Latest / Nonprofit Launch Plan Podcast for Startup, Small, and Growing Nonprofits / How to Create Urgency Without Pressuring Donors | Fearless Fundraising Part 4 (Ep. 69)
Transcript
- Matt Stockman (00:00) There is a sentence that can quietly kill a fundraising ask, even when the person saying it genuinely likes your organization. The saying is, I'll think about it. Now, sometimes that really does mean they need some time to think, and that's okay. But sometimes what it actually means is this sounds important. I like what you're doing. I could probably see myself supporting it, but there's really no reason for me to do anything about it today. The problem is today then becomes next week, and next week becomes next month, and eventually the conversation disappears underneath everything else, competing for that donor's attention. That's why there's another piece that needs to come after the ask and the fearless fundraising framework. If somebody understands the problem, sees how they can be a part of the solution, and then you've clearly invited them to financially participate, there's still one more question. They need answered. Why now? Today we're talking about step four of the fearless fundraising framework, urgency. Matt Stockman (01:08) Welcome to the Nonprofit Launch Plan Podcast for startups, small and growing nonprofits. This podcast exists to help you build your nonprofit from the ground up on a financially strong foundation by providing clear frameworks, practical tools, and the real-world guidance that you can actually put into practice. I'm Matt Stockman. I'm a nonprofit growth coach. I'm really glad you're here. At nonprofit launch plan, we believe that every successful nonprofit has to be operating at peak performance across six key areas. Those areas are leadership, fundraising, marketing, programs and services, operations, and finances. So on every episode of the podcast, we focus on one of these core areas to help you make lasting impact in your nonprofit. And before we dive into today's episode, fundraising is probably one of the biggest challenges you're facing as the executive director of your nonprofit. How do we get the money we need to do the work that we're called to do? It can feel really overwhelming when you're not sure where to start, what to say, or how to consistently invite people to financially support your mission. That's why I created the Fearless Fundraising Framework. It's a simple, five-step approach that helps you clearly communicate the problem. Solution, ask urgency and action, and gives you language that you can use in one-on-one conversations, emails, your website, and the rest of your fundraising communication. Today we're working on the fourth piece of that framework, urgency. But if you're listening and thinking, I'd rather just have Matt help me build this out instead of trying to figure out all five pieces on my own, we can do that. I'm offering a complimentary 90-minute coaching call where you and I Build your nonprofits, fearless fundraising framework together. We'll map out all five pieces around your actual organization so you leave with greater clarity about your message and more confidence about how to invite people into financially supporting your work. Because there are people who would gladly support what you're doing. But if the opportunity isn't clear or if you're hesitant to confidently invite them into it, some of those gifts simply won't happen unless funding. Ultimately means fewer people getting to experience the impact that your nonprofit exists to make. Imagine instead knowing exactly how to explain your work, knowing what to ask for, and having a steady stream of financial support that allows you to launch the programs you've been dreaming about and build a nonprofit that can make an impact for years to come. So I'm going to teach you how to build one piece of that framework today. But if you'd rather work through the whole thing with me personally together, Go to nonprofitlaunchplan dot com and click book a call. We'll spend 90 minutes together building your fearless fundraising framework around your nonprofit. Again, that's nonprofitlaunchplan dot com. Click book a call. Okay, over the last three episodes, we've been building a fundraising conversation one piece at a time. Step one was the problem, what needs to change. Step two then was the solution. What can become different because the donor chooses to participate? And in the last episode, step three was the ask. What specifically are you inviting this person to do? Now we get step four of the framework, which is urgency. Why should a potential supporter consider making a gift now? And I want to start by clearing up something important because urgency and fundraising gets a bad reputation sometimes. Some of that reputation is probably deserved. We've all seen fundraising that tries to manufacture a sense of panic. Everything is an emergency. Every email says this is your last chance in all capital letters. every deadline is somehow the most critical deadline the organization has ever faced. There's a countdown clock on the website. It's the end of the year and you've got to get your gift in before midnight tonight, or else. And sometimes you read it and think, is this actually true? That is not what I am encouraging you to do. Urgency is giving somebody an honest reason why acting now matters more than acting someday. You don't need to invent urgency or use it as a manipulation tool. All you need to do is identify it clearly. Because in most nonprofit work, there actually is a reason why sooner matters. And sometimes that reason is very obvious. Think about your own life and what you do for a minute. How many things do you intend to do that you never actually get around to doing? I need to schedule that appointment. I need to call that family member. I need to fix that broken thing of a jig in the house. While all of those things are important, there's just not really any urgency attached to them. Then suddenly something changes. When the car starts making a much louder noise, you suddenly feel a sense of urgency to do something about it now. Fundraising works the same way. A potential donor may completely believe in your mission and still