One of the questions that I get asked all of time here on the blog and on social media is – “How can I make my non-profit stand out?”
There are, as I’m sure you know, there are millions of non-profits around the world. Chances are there are at least a few doing very similar work to your organization. So how can you differentiate yourself in the niche that you’re in?
This is the big challenge that most fundraising and communications professionals want to solve!
That’s why I’ve decided to dedicate all of the blog content in July to answering this question. All of the content will be designed to help you pinpoint your organization’s uniqueness and translate that into a story.
What story am I talking about here?
It’s more than your success stories or the stories about your volunteers.
The story that I’m talking about here is the answer to the following question: who are you?
This story is the essence of your brand, your communications and your fundraising. It is a powerful tool that helps your organization stand out and be truly memorable. The problem is that most of us haven’t taken the time to figure out this story, let alone tell it.
I hope that you’ll follow along for the month of July as I provide more blog posts and resources that will help you develop this story.
To get you started, your actionable this week is to answer the following questions:
- What are you known for?
- What do you want to be known for?
Why have am I suggesting that you answer these questions?
Question #1 is all about understanding how your organization is currently perceived in the community. This might require you to do a bit of market research to find out what people think of when they hear your organization’s name.
Question #2 will help you get clarity about what your ideal perception is. This is how you want to be seen and how you want to stand out. It’s very important to think about this question because the answer is what will guide your story and message development.
As always, I would love to hear how this process goes for you! Please let a comment below let me know your answers to this week’s actionable.
