Does Your Nonprofit Have a Brand? 6 Questions To Ask

Does your Nonprofit Have a Brand?  

I’ve worked in corporate marketing for some large companies for many years.  So I understand the politics that exist when you talk to your Board or your Executive team about evolving the brand. In fact, the common response from some of your more established stakeholders and staff is that everything is just fine. “Why mess with something that isn’t broken?” they ask It’s a challenge  keeping everyone happy.  So let me describe a little scenario with you and see if it sounds familiar:

You launched your brand identity through a vision statement a number of years ago. Everyone was excited.  You tested it with focus groups and they liked the message, as did staff and, yes, your Board and partners too. You may even have thought you could rest on your laurels for a little while.  But today, some years later you wonder if your messaging  has gone a little stale.  You wonder if you are truly communicating your value proposition and your core purpose.  When you asked key stakeholders at the latest focus group, “What does our organization stand for?”, no one could really describe who you are.  And no one could actually distinguish you from others in the same space.  So you are thinking… Hmm… maybe we do need to reboot the brand… after all,  so many things have changed over the years.   We really aren’t the same organization. But that is followed by a second thought… perhaps it never was bold enough from the beginning?

So you do some soul-searching and make a list of the words you use in your communications campaign.

-          We listen to our clients and partners

-          Easy to access

-          Knowledgeable and compassionate

-          Providing the highest quality

-          Serving our communities

All true statements but in retrospect it sounds pretty much like what other organizations state in their communications.  Now let’s think about your brand imagery.  Warm, friendly client faces and testimonials – even showing diversity.  People can relate to this, right?

Well, the real question you need to ask years later --is not whether your people smiled and said they liked your brand position, but whether your brand provoked emotion or a reaction.  Is the voice and message memorable among the crowd and clutter of advertising, social and the other communications that hit us every day?  And is it provocative?   

One of the biggest mistakes organizations make when they brand and create advertising, is to play it safe. The goal being to find a brand voice and look and feel that everyone likes from your leadership team and board members to the people you serve.  The easiest way is to just focus on your programs – how great they are, instead of the core narrative or story of the organization. Unfortunately, with this approach you end up watering down the excitement of your singular identity or brand and it becomes vanilla. 

And to complicate branding, individuals today, get easily distracted with all the digital entertainment that surrounds them. They hunger  for novelty and change and get bored easily. 

So yes, it is time for a rebrand, just please be imaginative and creative and take some risk! Because the unexpected makes people pause and remember and look twice. 

Here are some 6 key questions to ask yourselves to help decide if it’s time for a brand refresh.

1.       Does your brand statement surprise and entice you to learn more?

2.       Does your brand campaign play it safe or shake it up?

3.       Do some customers feel a little out of their comfort zone in terms of what to think or expect? 

4.       Do you always use photography, customer stories and testimonials to get your message across? (Those work, but let’s take it up a level.   People today engage with the imaginative .  Think illustration, characters, animation to tell your story.)

5.       Do you use bold words that provoke and create emotion?  Verbs like: dare, avenge, break, shape, invent instead of the common ones like build, create, support, start

6.       Does  your brand mobilize people to do something bold, even serving to create a movement and launch evangelists who will share the message on social media?

If these questions make you or your leadership team and Board pause, it’s time to refresh your brand. It’s time to create new energy.   Perhaps a vision or identity that will challenge, provoke and position the organization as strong and bigger than life.   Something people can rally around. And most importantly, something that make your clients, donors and partners feel pride and POWER!

Nonprofits: Are You Wed To Numbers? Don't Forget the Power of Intuition

 Do you ever find yourself thinking these things….

“I must be right because the facts and numbers show me the truth.”

“I know what to do because my research and analysis proved this is the best solution.”

Logic and analytics have become the go-to tools  to validate and back up our position and our esteem. But I am here to tell you that it is time to respect intuition.

There is growing evidence that intuition and even a sense of universal spirituality may provide a solid roadmap for making decisions.  At least it should be considered and thrown into the business mix!

Our revered Carl Sagen stated: “There needs to be a much stronger bridge between science and analytics with intuition and spirituality.”  I have to agree.   For too long, “creative, intuitive types” were considered a little too touchy-feely in the corporate world.  These employees were seen as sometimes  contemplative, sometimes emotional – and they just don’t fit the mold of linear thinkers who religiously embrace metrics and robust planning processes for  achieving goals.  

So what is wrong with this picture?  Well the reality is that this place we call work, is dynamic and grounded in relationships.  The expression, “Be here now," means honoring the moment.  Listen to the nuances in the workplace, be nimble and even spontaneous, follow the call from within and with others,  to temper the best plans with honest day-to-day interpretations of the moment.

I clearly understand this scenario after filling a position of VP of Strategic Planning for a major healthcare organization.  Yup, I created the flow charts, scenarios, contingency plans, and metrics up the kazoo, to guide the organization.  And guess what...although we followed them to some degree, there was no way we could guess at the changes that were coming.  So these beautiful documents become historical legacies of thinking at a certain point in time, but they did not necessarily reflect corporate success.

