includes:

• An audit of all your current donor communications
• Analysis of results from different communications
• A demographic/psychographic analysis of your donor base
• Evaluation of online communications and giving
• A review of the donor recognition program

Here’s what you get as a result of the Communications Alignment:

• Recommendations on sharper messages likely to gain higher response from your donors
• Sharper focus on the most productive donor relationships
• Recommendations for blending new and traditional communications tools
• Suggestions for making your fundraising operation more efficient and more effective

Learn how much better your communications efforts can be! Call today.

Submitting a successful funding proposal requires many talents, of which writing is only one. A convincing narrative helps. But often two other factors are at least as critical:

1. Planning a viable program that can meet the funder’s expectations.

2. Following directions.

The second is particularly true with federal grant applications. If it seems that the instructions are complicated, tricky and hard to find, you’re right. Federal agencies deliberate make the instructions complex in order to eliminate as many applications as possible.

Our grantwriting services include full attention to all the factors for success. We have written grant proposals to federal and local government agencies as well as private foundations.  On the federal side, we also completed The Grantsmanship Center’s rigorous training on “Competing for Federal Grants,” a rich resource on the tools and tricks for avoiding common pitfalls.

From “logic models” to compelling statements of need, we’ll help you make your next grant proposal a standout.

In the eternal quest for dollars, your first task is to construct a convincing case for funding.  The case statement, a document that usually runs six to twelve pages long, makes a clear, concise presentation of your organization’s history, mission, activities and vision. It argues why your organization is qualified to meet the challenges you see, and what you can achieve for those you serve with additional resources.  The case statement becomes the source document that you use and re-use for newsletters, brochures, reports and public relations.

It’s tempting to base your case on the reasons why you need money.  Call that an inside out approach – looking from your internal needs and wishes out to the external funders who can help you achieve it.  It is probably more effective, however, to look from the outside in – to build your case from the donor’s point of view.

A case statement, like any communication, is only effective if an audience receives it and responds.  What matters most is that the document resonates with donors.  The best way to do that is to frame the message to donors in ways that make their response more likely and more enthusiastic.  Sometimes a case framed from the inside out sounds to a donor like begging.  A case built from the outside in should sound to a donor like an investment.

This requires you to think like your potential donors.  What do they need to know before they willingly release their dollars to you? Here are some questions that the case statement must answer for the primary audience:

• Who benefits?

Who are the people you serve? How many do you serve? How does that number compare to the number who need your services? Where would your clients be without the help you provide? Portraying faces of clients and offering a few client testimonials adds credibility.

• Are you good at what you do?

Do you provide services that make a difference? Are the services you offer the services your target population needs? Again, add testimonials from clients or respected civic leaders.

• Will you use the money well?

Do you provide services efficiently and effectively? Do you have a well-managed organization that follows through and tracks money carefully? In order words, can donors be certain that money invested in your organization will go towards your stated goals?

• What makes you so special?

With so many nonprofits serving those in need, why is your organization more deserving than others? What unique qualities do you bring to the table? What makes your mission more compelling?

• What’s in it for me (the donor)?

How will success of your mission improve the community? How will it strengthen the economic health? Will it do anything for my employees? How will you recognize my contribution? Even altruistic donors have their own agendas.  The better your work connects with a donor’s other needs, the more likely you’ll get funding.

By constructing your case statement from the donor’s perspective—from the outside in—you stand a better chance of catching the attention of potential funders and ultimately earning their support.

Copyright ©, 2001, The Enterprise Foundation, Inc.  All rights reserved.  Adaptation of this material is permitted only for noncommercial purposes.

Ask 100 nonprofits what they need most, and 90 will tell you quite simply, M-O-N-E-Y. The other 10 may be lying.

The obvious follow-up question that monopolizes the waking and sleeping hours of nonprofit development directors is  “How can we raise more of it?” Turning that question around may offer some new perspective and some surprising new answers.

Nonprofit money comes from individuals, philanthropies and foundations, government and business.  As the competition for dollars intensifies,  donors must choose which organizations and causes to support. Many limit their philanthropy to causes that are most meaningful to them personally, or to organizations with whom they have the deepest connections.

