Episode 58: Increase Your Organization's Engagement: Grow Your Individual Donors

Is your fund development strategy focused on the most lucrative area? 69% of donations to nonprofits come from individual donors. Less than 17% comes from grants. Learn how to increase the return on your fundraising efforts by growing your individual donor base.

LINKS:
YouTube Nonprofit Program
Google for Nonprofits
NONPROFIT SPOTLIGHT: Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation

Podcast Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:04):

Welcome to On Air with Amber Wynn, where nonprofit leaders learned to fuse passion and commitment with proven business strategies to create long-term funding, impact, and sustainability. And now here's your host and resident Philanthrepreneur, Amber Wynn. 

Speaker 2 (00:25):

Hey, fam. I'm back. Amber Wynn. And today we are going to talk about increasing your organization's engagement; how to grow your individual donors. So, so much time and energy is focused on getting grants. People get their 501(c)(3), and the first thing they want to do is get a grant. Amber, how do I get a grant? Oh, I need a fund development person. And here's the reality. 69% of revenue for nonprofits does not come from grants. It comes from individual donors. 69%. Like that is the majority of the funding. And if you're focusing on grants, then you're putting your energy into the wrong place. If the majority of the revenue that comes into nonprofits come from individual donors, that's where you should be spending your energy. That's not to say that you should not be, that you should not be securing grants, but all of this energy goes into securing grants, and grants are literally about 19% of the revenue. So today we're going to talk about how you can increase your organization's engagement with individual donors. We're going to come back and we'll dive right into it. 

Speaker 3 (01:47):

Are you a nonprofit organization with 501(c)(3) status? Are you using video to promote your cause and attract donors? If you answered yes to both of these questions, then the YouTube Nonprofit program was created, especially for you. The YouTube Nonprofit program allows you to activate your cause, broadcast a compelling story, and launch an effective campaign via YouTube. The program gives nonprofits access to YouTube tools that most users don't get; an embedded donate button, call to action overlays, annotations, live streaming, and access to a community forum. So take advantage of this program for your nonprofit and you can really see the results in your video and overall communications. 

Speaker 2 (02:27):

We're back. You're On Air with Amber Wynn, and today we're talking about how to increase your organization's engagement and grow your individual donors. As I said before the break, the most giving comes from individual donors, over 69%. And so I want you to spend your time where you'll get the most results, where you get more return on your impact. You can spend all of this time and energy doling out money for grant writers to get grants that's super competitive. If you are brand new, you're less likely to get the grant. So why not spend your energy in a place where you're going to get better results? If 69% of revenue for nonprofits come from individual donors, why not spend your time there, right? In the meantime, you'll be building up your track record for success so that when you do submit for grants, you're going to be more competitive. 

Speaker 2 (03:27):

I'm just trying to get you to create a different strategy and look at things from a way that's going to propel you as opposed to where you wearing you out. Because writing grants takes a lot of time between 20 and a hundred hours, depending on if it's a foundation or a government. So one of the most impactful ways of increasing your engagement is through videos. The sponsors that we have on today's episode, their YouTube for nonprofits and Google for nonprofits. So really pay attention to those commercials and really look at how you can leverage videos in those instances to increase your engagement. As you already know, living in this world, that viewers have a short attention span, right? It's like, what, eight seconds or something like that if that long. And videos tend to capture people's attention far more than pictures or texts or letters or things of that nature. 

Speaker 2 (04:28):

So, I'm going to encourage you to check into videos. Things like testimonials. Testimonials allow for people who've gone through your programs to talk about you. It's one thing for you to say, I'm the greatest thing since sliced bread. It's another thing for a person who's gone through your program to say, this changed my life. I mean, completely changed my life. Before I was destitute now I'm working with this organization. I have a job, I have a home. I have a bright vision for my future. So videos work. Videos if you're talking about your programs, you know can demonstrate your programs like with B-roll. B-roll is when you have pictures going on and then there's a voiceover. People can see what you're doing in action. So videos are very, very important. Social videos generate 1200% more shares than text and image content combined. 1200%. That is huge. 

