stop talking about yourself

Here’s another quick and easy thing to do to improve your non-profit’s income:

Quit talking about yourself. Simple as that.

It seems strange, but your donors really don’t give to support you or to pay your the light bill or help you accomplish your grand dreams…or worse, solve your budget woes (they have their own budget woes).

Donors give because THEY want to do something. They want to feed the homeless. They want to spread the word. They want to heal the sick. They want to change the world. That’s what they’ll give sacrificially to do, not pay for your agenda.

If you want to inspire your donors, speak to their hearts.

Here’s what I mean.

Don’t say: “We need your help to feed and care for children in our orphan’s home in Mexico. For every $5 you give, we can provide food and the essential care for needy children.”

Try: “For only $5 you can feed a hungry child a good meal and give them a warm, safe bed to sleep in. Imagine the difference it makes in a child’s life to no longer be scrounging for food in trash bins or sleeping in doorways. You make that difference.”

See how it changes the focus?

Check your fundraising materials. How much do you write about what you want to do rather than what your donors want to do. It’s a subtle but budget-altering change.

Get out of the way of your donors’ desire to change the world. If you connect them with their heart’s desire rather than your ministry’s goals, they’ll give.

Of course, we want to hear what you think.

Steve Thomas
Partner, Oneicity