Tag Archives: mission

Check out my latest journal article: “Watch Your Language!”

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Have you heard of The Philantrepreneur Journal? Published by The Philantrepreneur Foundation, this quarterly digital publication contains informative articles on timely topics, features industry leaders, and offers great resources.

I have a full-length article In the Fall 2015 edition, titled  “Watch Your Language: Develop Messages that Speak to Today’s Readers.” Check it out on pages 26-28!

(To get you started, I reprinted the first several paragraphs below.)

Are you and your organization prepared for the big changes underway, as our world becomes more collaborative, open, and blended?

Or do you find yourself stuck in the conventional model of philanthropy: asking wealthy institutions or individuals for ‘donations’ and ‘gifts’ in closed, one-way transactions with little interaction?

Today’s social entrepreneurs are not interested in handouts, and neither are their supporters. Both groups are looking to contribute to an evolving world of partnerships, social enterprises, and even crowdfunding. They recognize that they are all components of a healthy system that turns resources into community outcomes and impacts. They each contribute unique value that makes the organization much more than the sum of its parts.

You can join this “changing landscape” by making a few simple mindset shifts, reflected in the words you use. (Hint: You’ll find some of these keywords in italics below.)

I’m talking about a new way of thinking about and expressing our collective place in the world. That is, a new kind of positioning, outreach, marketing.

But before we get there, let’s clarify that “marketing” is not a nasty word or a sleazy necessary evil (read: snake oil salesmanship). Rather, it’s about entering into an exchange where everyone wins. When you express such an exchange in writing, I becomes all about sharing information and passion about your work with interested readers so that they, your clients, and your larger community can all benefit. Through this exchange, you will have become true partners in the endeavor.

Your job is to show that your organization is a trustworthy, inspirational partner. And you need to demonstrate how your reader’s investment (of money and/or time) will get real results that they can be proud of.

To do that, your copywriting must position your work as cutting-edge. It must start to engage new and varied audiences. And it must help your organization become a respected thought leader in your field.

I call it the ABCs of Copywriting for the Social Sector:

Read the rest of the article on pages 26-28…

Ask Dalya: How can I tutor and support someone else in writing a needs statement for our grant proposal?

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Q: How can I tutor and support someone else in writing a needs statement for our grant proposal? No one ever seems to feel like they can do it.

A: The needs statement is one of the core elements of a grant proposal, but it doesn’t need to be a scary piece to write. In fact, the simpler the better. I use (and teach) a 5-part system for putting together your proposal’s priorities; two of them relate to the needs statement:

Facts and Figures: This is simply the context you are in. Who are your clients/participants? What are the top few issues they’re dealing with? What are some current trends that make those issues so pressing? Are there research data or statistics that can back you up?

Importance of the issue: If you were telling a stranger why they should care about this issue what would you say? Don’t assume the answer is obvious. If they asked you, “So what?” would you have a clear answer? Outline what is at stake if that issue were not addressed. If you’re proposing a specific project or program, talk about how it’s a priority for you in working toward your organization’s overall mission.

Here are a couple of examples: Continue reading →

Have you advanced your organization’s mission today?

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Have you advanced your organization’s mission today? Your readers are eager to know about it!

Every outreach or fundraising piece you write needs to speak to your organization’s reason for existing in the first place. That is, each page should remind your readers that you never forget what you set out to do in your community.

Every values-driven organization has a specific mission to make a positive difference in the world. My guess is that you already know what yours is. You may not have memorized your official mission statement, but you are clear on the essence of your organization. Your mission, after all, is a key part of your organization’s brand.

To your readers, your mission (or perhaps some particular aspect of it) is the heart of the matter. They want to hear that it is central to everything you do. They want to know that your work continues to be relevant to their lives and the life of their community, even as times and circumstances change.

There is no shame in reminding yourself of your organization’s mission statement once in a while. Some people I know even plaster it on the wall or make it their screensaver to keep it at the top of the mind and on the tip of the tongue.

Your mission should inspire and motivate support and commitment from those who share your concerns. Your organization’s name alone should cause your mission to spring to mind.

However, if you — and your colleagues — do not revisit your mission statement regularly, and ideally fine-tune or update it on occasion, you can get stuck in out-of-date patterns of branding. This is true for both start-up organizations (whose missions are usually still evolving) and more established groups. For instance, a client organization of mine had focused for decades on the needs of all low-income families, but recent demographic changes in their county compelled them to focus on new immigrants, with the associated cultural and linguistic challenges.

Even more dangerously, if you are not careful to monitor your work in light of your mission, your organization could easily lose its sense of direction. The Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland summarized why you need a strong, relevant mission: “If you don’t know where you’re going, it doesn’t matter which way you go.”

Of course, your readers might not come out and ask, “What is your mission?” Instead, they might want to know what you do (how you benefit your clients and the community), how you do it (products and services featured in your work), and why you exist at all (why you are needed).

Help them out by frequently reminding them of your goals and how you are consistently making progress toward them. You cannot assume that your readers will instantly recall who you are or exactly what you do — and that includes both die-hard supporters/patrons and casual online surfers who may have stumbled across your website. But repetition will certainly help!

Here are some tips for maintaining a focus on mission in your copy… (Read more on the GIFT Exchange blog)

 

Please join me and the Grassroots Institute for Fundraising Training (GIFT) on September 13th for my webinar, “Writing to Make a Difference: How to Create Fundraising & Outreach Materials that Get Results.” Click here or give Ryan Li a call at 888-458-8588 X301 to register or for more info.