Does Messaging Really Matter for Your Fundraising Results?

by Beth Hershenhart, founder and CEO of Innovative Resources Group
Innovative Resources Group works side-by-side with organizations to build the important philanthropic relationships that fund their impact.

After decades of nonprofit organizations spending handsomely on an evolving array of tactics and tools to increase their revenue, what if it turns out that it’s the wording and design of the organization’s message that makes the most difference? What if well-crafted, impact-focused, forward-looking communications turn out to be the key driver behind raising more money from philanthropic investment?

In Innovative Resources’ experience working with over 300 diverse nonprofit organizations, we have found that it is the crisp message communicating the unique value and impact of an organization that most resonates with donors and prospects alike. And it is those organizations that consistently stay “on message” that are the most successful in growing their philanthropic programs.

As a board member, development committee member, CEO, or Chief Development Officer, you are bombarded with the conventional wisdom that nonprofit fundraising success requires you to “brand connect”, but no one really tells you how. Most donors will not respond in the way you want them to unless you can have a full-on transference of mission to their hearts and minds. It is the succinct, mission-driven, consistent communications that are the secret ingredient that give rise to passionate, year-after-year loyal donors.

We know well that getting messaging right is challenging. The reality for most nonprofits is that their messaging is all over the map, as is their ability to select and communicate their funding priorities. Many organizations simply lack the wherewithal to get communications and branding done well or, worse yet, done at all.

There is a constant refrain that we all must tell stories to convey our message; however, attempting to drive philanthropic investment armed only with unfocused, disconnected storytelling will yield disappointing results. Stories must be elegantly crafted to drive prospects to make a meaningful philanthropic investment.

Chief development officers, program staff, and often development committee volunteers labor at writing detailed cases for support resulting in manifesto-like campaign cases that donors skim without any detectable increase in their passion for the project or campaign. It’s unfortunate but true that what the traditional case for support does is ineffective, and quite frankly bores the prospect with too many statistics and too little focus on future impact.

The imperative of crafting effective messaging for nonprofits inspired me, when I was starting my consulting practice, to bring top creative services talent to our firm and focus on message and prospectus development, and donor-inspiring websites and microsites.

Why? The single most important action to empower your board members, campaign volunteers, and CEO to take the first steps toward cultivating, engaging, and asking for investment is a succinct pitch deck and a prospectus that intrigues potential supporters. It is that simple. No one feels prepared to ask for funds without it. Whether it is used to engage prospect interest in a Zoom meeting or an in-person visit, having compelling materials will motivate volunteer and senior staff action. Further, your campaign volunteers will not feel ready until they have talking points to complement the prospectus that guide them as they deliver a strong call to action for everyone who believes in the value of your mission.

We have found that the prospectus should not focus on campaign financial goals but rather develop an easy-to-digest comprehensive five-year funding visual illustrating how the revenue you are asking for will change lives and have a super-charged impact for your nonprofit. Being transparent about money, candid about challenges, and honest about the potential impact is essential to motivating your board and volunteers to actually take action.

If you decide that hands-on help is needed to corral your organization’s strategic message, should you hire an ad agency, a public relations firm, or a development consulting firm that specializes in writing for development? Our experience shows that there is a place for all these services—but development writing and design are unique.

Specialists in development materials craft compelling talking points and content for all channels of campaign and stewardship communications. They can produce the communications strategies, implementation plans, and the actual materials you need to drive philanthropy, social impact, and corporate social responsibility dollars to your organization. Not advice about messaging, but the actual messaging. Effective communications are not one-size-fits-all. Development communications is a hybrid of information sharing, persuasive selling, and testimonials that speak to your impact. It is a unique beast, and your organization will be best served by partnering with development communications experts, rather than generalist communicators.

What you don’t need is an expensive printed “view book” or a lengthy case for support with very few inspiring details about what the new revenue will do to transform your impact. Innovative Resources Group has partnered with nonprofit organizations for over 32 years who saw the value of a development consulting team that specializes in creative services, as well as campaign counsel.

Do you want to try to move from siloed fundraising to a comprehensive campaign approach? Take a look at this case study on how we communicated a holistic approach for a 150-year-old Napa Valley Episcopal Church.

When your year-to-year revenue generation results show that restricted grants won’t support the core capacity of your organization and government support continues to diminish, it’s time to buckle down and develop a whole new way to communicate and build a major donor program from scratch. Here’s how we helped a NYC-based nonprofit developing clear messaging to engage first-time prospects and volunteer leaders to assist in asking for philanthropic investment.

It's essential to have a crisp, clear, easy-to-navigate Giving page on your website that shows how to give non-cash gifts that will be most tax advantageous to your donors, such as gifts of appreciated stock. This is one we created for a nonprofit that provides essentials of daily life to those in need.

Traditional cases for support often focus on the organization’s history—they look back rather than forward. For reasons that are a mystery to me, there is a worry about getting specific about the dollars needed and how they will effectively transform the organization. Here are two forward-looking prospectus examples that are honest about revenue required, and transparent about challenges to be faced.

Environmental Organization Transparent and Candid Prospectus
Private School Forward-Looking Prospectus

Example of an effective impact-focused giving microsite: giving.brandeismarin.org