How to Communicate Like Their Favorite Nonprofit

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Kivi Leroux Miller Nonprofit Marketing Guide.com

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Daily Blog

Weekly E-Newsletter

Why Listen?

We get media messages a day.

We pay attention to about

We positively remember about

The rest?

So WHAT?

WHO Cares?

3,000

52.

4.

Donor Attrition Rate Between First and Second Gift

55-65%

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Fundraising Effectiveness Project 2011 Results from Association of Fundraising Professionals and The Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy

Loss of Regular or Sustaining Givers from

One Year to the Next

30%

Fundraising Effectiveness Project 2011 Results from Association of Fundraising Professionals and The Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy

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First Gifts Not as Generous as They Could Have Been

75%

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Source: Cygnus Donor Survey

This is

not a

false

alarm.

This is

serious.

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So, how

DO we

keep

the love

alive?

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BIG HINT It has NOTHING

to do with your

admin/overhead percentage.

Source: Network for Good’s Online Giving Index: http://www.onlinegivingstudy.org/quarterlyindex

Why do people give so much in December?

Another Big Hint: It’s not really about the tax deduction.

People

help

because it

gets them

high.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jorge-11/4787290028

57% support nonprofits because the cause

is “important to me or someone I know.”

Source: Georgetown University and Ogilvy PR

Why Get Involved

50% get involved because “it is

something that has impacted me or

someone I know.”

Source: Georgetown University and Ogilvy PR

38% get involved because “I feel like I can make a difference.”

http://www.flickr.com/photos/edenpictures/5134959531 Source: Georgetown University and Ogilvy PR

How They Feel Predicts Behavior

• I am a committed (nonprofit) donor.

• I feel a sense of loyalty to (nonprofit).

• (Nonprofit) is my favorite charitable organization.

Based on research by

Favorite Charities Get More

Half of donors give 2/3rds of their annual donations to a single favorite charity.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/stevendepolo/4137096855

The real question: How can

you become

their favorite cause?

The Inner Bookkeeper and the

Inner Angel

BEHAVIORAL ECONOMICS:

The effects of

social, cognitive, and

emotional factors on

the economic decisions of

individuals and institutions

Read Dan Ariely or just Google “Homer Simpson for Nonprofits”

and “Lisa Simpson for Nonprofits”

MARKET NORMS:

Making decisions based on the

self-interest and personal benefits

of the transaction.

SOCIAL NORMS:

Making decisions

based on

community,

cooperation or

altruism for

psychological

rewards.

Mixing the two rarely

works for nonprofits.

Let’s look for

Market Norms and

Social Norms in

Land Trust

Facebook Pages

There’s some bookkeeper in all of us.

What the Inner Bookkeeper Likes

• Facts and Figures – Numbers of all

Kinds!

• Budgets

• Tax Savings

• Tax Receipts

• Overhead/Admin Percentages

• Logistics

• Event Announcements

But we are mostly Angel.

The Angel ALWAYS wins.

Angels want to

feel appreciated.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ganatlguard/8289339879

Angels want to

feel included.

Angels want to

feel in the know.

What’s your mix now?

How can land trusts do

more angel

communications?

Appreciated, Included, In the Know

Here’s how this works . . .

You create communications that

are relevant to their lives.

You understand your donors’ inner angels.

1

2

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You create opportunities for people to connect and engage.

You become a favorite organization.

3

4

http://www.flickr.com/photos/stickergiant/8046982406

People say Yes! when

you ask them.

You get what you need to achieve

your mission!

6

5

http://www.flickr.com/photos/audiolucistore/7403731050 http://www.flickr.com/photos/usnavy/5601169958

Win!

Ready?

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First, you have to

bring the thing to life. Bonus Helpful Handout: kivilm.com/hello

A Helpful

Friend

• Direct client

services

• Down to earth,

friendly, casual

• Spot-on with

pragmatic advice

A Trusted

Authority

• Want to be

perceived as the

expert

• More

straightforward,

well-documented

• Objective &

opinionated

A Reliable

Performer

• Good for basic

donor relations for

ongoing work

• Trustworthy with

your support

• Storytelling that

shows impact

An Innovative

Changemaker

• Not afraid of big,

hard goals

• Bold, focused,

driven

• Often

spokesperson

driven

What would each of these

look like if applied to a

land trust?