Let’s think about a different way of managing and planning in the world.   Let's consider the underlying human principles that drive everyone – be they in a family or at work situation--that are being proven by neuroscience, and will provide powerfule benefits in the corporate world.

·Realize the chemistry in the body rewards those who are altruistic and may be following their intuitive nature .  In other words, it feels good when we let go of our ego that demands being "right" because the data tells us so.  Here are some new ways of thinking about problem-solving:

·         Connect with others in a empathic way, not logical way, to not only learn... but feel better

·         Recognize that innovation often comes from creativity experienced through intuition

·         Understand that the universal mythology, revealed in stories from around the world, often tease out spiritual themes and provides consistent problem-solving approaches that stand the test of time.   (think parables) 

To experience these principles, one needs to pause, listen, share, and not be wed to what is currently celebrated in management journals and books as the superior mantra of analytics.  It’s time to be humble and practice a simpler way of engagement with our leaders, Board of Directors, employees, volunteers and funders. 

How the Curse of Cats Improves Nonprofit Communications

You have undoubtedly heard the expression before.

"Curiosity killed the cat."

Now curiosity might be a bad omen for felines.

However, it is anything but that if you're a nonprofit seeking to create high engagement in your communications.  After all, you want to create curiosity about your organization with your prospective funders, partners and clients and then spark an interest to learn more.

It starts with a powerful headline or hook that makes the reader curious.  This applies to both your online and offline marketing communications.  

In fact, good copywriters revere that word curiosity  thanks to the classic teachings of legendary ad man John Caples. His four decades of work in the copywriting trenches, with clients from Fortune 500 to small mission driven organizations,  proved through tested advertising methods that there were only three approaches to writing attention-getting, engaging headlines:

1.     Self-Interest - piquing the interest  about how you as an individual can do something easier or better, e.g. How To Develop Work-Life Balance that Really Works

2.     News - provoking interest in something discovered, e.g.  - New study on Stress Reduction with Practical Tips

3.     Curiosity - generating an insatiable interest to know something, e.g. - How the Curse of Cats Creates Excitement

For us, we prefer the "curiosity" angle. The reason is simple: curiosity lurks deep inside every human being.

George Lowenstein, a professor of economics and psychology at Carnegie Melon University in Pittsburgh,  wrote about the “gap theory of curiosity”.     It is the innate human behavior triggered when people feel a gap exists between what they know and what they want to know.  In other words, they are curious and will be influenced  to take action (for example, read your post, share it with friends or subscribe to your blog).

Upworthy, a well-known content marketing company, takes the theory a step further and actually calls it the "curiosity gap." They use this strategy day-in and day-out as a foundation for the volume of content they craft and post.

It is summed up in one sentence: Simply write a headline that is tantalizing enough to get read to click through but does not give away the whole story.

The same thing applies to your nonprofit communications. In other words, arouse curiosity.

Here's a headline example:

“The 1 secret of delegation to create more time in your workday”

This headline points out the gap in our knowledge (we don’t know the secret that the headline references do we?). And it creates additional intrigue because who wouldn't want to know the secret to delegating effectively while saving time. 

So if your organization wants to break through the 362 ad messages and over 5,000 brand messages respected research giant Yankelovich says the average consumer gets exposed to daily, you need to do one thing.

Get your curiosity on.

It's definitely not in the best interest of cats. But it certainly works wonders if you want to engage your target audience.

~HCollaborative.com~

La Paz Pelicans: A Lesson for Nonprofits about Patience

It was a beautiful morning in La Paz. I walked along the beach as the fishermen arrived with their daily catch.  Standing sentinel were a group of pelicans still and patient. Quietly they waited for the fishermen to toss the fish remains  from a successful day in the Sea of Cortez.  Waiting, waiting, waiting they were poised to dive in for the rewards of their diligence.  Then a splash and suddenly an orchestra of wings, beaks, squawks--a flurry of activity that  prompted the fishermen to laugh.

 Yes, patience pays off.  The pelicans know this. Nature knows this.  Yet here we are, the world’s supreme species, and we struggle with such a simple concept.  And I’ll be the first to admit, that I am one of the worst when it comes to being patient at home and at work. Seems many of us are hardwired from youth to be productive, to set goals and move towards action. In the process, we have forgotten that patience and thoughtful waiting sometimes reaps the biggest rewards.

 Nonprofits create compelling mission statements eager to make things better. Dedicated, passionate, and yet perhaps impatient.  Changing health and social outcomes takes time.  I know I have been conditioned for immediate gratification and like many type “A” folks, I find myself getting frustrated when change doesn’t happen quick enough. I demand immediacy, rather than celebrating patience and an attitude of nurturing.

 A wise boss and colleague from many years back once pulled me aside, and shared some valuable wisdom. He said that we plant seeds, that need time to grow. Our job, he added, is simply to nurture them.

