In our last entry, we talked about the four big rules of fundraising. So, boys and girls, just what are the four big rules? The donor must believe 1) in your cause, 2) in you, 3) that there's a tangible need, 4) that he or she can make a difference.
In this entry, we'll learn how to help the donor believe in your cause, which, like most worthwhile things in this world, is easier said than done.
Whether it be feeding programs in developing nations, child sponsorhip, microfinancing, animal rights, or civil liberties, chances are that if you're involved with a nonprofit organization, it's for a cause. (Heaven knows we don't join nonprofits for the good, hard cash.) Something made you believe enough in the cause to dedicate a good part of your life to it. But that something might not be as obvious to the potential donor as you would like it to be.
So just how do you help your donor understand -- and believe in -- your cause? You tell a story.
Most likely your personal convictions didn't come from a vague, grandiose ideal about some cause. No, it came from a story you heard, lived, or shared with an individual. It came from a personal connection to the cause. And that, dear friend, is what you must communicate with your donor.
Take the cause out of the picture -- at least in the beginning. Find one story and tell that story. Tell it well. Then, tie the story in to the greater cause. Let's pretend for just a moment that your nonprofit has dedicated itself to microfinancing, a big trend in worldwide development projects.
Don't tell your donor about microfinancing. Tell your donor about a woman named Josefina. She lives in a village in the mountains of Guatemala. Her parents died when she was a teenager and she was left to care for her 5 younger siblings. They struggled to stay together as a family. Today, Josefina is 20 years old and she wants to start a home business as a seamstress. One of her fondest memories is of her mother sitting by a kerosene lamp in the evenings doing the family mending. Sewing holds a comforting connection to the past and brings hope for the impoverished family's future. Just $200 will provide Josefina with a sewing machine and enough materials to begin her business. The income from the sewing would more than triple the family's income. Josefina will finally be able to put food on the table, send her siblings to school, and rebuild the crumbling back wall of their tiny 2 room house. "My mother loved to sew," Josefina says. "I know she would be so proud of me wanting to start my own sewing business."
This, my friends, is microfinancing at work. Your potential donor might not feel as passionately about the cause as you do, but chances are that he or she will be able to connect with Josefina's loss and her desire to provide for her family. Suddenly, your donor is giving to Josefina, not to microfinancing.
Take the big picture down to one story. Then, tie the story back to the big picture. Make the gift about one person, not about a cause. After all, the cause is really about helping individuals, not phantom ideals. Or at least, it should be.
The magic, of course, lies in the details and the quality of writing. You need to create the scene for your donors. Transport them to the place. Let them get to know the person. The majority of your fundraising effort should be spent building a connection between your donors and the individuals you serve. The ask -- and the subsequent gift -- comes naturally out of that connection.
But if you don't present Josefina's story with a certain finesse, the story will be dull. You can't just tell the facts as I have done above. You have to write a story. So, tell me, how would you take the raw details of Josefina's story and weave them together to connect with your donors? Submit a sample letter. If we like it, we'll post it on our web site.
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