Not all non-profits are the same. For example, Charity:Water is a fundraising powerhouse.
Wondering how you can replicate their success (whether you're a non-profit or a start-up)?
1. Keep it Simple:
They focus on one thing - water. Everyone needs water to survive, but 1 out of 9 people don't have access. It's an obvious problem that anyone with a pulse can get behind.
2. Be Transparent:
100% of website donations go to water projects; the operational costs are covered by grants. People want to know where their dollars go, hence why Charity Navigator exists.
3. Be Clever:
In 2010, Eric Schmidt said, "Every 2 days we create as much information as we did up to 2003." You're competing with lots of conflicting messages to reach an audience that's all been infected with ADD. Before Groupon went sour, everyone loved Andrew Mason's quirky emails & culture (even his exit letter).
People want to be entertained. And, Charity:Water excels at entertaining.
Matt Damon goes on strike for Charity:Water. You can shop for cool brands like Jambox & Toms while supporting clean water. Their staff wished everyone a happy holidays in this video. They make charity fun.
4. Tell a Story:
"Human minds yield helplessly to the suction of story. No matter how hard we concentrate, no matter how deep we dig in our heels, we just can't resist the gravity of alternate worlds" - Jonathan Gottschall
Charity:Water tells its story through words & videos. In fact, they even make it easy for you to retell.
5. Make it Pretty:
Make a good first impression -- a nice UI & photos go a long way (but, no need to go Sally Struther's style with your photos)
6. Show Results:
Sharing the ROI is important. Showing it is even more important.
Charity:Water uses Google Maps (yea technology) to show donors exactly where their water projects are located.
Seeing is believing.
No comments:
Post a Comment