Speaker 2 (05:32):

Viewers retain 95% of a message compared to 10% when reading it. There's a big difference. People learn in different ways. When there's a lot of text, you tend to just get caught in your head, where when you're watching it, it's active and you get to see it. I am a visual learner. It's one of the reasons why I don't read blogs. I will listen to a podcast because it's active. You're listening, right? So I want you to think about how you can tell a sexy compelling story. People don't want videos where it's just you've got individuals standing there holding a certificate. What is it that you're doing? Let people see what it is that you're doing. And most importantly, like if you heard on the YouTube nonprofit commercial, and you're going to hear with the Google for Nonprofits, put those videos on platforms where individuals are going to be. You know that YouTube can access a lot of people, you know that Google can access a lot of people. 

Speaker 2 (06:37):

Put those videos up there. They have special features for nonprofits. You heard it before. You can click on here, get overlays, click on here, get a donate button. Create those videos, create those opportunities to engage with your individual donors. Let them get intrigued and excited, and then use these platforms to then start a relationship. I had an episode talking about the newsletter. You can put a short video in your newsletter, let them get excited about what it is that you're doing, and then up under that video, just have a donate button. What happens is people get excited and you want to capture that excitement, but what also you can do with the video is to tell your story. Tell it in a short amount of time. I'm sort of like I do with the nonprofit spotlight on my episode. They're under two minutes. 

Speaker 2 (07:30):

People get to hear the story, they get to hear their impact. You can do the same thing with your videos. I see a lot of times on websites, pictures are good, because funders and potential clients, they get to see who it is that you're interacting with. But videos are better. They get to hear emotion. They get to see emotion. They get to see what's going on at your organization, and they have the opportunity to respond because now you've evoked some type of emotion. So think about it. There are resources out there because you're a nonprofit and because marketing platforms want to lure you in. So they'll have things like, there's a free version, there's a free level. Use it. For me I started off with Animoto, and Animoto has a free level. It has Animoto logos on it, right? They get you to go to the next level. 

Speaker 2 (08:27):

You can remove the branding, that's fine. No one cares. Listen, you do better when you have it, but at the beginning, if it has a little logo on there, just they know you're a nonprofit. But there are so many resources out there now that weren't when I first started, where you can get free video. There's another one out there that I use. It's called Screen Pal. It used to be ScreencastoMatic. And Canva also has where you can do videos. So, leverage these resources because you want to increase the number of individual donors that give. The other thing I wanted to mention, and I think I've mentioned it before with the e-newsletter, you get to learn what your individual donors support. You get to learn who they are, how often they give, what they give to. If you have a video of a young lady or a young young man talking about their dreams and their aspirations, you get to see on the back end with the metrics what they clicked on. 

Speaker 2 (09:34):

If you have an article about leadership development, you get to see what your individual donors click on. So that's the beauty of the e-newsletter is because in the background, whether you have constant Contact, Active Campaign, MailChimp, it doesn't matter - you have metrics. And when you see what a person or what people really, really like, or really, really interested, you use those metrics and then you start crafting specific campaigns for them. If you were to look at what I look at, you would see that it's about nonprofits and it's about leadership, and it's about revenue. So a person with metrics could say, oh, we know that Amber is really into this, so we'll give her an opportunity to support this. If you send me something about the environment, if you send me something about animals, I'm concerned, but that's not my passion. And you'll see that because I didn't click on that. 

