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Helping you win loyal friends through your communications

Another Nonprofit that Gives Value to Donors

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cancer researchLast week, I told you about a nonprofit doing donors communications right. MassCOSH tells me what my donations are accomplishing…and uses appealing spokespeople to do it.

Here’s another example of a nonprofit giving value to donors through its communications. Who knew that a cancer group could be so generous to donors?

Everything You Wanted to Know About…

The Prostate Cancer Foundation knows they are not working on a sexy topic. Cancer isn’t appealing. Prostate cancer mainly affects older men, and we are nobody’s idea of a cute poster child.

But if you are in the demographic that has to worry about prostate cancer, you really want information. The Foundation makes sure you get it.

I open my mail and look at the Foundation’s newsletter. I get detailed articles about:

  • a new drug approved for specific types of prostate cancer
  • a new study–June 2018–showing that activating a man’s own immune system in a precise way can help cure some kinds of cancer (maybe including prostate)
  • a new imaging method that may let us identify prostate cancer much earlier than we can today

The Value of Being Informed

There are many organizations that can make donors feel smarter, wiser, more in the know when it comes to public issues. That’s valuable to donors. It makes them grateful to your nonprofit and more likely to give again.

When it comes to cancer, donors like me have to think, “Better information could save my life.”

What can you give your donors that will capture their attention like that?

 

A Nonprofit Doing Donor Communication Right

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My wife and I have been proud of supporting MassCOSH for many years because they keep workers safe on the job. Now, I am proud of them because they’ve sent me two shining examples of how to do donor communication the right way.

Inform first, ask later. Click To Tweet

The Nonprofit, in the News

MassCOSH has a great program called Teens Lead @ Work. If an adult tells a state legislator that a workplace is unsafe, sometimes the legislator wonders if that adult has a hidden agenda.

Teens are straightforward and believable. When they speak up, their voices carry a lot of weight. Especially when they combine research with personal experience and make a passionate presentation, they can be the best advocates for a cause.

MassCOSH mailed me an article showing how fifteen-year-old Josh Ramirez and his fellow Teens Lead advocates are spreading the word at their schools and preventing teens from being killed at work. Attached to the article was a sticky note, saying simply, “We wanted to share this with you!”

No request for donations. Not even a reply envelope. This time, they’re giving something to me.

The Summer Intern, in the Story

Abigail Barton came to MassCOSH as an intern at the beginning of the summer. I know because she wrote and told me so.

Throughout the summer, I heard from Abigail in the mail: about the skills she was learning and about the values that working at the organization was solidifying within her.

I am so excited to see what the future holds, but I also know that I have a responsibility to fight for a future that’s fair and just. I don’t take that responsibility lightly.

Again, no “ask.” No appeal letter. But when MassCOSH sends its year-end appeal, I will remember Abigail. Wouldn’t you?

In fact, if the organization doesn’t mention her in its appeal letter, I’ll be very much surprised!

Donor Communication Done Right

Before you ask your donors for any money, first ask yourself: what have I shared with them? Did I let them know the impact of their gift? Did I make the donor the hero of the story?

If not, take a leaf from MassCOSH. Send your donors something they’ll value right now.

See how much of a difference it makes in December!

 

Fundraising Tuesday: Do Your Donors Need Watering?

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watering plants

Tend your donors all year round

I put a plant into the ground.  Then I forgot about it.

The sun baked it.  It drooped.  It withered.

Oops!  Well, no problem.  I’ll just water it now.

Wait, why isn’t it coming back to life?

When your organization ignores a donor for months at a time, you are scorching and burning your relationship.

You may get lucky.  Their feelings for you may be so hardy that you can bring the relationship back to life with a really good appeal.  Most often, though, you’ll be watering a dead plant and wondering why it isn’t growing.

Real communications are the water of life.  Give your donors some water every week, and watch your relationships flower.

This post first appeared on Communicate! in 2016.

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