postponed acting because nothing in the conversation has helped them understand why their participation matters right now. So, where does a legitimate sense of urgency come from? Sometimes the problem itself carries urgency. If your organization is responding to a natural disaster, helping somebody escape human trafficking or providing emergency shelter during dangerous weather, or getting food to a family that doesn't have enough to eat, the urgency there is obvious. Something has got to happen quickly. Another day without funding means another person is going without. But many nonprofits don't operate in that kind of environment. If your nonprofit is mentoring teenagers or you're helping families navigate foster care, your work absolutely matters tremendously. But somebody listening to your story may not automatically understand why giving today is more important than giving six months from now. That means you have to help them see it. Let's go back to the foster care example that we've been building throughout this whole series. Our problem statement might be. There are children in our county who are being placed far away from their families and schools and communities because there just aren't enough foster homes available locally. That's the problem. then the solution. Because of your support, more kids can remain connected to the people and communities they already know while they move toward a safe and permanent home. Then our ask. Your partnership at $100 a month will recruit. On board and support another foster family right here in our county. Now we start to add some urgency. For example, as the leader of the organization, you know that 12 children are expected to need placement over the next couple of months. That's the urgency you're trying to add into this. So you would say something like this there are 12 more children that will need a home in our county in the next 90 days. And the families who will welcome them need to be recruited and prepared before those children enter the system. Language like this isn't manufacturing anything or hyping up a Crisis. All that I've done is explain why now matters. We know the need is approaching. The preparation takes time. Therefore, your generous gift today makes a difference. urgency is the gap between where you are today and the impact that becomes possible once the money arrives. And sometimes there's a natural sense of urgency that's created by a time frame or a natural deadline or a pre-existing point on the calendar. For example, you have the ability to expand a program into a second school, but you need the funding in place. Before the semester begins. Maybe you have an opportunity to purchase equipment at a reduced price, but the offer ends at a certain point. Let me repeat this: urgency is the gap between where you are today and the impact that becomes possible once the money arrives. And to expand on this principle even more, the more you're able to communicate the transformation that will take place once the funding is in place, the stronger the sense of urgency in the donor's mind. Like in the example I just gave you, a piece of equipment that you really need to do the work is 50% off right now. That does feel like urgency. But what if you highlighted the impact that is possible if the donor chooses to make a gift now rather than at some point in the future? If you give today, here's what happens: we'll be able to purchase the well drilling gear at a huge cost savings, which means that we'll be able to provide safe, clean drinking water to another 500 families. We've not been able to help before. Think about the work that you're doing and ask what impact is waiting on funding? If the answer is clear, you probably have your urgency. Let's talk about a couple of other tools that you have that can create a sense of urgency. Matching gifts are commonly used to create a sense of urgency of getting involved now in order to maximize the impact. A donor says, I'll match everything that comes in up to $25,000 between now and the end of the month. That matching gift opportunity works because it has boundaries. There's a specific amount and there's a deadline. End of year campaigns can work partly because December 31st is a real date on the calendar, and for certain people on your giving team, the benefit of their tax situation because of their generosity, it does matter. A winter coke campaign has urgency because winter is coming. School supplies need to be purchased before school starts. You get the idea, right? The The key is connecting those dates to impact instead of merely talking about the organizational calendar. We need to raise $30,000 by November 30th is simply information. We want to have 300 winter coats purchased and ready before the first stretch of freezing weather arrives, connects the date to a person. Urgency only works when it is attached to impact. Urgency doesn't work when it's tied to your budget or your organizational needs. The fact that you have a need or you're having a budget shortfall or you're 18% behind where you were at this point last year, none of that matters because every donor is saying, Friend, I got needs too, and I'm looking at a potential but budget shortfall when it comes to my kids' college tuition bill. The real reason that language like that isn't motivating to people is that this sort of language makes you the hero in the story and turns the relationship into a transaction. We need your money so that we can go do the work. And we're all about relational fundraising here. Your donor is not sitting at home thinking, I hope Matt's nonprofit hits the fourth quarter revenue target. Nor do they care that you even have a revenue target. They might care deeply, however, that a kid has a safe place to sleep, that a student has a mentor, that a family has food. That's what makes the timeline matter. Another form of urgency is momentum. People pay attention when they see something moving. We're already 70% of the way there. We funded eight of the 10 scholarships. We only need another $6,000 to launch this program. There's a psychological difference between being asked to create something from nothing and being invited to help finish something that's already clearly moving. And