Speaker 2 (10:31):

So you want to use these metrics to engage your donors. And the best way to find out what it is that they are really about is to create videos and to see which videos they click on, see which ones that they are engaging with, and then you use that to create a campaign and send them things that they're specifically excited about. That's going to increase your engagement. That's going to increase your donations because then they're not getting all of this noise. They're getting things that you know they're excited about because they clicked on that button. So, as a nonprofit leader, it's important that you get the most out of your investment, get the most out of your investment. 69% of revenue generated from nonprofits come from individual donors, and so we want to get you access to that revenue. So start by creating engaging videos that's going to tell your story. Do testimonials. People love testimonials because it's, it's the truth and it demonstrates your impact. And those testimonials are perfect for a donor. If they're like, well, what's your impact? Right here. And then you show the video. All right, so that's it for increasing your organization's engagement. Secure some platform, but we're going to pause for Google for Nonprofits, and I want you to think about how can you use videos on this platform? Let's check it out. 

Speaker 4 (12:04):

Nonprofits are building a better future for everyone. Whether your organization focuses on bringing clean and safe drinking water to everyone on the planet, or caring for people in your local community, nonprofits like yours are making a difference every single day. But nonprofits also face a unique set of challenges, how to manage volunteers and operations on a limited budget. How to raise awareness about your organization and mission through storytelling and how to drive more engagement from donors to fundraise for your nonprofit. We believe that every nonprofit should be able to focus more energy on making an impact. Our mission at Google for Nonprofits is to equip nonprofits with the best of Google tools at no charge, in more than 60 countries around the world. Your nonprofit can collaborate and communicate more effectively with smart, secure business apps from Google Workspace. With Gmail, your nonprofit employees and volunteers can send email from your nonprofits’ custom domain.

Speaker 4 (13:12):

Teams can stay connected from different locations by using Google Meet and Chat, and you can access and collaborate on documents from anywhere with Google Drive, increase your productivity so you can spend more time serving your cause or community. Through Google for Nonprofits, eligible organizations can receive free advertising to run ads on Google search with ad grants. Ad grants enables your organization to appear in ads on Google search. When someone's searching for topics related to your mission, your nonprofit can receive free advertising to raise awareness, reach donors and recruit volunteers. Tell the story of your organization through video to create an emotional connection to your cause. With YouTube, nonprofits can expand their audience, reach new supporters, and connect viewers to their mission. And finally, imagine that your donors and supporters could see exactly where their donations are making a difference. With Google Earth and Maps, nonprofits can create compelling custom maps that help tell their story to the world. Nonprofits are changing the world. We are here to help. Learn more at google.com/nonprofits. 

Speaker 2 (14:37):

You're back, you're On Air with Amber Wynn, and today we're talking about how to increase your organization's engagement and grow your individual donors through videos. You just saw a whole video from Google Nonprofits, and if you were in the frame of mind of how can I use a video on this platform, there were so many ways that you can do that. And so that's what I want you to do. I want you to think about ways that you can leverage video to help increase the number of individual donors that you bring to your organization, because research has shown that 69% of revenue is generated from individual donors, and I want you to maximize that. All right, so now we're going to move into another portion of our episode called Ask Amber. And it's when you get to ask me your pressing questions, because y'all know I can talk all day long. 

Speaker 2 (15:37):

I can, but I am here for you and I want to bring you content that is meaningful to you. So you can ask me your questions. You can hit me up on any of my socials. I am on Instagram, I am on Twitter, I am on Facebook, and you can even email me, Amber@AmberWynn.com to get your questions answered. Gwen actually hit me up on Facebook, and what Gwen said is, Hi, my name is Gwen from Austin, Texas, a good friend and I are talking about starting a nonprofit. Can we be co-executive directors so that we can have equal stake or power in the organization? So Gwen, hi. First of all, can you, yes you can. My answer is, should you? No, you should not. 

Speaker 2 (16:33):

And I do this all the time. I have people who say, well, I saw that this organization had co-executive directors and co this, and I saw that this other organization had a CEO and a Chair and a Vice Chair. Just because they're doing it doesn't mean that they should. Let me explain why. The IRS has created certain structures and Funders abide by those structures. So when you go outside of that structure, you create red flags, right? It's not okay for you to make up positions. It's not okay for you to create different structures, primarily because you're competing against other organizations. And at the end of the day, from a Funder's perspective, I am investing money in you. And if your structure looks wonky, then it suggests to me that you don't know what you're doing. So can you have a co-creator? Absolutely, you can. 

