There’s no sugar-coating it: Nonprofits struggled in 2020. If you were like the rest of the organizations in the sector, you probably felt like you were in the the pilot’s seat on an airplane, constantly adjusting your course and constantly on the lookout for new storms, signs, and landing signals. You were looking back all the time to check that passengers were still there, while trying not to freak out.
While the pandemic created a difficult year inside and outside the nonprofit sector, it also taught us many lessons. We learned that we can’t change what’s happening outside our own bubble, but we are totally in control of how we show up from inside our own.
We were forced to change in 2020, and at one point or another throughout the year, we all found ourselves in one of the 3 zones of growth: The fear zone, learning zone, or growth zone. Looking ahead, though, you have two options: you can choose to show up with faith or fear. Operating on faith means you’re working based on possibilities. After all, every invention has come from a time of change, when things didn’t work. Operating on fear means you’re working based on a lack of possibilities, a fear of the unknown, and a fear of obstacles.
Get real in 2021
Things got real in 2020, and, interestingly, so did corporations, organizations, and people. The world struggled, and being there for each other in a real, honest, and raw way is how so many of us made it through such a tough year. That’s why 2021 is going to be all about creating a more authentic, human brand. Your nonprofit will need to shed outward appearances, get real, and get authentic as part of a brand pivot after COVID-19.
The science behind fostering a human connection
Everything we do (and your donors, volunteers, and stakeholders do) is habit. It’s driven by emotions (not so much by logical thought). The crazy thing is this happens in our subconscious mind! Our decisions to buy, donate, or volunteer is based on the values and behaviours that we experience.
For example, if I am an environmentalist, then I avoid plastic; therefore, I look for options to shop wastefree. Inevitably, that means I support organizations that align with my values.
As a nonprofit, it’s so important to show and demonstrate those values. And to take a stand without being afraid of objections or being afraid to offend! That means that we need to have an opinion.
Consider this: When brands demonstrate humanity, customers are 1.6 times more likely to purchase from them over competitors. What’s more, employees are 2.6 times more likely to feel motivated at work.
The problem is, though, that your brand is just a story in people’s minds. You need to turn that story into an experience because people are driven by emotions. By experiences.
You need to translate your brand into a feeling people get every time they’re greeted on the phone, see your brand on social media, attend a fundraising event, or read an email. Your tone, your voice, what you say, and how you say it matters.
The most powerful nonprofits influence people’s behaviors based on their emotional connection to their brands.
3 shifts that will help you foster real connections
Shift #1: Be the signal (not the noise)
Be honest: Are you showing up like a chameleon trying to reach everyone (with little success)? Or are you saying different things and standing up for something with a consistent message so more of the right people support you?
The market is flooded. You need to break through the noise. The only way to do this authentically is to be relevant to your specific audience’s needs, which means that you might have to stop being friends with everyone. You might need to offend people.
How do you do this?
- Step 1: Know your audience and their hopes, dreams, and frustrations.
- Step 2: Be aligned with their needs, purpose, and values.
- Step 3: Nail your message! Create a key message and sub-messages to reach your unique audience.
Let’s look at an example from my recent work with a nonprofit:
A nonprofit organization provides 1st step to recovery and shelter to individuals with drug addictions. However, treating drug addiction is a complex topic and many people in the community felt frustrated, believing that the organization was enabling rather than being part of the solution. This situation made the organization realize they were only focusing on one audience (their clients). As a result, a secondary audience (the downtown businesses) felt ignored. Identifying this audience and creating relevant messaging and education for them helped the community see that the nonprofit is actually a valuable part of the recovery model that led to less crime, saved tax dollars, and a more supported community.
Shift #2: Become irresistible
If your stakeholders are tired of your exhausting membership drives and fundraising events, it might be time to transform your offerings and become more irresistible.
In short, it’s time to become the organization that people love to support/join.
Here’s how:
- Step 1: Determine what your audience needs most and how you can support them to get closer to their dreams
- Step 2: Identify transformations. (Rather than talking about tangible benefits, like hours of counseling for example, share before and after stories that connect hearts.)
- Step 3: Develop your offer according to your customer’s journey and audience needs.
Shift #3: Find your focus
Switch from exhausting and disjointed everyday tactics this year to having a focused branding and marketing strategy, as well as focused systems that support your vision. If you’re feeling burned out or stuck in the mud because you’re running from one thing to another without much rhyme or reason, you might be in desperate need of a focused strategy with an overarching plan and goals.
- Step 1: Develop overarching goals and themes.
- Step 2: Identify the best strategy to reach your goal.
- Step 3: Identify supporting processes and systems. What touchpoints do you need? What can be automated? What tools can support you?
Create a strong brand foundation
It’s time to get on the human level by getting real with your audience. Raising your brand with a relevant message, an irresistible offer, and a strategic plan will help you nurture and relationships and build trust. A strong brand foundation helps you communicate your vision and find the right people to support your cause.
Kerstin Heuer helps nonprofits to create brands beyond the visual so they can connect with the right people to support their cause. She is a co-founder of Non-Profit Today and creator of the “5 Pillar Social Media Content System” and “Brand to Impact”, the branding program for small non-profits. With over 25 years of industry experience and lessons learned from work on 500+ non-profit projects, Kerstin is skilled in collaborating with NPOs to make sure they have a clear message and the traction they need to spread it. Connect with her on LinkedIn or email her at kerstin@non-profit.today.