 So here’s an idea. Today, let's celebrate the virtue of patience. Let's slow down and feel comfortable with waiting--- just like the pelicans. Let’s be happy with the baby steps our nonprofit takes every day.   Here are 5 things I am going to try to exercise my patience.  See if they work for you.

 1. Walk and talk slower.  My high energy persona propels me to do everything fast. So I'm going to try to just physically slow my pace.

2. Set my larger goals not within a tightly defined time-frame, but consider them as a process over time---as a direction I am steadily moving toward.

3. Appreciate downtime. This is thinking, creative and regeneration time.

4. Understand the ebbs and flows that go along with the business of running a nonprofit. Working constantly in high energy "steroid-mode"   will create burnout.

5. Be kind to myself.  Yes, do the work to the best of your ability and complete assignments, but don't be so driven to achieve that your health suffers and you forget to treat yourself occasionally.

 Don't let patience become a lost virtue. Just think about the lesson that pelicans teach us. 

Why a Caffe Latte and Effective Writing Compare Favorably

You sit with a good friend in your favorite coffee shop.

You sip your caffe latte served at a most perfect 185 degrees.

What's more, the rich full-bodied espresso and steamed milk in your Italian handcrafted ceramic coffee cup could not taste better.

You exchange stories about your relationships, your jobs, your lives.

Thanks to that wonderful coffee drink, your conversation flows effortlessly.

And that's how it is with effective marketing communications.

Effective communication is always conversational.

It resembles nothing remotely close to what is found in a textbook or academic paper or Harvard Business Review.

You must begin with a simple conversation to engage prospective donors or volunteers.

Forget about "marketing-speak" or industry "buzz terms."

Just be conversational.

Need a simple hint on how you do that? Write with your ears. In other words, write as people speak.

And keep in mind these proven basics of effective communicators:

·         Your sentences should be short and simple.

·         Your language needs to be jargon-free (see above).

·         And paragraphs should be just 3 to 4 sentences for easier scanning and reading.

Also, write in active voice. It grabs hold of your audience.

Keep these simple tips in mind the next time you write a donor letter.

Or a put up a blog post.

Or craft a newsletter.

Your ability to be conversational is crucial if you want to engage your audience and get your message to resonate.

 Nothing like a handcrafted caffe latte to get you stimulated to do just that.

~HCollaborative.com~

Nonprofits - Make an Emotional Connection by Keeping It Simple

Nonprofits… Make an emotional connection by keeping things simple

The small village of Cabo Pulmo captures the heart. It’s simplicity toward nature and sustainability makes me pause… and reminds me that keeping things clear and simple is an important lesson to remember.

We drove to this world renowned aquatic nature preserve for a few days of respite from the business of La Paz and its season of Carnivale, and to try some of the best snorkeling in Mexico.  It isn’t that easy to get to the village, along dirt roads that twist and turn. But patience is rewarded once we arrive in this sleepy town on the East Cape of Baja, on the Sea of Cortez.  

I expected beauty, but I hadn’t expected the calm and peace that prevailed—for things  are kept simple.  The little bungalow we rented was solar powered, and the manager explained that although the sun was bright and power was regenerated every day,  we still needed to be frugal.  That meant charging our phones and computers during the day, and unplugging all appliances when not in use.  Oh… and not to keep the refrigerator open as we perused the food inside.  Simple things that made a difference.

In a small village, cars weren’t necessary.  Walking to the beach, or to one of the few little bars for a cervesa overlooking the sea was easy. Trails up the mountain were plentiful.  And breakfast was just the basics:  Egg, avocado, tomato, served on a homemade corn tortilla.  Nothing else was needed.  

 I brought my electronics and music to keep us entertained, but I should have left them at home.  The roosters and birds in the morning, the sound of the breeze blowing through the trees, the nearby horses neighing was enough to create emotion and inspire me for the day. In in the evening the dark night with minimal light from the village, created a star show that was better than scanning TV for something to keep me occupied.

My Cabo Pulmo experience made me think of the nonprofits we help --- who burden their vision with unnecessary phrases, overbuild websites with too much content, and complicate their message.  It is easy to forget that emotion and connection is actually created through simplicity.  Less is better.  Getting down to the essence of an organization with sharp clarity is what brings a sense of connection. 

I felt connected to Cabo Pulmo through its simplicity of place.   For nonprofits I offer a gentle reminder to connect through less words, and offer to your friends, funders and partners more clarity and emotion.

If you need any assistance creating a clear story of who you are through your vision, tagline, website or any communication tool, give us a call.  Keeping things simple is what we do for nonprofits.

www.hcollaborative.com or call Tom ( 503) 781-5989 or Mary Anne (503) 708-9239

Why Your Donor Appeal Must Apply Fly Fishing Logic

I watched the fishermen casting for steelhead along the banks of the Sandy River.  The hooks on their rods featured a colorful array of eggs, lures and flies.

Some of the rods bobbed up and down on occasion. Others stayed quiet and unbending as the winter waters rushed by.

To me, the whole scene symbolized the essence of creating a successful nonprofit donor letter.

