Do you want to receive grants? This is the one change you need to make.
Here in the non-profit world, we have become quite adept at following rules and completing instructions. I am not here to advocate throwing all these off, but I do fear that we have lost our sense of story. Think about it. Why are social networks flourishing? People want to know about what is truly occurring, even if just in 160 characters or less.
It’s time to listen to what donors and research are telling you. Story-telling. It is becoming vital to fundraising success for ministries to rethink their communication. Unfortunately, many ministries do not realize how dire this need is, because on the surface it seems they have things down pat.
Let me illustrate this with a short story:
I have served as a grant-reviewer for the past five years at the Servant Christian Community Foundation for their annual awards. My passion is ministry, so I rather giddily anticipate the week when grant-proposal reviews begin. Though grammar mistakes are the bane of my existence, I genuinely strive to see the best in these proposals; I want to know more about these great servants of our community.
Last year, as I was reviewing, I came across the perfect proposal. It really was perfect. They had answered each of the questions beautifully in perfect paragraphs. Pertinent statistics were included in all the right places, and they provided nice short testimonies to complement the statistics. From most standpoints, it should have been a compelling proposal.
Yet somehow, I found myself dissatisfied but even a little concerned—and not just with this one proposal. In a sense, I fear we see the greater reflection of the non-profit world in that proposal. As someone whose job entails working with ministries seeking funding, I continue to see this illustrated.
Most ministries I talk with quickly deny that this is even true of them, but I am issuing a challenge to the non-profit world. Stop. Think about. It’s time for a perspective shift, as I will continue to reiterate this summer. Are we truly telling the stories of value? Or are we just looking to punch the right buttons on the ATM machine that we also call ‘donor’?
It is okay to talk about passion. It is okay to risk a little vulnerability. The masquerade of perfection fools no one. Stories talk about real life. Stories invite community. Maybe your donors need you too. Maybe they need to know your story to see where they belong. Remember, there is value in the rules, but let us use them as tools, as part of the greater vision.
In one of my previous posts, I invited those reading to share their stories. The offer still stands. It is not a sales pitch. I want to know more about the individual stories occurring; it helps me serve you better. Let’s talk. It’s time to start this dialogue towards telling stories and better communication.
--Jessica High manages research and marketing at Christian Foundation Grants (www.christianfoundationgrants.com) which is a subscription database of foundations that provide grants to faith based organizations. iDonate.com is a website (www.iDonate.com) that allows ministries to receive non cash gifts online