another important point, I shouldn't even have to say this, but I will. Don't fake this. Don't fake scarcity. Don't invent deadlines. Don't say only three spots left if you have 300 spots. Don't reset your fundraising countdown clock every seven days. People can sense manufactured urgency. And once you lose trust with a donor, you've created a much bigger problem than the original fundraising gap. But when momentum is real, show it. Let people see that they can help move something across the finish line. Stories can also create urgency. Sometimes the best answer to why now is a person. Imagine telling the story of a teenager who entered your mentoring program two years ago. You show how having a consistent adult in his life began to change his confidence, his choices, maybe his grades, his relationship, his picture of his own future. Then you say. There are 18 students on our waiting list right now who are still waiting to be matched with a mentor. That creates some urgency. The story helped me understand what's possible. The waiting list helped me understand why it matters now. That is much more powerful than simply saying we urgently need your support. Actually, show me the why. This is one of the questions I would encourage you to ask yourself and also bring to your team. What gets delayed if the money doesn't come in? Who has to wait? What opportunity do we have to pass on? Who doesn't get served? Those questions will often uncover urgency that's already sitting right in front of you. Here's another thing that I think is especially important for small nonprofits. Sometimes a smaller, shorter fundraising sprint creates much more urgency. We're trying to raise $7,500 over the next two weeks to put 50 kids through the summer program. That's really easy to understand. There's a number, there's a time frame or a deadline, and there's an outcome. Compare that to Please support our annual funds so we can continue fulfilling our mission. Wording like that is technically true, but it feels like it can wait forever. Another thing to consider urgency cannot compensate for weak fundamentals. Steps one through three of the framework have to be solid and clear and compelling. If your problem's unclear, adding a deadline, it's not going to fix it. If a donor can't see the impact, saying give by midnight, it's not going to fix it. If you haven't made a clear ask, urgency won't magically create one. The framework builds in order. Problem, solution, ask, now urgency. Each piece supports the next. So let's add the fourth sentence. In episode one, the problem we exist to solve is episode two, then because of your support, then in episode three. The line was, would you consider? And today I want you to finish this episode four. This matters now because fill in the blank. That's your homework. This matters now because what? Because the school year starts in four weeks, because there's already 18 families waiting. Because winter is coming up right around the corner and the temperatures are already starting to drop. Because 12 more kids are entering the foster care system inside the next 90 days. Whatever it is, make sure it's real. Make sure it's connected to the impact. And make sure it actually answers the question: why now instead of someday? Urgency helps somebody move from agreement to decision. They already believe the problem matters. They already see the solution. They have heard your ask. They understand how their generosity connects to transformation and change. You've set them up to be the hero in the story. urgency simply says, and there's a reason your decision today can make a difference. That's step four of the fearless fundraising framework. Problem, what needs to change? Solution. What can the donor help make possible? Ask, what specifically are you inviting them to do? And now, fourth urgency, why does doing it now matter? There's one step left, and it might sound almost identical to the ask, but it's not. Because somebody can understand everything we've talked about, decide, yes, I want to help, and still not know exactly what you want them to do next. Do they go to the website? Do they scan a QR code? Do they fill out a pledge card? Do they tell you yes? Do they click a button someplace? Do they just call somebody? Your final job is to remove that uncertainty. Step five is action. We're going to talk about how you make the next step so clear and easy that somebody who has decided to participate doesn't have to figure out how. That's next time. For now, write your fourth sentence. This matters now because and fill in the blank and challenge yourself not to manufacture pressure. Find the real reason why now matters and communicate it clearly. Thanks for listening to this episode of the Nonprofit Launch Plan Podcast. Remember, before you go, fundraising is no doubt one of the biggest challenges you're facing as you're leading your nonprofit. I'd love to help you build a plan for it. I'm offering a complimentary 90-minute coaching call where you and I will build your nonprofits fearless fundraising framework together. We will work through the five pieces every fundraising conversation needs: the problem, solution, ask, urgency, and action. It's what we're talking about here. And when we're done, you'll have a clear framework that you can use in donor communications, conversations, emails, your website, and the rest of your fundraising. Because there are people who Who would happily support what you're doing? They simply need to understand the opportunity and be confidently invited into it. So if you're ready to get clearer and more confident about raising the money your nonprofit needs, do this. Go to nonprofitlaunchplan dot com, click book a call. We'll spend 90 minutes together. We'll build your fearless fundraising framework. It is absolutely free. Go to nonprofitlaunchplan.com, click book a call. That's it for this episode of the Nonprofit Launch Plan Podcast for startups, small and growing nonprofits. Thank you so much for watching and listening. If you felt like this podcast episode was helpful, would you consider sharing it with another nonprofit leader who might need this clarity? Until next time, keep building your nonprofit wisely and keep making a difference.