Simply put, it's all in the appeal.

When you think like your prospect, you hold the power to create the right attraction.

Back to the analogy here: why does a 27-pound steelhead salmon gravitate toward the gold flash of a lure versus the red and yellow tails of a fly?

This is something you or your writer needs to know before a Word doc ever gets opened to craft that fundraising letter.

Do research.  (And if you haven't done any recent focus groups with your donors, clients or partners, we can help with that.)

What matters to your existing donor base? Are there any specific examples? Inquire of your staff what they hear at your organization's events and gatherings.

Are there specific outcomes to talk about? Have you made significant social impact with data to back it up? Can you show your prospect what kind of return comes about from their giving?

To stay with this analogy, cast, cast and cast out again until something takes a good...strong...bite.

Undoubtedly, it's emotional, balanced with some logical.

That's what moves we humans to action.

As certain as the Sandy river flows day and night, every nonprofit has its own "unique" appeal.

When that appeal is found, it can be the Holy Grail for consistently funding your programs and services. When not, it can be as elusive as that 27-pounder that got away.

~HCollaborative.com~

Jan-Feb 2016 Newsletter, Vol 1

http://eepurl.com/bP6bjv

Nonprofit Executive Directors: Do You Notice the Little Things?

The Art of Observation...

 February is a beautiful month to visit La Paz, Mexico. The air smells fresh, clean and cool, by Baja Standards, and yet you only need a sweatshirt in the evenings.  It’s a nice respite from the rain of the Northwest.  I’m here volunteering for a nonprofit organization called, Centro Mujeres, helping this dedicated group of people  with branding and communications.  It’s rewarding work, supporting human rights and social justice for women.

 I have the afternoons off, so we head to the nearby beach of Tecolate where I like to look for seashells.  During the winter, however, it is especially hard to find these tiny gems of beauty. My search this February  proves quite challenging. But I persevere hoping to discover the hidden, tiny pieces of coral and spiral shells buried in the rubble of the sea debris.

 And soon I am rewarded and fill my tiny bag. Inside it, I see a miniature and delicate world of tiny clam and limpet shells, brightened by shards of red coral. My process isn’t difficult: I sift through the sand carefully and capture the wonder of these shells. As I walk back to the palapa, I think of all the times I did not notice the simple little things around me basically because I wasn’t looking.  

The work of nonprofits is especially demanding, and often there just isn’t the time or energy to stop, pause and take in the small pieces of the organization that sometimes seem humdrum.  The work of an Executive Director is to see the big picture, the overarching strategy and vision. Yet pockets of great creativity surround us at neighboring desks and cubicles. There is so much to appreciate and value if we simple pause a moment and observe.  

 As a branding and marketing strategist, I am humbled to learn from skilled artists, illustrators and master storytellers, who notice the little things intuitively. A simple turn of a word to create compelling messaging, a singular sketched line that evokes the emotion of the concept--it seems to come so easy to them.   And then there are the rest of us, a little more left-brained who have to work hard to see the patterns -- the ebb and flow of tiny things that together create beauty. For we are the more logical, analytical and objective types.

 Which brings me to this suggestion... Today, let's challenge ourselves to open our eyes and notice the subtlety of things that work in concert to create harmony in our jobs. Let’s perfect the art of observation. Perhaps these 3 guidelines will help you:

 1.  Take the time to find patterns. Think forest and not individual trees, looking for the synergy and collective rhythm of things to find the big picture.

2. Notice the details that together create the whole.  Each part contributes.  Honor the role even tiny components play in your next strategic or project plan. But remember that alone they are only data points. The sum is greater than the individual parts.

3. Read about social intelligence and try to improve your skills.  This means noticing the little things about your  co-workers....eyes that sparkle when they are doing passionate work, but dull when stressed or burned-out.  Subtle changes in behavior we need to notice if we care.  Empathy makes a difference.

 I guess the key is to open our eyes and our senses. Then, we will see the intricate weaving in the background waiting to be discovered and treasured, just like my shells on the beach of La Paz. 

How a Picasso Painting Got Me Thinking about Nonprofit Marketing

Nothing like a trip to the art museum to get your synapse firing away.

Such was the case for me and my close friend this past Friday evening at the Portland Art Museum. Took in work by Degas, Renoir and Pablo Picasso. (Yep, his painting above was on display.)

Being the marketing guy that I am, I wanted to know a few things about these works in general and the artist in particular.

As I strolled through the exhibition rooms and viewed various works of art, I asked myself what was the artist experiencing at the time he created his work?

Was he brooding? Angry? Joyful?

And what, if anything, did he want to communicate on the canvas with his brush strokes of color?

Were there any obvious hints?

Needless to say, I was not a fine arts major. In fact, I probably know just enough to be labeled as "extremely dangerous."

But it got me thinking about the audience for a recent nonprofit project my partner and I started working on. Specifically, what are these folks thinking?

How do we create meaningful (the operative word) messaging to engage this target market?

What motivates them?

What keeps them up at night?

How does our nonprofit's mission help them out?

