“No one knows who we are” may be one of the most universal thoughts of nonprofit organization staff and board members eager for the world to discover the importance of the missions they care so much about. But the real questions are, “Who needs to know who we are? How do they find us? What are the messages and delivery tools we need to effectively reach them?”
As communications strategist Patricia Courtois tells us, the psychographic profiles of your most important audiences can be the keys to more effective use of limited dollars and time. The Selby Foundation continues to invest in the success of our grantees with small, in-depth group sessions and consulting on targeted communications.
In our most recent workshop, team members of Parenting Matters, Reflections of Manatee, Step Up Suncoast, and United Way of Charlotte County participated in an interactive donor mapping exercise with Patricia. It started with answering a simple question: “If you only have one dollar to spend, what one person will you try to reach with it?”
In a guided activity focusing on the most likely attributes of a specific donor, the group thought about likely demographics, interests, communication preferences, personal/professional goals, challenges, etc. From this profile, they mapped out the journey the donor would likely take moving from mere awareness of the organization to a loyal contributor.
Answering questions related to likely actions, touch points, pain points, feelings, and improvements is an indispensable way to reach people that can mean the most for your mission. The process can be repeated for various profiles–even for board members, volunteers, clients.
Want to know more or participate in the next session? Reach out to us at JSpicer@SelbyFdn.org.