Nonprofits: Your Donors Care About Excellence and Creativity. So Should You.

iStockPhoto

---

There's a whole lot of community organizations, charity groups, and ministries out there these days. One quick search across Google or your favorite social media platform will flood your device with more results than you ever imagined possible. The nonprofit market isn't just crowded. It's overflowing. Now more than any time in American history, people have a seemingly bottomless pool of options to choose from when selecting a charitable cause that is worth their personal financial investment. You may think that your nonprofit is special. And it very well may be. But, how you choose to communicate that to the rest of the world is critical. How you choose to differentiate it from the organization one city or one state over that does the same thing is essential. 

In an age where donations can be made with the click of a mouse or one tap on a smartphone screen, it's more crucial than ever for your nonprofit brand to stand out amongst the crowd. It's more important than ever for your voice to be heard amongst the cacophony of noise that engulfs the market. Strong branding will give your organization a professional and memorable face, establish and build trust with followers, boost your credibility, clarify your message, and — most importantly — increase donations. The latter will typically happen by default when the former things have been done well. 

The donor of today is not the donor of our parent's or grandparent's generation. With the implementation of modern technology, the Internet, and social media, today's donors have the option of giving to organizations clear across the country or on the other side of the globe. [This is just as true for churches, by the way.] Spatial proximity is no longer a requirement. Moreover, donors enjoy interacting and engaging with digital content from the organizations that they support. This happens on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, blogs, and half a dozen others. They want to see photos; they want to comment on videos; they want to read blog posts; they want to share reels and graphics; and they want to subscribe to podcasts. They have come to expect this level of professionalism and creativity from every nonprofit organization that they support and are typically looking to support more than one at a time. 

You may have a great group of leaders and an incredible mission statement, but if your nonprofit does not have a quality digital presence and strong branding, you might as well not exist. I have friends who have literally never heard of some organizations because those ministries are not on social media or do not have a logo or a website. These groups are doing phenomenal work, but, to most of the world, they are invisible. A recent report from Abila — which surveyed 1,136 people across the United States — confirms that "nearly three-quarters (72%) of donors say poor content affects whether they decide to donate to a nonprofit organization." Furthermore, 35% of those surveyed admitted that they would stop donating to an organization altogether if the content was "too vague."— donor-loyalty-study.pdf 

When I was studying public relations, broadcast journalism, and mass media in college, several of my professors had a saying. You've probably heard it before. It went like this: "Content is king."  But if there's one thing we've learned from the aforementioned survey — and through nonprofit work in general — it's that content also has to be unique, relevant, and excellent. Think about it: If your content is just like the other guy who does what you do, why should I follow you, much less financially support you? And if your content is awful and cheap, am I really going to hang around on your social media platforms or website? If your content is terrible or poorly designed, it does not give me the impression that you care about your own work, mission, or vision. And if you don't care, then why should I? 

Every day, your donors encounter over 4,000 digital and print ads. They are constantly bombarded by everything from TV & radio commercials and social media content to e-mail ads and even spam text messages and robocalls. If your nonprofit organization is going to stand out, then your content has to get their attention. The METHOD by which you share your message is just as paramount as the message itself. It's not just a matter of sharing your story. You have to share your story creatively in a way that connects with your specific audience and through a platform or medium with which they will want to engage and interact. And you have to do it with excellence and professionalism. 

Sadly, in terms of financial and quantitative resources, the nonprofit creative department usually comes out on the losing end. In fact, it's often the last thing in which most directors, leaders, and board members will invest. This should not be so. If you want to impact your current donors — and reach potential ones — then you need to devote time, money, and assets toward your creative team members and the strategies that they plan to implement. In the end, it's the creativity behind the message and the organization that will effect change and leave a lasting impression. It's creative storytelling that influences people. And that's what you want. 
​
Remember: Today's donors want to know that their dollars are making a difference. For that happen, your organization has to 1) stand out from the crowd 2) have a solid message and vision 3) be able to tell your story with creativity, excellence, and professionalism. Don't just say that you're going to do it. Get out there and make it happen.