During our recent webinar on How To Attract Monthly Donors, one of our participants asked, “Our nonprofit is not a direct service provider. We help to coordinate the service providers, so we can’t say ‘$5 provides this service,’ etc. Do you have any examples of other orgs that have figured out good ways to market this kind of work?”
This is an excellent question. When fundraising or planning an event, it is obviously harder for nonprofit organizations without direct services to generate support and enthusiasm for their event or cause versus those who have a direct service-based mission. But it’s not impossible. Shifting your perspective on what and how you are communicating can help you grow awareness and gain people’s support.
What Is Your Mission?
Take a look at your mission statement. Then review why you exist as a nonprofit. Try to generate a story or example of the impact happening because of what you do and the service you provide, even if it is not direct service. If you coordinate services for others, then have one of the organizations you work with provide a testimonial of how important you are to their mission.
If your organization does not have people on the ground doing the work, then ask what would happen if you did not exist. From there, you can generate an impact case that will help you better ask for support. Monthly donors will get involved if you can clearly state your organization’s impact.
Remember, just because your organization isn’t building water wells in another country or feeding the homeless doesn’t mean you don’t play an important part in building a better community or region. Identify what that is. Then you can tell people about your cause or nonprofit event and they can get excited to support it!