Speaker 2 (17:35):

But let me clarify something so that you can have equal stake in the organization. That wording suggests that maybe you think that there is ownership. You can have that in an LLC, not in a nonprofit. A nonprofit is a public charity, and it cannot be owned, not by one person, not by two people, not by a group of people. And so the purpose of the position of the Executive Director is so that the IRS and potential Funders know who is accountable. The Executive Director is the highest person on the implementation side. The highest person in the nonprofit is the President. So to answer your question, if you are creating Co-Executive Directors because you want equal power, I want you to do a little bit more investigation. Go onto my website. I've got some free resources. But if you look at an organizational chart, very rarely, and definitely not from the IRS perspective, will you see a Co-Executive Director? 

Speaker 2 (18:44):

You'll see an Executive Director, maybe an Associate Executive Director, but there is one person who is responsible for running the organization. My suggestion is that you guys determine who is going to be the President and who is going to be the Executive Director and take it that way. That's my recommendation. All right. Thank you for that question. Like I said, if you have any questions, feel free to hit me up and I'll be happy to answer your questions. You can hit me up on any of my socials, looking forward to that. Now we are going to transition into my favorite time of the episode. I like being here. I do. I like sharing my knowledge. But, I have to admit, I love giving my nonprofits the spotlight because you deserve it. You work hard. And today we are focusing on the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. JDRF is the leading global organization funding type one diabetes research. Their strength lies in their exclusive focus and singular influence on the worldwide effort to end type one diabetes. Let's check them out. 

Speaker 5 (20:01):

November is National Diabetes Awareness Month. 

Speaker 6 (20:05):

I have type one diabetes. 

Speaker 5 (20:06):

I have type one diabetes. I have type one diabetes. We have type one diabetes. I take care of my daughter's diabetes 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 

Speaker 7 (20:30):

I wear an insulin pump, and I wear a glucose monitor, and I change 'em all. Every few days. 

Speaker 8 (20:35):

We're continuously having to adapt all hours of the day. 

Speaker 5 (20:39):

We can go crazy up, down, rollercoaster. 

Speaker 6 (20:44):

It's a constant job thinking about your blood sugars, what you're eating and how you're going to give yourself insulin. 

Speaker 7 (20:50):

When my sugar's low, sometimes I go shaky, and sometimes my vision gets blurry. And when my sugar's high, sometimes I get a little cranky.

Speaker 5 (21:00):

It’s unbelievable to watch how different every day is. Every meal is. Every night is different. 

Speaker 6 (21:07):

Learn more about type one diabetes this November at JDRF.org/ndam. 

Speaker 2 (21:18):

So today we are talking about increasing your engagement through video. And I think this last video was a perfect way of demonstrating how listening to people tell their stories, evokes emotion. Having young kids stand there and explain what they're going through with type one diabetes, it's different than reading it. You can read, someone with type one diabetes, if they don't get their insulin, they may feel shaky. But to have someone who is living and telling their story, and for me, I instantly go to my kids. What if my kids had type one diabetes and the young lady in the video, I don't know, you can't help but think, so is she able to play sports? And when she says she doesn't have her insulin, she's shaky or she's cranky, I go to, well, how does that impact her in school? Just those visuals. Just those visuals. 

Speaker 2 (22:22):

So it just changes everything. You can put a face to the cause. So I'm sorry, I digress. If you want to support Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, please check them out. You can support them by visiting www.jdrf.org. They're doing amazing work in the community. It just dawned on me watching the video. This is what I'm talking about. This is what you want to do. You want to evoke some type of emotion. You want your audience to connect to your cause. And the best way you can do that is to have your clients who are being positively impacted tell the story. That brings me to the last session of the episode, which is Mindset Minute. And it's when I share with you something that's spinning around in that head of mind. And today, I'm going to continue the conversation of engaging your audience. In this Mindset Minute I want to talk about leveraging resources because when I have conversations with clients, whether they're potential clients or clients I've had for years, my mind goes like … If you have a story, and I say, I've said to clients before, you should create a video. 

