Communicating your nonprofit's message is both an art and a science. In this webinar, learn best practices on how to organize an email, social media post, and an advertisement. Learn how to make your message stick with your supporters so they will do your promotion for you.

1. Make or Break your Nonprofit:
The Art & Science to Revamping your Communication Plan
Presented by FirstGiving’s John Jarowski & Dan Fonseca
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2. About the Presenters
Dan Fonseca John Jarowski
FirstGiving FirstGiving
Content Creation Specialist Marketing Coordinator
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3. A little about FirstGiving…
We believe in expanding the world of online giving
FirstGiving is a peer–to–peer online fundraising platform for nonprofits and their
supporters. We process donations securely, provide powerful communication
tools, and event registration.
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4. Online Fundraising Solutions
Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Pages
and Event Registrations Online Direct Donations
Personal Support for your nonprofit, donors, and fundraisers
Easy, tested, and secure transaction processes for the donor
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5. How this webinar works
• A link to the slides and recording will be sent
after the webinar
• Ask your questions during the webinar by
typing them in the question box on the right
side of your screen
• Use the hashtag #FGWebinar to tweet about
this webinar @Firstgiving. We’re listening!
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6. First things first…
Communication will make or
break your nonprofit
It's the difference between having
cause ambassadors or indifferent
individuals.
There’s an art & science to
engaging nonprofit
communication.
The recipe?
50% Art + 50% Science = 100 %
Wonder
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7. First things first…
Effective communication will get
people to feel and then to act
What are some examples of
nonprofit communication?
• Blog posts
• Website copy
• Presentations
• Press Releases
• Social media
• Infographics
• etc.
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8. First things first…
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9. First things first…
What are we going to cover?
1. The importance of starting
with “Why.”
1. Combining Classic Greek
rhetoric with today’s
modern communication
tools.
1. How to craft engaging
content for "sticky"
SUCCES(s).
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10. Starting with “Why”
What is your nonprofit’s “Why?”
Why does your nonprofit exist?
What problem is it trying to solve?
Simon Sinek, author of “Start with
Why,” believes most organizations
are not communicating their
mission correctly.
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11. Starting with “Why”
Sinek’s Golden Circle
Most nonprofits know what they do
Some know how they do it
But few know why they do it
Organizations communicate their
mission from the outside in when
they should be doing so from the
inside out.
It's easier to talk about “concrete”
stuff before “fuzzy” stuff.
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12. Starting with “Why”
How do I know what my “what,” “how,” and “why” are?
What – This is what your nonprofit does.
We fund cancer research. We are a domestic violence crisis hotline.
How - This is the process.
We hold walk/runs to fundraise for the research. We have 24/7 staff
available on call.
Why – This is your mission, your purpose, your core belief.
No one should suffer from breast cancer. No one should live in fear
of domestic violence.
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13. Starting with “Why”
Let’s use Apple as an example
If Apple were like every other company they’d
communicate the following way.
“Hi, we’re Apple. We make computers. We put a lot of
time and effort into them. Do you want to buy one?”
Fortunately Apple does the reverse.
“We believe in challenging the status quo. We think
differently. We put a lot of time into the products we
create. Hi, we’re Apple. We make computers. Want
one?”
Doesn’t that feel different?
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14. Starting with “Why”
People don’t buy what you
do, they buy why you do it.
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15. Ethos. Pathos. Logos.
Your nonprofit is fighting for
attention in the attention economy
Like it or not, your nonprofit is always
pitching, selling, and persuading.
So how does your nonprofit become
more persuasive?
Think:
• Ethos
• Pathos
• Logos
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16. Ethos. Pathos. Logos.
Ethos - Your nonprofit’s
credibility
Why blog posts and social media
are so important these days
How is your nonprofit building
credibility?
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17. Ethos. Pathos. Logos.
Pathos - the emotional appeal
These are stories that pull at the heart
strings.
• Nike speaks to our inner champions
and desire for competition.