And most importantly, why should they care?

Then I was reminded of a saying I have on my desktop:

“The one who asks questions doesn’t lose his way.”

– African proverb

Good questions always help steer you in the right direction. In fact, it's something top-notch marketing folks have always known.

My guess is that you do as well.

So the next time you find your nonprofit marketing efforts a bit off course, be brutally honest.

Have you asked the right questions of your target audience?

Do you really know what they are thinking?

If not, find out.

You'll be better able to emotionally connect with them.

And that is true art on any marketer's canvas.

~ HCollaborative.com

The Curse of Nonprofits: Not Enough Time To Get It All Done

The Curse of Nonprofits: Not Enough Time To Get It All Done

You see the long  “to do” lists., You know everything is a priority. But where oh where are you going to find enough time to get everything done.  Sound familiar? I’ve heard myself saying those words countless times in my 20+ years working in the healthcare and nonprofit world. 

The result? It causes me stress, I get less than a good night's sleep, and I find myself getting  “snippy” when people talk with me -  thanks to that feeling of being overwhelmed. Sounds like whining, but it’s the truth.  Often it just doesn’t seem there are enough hours in the day for nonprofit leaders.

I think part of the problem is the reality of our  American business model.  We don’t take vacations to recharge, we bring our work home, and we put in more hours a day than any other culture.  What is wrong with this picture? 

Attitude about work.

Today in the United State there is a belief that being a workaholic is a good thing.   There is an inherent bias in our culture to do more.  Strong Type A personalities who never stopare seen as an asset to a company.  Our culture is one of the worst in the world when it comes to work-life balance.  It took me 30 years to finally get off the treadmill of trying to prove to myself and others that  I worked harder than anyone else, so I must be better.   This is warped productivity… on steroids.  

Research actually shows that workers do better and become more productive when they take breaks, when they use their vacation days, when they work reasonable hours in a day.  The folks who do this also have fewer sick days.   

What I have learned is that any organization, be it a nonprofit or a corporate entity, will take as much from you as you are willing to give.  So that means to some degree it is always our choice.  Easier said than done, but I repeat we do have choice to reclaim work-life balance so many other workers enjoy around the world.  And I know your next words,  “but you don’t understand the culture at my workplace, there is an expectation to work long hours, to take on extra projects.”   Again, you have choice even it means finding a place where work-life balance is respected.  Fortunately, more and more leading and profitable companies as well as large mission driven organizations acknowledgethe reality that workaholics aren’t good for the business. 

How do you make that shift toward work-life balance? Here are two steps:

STEP1:  Change how you think about work.  Workaholics benefit no one.

This is all about classic time management,  which is often difficult to practice.  But the truth be told, it is not the workload itself but how we do the work that results in not enough time to do everything.   And it comes easier for some people than others.  It all depends on how you are wired. 

I’ve always liked Stephen Covey’s approach.   I’ve used it off and on throughout the years, as it helps me to prioritize.  I have a cherished family member who has ADHD and he states when people tell him to prioritize, he can’t do it.  Everything seems equally important.  Yet, this little chart, which one can reference every morning, helps him discern how he spends his time. 

So when  there is just too much on the plate, and I don’t have enough time, I bucket things using Covey’s quadrants, or my own.  Instead of just asking myself what is most important to do given limited time, I make my lists, and then code them by my own categories: now, later in the day, tomorrow, later in the week.   I revisit those lists  each day as things can shift.  But I love being able to check off those tasks at the end of the day,   that are in the "now" or "later in the day" categories.

A few other ways to manage your time efficiently and  to create more time in the day:

1)      Don’t schedule 1 hr meetings.  This seems to be the expected standard yet it isn’t necessary.  Generally you can get as much done in 30 minutes.  Try it.

2)      Delegate, delegate, delegate ( you’ve heard that) but I add a twist. Delegate and then don’t be a perfectionist about what is delivered – that may signify your ego is in play. 

3)      Find your own personal rhythm and ask or allow yourself to work those hours.  For me it’s about 7-3.   For others it may be 10-6.

4)      Create your own sign for your desk – “Quiet time please” or “don’t disturb I’m on a deadline”, or even use humor – “chillin right now”.  I always had a hard time with this.  With an open door policy and always wanting to be accessible – my staff and colleagues constantlyinterrupted me and dropped by anytime – and I never could get a project done.    It may be better to set up informal “office hours.”

STEP 2:  Change how you do your work,  how you prioritize, and always carve out some quiet time.

 There are many, many resources, books, videos articles about time management.  They primarily focus on how to find extra time and how to prioritize.  All good stuff, but I also want us all to remember one of the fundamental issues is our attitude towards time.  Go back to STEP 1 !!

Ending the curse does not take a monumental effort. By simply following these two steps, you'll not only enjoy your work day a whole lot better. You'll actually find how much more effective you are.

~ HCollaborative.com

2 Words about Creating Killer Nonprofit Content

Get emotional.

Or throw your content out the window.

You can't move people to action if they have not bought in emotionally.

