Guest Blog Post By Kristin Hess, Indiana Humanities

“I think the biggest problem in the world is lack of communication.” – Jerry Adams

As a communications coordinator for a small nonprofit, this is something I often find myself agreeing with.

It’s safe to say that most people don’t support organizations they don’t understand. So it’s worth remembering that if we aren’t communicating effectively with our audiences and peers, then we’re not supporting our causes as effectively as possible. Most development occurs because of everyday communication and building relationships, so focus on being strategic in the ordinary and let the extraordinary follow.

I’m not sure I can single-handedly solve the biggest problem in the world, but here are my top 10 tips for being a whiz-bang communicator (which must be some step in the right direction!):

1.  Use lots of pictures & few words.
I bet most readers will skim this post to glance at the pictures instead of clinging to my every word. Photos and graphics help provide context, attract attention and explain information in a new way. There’s a reason people say a photo is worth a thousand words. Take meaningful photos and explain information graphically whenever possible.

 2.  Don’t do all the heavy lifting alone.
Collaboration is key. Communicate with your peer organizations. Share. Work together. The synergy is amazing and opens the door to incredible new audiences. Be the best partner you can be and work together to support and communicate your missions. As a small, 5-person statewide organization, our team quickly expands through collaboration. Strategic partnerships allow you to reach more people and create more innovative programming and events.

 Visual of the corporate and community partners who came together to support and participate in recent program here at Indiana Humanities called Food for Thought.

3. Explain the basics again and again and again.
While you may be able to mutter your mission statement in your sleep, the same isn’t true for your audience. The more people remember, the more they share and feel connected. Don’t be afraid to reinforce your mission, programs or work in a variety of ways. Remember: everyone doesn’t learn the same way, and your message rarely sets in the first time.

 Here’s a preliminary sketch from a brainstorm on ways we could better explain/display our mission statement to make it more digestible and the final product (rack card). 

4.   Be the first follower.
This video is a riot and holds some deep truth. Sometimes supporting the work of others helps communicate the type of organization you are. Be a leader through following, supporting and collaborating in your own unique way. 

5.   Be specific- one thing at a time.
Keep it simple. Don’t list 10 programs to support in one sentence. Be clear. Be concise. One message at a time. Make it easy on people!

6.   Get personal.
Tell stories. Use quotes. Share photos. Quantitative information provides an awesome structure, but give your mission life with human voices and faces. It’s ok to highlight your audience, employees and board members- remind your audience that you’re composed of real people and not a faceless organization.

7.  Say it with a twist.
Try something new and give your communications tools a bit of a twist. What’s a tiny way you can tweak the norm to stand out? 

I love this video because it explains an organization’s work in a powerful way using text and music to evoke a unique emotional experience far from sputtering the typical “what we do” speech.

8. Is it elevator and Twitter friendly?
From elevator speeches to 140 characters, we value brevity. Be sure your talking points and messages match this. 

9. Think like a human. Communicate “with” not “to.”
Speak to your audience in a way that’s truly authentic. Communication means exchanging information, not lecturing or overwhelming your audience. Acknowledge your audience’s point of view. Have a discussion. Ask for their feedback. Speak to their concerns. Learn from them and make adjustments. Use their voices and input to describe yourself and create events and programs they desire.

10. Be yourself.
Blah, blah we’ve heard it a million times, but that’s because it’s true. Look at your strategic plan (and if you don’t have one, make one). Figure out how to support your vision, leadership and future. As nonprofits, we’re all created differently to fulfill a unique need, so be the best different you can be. 

Kristin Hess is a communications and program coordinator for Indiana Humanities, a small, statewide nonprofit that encourages Hoosiers to think, read and talk. 

One of the most popular blog posts Achieve has written was on some of our favorite donor landing pages. As these online giving continues to rise, these landing pages are becoming the central hub of any multi-channel fundraising campaigns. It is vital you get it right.

Every channel a potential donor uses may contain different messages, so when they arrive at the landing page, they should all be able to understand how their donation will make an impact and why it matters.

View the presentation below to see our donor page checklist and walk through an example of what makes a really great donor web page successful.

*To view the presentation larger click the button in the bottom right corner to enter full screen mode.

One of the best parts of my job, beyond working with some great clients, is traveling to speak about the latest trends in fundraising and millennial engagement.  After most presentations, individuals will come up to personally ask for advice. I love this one-on-one time with the the participants willing to wait in line just to get one burning question answered.

Many of these conversations start with an all too familiar opening…. “My organization is innovative because…” The organization then goes on to describe why they feel their services are unique and unlike any other nonprofit. This claim of innovation is becoming more and more common.  While some nonprofits may have truly unique program models and delivery approaches, often these claims start to sound the same.

Just now I did a quick online search and found 3 nonprofits with the following prominent statements on their website:

We are an innovative organization pairing youth with adult mentors throughout the city.

We are an innovative organization designed to help people to self-sufficiency.

We are an innovative nonprofit working in economically disadvantaged community to help people come together to solve social problems. 

The further I looked into each organization’s website, I started to read the same things over and over again. As I continue to come across these self-titled innovative organizations, I thought it was time to discuss what truly makes an organization innovative. 

Innovative Nonprofits Find Creative Solutions
Organizations are driven by leaders will to take risk and are at the forefront of new ideas to make their organization’s work better in the community.  Innovation doesn’t mean you create a process and come back to it 5 years later to see if you should still do it.  You continue to work on that process and make the way you deliver services better every day.   You are not satisfied with “it is what it is”.

They Are Not Afraid to Test New Concepts
Organizations that are not afraid to test a new concept with the thought that you may fail are innovative. They go into research and development with a true testing approach and ask themselves to push the envelope and actually deliver in order to determine if the current work should change.  Innovative fundraisers say, we will test text to give platforms and learn from the challenges or successes.  In essence, innovative organizations never say “I wish we would of…”

They Know to Pivot When Needed
Organizations that know something is off, don’t wait till next month’s board meeting to talk through it.  They pivot now in order to optimize results for the board when they meet.  They change when change is necessary and are not afraid to make the move in order to get a desired result.  Innovative nonprofits understand the changing dynamics of the current environment and know that today’s complex challenges require a more efficient and effective system to change.  Innovative organizations will never say “We need to hold on that idea till next month…”

Ultimately, Innovation Speaks for Itself
To me, innovation comes from others who tell their networks about an innovative organization they have encountered; not from those that self promote their practices as innovative. If you are truly innovative, you don’t need a statement telling us this. Your organization’s actions will speak for themselves and others will let you know because they have not seen anything else like it.

For more on innovation, read the following article on Fast Company about innovation in the DNA of companies and organizations: The DNA–People, Processes, And Philosophies–Of Innovative Companies

Share with us your thoughts on innovation in the comments or on Twitter with @achieve_consult.

Achieve had a great time meeting fundraisers from around the world at the annual Association of Fundraising Professionals Conference. What an inspiring group of people!

To read some of the highlights check out our collection of tweets from the conference including lives tweets from Charity Water founder Scott Harrison’s keynote. (Don’t have to be on twitter to enjoy!) AFP Tweet Recap

We also hosted a great tweet-up gathering social media and nonprofit lovers at Moose’s Down Under! Check out a recap of this fun night. 

Want to learn more about the session at AFP? Here is a recap from the Chronicle On Philanthropy with links to blogs about a wide variety of great sessions and speakers.

Did you attend AFP? What was your favorite part? Tell us in the comments or tweet @achieve_consult.