Through work with our clients and research I’ve done as an instructor at Rice University for nonprofit executives, we’ve identified 5 distinct messaging milestones that every nonprofit, regardless of size or age, must successfully navigate to protect its bottom line. Even legacy organizations that you may think have reached a safe status must regularly defend, sometimes even redefine their relevance to remain healthy and sustainable.
We’re dedicating the next five episodes of Minute with Messaging to exploring each of these growth and renewal periods, as well as the communication strategies they require. I’ll be joined by nonprofit leaders who will share their experiences along with some practical advice.
Let’s start with our first milestone cleverly named, The Beginning.
In The Beginning, passion for what the organization has been formed to do is in abundant supply. Its founders are driven every day by what they see as missing. While exhilarating, evidence of the nonprofit’s impact is a long way off and even services may not yet be fully operational. Overcoming this messaging milestone requires clearly connecting the dots between needs not being met and the innovative solutions your organization offers.
Enlisting the enthusiasm of third-party advocates is also important to this early-stage milestone. Beyond the organization’s own leadership, how can participation of community influencers be encouraged so that they can speak enthusiastically about why your nonprofit has their support?
Please meet Hillary Gramm, Executive Director of Higher Up Texas. Just 5-years-old, Higher Up Texas provides High School Seniors and graduates. with essential life skills.
Hillary: At 18 the world expects a lot out of somebody. They expect them to understand. Finances, how to propel into a professional career, access higher education, give back to their communities and be an overall amazing human being. Higher up Texas teaches teens how to adult.
Kelli: How did you in that early messaging also distinguish yourself from organizations or other organizations people might equate you to?
Hillary: If someone just picked up a flyer off the ground that was explaining higher up Texas. It had to be very palatable. It had a fresh flavor. Something that youth would be interested in. It’s important that it’s something that everybody can understand. But at that it also stood out. So, using more like adulting. Oh, everybody is, that’s a new phrase, but it makes sense and it’s a really great conversation starter. It was really important that it had some jumping points to the next step. Then I can explain to you what the class entails and how students get involved in the program.
Kelli: Can you please describe how you began by leveraging the passion of your volunteers to create fundraising opportunities, before approaching some of the more traditional routes like foundations or even corporations?
Hillary: It all started with friend raising. And it really was my friends. And my friends and then companies I had worked with in prior organizations that I knew were very generous and that they aligned with, wow, we really have a hiring issue right now. There’s not enough young adults who are ready for these positions so this was oh this is an investment for the next future of employees come in and be a speaker in our class. Because you can’t just go up to people and ask them for money. So, you have to start that ripple effect. So I’m about building deep relationships that are long lasting and have a good return on investment that are long lasting and have a good return on investment because we are long lasting and have a good return on investment because we are so small that I have a good return on investment because we are so small that I have to really, good return on investment because we are so small that I have to really, be authentic and genuine in all my interactions and, and really align with potential donors who are already having a good feeling about the organization, and already had a touch point, multiple touch points.
Kelli: So, what advice would you give to a brand-new nonprofit that’s starting out, in terms of its marketing communications?
Hillary: We had to create a really great name, a great logo, social media presence, a website. Like I didn’t do it piece meal. I was all at once. The package. Because you only have one chance to make a first impression. And, I remember starting the social media accounts being like, oh my gosh. Page has 0 followers except for myself. And I just, I really did a lot of grassroots. Okay, friends on Facebook, everybody like the page and invite people to like it. And my friends easily did that. So within like a day it was like at 800 likes in one day.
Kelli: I think you make a really good point of Have your story together, have at least your initial channels of communication looking sharp and then building from that and that grassroots networking really is a strong strategy in the beginning.
My thanks to Hillary for her thoughts. Higher Up Texas may be in The Beginning milestone of its messaging, but not for long.
I’m Kelli Newman and this has been a Minute with Messaging™. To learn how your organization can benefit from Newman & Newman’s marketing communication strategies, I invite you to contact me, or any other of our team leaders at NEWMAnandNEWMANinc.com.