Speaker 2 (23:46):

And first thing they want to do is like, Ugh, that's one more thing to do, and I get it, but where are you putting your time? Where are you putting your energy? What are your priorities? And for me, I think you should be putting your priorities where you're going to get the most return on your investment. This one client was like, well, I want to do a gala. You can do a gala. Are you going to get a return on your investment? As we've discussed today, research shows that the majority of your revenue is going to come from individual donors. Now, you have an opportunity at the gala because you have individuals there. How are you going to engage them? You have a captive audience. You have 500 people sitting in a ballroom. What are you going to do with them? How about you create a video, just a 60 second video, and you put up on the screen two of your most successful clients, and they're telling their story. 

Speaker 2 (24:50):

And then after they tell their story, you get up and you say, and this is the work that we're doing with our organization, and we can expand that through your support. And you do the ask. In front of you is an envelope, and if you'd like to support, boom, boom, boom, or pull out your phones and text, da, da, da, da, da so that we can continue the work. But those videos are going to help you engage your audience. It's a gala. You can have some of your successful clients get up and talk, but I'm just saying leverage the videos to increase your engagement. Or after the gala, you can send an email to the people who attended and said, thank you so much for participating. Do a little 30 second clip showing people dancing and laughing and having a good time. Do 10 seconds of one of your speakers saying something really important. 

Speaker 2 (25:41):

Send it and then have a little button saying, thank you so much. If you didn't have an opportunity to donate, then here's your opportunity. Whatever. Tell them, share this. We'd love to see you next year. Videos can allow you to engage on levels that you never even imagined. And then finally, I wanted to share with you, if I haven't said it before, you know that I suck at technology and I stay in my lane. This is one of the things that I have learned over the years. There are people with skills that I leverage. So when people were like, oh, we're going to get an intern, I had three interns. Every internship I get, one of them is for video editing because I've tried it and it takes me forever. So these kids, I don't know, they come out the womb knowing technology. And so this last group of interns, I had a young man, I reached out to some clients. 

Speaker 2 (26:39):

We got on Zoom. I asked him questions, and he just edited. He just cut it off. I highlighted the script, start, stop, start, stop. And he did it. No problem. I was like, have you done this before? He's like, no, I've never done it before. And it looked good. Did it look like somebody in the studio did it? No, but it was good enough for me because their story was so powerful. You kind of overlooked a little. I mean, it was cut so when things changed or whatever, but it was good enough because what the story that they were saying, which by the way, they were saying how amazing I was, and it's different from when I say how amazing I am than when a client. And I was even moved by it. They were like, oh, it's because of Amber. Now that I understand, I'm not afraid of a budget. 

Speaker 2 (27:26):

And I'm like, yes, you're not afraid of a budget. So just looking for opportunities. I'm not saying you have to do it all. When you get an intern, make that one of the jobs. Hey, I want you to do this project. I want you to gather five testimonials. Bam. I'm just saying. All right, so that's all for today. Today we talked about increasing your organization's engagement by growing your individual donors. I want you to think about the ways that you can tell your story by video. I want you to get those newsletters out. I wanted you to post them on your website. Do social media clips, that's a good one. 30 seconds on social media. Let people see who you are. You know, you can do it. I have trust and faith in you, and I know you're going to get it done. All right, so before I close out, I'm going to ask you to subscribe if you haven't already. If you feel like this is something that can benefit someone in your community, please share. And then make sure you come back next week because we've got more amazing information for the most amazing people on the planet. That would be you. All right, see you next time. 

Speaker 1 (28:43):

Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe and leave a review on iTunes. Head over to www.amberwynn.net/podcast for the links and resources mentioned in today's podcast. See you next time.