3 Tips to Make your Cause Stand Out
It is hard to stand out in today’s world. Hundreds of millions of accounts populate social media, thousands of media sources cover the news, and there is an endless number of websites out there. It may seem daunting, even impossible, to build a nonprofit and strategy that stands out amongst all of the noise. In many ways, it is true that standing out is far more difficult than ever before. The key is to find your audience and build your strategy on connecting with them. Here are three tips for making your nonprofit stand out so you can find and connect with your audience.
Let Your Donors Know They Make a Difference
All too often, nonprofits are a black hole that donors through money into without any knowledge as to where it will end it. Those donors typically don’t come back. One of the greatest ways to stand out is to share the details with your donors. Just like any investor in the for-profit realm, donors want to know how your organization operates, where it is going, and what it will do with their money. Inform your donors, and you will stand out amongst other nonprofits.
Key information that donors should be able to find quickly includes where does your funding come from? What is your plan for funding going forward How large is your staff? What roles do your staff members play? Where are donor dollars spent? What programming do you offer? And anything specific to your organization that is central to your functions. It is critical to give donors insight into how their dollars will make a difference. As discussed in our blog on showing donors the ROI, donors are far more willing to give when they can see exactly what impact their dollars will have.
Find Your Niche
It is no secret that many nonprofits have duplicate visions. Many nonprofits are seeking the same outcomes, but that is not a bad thing. In fact, it likely means that more people are getting the help they need. The issue for nonprofits is that it once again makes it hard to stand out. That said, many nonprofits have different missions, or paths, that they will take to reach their goals. Using the unique features of your nonprofit can help your organization find a new niche and grow your audience. Nonprofits are funded differently, allocate funds in unique ways, or even develop new and efficient strategies for instituting traditional forms of programming. Take a look at how you operate and think about how that connects with certain audiences, young, old, urban, rural, sports industry, veterans, the tech-savvy, digital creators, or more classic artists. Finding your niche can drive you forward.
Share Your Story
One thing that makes you original, is your story. Every nonprofit has its own story and its own stories about the people it helps every day. Storytelling is an effective digital media strategy because in all of the noise we hear online, personal stories still resonate. Personal stories get shares, likes, and attention from viewers. Taking the time to create, share, and update your story is important to find your own image but also valuable when seeking to find your audience.
Plus One Bonus Tip… Maximize your mouthpiece
While every organization competes for publicity and awareness, when you do turn on the camera make sure it counts. Don’t celebrate that you were on the local morning news by a high five with your team (okay, do that too), but make sure that it is shared across all of your social media and don’t be afraid to do it again a week or a month from now (unless it is about an event occurring tomorrow). Find ways to create partnerships in awareness building, do you operate a museum that sits next door to a hotel or apartment complex, make sure all your events are shared in the lobby or elevators, if it’s a hotel can they play a commercial for you on their hotel channel (it’s hard to believe how much these are actually watched). Getting publicity is great, but by sharing it across many platforms you grow your network, following and most importantly your future.
NMBL Strategies has worked with nonprofits for years, helping in some of the greatest nonprofit developments of the previous 20+ years. In that time, we’ve raised more than $100 million, developed millions of dollars more in earned income, and most importantly, developed the strategies and insights behind these efforts. Let us bring that experience to your nonprofit today and ensure your financial future is in good hands.
