Create Smashing WHY-Based Donor Engagements in 2024
Here in the first days of 2024, talk about New Year’s Resolutions is still going strong. I, for one, love it, because I’m solidly in the goal-setting camp.
I know, I know—resolutions aren’t known for their smashing success rate. A Forbes article last month noted that on average, people keep their resolutions for only 3.74 months. If you set any 2024 New Year’s goals, then you are likely still on track this week… so, congratulations!
Even so, I keep setting resolutions. I find that it gives me something to aim for and even if I don’t see 100% success, I see progress. Slow and steady growth can produce some amazing long-term results!
I always start my resolution process by focusing on my WHY (à la Simon Sinek). It works like a filter for the resolutions I make. Almost like a pre-resolution checklist. My WHY provides clarity for the way I go about donor strategy work for nonprofits and the types of clients I want to work with in the year ahead. And it helps me set goals that line up with what matters most to me.
Many of you nonprofit leaders are likely doing the same right now. Your marcom team is setting the calendar for 2024 and getting all the pieces to fit. Which is awesome and needed! Planning is essential for keeping work on-track and achieving the goals for the year ahead.
But one thing I see in nonprofit marcom teams that isn’t so awesome is that the comms calendar is merely a glorified to-do list, full of tasks and entries like these:
✔️ send the email
✔️ post to social
✔️ update the auto-reply message
Now, all these tasks *need* to happen. Of course, you need to list them and remember to do them.
But does your team know WHY these things need to happen?
Do they see the big picture, how the emails, social posts, and auto-reply messages are part of a much larger strategy to build strong relationships with your missional partners?
Like Simon Sinek famously says, you have to START WITH WHY to make sure the things you are doing are leading to the outcomes you want to achieve.
There’s a certain sort of chaos that nonprofit teams operate under when the tasks are driving the WHY instead of the WHY driving the tasks. I talk to NP CEOs and directors who regularly see their team’s hard work produce:
❌ frustration from the daily comm circus
❌ discouragement from stagnant donation levels
❌ weariness from nonstop generic donor activities
Let’s resolve to have something different in 2024, shall we?
If you want to make sure your donor engagement strategy (your WHY) is driving your 2024 donor engagement activities (your TASKS), that’s what I do for nonprofit teams. Let’s talk about your donor strategy and your team’s plans for the year ahead.
Ready for more?
Here are two ways I can help you make your mission irresistible to donors:
1. Connect with me or follow me on LinkedIn.
That’s the first place I explore donor strategy ideas like these. Be sure to join the convo!
2. Work with me.
I help nonprofits already raising $1M+ annually to remove the mission-critical blind spots that keep their teams running ragged and their budgets stagnant. Should we work together? Let’s see! Schedule your 15-minute Change Chat by completing this form and telling me about your nonprofit and how you’d like to improve your donor strategy.