Last week I was headed out to the gym and found my car wouldn’t start. As we had recently moved to a new city, I didn’t yet have all my “regulars” in place. Luckily for me, I also have family here, so we jump-started the battery and headed over to their garage. A few hours later, I emerged with a fresh battery and a trusted place to take my car.
Why? Stellar communication while I was in the waiting room. Regular check-ins, quick updates, a couple of questions, and a nice place to wait made the otherwise annoying start to my morning comfortable. I shouldn’t have been surprised then by the hand-written follow-up note I received later in the week, along with a Seymour’s Garage magnet so I would have their contact information. Home run.
This same attention to communication is needed within the nonprofit community. With over 1.6 million nonprofits in the US alone, the field is crowded, and visibility is more difficult. You need your organization to be noticed and trusted. As with my auto repair experience, getting people to know, like, and trust your organization starts with stellar communications.
In this crowded nonprofit environment, I believe the best communication begins with storytelling. Want to let your community, volunteers, and donors understand and connect with your mission? Get your stories down and share them across multiple channels.
Leading with compelling communications is especially important as we head into end-of-year fundraising efforts. Stories help you demonstrate your impact and elevate your supporters, so you’re also hitting communication home runs.