• Who would be most important for you to

communicate with?

• What would be in your newsletter or on

Facebook?

• Who would be the face of your organization?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/shimelle/478989869/

Decide who you are, then stay connected to your angels by being relevant in their lives.

Follow the Six Rs of

Relevant Messaging

Download as a PDF:

kivilm.com/hello

It’s Rewarding

The benefits of following

through on the calls to

action are clear.

Thank you, Tom Ahern, for the example.

Ten fold increase from one

edition of the newsletter to the

next, simply by switching from

corporate storytelling to donor-

centered storytelling. “Spine

care” raised $5,000.

“Zawadi” raised $50,000.

REWARDING

MESSAGES:

Make donors feel

awesome!

REWARDING

MESSAGES:

Make donors feel like

they are part of it.

REWARDING MESSAGES: Let donors celebrate, even when the mission is serious or sad.

24K shares & 72K likes

in 24 hours (nearly double the

dog photo from last year!)

REWARDING

MESSAGES:

Let donors express

themselves.

Where’s the reward for

supporting your

land trust, if I don’t own

land that might need an

an easement?

It’s Realistic

The barriers to following

through on the call to

action are addressed.

REALISTIC MESSAGES:

Acknowledge and address

their fears head on.

REALISTIC MESSAGES:

Acknowledge that donors

may really care about

things you consider

tangential.

REALISTIC

MESSAGES:

Make it easier to

follow through.

REALISTIC MESSAGES: Acknowledge that WE aren’t experts like YOU!

Where should land trusts

be more realistic in their

communications?

It’s Real Time

It makes sense given the

context and what else is

happening right now.

REAL-TIME

MESSAGES:

Connect to

what they are

already hearing

about.

REAL-TIME

MESSAGES:

Acknowledge

what else is

happening in

their lives.

REAL-TIME MESSAGES:

Acknowledge what else is

happening in their lives.

REAL-TIME MESSAGES:

Are often planned in advance!

REAL-TIME MESSAGES:

Don’t wait for an

annual report to show

progress.

Let’s plan some land trust

communications for the

biggest events in October

and November.

It’s Responsive

They can tell we are

listening and taking what

we hear into account.

RESPONSIVE MESSAGES:

Show that your org is full

of helpful humans.

What you want to say

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What they want to hear

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What you need to produce

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What’s Your Broccoli and

Cheese?

RESPONSIVE MESSAGES:

Prove to us that you can

relate!

HSUS Goal for Responsiveness:

2 hours on Facebook; 30 minutes on Twitter

What are the top three

questions people ask

about your land trust?

Where are the answers?

It’s Revealing

We are sharing or

showing something new

and interesting.

REVEALING MESSAGES:

Let us learn alongside you.

REVEALING MESSAGES:

Can challenge us . . .

REVEALING MESSAGES:

Share the back stage

story.

REVEALING MESSAGES:

Take us behind the

scenes.

What back story can

you tell?

How can you take us

behind the scenes?

REVEALING MESSAGES:

Share what happened AFTER

the fundraiser.

What did you do this year

with the money you raised

at last year’s big fundraiser?

It’s Refreshing

The style and tone are

authentic and maybe a

little surprising.

REFRESHING MESSAGES:

Have some fun!

REFRESHING MESSAGES:

Can make you look twice.

REFRESHING MESSAGES:

Express an opinion!

flickr.com/photos/randysonofrobert/393165345

REFRESHING MESSAGES: Keep it straightforward and simple!

What’s the funniest thing

about working

for a land trust?

“I've learned that

people will forget

what you said,

people will forget

what you did, but

people will never

forget how you

made them feel.”

~ Maya Angelou

Ph

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by

Dw

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t Ca

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Good communications build rapport and

make people feel good about their

relationship with you.

Favorite nonprofits win.

To become their favorite,

speak to the inner angel

and be more relevant.

What Have You

Learned Today?

What Questions

Do You Have?

Download

the First

Chapter Free

Right Now

ContentMarketingforNonprofits.com

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Kivi Leroux Miller @kivilm Fb.com/nonprofitmarketingguide Fb.com/contentmarketingfornonprofits kivi@ecoscribe.com

Bonus Helpful Handouts:

kivilm.com/hello