When seeing the situation through the donors’ eyes, the question  “How can we raise more money?”  might be framed more productively as this:  “How can we be more important to our donors?”  The question from this angle has some very clear answers, based on best practice models that are quite effective:

1)      Better Communication. Not necessarily more communication, but thoughtful communication that always has a clear purpose, such as one or more of the following:

• Communicate the underlying issue. When you’re passionate and fully invested in your cause, you may assume everyone feels the same, or at least, understands instinctively why the cause is so important.  Sadly, that is almost never true. Moreover, even those who know benefit from being reminded.  Communicate your passion: Remind donors why affordable housing or affordable health care or a liberal education is critical. Remind them why your cause merits their passionate support as well.

• Communicate the value of the solution. How is your organization making an impact on the issue? What difference have you made in the lives of real individuals and families? What would the community be like if your organization were not there? Compelling client stories and testimonials often say it best.
• Communicate the value of the donor. How are donors making a difference for real people, for progress on your issue, or for the community as a whole? What practical effect does a donor’s gift have? Whether it’s better nutrition for 200 pregnant women or 10 new books for the community library, donors need to know that their commitment counts – and is appreciated.

At least one of these purposes should drive every communication to donors.

2) Involvement. Increasingly, donors want to be more than your ATM. They want to roll up their sleeves and join the work – figuratively if not literally.  Involvement might take the form of volunteering for events, fund-raising, advocacy or service delivery. It may also appear as a desire to be an “insider” with more intimate knowledge of your internal issues and challenges than you would normally share with the public.  Donors expect nonprofits to be more transparent – to them, at least.

Meeting donor expectations for involvement may mean making some changes in how your  organization operates. But good donor communications is also crucial in giving donors a sense that their involvement is welcomed, that they are valued, and that they are part of a larger community of like-minded people who share a commitment to the work you do.  A few nonprofits are experimenting with new communications vehicles such as blogs, which can put a more personal face on the organization while providing a direct channel for donors and supporters to engage in dialogue with the staff (or board).

To paraphrase a famous dictum from an Inauguration long ago, nonprofits should ask not what donors can give to them;  but ask, instead, what they can do for their donors.  The money will follow.

If your organization needs to run an annual fundraising campaign but lacks the staff to run it, we have the solution: Annual Fund in a Box.  Outsource all the detail work to us. We handle all the implementation – for much less than the cost of a full-time staff person (and their benefits). And you get the time to pursue  major gifts that are your organization’s  lifeblood .

The Annual Fund in a Box is a package of services that generally includes:

• Analysis of donors below Major Gift level
• Case development for annual giving campaign
• Creating, executing and mailing four solicitations per year
• Creating a donor recognition event for annual giving donors
• Personal acknowledgements of donors
• Donor acknowledgement in lobby

Consulting time: approximately 50 days per year (one day per week)

To learn more, contact us at:

don@donakchin.com

or 410.499.4996

There are many good ways to distribute a message. The only effective ones, however, are the ones that reach your target audiences – and not just on their doorsteps, but in their minds and hearts.

You have a wide array of choices for delivering your message. Which ones are right depends upon the preferences of your target audience:  Do they listen to public radio? Do they Twitter? Are they getting their news from the daily newspaper or online blogs? Will they read your newsletter delivered in the mail or by email? The better you know your audience, the better we can pinpoint the best way to beam your message into their brains.

The Right Message

The Right Audiences

Sometimes the messages we communicate are not the ones we intend. Perhaps the words are wrong. Or
sometimes what we communicate in a photograph, a design choice, or through customer service delivery,
contradicts the words.

We are expert at pinpointing the right message and the right way to express the message so that it is clearly understood.

The Right Audiences

The Right Media

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Useful Information and Resources

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Our Blogspot Postings

The Accidental Marketer is a collection of news and tips about marketing, communications. fundraising and advocacy for nonprofits.

A Few Choice Blogs about Nonprofit Marketing

• About Nonprofits
• Beth’s Blog
• Bob Johnson’s Blog on Internet Marketing
• Don’t Get Caught News & Info
• Donor Power Blog
• Future Fundraising Now
• Getting Attention
• Katya’s Non-Profit Marketing Blog
• Nonprofit Blog Exchange
• Nonprofit Communications
• Spare Change
• The Agitator