The corporate world knows this (think Nike, Apple and John Hancock). And so do forward-thinking nonprofits (think "One", Charity: Water and Make-A-Wish campaigns).

"People 'buy in' with emotion.

They justify their decision to buy with logic."

Let's face it. We humans are emotional creatures. We feel fear, anger, sadness and joy. And that emotion is the most critical part of connecting with any person let alone your base.

The plain and simple fact is that if you don't connect emotionally, you don't connect at all. Your efforts are completely wasted.

No matter how brilliant your strategy is.

No matter how clever your headline is.

No matter how attention-getting your design is.

All of which means emotion needs to be the heartbeat of every piece of communication your nonprofit produces -- from emails to web content, flyers to videos.

The first step in building that deep connection with your donors and prospects is to put yourself in their shoes. Get a deep understanding of them. Survey them. Talk with them. Eavesdrop on their online conversations. What are their concerns? What gets their blood boiling? How do they define joy?

When you understand their heart, you become a better and more effective communicator.

Every piece of content needs to start with that empathy. It needs to be part of the title or headline of your posts or mailers. And it needs to be in your opening sentence and paragraph.

Every. Single. Time. 

Without that emotion, you'll not engage. And they will hit the 'delete' button or move to another site in a blink of an eye. Remember: the average consumer is exposed to 362 ad exposures and over 5,000 brand exposures daily, according to respected research giant Yankelovich in a 2014 study.

Needless to say, it's crowded in the content cosmos. You greatly enhance the odds of your nonprofit's message resonating with your audience by getting emotional with them.

~ HCollaborative.com

Friend-Raising Drives Fundraising: Learn How

Again and again I hear the number one priority for nonprofits, after programmatic execution, is fundraising.  It is a constant focus and time consuming for all staff members, not just those assigned to fundraising.  But this is not news to all my nonprofit friends. What I want to talk about instead  is the reinvigorated role of friend-raising and the shortcut  to create those friends and advocates through wise and affordable marketing.    

It’s all connected, and trends indicate that nonprofits who invest smartly in marketing, or friend-raising,  often generate loyal brand ambassadors who in turn generate more charitable donations for the organization.  A number of articles have been written about the marketing/ fundraising connection. 

Tom Ahern, a leading authority on donor communications, states:  “The heads of development and marketing have to accept that they are oxen pulling the same wagon, a wagon labeled ‘increasing community support'."

Here's another credible website  that outlines the bridge between marketing and fundraising:  http://gettingattention.org/articles/871/fundraising/marketing-fundraising-partnership.html

In short, the article shows this simple formula:

Marketing   leads to    Friend-raising    leads to    Fundraising          

The challenge is that many nonprofits are not trained or experienced in marketing. They don’t know which techniques generate the most engagement to build relationships.  Nor do they understand the tradeoffs of various marketing vehicles in terms ROI. 

Here are a few guidelines and tips:

1.       Most charitable gifts are initiated by women, and many of them  hang out on social media.  Friend-raising is accelerated via engagement on social media.  It is critical that you have an effective social strategy and post consistently – 2-3x/week.

2.       People of influence with money can be easily targeted with a specific message via digital ads.  Find someone who understands SEO and who can help you with this powerful and affordable marketing technique.

3.       Professional individuals with financial resources often are on LinkedIn, so commit to 2-3 blogs/month.  It keeps you on the radar screen and people begin to understand the persona of your organization.

4.       Invest in a simple website and brand refresh.  Your site and messaging  must connect on an emotional level.  Most nonprofit websites are cluttered and lack a differentiating message.  Potential friends won’t engage with busy, hard to navigate sites.

5.       Offer more but smaller scale events such as sponsored happy hours or hosted wine tastings.  These   provide more opportunity to create a personal relationship with potential donors and do not require as much work to coordinate.

6.       And of course the cardinal rule, follow-up regularly with every single person you meet.  This is often accomplished simply and affordably with a templated newsletter distributed on a regular basis.  This is a must.

For help with any of these strategies, please contact us at:  maryanne@hcollaborative.  Helping nonprofits with affordable friend-raising  is in our DNA!

~ HCollaborative.com

Where To Find the Real Heroes

Every year in December, Time magazine publishes an issue that crowns its "Person of the Year." In 2015, names such as Pope Francis, Donald Trump and Caitlyn Jenner all made the ballot before the publication chose Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany as the distinguished winner for the year. While all of this is well and good, we think that the real "people of the year" are the unknown and unsung women and men of a not-so-glitzy world.

Each and every day, a group of people go to work with their hearts beating passionately about their mission in an anything but 9-to-5 workday. For some, the unwavering focus is on elimination of childhood hunger. For others, it is working tirelessly to help overcome injustice. And still for others, it means burning midnight oil to find life-changing answers to world health problems. Of course, we are talking about those rare and dedicated individuals who live and breathe in the nonprofit world.

