4 Experts on the Top THREE Things Nonprofit Professionals Need to Know [Summer HOT SEAT ]
What are the Biggest Things Nonprofit Professionals Need to Know About…?
A client once said to me, “I don’t know what I don’t know.” That’s really stuck with me. Keeping that beginner’s learning mindset, asking questions, and remaining curious can really take you far in fundraising.
This is as true for me as anyone else. I’m so happy to be part of a community of fantastic expert consultants, who are always there for me when I have questions.
And I do have questions! Yes, I know a LOT about major gifts fundraising. But there’s always more to learn. Planned giving, DEI, content strategy, online giving...I need to know more. For 2021’s Summer HOT SEAT series, I asked four experts on these topics to share what nonprofit professionals who are just getting started with these topics need to know most.
I learned a lot this month, and I think you will, too.
Want to see the entire interviews with all four experts? CLICK HERE.
WEEK 1: Planned Giving
When I have a Planned Giving question, there is one person I turn to first. Tony Martingnetti, CEO of Martignetti Planned Giving Advisors, LLC. He teaches nonprofits to create donor opportunities by building appropriate, scalable, and successful Planned Giving fundraising programs. He is the Planned Giving evangelist and host of Tony Martingnetti Nonprofit Radio.
Does Planned Giving seem intimidating? You’re not alone! Every week, I talk to nonprofit CEOs who say things like, “I wouldn’t even know where to start with Planned Giving,” or “Should I spend time on a Planned Giving program? Won’t it distract from my annual fund?”
Tony says the top three things you need to know are:
1. Planned Giving does not need to be complicated to be successful.
2. Planned Giving does not need to be expensive.
3. You do not need to offer a multitude of gift options.
And don’t worry about distracting donors from your annual fund. Research that shows annual giving increases when a planned gift has been made. Expert Russell James found that, "Using these ‘before-and-after’ observations…inflation-adjusted giving was, on average, about 77% greater after the charitable estate planning component was added than it was before . . ."
James III, Russell N., American Charitable Bequest Transfers Across the Centuries: Empirical Findings And Implications For Policy And Practice, Retrieved July 20, 2020, from https://bit.ly/2DT0ghZ (page 271)
WEEK 2: DEI and Systems Change
A lot of nonprofits are just getting started with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion work (DEI). They’re grappling with their role in perpetuating inequity and moving towards a better, more inclusive and just way of working. This is an area where it seems like everyone is asking, “Where do I even begin?”
Reeshemah Davis is the founder and principal consultant of EMBOLDEN Action, where she provides executive leadership consulting services for DEI, community engagement and systems change.
Reeshemah says the top three things you need to know are:
1. It's long-term. DEI + systems change is a journey. It takes time because of the complexities of learning about yourself, others, and the organization.
2. It's about the people. Often DEI + system change intersects at the people level. It's not about changing one policy or process. People are affected by the lack of awareness and will continue to be unless change happens.
3. You are a part of the system. Understanding where you are on this journey; where your decisions may have an impact and strive to become aware of those unintended consequences of your decisions.
DEI work is about more than checking some boxes and moving on, it’s about a long-term process. You’ll have more success if you begin with the knowledge that the journey takes time, but the results are so important.
WEEK 3: Content Strategy
Whether it’s social media posts, videos, newsletters, emails, or your nonprofit website, content is how you show why your cause matters and motivate many donors to give.
Of course, in order for your content to tell your story and connect with your donors, you have to create it. Creating content just for the sake of creating it isn’t a good use of your precious fundraising time. You have to start with a strategy to make sure you get the most value out of the content you create.
Rachel Mills is a content marketing expert who helps nonprofits tell their stories in compelling ways to the right audiences. She is the founder and CEO of Harmony Consulting, where she helps nonprofits with content, strategy, and design.
Here are the top three things Rachel thinks you should know:
1. "Everyone" is not your target audience.
The challenges nonprofits are addressing are extremely important and often affect huge populations. But everyone has different causes they are passionate about. If nonprofits want to reach supporters successfully with content, they need to narrow their focus. Otherwise, nonprofits run the risk of wasting a whole lot of time and money. Honing in is one of the single most impactful, long-term content marketing strategies. And ultimately, it's an enormous benefit to fundraising teams as well—who can use this info to tailor future appeals, events, and campaigns in combination with donor segments and personas. If your target audience isn't everyone - who is it? Start there. Refine. Repeat.
2. Donors aren’t tired of giving.
They’re tired of being repeatedly asked for support without being thanked, engaged, and educated about the impact of their previous donation. Here's a good rule of thumb: If you don't feel inspired creating your nonprofit's content, there's a good chance your supporters won't be inspired either! The longer you work for an organization, the harder it can be to stay creatively inspired. Follow other nonprofits and brands that consistently "wow" you. Volunteer in your organization's program. Do whatever it takes to see your organization from a new lens. Then, test your content by asking yourself, your team, your volunteers, and your most avid supporters: Which piece of content inspires you more? Why?
3. Not every type of content is right for every nonprofit.
Beware of publishing content solely because it's "best practice," "everyone else is doing it," or "this is what we've always done." What's going to make your nonprofit's content rise above the noise isn't going to sound like anyone else. So, by all means: sing your unique song! Start small with content you already know works (e.g., weekly social media posts, monthly emails, quarterly newsletters). Then, start testing a new type of content that makes sense for your organization's *unique* mission, target audience, and bandwidth. Consider content types that serve as stellar lead magnets, like webinars, podcasts, and blogs.
When your content suits your nonprofit and your target audience, and prioritize inspiring donors, it will be well worth the time it takes to create it.
WEEK 4: Online Fundraising
For many nonprofits, 2020 brought home the importance of online fundraising. With in-person events on the shelf and traditional meetings and fundraising activities suddenly transformed to digital, everyone, it seems, was taking a second look at their online giving.
Your online fundraising platform makes a difference--donors have to interact with it, after all. What makes a good one? How should you choose?
Max Friedman is the cofounder and CEO of Givebutter, an online fundraising and events platform.
Here are the top three things Max thinks you should know about choosing a platform for online giving:
1. Not all online fundraising platforms are created equal. Different platforms offer different features and integrations. Before you start your search, write a list of the top 5-10 features and integrations your platform-of-choice MUST have.
2. Online fundraising platforms can vary widely in pricing. Be on the lookout for monthly fees, payment processing fees, tips, limits, upgrades, and penalties.
3. Customer support is not always a given. Some fundraising platforms include dedicated customer support specialists, while others only provide email support with slow response times. Some don’t offer any at all (other than Help Center articles). Be sure to ask what level of support you can expect.
Keep Learning
We can’t all be experts in everything, there’s simply too much information out there. But what we can do is find the experts and take their good advice. I really enjoyed learning from these experts! If you want to learn more from my four guests, check out the full interviews here.
To your success,
Sherry
Whenever you’re ready, here are THREE things you can do next:
👣 Follow me on LinkedIn here where I share the same lessons I teach my clients about attracting larger gen-ops dollars and adding 7-figures + to their bottom line.
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📈 Work with me to scale your org's revenue by 2-5X and fund your organization’s Strategic Plan // If you’re a business-minded CEO already raising MILLIONS but need to diversify revenue and secure more general-operating dollars to invest in growth, you can apply to work with me here.
