Who’s ready for resolution time?
As we head into the new year, it is a time for personal and professional resolutions and reflections. For some of us, professional resolutions in 2016 will be brand new; for some, they will be carry-overs from 2015; and for most, there will be a mix.
As I think about resolutions for Cause Collaboration and for our clients, I have a list that is a mixture of new and carry-over resolutions and recommendations. Without further ado … here are some resolutions I recommend for nonprofits and associations in 2016.
Tell your story and tell it well
I recently participated in a networking event where we were asked to pick a card with a saying on it from Ashleigh Brilliant that spoke to us professionally and use that card to introduce ourselves. I chose a card that read, “Words and things need each other … but many wonderful things have not yet found their words.” I still have this card front and center in my office because it is one of the main reasons I started Cause Collaboration. Many nonprofits and associations are doing amazing ‘things’ – fundraising, grantmaking, programs and services, lobbying, education, etc. — but they haven’t found the words to tell their story. Or, they haven’t found the correct words that resonate with their audience.
In 2016, I challenge you to work on finding your words. What is your organization’s story? What makes your organization different; what is your unique value? How are you helping your members and constituents, and what are their stories? Who is donating and why; what is their story? Use emotion when appropriate; always tell a truthful story; and share your story consistently with intention. Focusing on your organization’s story will help you meet your mission in 2016.
Create communications pieces that can be repurposed over and over again.
Have you heard the acronym C.O.P.E.? It stands for ‘create once; publish everywhere.” In other words, get the most bang for your buck. In 2015, I shared an infographic and blog on how to get the most bang for your media relations buck. However, the C.O.P.E strategy can be used across many communication, marketing and PR efforts. For example, let’s consider how you can take the investment in a white paper to many new levels: Your white paper makes a strong case for your mission. It is full of research, told in an appropriate storytelling fashion, and was an investment of time and money.
One option is to print the white paper for visits with constituents and place it on your website.
Another option is to do that and use the content to create an infographic for social media, create a webinar or talk from the content; pull from the white paper to write a blog post; turn the white paper into a video, pitch the media, and on and on.
Each time you create a marketing piece, think of ways it can be repurposed so you can spend your 2016 C.O.P.E.ing and getting the most bang for your marketing buck.
Educate donors on how the money is spent and the organization operates
As I read the October 2015 issue of the Chronicle of Philanthropy — taking a look at American’s faith in charities — I came across a quote from Laura Detrick, interim director of the Institute of Nonprofit Education and Research at the University of San Diego. She said, “The public doesn’t understand what nonprofits do. We’ve got to do a better job of helping them understand that. They love the high-quality services, they love that nonprofits act on the public’s behalf, but they don’t understand the business model.”
Does it dishearten you to hear that people don’t trust how our industry spends money? Have a few ‘bad-seed’ organizations ruined it for everyone? Or, could we — as an industry — do a better job of pulling the curtain back and ensuring our donors have a better understanding of how their donations are used (and I’m talking about more than the pie chart in the annual report).
What if your organization spent time in 2016 working on a communications campaign that aims to educate donors on the ins and outs of how your organization uses its funds? What kind of impact might this have? Perhaps your donors will become more engaged? Perhaps they will be able to carry your story and mission to others feeling fully-comfortable in explaining how your organization runs. And, perhaps you might find some gaps that you need to fill on your end.
Perfect the art of the thank you.
I’ve said this before, so I’ll keep this one short. Thank yous come in all shapes and sizes and there is an art to them. Learn and practice this art in 2016 and beyond. It is a communication skill that will always serve your organization well.
Make a communications plan and hold yourself accountable.
Another one my clients hear often. Putting a communications plan in writing and using that plan to implement tactics and hold your organization accountable (plus noting what works and what doesn’t) is an investment in up-front time that could save you time, money, energy and mistakes throughout the year.
Remember, plans should be flexible.
If you work in a communications role, you are probably like me – a planner. However, so much of what we do is putting a stake in the ground and testing tactics. If something doesn’t work, it isn’t a failure. It is an opportunity to cross that off the list and adjust your strategy. Holding too tightly to a plan created at the beginning of the year might do more harm than good.
Always check your analytics and returns on investments and be willing to adjust the course. If you make a plan for 2016, have a regular gut check and don’t be afraid to be flexible to accommodate timeline changes, environmental changes and changes you’ve learned from trial and error.
And, in the spirit of flexibility — and shorter blog posts — I will do something that really tests the type-A person inside me. Today, I’m going to split this post in half and share my final recommended resolutions after the first of the year (gasp!). Check back next week as I’ll discuss integrated communications, social media, membership retention, and defining the marketing function in 2016.
In the meantime, Happy New Year from Cause Collaboration!
