We know how important it is to bring to life the faces of our clients, patients, students. . . those whose lives are different because of our mission.
People stories are the most common way to engage, inspire, and even brag about your organization.
But, there is another story topic that gets less air time. Your money story.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Your discomfort about money has a direct correlation to how much money you raise.
What is it that holds you back from sharing updates about reaching your financial goals?
____ I don’t know the numbers
____ I’m embarrassed talking about money
____ I don’t want to make others uncomfortable
____ All of the above
Please don’t be embarrassed talking about the fact that your programs require funding. How else will you raise the funds needed?
And for goodness sake, stop worrying about making others uncomfortable by talking about money.
IMPORTANT REMINDER: When you talk about “what it takes” to do your work you will be able to save and change more lives.
Three Simple Steps to Raise More Money This Week
1. Know your numbers.
If you don’t know how much you have left to raise by fiscal or calendar year-end, go find out NOW.
2. Share, often, “what it takes” and where you’re at in raising it.
Incorporate the “gap” between where you are today and where you must be into a story about a real person. Why? Your passionate supporters truly WANT to know what more they can do.
3. Keep your “money story” to 2 – 3 SHORT sentences as you share your people story. Focus mostly on the person and the difference you’ve made in their life.
Why do I continually ask you to get comfortable talking about money? Because it works.
Here’s a quick story from my email inbox from just two days a day ago from a CEO we’ll call “Kent.”
Lori,
Just wanted to share with you that our matching gift for our April event is now $500,000. A donor called me Friday and said that after hearing me share an update on where we are year to date with our $1,750,000 gap — she wanted to contribute $100,000! In the course of our conversation she asked if it could be used to leverage major gift donations at our upcoming fundraiser.
I thank you again for helping us realize the benefit of sharing the gap and coaching us on how/when to share it.
Bless you – take care,
“Kent”
In Lori’s free ebook Nine Steps to Successful Fundraising Campaigns, step # 7 is to keep your money conversation visible: in print, on your website, via multiple forms of communication. Transparency about the money your work requires encourages widespread participation.
