Why use the ‘WHY’ in 2015?

Have you heard about the ‘why’? And why it’s so important to find the ‘why’ of your organization in order to raise more money? I guess you do. You’ve probably read about it in books, or heard about it during conferences. You’ve maybe even organized a workshop about it with your colleagues. And if not, you can learn all about it in just 15 minutes via this great TEDTalk of Simon Sinek.

The last few years I’ve seen a lot of NGOs starting the journey to find their why. For some, this journey took place on a bumpy road. Mostly because finding the why of an organization is one thing, but making every single colleague enthusiastic about using it in their daily work is another. Most of the fundraisers I’ve met, believe that the why is the future for NGOs. And I believe they’re right. Having said that, I often see them struggle implementing it in such a way, that it will be measurable and profitable. Here’s my attempt to help them with that.

1. Shift from technique to content

For a lot of fundraisers, technique and process are leading within their strategy. Didn’t we learn that we can often find the solution in the data? If you want the why to be part of your fundraising strategy, you have to make a shift though. To content. Not just the content that, if you put it in the right position with the right picture next to it, will open wallets. But content that expresses your purpose and your belief as well, that aims for the reader’s heart. (OK, I guess this one probably wasn’t shockingly new for you. But you’ll probably agree that it has to be part of every fundraiser’s thinking when starting a new fundraising activity).

2. Measure revenue per donor as well as per activity

Since most fundraisers still work with the donor pyramid, they focus on how to upgrade their donors from the lower, to the upper levels. They measure return on fundraising activities and techniques. When focusing on the why though, and therefore inspiring and committing people with your beliefs and dreams, chances are high that donors will enter the pyramid on higher levels right away. Wouldn’t it be more logical then (or at least: more interesting), to measure the return on a donor as well as a single technique? And to measure the extent to which a donor is interested in your why? Because, a high level of interest could lead to a high(er) revenue per donor.

To put it in other words: if you don’t measure this, it could happen that you analyze a technique as unprofitable, and therefore stop using it. While it could be that you just didn’t focus the technique on the right target group, the group that shares your why. And after you stopped using the technique, these donors will not be given the chance anymore to give to your why again. Wouldn’t that be a pity? And more important: potentially lead to less profit?

3. Start with a single campaign first…

A sudden and complete shift to fundraising with the why is not recommendable. At least, not in my opinion. Testing ways to share the why with (prospective) donors successfully, is a better option. Most of all, because it’s low-risk: implementing the why in a single activity and see how it works, will give you the opportunity to change your approach in the near future. Without having spend a lot of budget. It’ll help you and your team to collect learnings, and transform them to better ways to commit donors to your organization. It’ll provide you – step by step – with information you can use to develop a profitable annual fundraising program.

4. …and only then implement it in your annual fundraising program

See 3 😀

5. Finally, implement it in your organization

Since we’re all fundraisers, seeing the why from a fundraising perspective would sound logical – whether it’s a single fundraising campaign or an annual fundraising program. But of course there’s more to it than just fundraising. Working with the why will only succeed (and be profitable) on the long term, when it’s visible in each and every activity. When it’s part of every team member’s thinking and behavior, whether it’s your chairman or your receptionist. You need to prove that using the why is not just another new ‘thing’ or ‘trick’ you use to raise money, and that the why really is what you are. And I think that is what (future) donors are looking for nowadays. They’re waiting for your sincere invitation to join you to realize the dreams you share.

And isn’t that what fundraising is all about, in the end?