Effective Donor Messaging in Nonprofit Marketing

Introduction

• Speaker: Kelly Ghanian, Founder of Great HQ
• Focus: Effective donor messaging in nonprofit marketing
• Goal: Break down the kind of messaging needed to attract donors, what it looks like, and how to do it
• Key Themes: Consistency, best practices, and effectiveness

Importance of Branding

What is a Brand?

• More than just a logo
• Visual representation of how you want someone to feel
• Represents your agency
• Should evoke a feeling or experience immediately

Key Traits of a Solid Brand

• Sets you apart and makes you recognizable
• Helps maintain recognizability and consistency across all communications

Problems with Non-Consistent Branding

• Multiple people creating content leads to inconsistency
• Creativity can sometimes harm recognizability (too many fonts, colors, styles)
• Consistent branding ensures that content is instantly recognizable as coming from your organization

Elements of Branding for Nonprofits

• Tagline: Concise statement that encapsulates the mission or vision
• Tone/Voice: Should be consistent across all communications (websites, newsletters, social media)
• Visual Elements:
  • Three to five colors
  • Up to three fonts
  • Use your own stock photos
  • Ensure consistency

Communication Through Branding

• Brand communicates the experience people get when working with you
• Reflective branding connects audience experience with the organization’s mission

Cohesive Messaging

• Use repeated key words from mission or vision statements
• Create a list of reflective words and incorporate them into all marketing materials
• Messaging should transcend services to communicate the feeling and support provided

Internal and External Branding

• Use brand fonts and colors for all internal communications as well
• Attraction marketing to retain or attract new donors (not immediate sales)
• Consistent and meaningful donor messaging is crucial

Examples and Scenarios

• Fundraising Event Example:
  • Instead of directly selling tickets, highlight the impact of the event
  • Use specific stories (e.g., benefits to clients, supported through the fundraiser)
  • Attract through meaningful storytelling

Equipping Staff and Board Members for Donor Messaging

• Everyone should participate in donor messaging (not just the development person)
• Use personal, specific stories (why they got involved, their experiences)
• Organic and personal storytelling is more effective than grandiose organizational history
• Encourage practice and regular discussion on donor engagement stories
• Example of an ineffective message (