CNS News

By and large, fundraising equates to great storytelling. Stories are how human beings learn and make connections, and studies show information shared through storytelling is better absorbed and evokes more empathy. All too often however, nonprofits make the mistake of confusing fundraising with marketing.

Great marketing strategies capture the attention of your target audience; they build people’s confidence in your organization and its services, and increase business. But fundraising should engage donors in their own story of giving and each message your donors receive from you should tell a story of impact—impact they helped create.

Use a story to connect your donors with one challenge in a way that makes both the problem and the solution easy to understand. Emphasize in your appeals how much you need their help and how their generosity will make an impact on the issue. Think: With a $50 donation, YOU can provide eyeglasses to a patient who can’t afford them.

Your thank-you letters are another opportunity to engage donors in their own story of giving so avoid patting yourself on the back and give your donors the credit.  Thank-you letters are a great time to bring them back around to the issue that triggered their gift in the first place. Recall the issue that you highlighted in your appeal letter, highlight the difference their gift made, and them for a job well done. For example, if your appeal letter asked for help feeding puppies, let them know how many puppies were fed last quarter and thank them for buying the food!

By taking a step back and making your donor the hero of the story, you’re bringing them closer to the impact and getting out of the way. Asking your donors to join your impact story is a lot less powerful than inviting them to be the hero of their own.

Does your mission adequately and accurately reflect your organization’s purpose? Is it succinct and to the point? Can you remember it without looking?

Your organization’s mission is the most important governing statement under the board’s responsibility. The mission (or fundamental purpose) of an organization should be revisited regularly to be sure it accurately reflects the work you do.

A strong mission will answer the questions of who you are, for whom your work is directed, where you engage, and the impact. The “what” you do are typically not included in a mission unless that really is the organization’s reason for being (for example, we exist to provide food boxes to citizens in need in Cal County). When a mission is memorable, it is short, easy to remember and sticks in the mind of the reader.

A mission should be broad enough that an organization can respond to new opportunities and changing environments, but narrow enough to clearly let people know what the organization is about.

Distribute a copy of this exercise (available as a PDF here) to each board member at your next board meeting. Take 10 minutes and ask the board to thoughtfully answer the questions. After the meeting, compile and summarize the answers for review at the following board meeting.

If necessary, identify recommendations for change and assign to a committee for follow-up. For fun, present the best mission haikus and drawings.

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Answer the questions below to the best of your abilities.
1. Without looking at your current mission statement, write the mission of your organization as you understand it.

2. Read the actual mission statement. How well does it capture the essential nature of the organization?  Is it succinct and memorable?

3. How well does the mission answer the following questions? Very Well, Somewhat, or Not Well?
— Who we are
— To whom our work is directed
— Where we engage
— Our impact

4.  Does the mission try to cover anything else? If so, what? Could these elements be included elsewhere, such as the vision or values statement?

In your own words, rewrite the mission statement in one sentence. 

Just for fun, can you haiku or draw your mission?
(Haiku format: 1st line five syllables, 2nd line seven syllables, 3rd line five syllables)
Example:
Arts communities
Building a vibrant city
Together we stand

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You can download this exercise FREE as a PDF to distribute to your board. The exercise is from our workbook, Board Management: 10-minute exercises to get your board working. It was developed in collaboration with Linda Golaszewski.

Across the state, local nonprofit organizations are working every day to strengthen communities, provide critical services, and advance equality and opportunity for all. They play a vital role in building healthy communities and improving people’s lives, and they are tackling problems we all want addressed like hunger, domestic violence, drop-out prevention, and college access.

In addition to improving communities, the nonprofit sector cultivates incredible impact on Oregon’s economies and workforce. To help you increase your understanding of the sector in which we work, we’ve compiled some size and scope data highlights for you.

What is the size of Oregon’s nonprofit sector?

• There are 19, 786 public charities in Oregon, both registered 501(c)3 organizations and “public benefit” organizations that also qualify for tax-exemption such as veterans’ organizations and social clubs.
• 194,360 Oregonians were employed by nonprofits in 2017, representing over 12% of the workforce in the state. By comparison, manufacturing represents only 10% of Oregon’s workforce.
• About 68% of Oregon’s nonprofits have annual revenues less than $100,000 and 90% bring in less than $1 million annually.

What is the scope of Oregon’s nonprofit sector?

• 61% of Oregon’s nonprofits represent the Health Care industry. In fact, the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan Inc. is the largest nonprofit in Oregon, with receipts totaling more than $66 billion.
• The next largest category is called “other services” and 13% of the state’s nonprofits fall into this area. “Other services” includes religious, grant making, civic, professional, and other various types of organizations such as The United Way, the Boys & Girls Club, and local chambers of commerce.
• Educational Services comes in third, accounting for 11% of Oregon’s nonprofits. This category includes nonprofit K-12 schools and colleges, sports training programs, and adult employment training providers.
• 4% of Oregon’s nonprofit jobs reside in metropolitan areas. In fact, 33% of all nonprofit jobs are in Multnomah County alone.

Having quality data at your fingertips allows you to see your organization’s thread in the greater fabric that is Oregon’s nonprofit sector. For more information that can help your organization gain context, download the resources below.

Oregon and Northwest-based nonprofit reports you should know about:

• Oregon’s Nonprofits in 2017 from the State of Oregon Employment Department
• 2017 Oregon Nonprofit Economic Snapshot from the Nonprofit Association of Oregon
• Trends In Northwest Giving 2017 by Philanthropy Northwest