Nonprofit Tip: Don't toot your own horn

After reading that headline, you may be asking yourself what we are talking about? How else will anyone understand the great things your organization is accomplishing if you don’t tell them? Before you take these thoughts much further, let us point out that we do believe that you need to explain to your donor base how their support is impacting your organization, but what would happen if this explaination didn’t come from you? Third-party opinions tend to carry much more weight than your own. This is exactly why you go to a friend when you need a recommendation on which roofer or handyman to hire. You don’t trust what the roofer or handyman has to say nearly as much as your unbiased, trusted friend who has personal experience with them. What if you appealed to your donors using someone else’s words? Next time you have an appeal letter or email to write, consider telling the story through a volunteer, or interview someone who was changed or affected by your organization—use a true proponent’s voice to appeal to your audience.