No one better knows the phrase "so little time, so much to do." No one better understands the true meaning of "budget crunch" or "stretched thin." And no one better comprehends the idea of "overworked and underpaid" than these courageous souls fighting to do a "little bit of good" in an increasingly harsh and unforgiving world. There is no glamorous "awards" show to attend. You won't find them seeking the limelight for their own personal gain. Yet they get up every day and clearly embrace and live the words of Nelson Mandela who said, "We can change the world and make it a better place. It is in your hands." 

~ HCollaborative.com~

Self-Kindness Critical For Non-Profits In 2016

In spite of the joy and celebration that holidays bring, they can also be demanding, exhausting, and take a lot out of us. Simply put they can be stressful. For nonprofit organizations, who are dedicated to making the holidays safe, secure and special for their clients, there may be extra worries that take a toll emotionally and physiologically.   Many nonprofit staff and volunteers are truly heros or angels, giving so much to help others during this season.  Yet kindness to others is not the whole answer.   We also need to practice self-kindness, and January is a great time of the year, as agencies launch new initiatives, to remember the value of self-compassion and make it a priority too.

Brain research has shown that being kind is good for the body.  David Hamilton, PhD, has written numerous articles about the “Helpers High”.  The mapping of brain patterns shows that when people give to others and are kind - showing empathy and compassion- the chemical Oxytocin is released.  It has been the called the chemical of emotional connection.  And studies show that people who release the most oxytocin are happier.  This hormone has also been shown to boost the immune system and enable people to manage stress better. And Hamilton’s research points out that kindness gives us healthier hearts and can even slow aging.

 Being kind to SELF is an extension of this process. Giving to self is interwoven with giving to others.  The reality is that the positive benefits to the body from giving to others, is negated by too much cortisol in the body.  And what produces cortisol--- STRESS! Lack of self-care and self -compassion that may look like burnout from providing for others, is one of the prime contributors to stress.    The key is more than   coping with stress by engaging in positive physical behaviors, such as exercise, massage, and healthy eating.  It also needs to include changing our internal self-talk, which inhibits self-compassion.  Thiscan sometimes be the hardest to change.

So in 2016 if you are in the nonprofit or cause -driven world that already gives so much to others, start giving back to yourself:

1.        Cut yourself some slack – don’t be a perfectionist.

2.       Focus of what you do well, and celebrate your strengths.

3.       Forgive yourself if and when  you make a mistake… these are just learning opportunities.  And if you screw up, apologies are ok.  You don’t always have to be right.

4.       Don’t compare yourself to others.  You have your own journey.

5.       Be patient with yourself, and don’t set expectations that are unreasonable.

6.       Remember your path may have detours.  It’s o.k. to veer, wander, stray.

7.       Don’t worry about the past or future… that is wasted time.  Rather feel proud of what you do each day.

8.       Slow down, smile, connecting with your feelings in a positive way. 

9.      Focus on the emotion of hope and gratitude when you are feeling down or depressed.

10.    Give yourself permission to enjoy the moment of spontaneity.  It’s not always about reaching a goal!

Harmer Collaborative has a wonderful workshop for your staff about Self-Kindness.  It includes an individual quiz that helps staff understand the degree of self-compassion they have.  And provides practical ways staff and volunteers can increase self-compassion… in order to give to others. Call Mary Anne at 503-708-9239 or email maryanne@hcollaborative.com  if you are interested.  It is a New Years gift they will thank you for.

NON-PROFITS : Do Your Mission & Vision Statements Reflect Who You Are Today?

 The identity of nonprofits change over time. This is the normal and positive evolution of a nonprofit organization. Your focus when you first launched your organization might have shifted after a couple of years. This could be due to several factors including:

• Programmatic grants you received
• Change in leadership or board
• Discovering new research
• Finding a solution to your original problem

We at H Collaborative have seen this shift first-hand when we engage with boards and staff of nonprofits who are our clients.  They have asked us to help finesse and reposition the organization’s mission and vision to align with current and future directions.  When revisiting mission and vision statements, we like what authors Stan Hutton and Frances Phillips, in their Nonprofit Kit for Dummies, recommend to organizations. Simply ask these 3 questions:

• Is the problem we set out to solve still they key problem?  Is there a more immediate need that we need to address?
• Should we make the mission and vision statements more specific, or should we broaden them?
• Are the statements flexible enough to allow the organization to change and grow?

As we see it, a vision statement is your organization's calling card.  It is your key differentiator.  It is your value proposition with the community.  As you develop strategies, apply for grants and pursue your goals, you must always ask yourself if what you're doing fits within your vision.

Your vision statement describes the overall destiny of your organization looking into the future, while the mission statement outlines the present plan to realize the vision.  Your vision statement is "future-focused" and is your core narrative, while your mission statement is "present-focused" and outlines the current directions and what you do.

 Well-crafted mission and vision statements are powerful communications tools. They inspire people to engage with your organization. They create an emotional hook that makes people want to care and support the organization. They act as a compass to follow to meet current and future goals for your nonprofit.