• Fisher Price instills feelings of family
and youth.
• Olive Garden builds on a sense of
community.
This is why videos and images go viral.
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18. Ethos. Pathos. Logos.
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you
said, people will forget what you did, but people will
never forget how you made them feel.”
- Maya Angelou
* Quotes enforce credibility. Borrow from other’s credibility.
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19. Ethos. Pathos. Logos.
Logos - the logical appeal
These are cold hard, empirical facts
that no one can deny.
Numbers don’t lie
This is why
ebooks, infographics, webinars, whit
epapers, and surveys are so
important.
What are the facts surrounding your
nonprofit’s cause?
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20. Ethos. Pathos. Logos.
Notice how this looks like the sales/marketing funnel?
Ethos Social Media & Blog Posts
Pathos Social Media, Viral Videos, & Engaging Images
Logos
Ebooks, Webinars, infographics, & Surverys
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21. “Sticky” SUCCES(s)
Effective communication has to be
Simple sticky.
Unexpected Developed by Chip & Dan Heath
Concrete Here’s an acronym to help you craft
sticky and memorable messaging.
Credible
Emotional
Story
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22. “Sticky” SUCCES(s)
Simple
Simple – Your idea has to be
Unexpected simple.
Concrete This doesn’t mean you’re dumbing
Credible it down. Cut away any excessive
details and get straight to the point.
Emotional What’s your idea in its simplest
Story form?
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23. “Sticky” SUCCES(s)
Simple
Unexpected
Concrete
Credible
Emotional
Story
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24. “Sticky” SUCCES(s)
Simple
Unexpected Unexpected – Create curiosity
with your idea.
Concrete How are you surprising your
Credible supporters?
Emotional Questions are great. They are
begged to be answered.
Story
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25. “Sticky” SUCCES(s)
Simple
Unexpected
Concrete
Credible
Emotional
Story
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26. “Sticky” SUCCES(s)
Simple
Unexpected
Concrete – Details, examples, and
Concrete facts make an idea concrete.
Credible Use photos, videos or personal
Emotional testimonials to supplement your idea.
Story
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27. “Sticky” SUCCES(s)
Simple
Unexpected
Concrete
Credible
Emotional
Story
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28. “Sticky” SUCCES(s)
Simple
Credible – This is ethos &
Unexpected pathos
Concrete Who said or did what?
Credible What are the numbers?
Emotional What respectable institution
can back up your claim?
Story
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29. “Sticky” SUCCES(s)
Simple
Unexpected
Concrete
Credible
Emotional
Story
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30. “Sticky” SUCCES(s)
Simple
Unexpected
Concrete Emotional – This is pathos
Credible Statistics are used to build concrete
details but emotions stick.
Emotional
Story
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31. “Sticky” SUCCES(s)
Simple
Unexpected
Concrete
Credible
Emotional
Story
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32. “Sticky” SUCCES(s)
Simple
Unexpected Story – Next to simple, story is the most
important component to a sticky idea.
Concrete Why?
Credible Good stories are unexpected, filled with
Emotional concrete details, and should always be
emotional. That’s 3 out of 6.
Story
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33. “Sticky” SUCCES(s)
Simple
Unexpected
Concrete
Credible
Emotional
Story
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34. Summary
Let’s audit some communication.
What do we like?
What do we dislike?
Why?
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35. Summary
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36. Summary
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37. Summary
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38. Summary
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39. Summary
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40. Summary
Before your nonprofit publishes any
communication, does it pass the test?
Does it fulfill the following?
1. WHY -> HOW -> WHAT
2. Ethos. Pathos. Logos.
3. SUCCES(s)
Where’s the art? Where’s the science? Where’s
the wonder?
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41. Questions?
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42. Thank you!
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43. Be a part of the FirstGiving Community
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44. Interested in learning more
about FirstGiving?
Contact our Online Fundraising
Consultants:
Email: sales@firstgiving.com
Telephone: 617-542-0010 x 4
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