4 Assumptions that Get Nonprofit Leaders in Trouble
Do these sound familiar?
Nonprofit leader, communicating your nonprofit's message isn't easy.
And it's even harder if you get stuck on one (or more) or these four common misconceptions about it:
1. “We do so much, there’s no way to communicate it all concisely.”
I get it—you should be proud of everything you do!
But…everyone doesn't need to know everything.
Your goal isn’t to communicate everything you do, it’s to share a message that resonates with the right people and draws them in to learn more.
Strong communication is about sharing what really matters with the right people for you.
2. "Our team needs to get aligned first."
You do need to get aligned, but not first.
A big part of what I do is get your team aligned so you can all speak/write about what you do, why it matters, and attract the right people with confidence and ease.
Alignment is hard to come to on your own because it's hard to read the label from inside the jar. My outsider's perspective is often the key to getting everyone on the same page.
3. "We’re too busy to take on another project.”
You're not alone. Every nonprofit leader has a to-do list longer than hours in the day.
But…your lack of clear messaging is eating up more time than you realize.
Yes, the creation of a messaging guide will add a bit to your plate at first.
But once it’s completed?
Everything gets easier..
• Your newsletter takes less time
• Your fundraising appeal needs fewer revisions
• You stop reinventing the wheel with every communication
A little up-front work frees up time for bigger and better things moving forward. And who doesn't need more of that?
4. "We don't have the budget right now."
I know. I've worked in and with nonprofits my entire career and I hear you.
As a nonprofit leader your most important responsibility is to figure out how to invest your limited resources.
And that’s why this is actually a misconception: investing in a messaging guide more than pays for itself.
Here's what not having one is actually costing you:
• Hours spent rewriting the same materials from scratch
• Missed opportunities to attract the right people
• Board members who describe what you do in five different ways
• Fundraising appeals that don’t generate what they could (even after eight rounds of revisions)
Not having a messaging guide actually costs you more money, investing in one will make everything else you do less expensive.
Are you making any of these four assumptions?
If you've ever said any of these before, we should chat.
PS: If you're wondering what it feels like to go through the messaging process, here's what one nonprofit leader like you had to say:
“Prior to working with Jordana, we had less consistent and unified messaging as a team, and our writing style needed an update. We needed help with crafting the wording of our mission, vision, story writing, and more, leaving us feeling frustrated. Jordana was delightful to work with—friendly, open, smart, thorough, and a good listener. Our team is all on the same page now; our messaging has been updated to be more universal and modern. While I was hesitant that it would not be worth the investment, the messaging guide is exactly what we needed.”
– Shari Mendes, CEO, The Lemonade Fund
After a decade as an in-house nonprofit marketer, Jordana Merkin founded Voice for Good to bring her insider knowledge and outsider perspective to help growing nonprofits like yours clarify their messaging to raise awareness and funds for their missions.
Her work with nonprofits includes messaging guides, communication strategy, and copywriting. (Learn more here!)
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