As a director of development, you’re probably familiar with using stories to convey your mission to your donors. In fact, at many (if not all) of your meetings, you likely use stories to convince donors why investing in your organization is important. However, not every story needs to be told via word of mouth or through a book. Your organization likely has resources available that will help you more easily tell your story, no matter where you’re meeting.
The best part? All you’ll need to take advantage of these resources is your phone or iPad.
The first and most important tech resource in your arsenal is your organization’s website. Your website is not just a way for supporters to find you— it’s also a valuable marketing tool when you meet with donors. When you have the ability to refer to your website during the course of a meeting, it’s a powerful way to showcase what your organization is doing, and how your mission has an impact on the community. You can pull up relevant site pages, copy and email blog posts, and even show off your donate page.
However, if you’re showing your website to potential donors, you should make sure that it sends the right message. Take a minute and ask yourself what words come to mind when you think of your organization’s website. If it’s not projecting the message you want, you may want to consider a website overhaul. You should also make sure that your site is optimized for mobile viewing, so you can easily pull up the site on your phone to show potential donors.
You can also use other resources like images and videos to tell your organization’s story. If you’re able to bring a phone or iPad with you to your meeting, you can pull up a video or slideshow about your organization to show to supporters how their funds are being used. Seeing visuals of how your nonprofit works, and the people involved will also enhance your donors’ connections to you and your organization.
Another way you can take advantage of your tech resources is by pulling up crowdfunding campaigns to show how your organization is currently raising support. By showing potential donors campaigns that your other supporters have created, the potential donors have the ability to see someone else who cares deeply about your organization. It can be incredibly helpful to be able to read a supporter’s thoughts about your organization in his or her own words (which most fundraising software platforms, including our GiveSuite, allow) and to see how much progress has been made on a particular goal. By using technology give a glimpse of your passionate supporters, you may be able to inspire that passion in a potential donor.
Your organization’s resources exist so that you can use them. Your website, media outlets, and even your fundraising software can all help you engage your donors and inspire them to invest in your organization. By leveraging these resources, you’ll be able to build a strong, connected network of donors who are aware of, and passionate about how your organization is changing the world.