 So back to the original question posed in this post? Do your Mission & Vision Statements reflect who you are today?  Are they current? By applying what we just discussed, you will have a good idea if perhaps it is time to revisit them. If you're not sure, we are more than happy to help you with a visioning session.

NONPROFITS: Boost Your Appeal With An Economical E-Blast

  Give your fundraising a push. Perhaps you didn't reach your end of year fundraising goals. MailChimp is a good option. There are ways to reach your audiences this winter.   Learn how to time to reach out to donors with a heartfelt message.

 “Yes,” you may be thinking, "but my organization has already invested in a printed appeal package, and we just don't have the budget for anything more.”

 An E-blast is a fast, inexpensive way to reach donors who are on the fence about supporting your cause, or who simply get overwhelmed by the business of the new year.  

 “An E-blast seems pushy,” you might wonder, “and we wouldn’t want to offend our donor base.”

 A warmly written, concise reminder of how much their good gift can do for those in need can be a subtle, yet effective, way of reminding donors of their own good fortune as the year begins.  

 “We already said everything in our end of year appeal. Why repeat ourselves?”

 There is no need to. Restate your organization’s achievements over the past year, and remind people of what’s on the horizon. Emphasize  your  plans for the coming year. This makes justifying the “ask” easier.

 “What if recent or incoming donors receive the E-blast  appeal?" 

Make sure that your list of non-respondents is as current as possible. The E-blast will acknowledge everyone who has supported your cause over the past year — particularly the latest donors, whose contributions may not have been recorded before the E-blast went out. Some overlap is unavoidable, but people will understand.

How can we create an E-blast in the next few monts?”

 That’s easy, too. Harmer Collaborative is happy to help you write and design a memorable message. We can refresh your talking points — and maximize the impact of your fundraising dollars. This is a wonderful — and amazingly low-cost — way to reach out to your donors one last time in 2015.

Can Youth Media Help Your Organization? Learn How

Digital storytelling isn’t just for adults. Nonprofits are increasingly putting cameras and recorders in the hands of young people. From WNYC’s Radio Rookies to the Bay Area’s Youth Radio program, organizations around the country are proving that the young people they serve can be some of their communities’ strongest storytellers.

Introducing youth media to your nonprofit doesn’t need to be complicated or expensive. Try hosting a one-hour photography workshop or an on-stage storytelling competition.  Storytelling can manifest itself in a variety of platforms, so whether your budget allows for new cameras or you’d rather utilize an iPhone, there’s flexibility in cost and equipment. Not tech-saavy? Try partnering with a local newspaper or university to hold media workshops or utilize a variety of online teaching tools produced by programs like This American Life and Transom.

Youth media cultivates a new generation of diverse voices while simultaneously producing marketing material, so you don’t have to sacrifice the bottom line. It’s not for everyone, but don’t let cost or lack of expertise inhibit your organization from exploring the strategic possibilities of youth media.

Links:

Radio Rookies: http://www.wnyc.org/shows/rookies/

Youth Radio: https://youthradio.org/

This American Life: http://www.thisamericanlife.org/about/make-radio

Transom: http://transom.org/

Changing of Seasons: Is There A Lesson For Non-Profits

A change of seasons gives us time to pause

With snow on the ground and the holidays now behind us,  I look forward to a new season.  Even as we enjoy the still of winter, we know that soon we will see the signs of spring.  Every season signifies a time of new beginnings.  

And we need to remember that like trees, each of us has our own time table for change.  We all have a different time for respite and a  time of active and energetic growth.  There is an ebb and flow.  Let's embrace today for the freshness it brings... opportunities for new growth. 

Strength in the Many, Not the One: 3 Lessons from Geese

As Americans we love our individuality—each of us following our own path to become heroes.  We are independent, free spirits, doing our own thing.  It’s the “Go West Young Man”– and “Pull Yourself up by the Bootstraps”  philosophy that is based on personal discipline and individual fortitude.    Yet in other cultures, the value and strength of the common is what propels the society forward.  This means collaboration and respect for the synergy of group endeavors--- which are preferred over the achievement of the one.

I thought about this, as I watched geese fly over the house this Fall morning.  In synchronization, the geese flew as a single flock, drafting one another for efficiency and power.  It was the collective that instinctively knew the way south, ingrained in the psyche of the flock.  Each year the rhythm and pattern of this flight is admired by those who watch, and intuitively I think we all know they would never  succeed in reaching their destination alone.  Together there is protection, security and strength, wings working in unison. 

The lesson is obvious.  In the struggle to compete and get ahead as individuals in the workplace, do we ignore the benefits of the team?   Perhaps we can learn from Latino, Asian, Native American, African and other cultures that honor and celebrate the community.  Let’s remind ourselves, that often the sum is greater than any one part. 

This fall as we admire geese flying overhead, let go of ego and practice these three principles:

1.    Ask for help from your colleagues and problem solve together vs struggling alone

2.    Volunteer for task forces and committees where projects are managed with group processes

3.    Remember creativity is often generated by diversity of thought – so welcome individuals from cultures different from your own and listen for new ideas