Latest / The Nonprofit Podcast / Ep 163| The timing tightrope: Donor messaging in uncertain times

Transcript

Ep 163| The timing tightrope: Donor messaging in uncertain times · The Nonprofit Podcast

• 0:04
  SPEAKER_00: The Nonprofit Podcast, powered by DonorBucks.
• 0:09
  SPEAKER_01: I want to start with a word I heard last week that feels just right for where many nonprofit leaders are today.
• 0:17
  SPEAKER_01: Fragile.
• 0:18
  SPEAKER_01: Not broken, not defeated, but fragile.
• 0:22
  SPEAKER_01: That word has been echoing as I speak to board members, founders, fundraisers, especially in the face of recent changes to the federal funding landscape.
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_01: Today I want to explore a dilemma that's been bubbling up in these conversations.
• 0:37
  SPEAKER_01: When is the right time to tell your donors that you need help?
• 0:42
  SPEAKER_01: Do you speak early or wait until there's a real financial hit?
• 0:46
  SPEAKER_01: That's the tightrope walk so many leaders are trying to navigate, and that's what we are unpacking today.
• 0:53
  SPEAKER_01: Welcome to the Nonprofit Podcast.
• 0:55
  SPEAKER_01: I'm Jenna, Education and Community Engagement Manager at DonorBox.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_01: We're here each week with practical actions you can use today to increase donations and take your nonprofit to the next level tomorrow.
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_01: Over the past few months, many nonprofits have found themselves bracing with sudden cuts to federal funding, including agencies historically supporting international and community-based efforts.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_01: The ripple effects are real, even for organizations that haven't even been directly impacted yet.
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_01: One consultant I work with said it perfectly.
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_01: There's a lot of messaging confusion right now.
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_01: Organizations aren't sure when to say something.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_01: The fear sounding alarmist or missing the moment when donor support could make a difference.
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_01: I was recently told of a board meeting where this exact topic came up.
• 1:49
  SPEAKER_01: Half of the board said, let's get ahead of this.
• 1:52
  SPEAKER_01: And the other half said, let's wait until we know exactly how much we're losing.
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_01: Both perspectives are valid, but what happens in the meantime?
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_01: Let's name the tension.
• 2:05
  SPEAKER_01: Communicating early can feel like you're a crying wolf.
• 2:09
  SPEAKER_01: You might alienate donors or staff if the situation doesn't become as dire as you predict.
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_01: But waiting that has its own risks.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_01: Donors are surprised, scrambling to understand the urgency, or worst case, already tapped out.
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_01: There's no one right answer, but I believe we're asking the wrong question.
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_01: Instead of should we say something now or later?
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_01: Maybe the better question is what kind of message builds trust and transparency regardless of timing.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_01: Here's a middle ground I think is worth exploring.
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_01: You don't have to make a funding ask today, but you can begin a conversation.
• 2:54
  SPEAKER_01: One that goes something like, we're watching the shifts in funding closely, while we haven't seen major changes to our programs yet.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_01: We want you to know that we're preparing and we're committed to staying transparent with you.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_01: That's not panic, that is leadership.
• 3:13
  SPEAKER_01: It's also emotional risk management.
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_01: You're helping your communities stay with you before the numbers turn red.
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_01: And you give them the gift of time to think, to respond, and to plan with you.
• 3:27
  SPEAKER_01: So, how do we build messaging that walks that line between preparedness and panic?
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_01: And how do we do this well?
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_01: Start with what's true.
• 3:38
  SPEAKER_01: Don't speculate, don't dramatize, share what you do know, reaffirm your mission and make it easy for donors to engage in ways that match their comfort level.
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_01: Monthly giving, matching gifts, advocacy, volunteering.
• 3:56
  SPEAKER_01: I've been on the road attending nonprofit conferences across the states the past few weeks.
• 4:01
  SPEAKER_01: And here are four ideas that have surfaced from my conversations in the field.
• 4:06
  SPEAKER_01: First, communicate scenarios, not certainty.
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_01: Let donors in on your strategic planning.
• 4:13
  SPEAKER_01: Tell them we're mapping out three possible futures and how we'd respond.
• 4:19
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_01: Second one, name your values.
• 4:23
  SPEAKER_01: No matter what happens, we're committed to protecting the dignity of our clients and the jobs of our frontline staff.
• 4:31
  SPEAKER_01: Third, make small, meaningful asks.
• 4:34
  SPEAKER_01: Invite them to join your monthly giving circle.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_01: Share your story on social or offer expertise as a volunteer.
• 4:41
  SPEAKER_01: Fourth one, say what you know.
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_01: Don't overstate or underplay, as I said before.
• 4:47
  SPEAKER_01: Donors respect honest uncertainty more than vague confidence.
• 4:53
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, one more actually.
• 4:55
  SPEAKER_01: And maybe most importantly, remember that fundraising is about community, not crisis.
• 5:02
  SPEAKER_01: If the only time your donors hear from you is when something's on fire, they will start associating you with smoke.
• 5:09
  SPEAKER_01: Build trust before the storm, not in the middle of it.
• 5:13
  SPEAKER_01: So here's where I'll leave us today.
• 5:16
  SPEAKER_01: There is no perfect moment to ask, but waiting for a crisis is no longer a luxury most of us can afford.
• 5:23
  SPEAKER_01: But the moment you choose matters because it tells your donors what kind of leader you are.
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_01: It tells them you're thinking not just about dollars, but about the future.
• 5:35
  SPEAKER_01: So my invitation is to bring this topic to your next staff meeting.
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_01: Ask your communications director, your marketing director, whoever it is, if we needed to speak out next week, would we be ready?
• 5:50
  SPEAKER_01: If your organization is wrestling with this timing dilemma, I would love to hear from you.
• 5:55
  SPEAKER_01: We are not alone in this together.
• 5:57
  SPEAKER_01: We can help each other think more clearly and act more confidently.
• 6:01
  SPEAKER_01: So I leave you with one more thing.
• 6:05
  SPEAKER_01: What story do you need to start telling?
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_01: And what foundation do you want to lay before the hard moments come?
• 6:12
  SPEAKER_01: Think about that.
• 6:14
  SPEAKER_01: And remember, you don't need a full-blown campaign to begin a conversation.
• 6:18
  SPEAKER_01: You just need a voice, a message, and a mission that matters.
• 6:24
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you for joining us on the Nonprofit Podcast.
• 6:27
  SPEAKER_01: I hope you've left with the confidence to take a small step today that will make a big difference tomorrow.
• 6:32
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• 6:42
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• 6:45
  SPEAKER_01: You're here to help others, we're here to help you.
• 6:47
  SPEAKER_01: Until next time, stay steady, stay strong, and most importantly, stay in community.
• 6:54
  SPEAKER_00: That warm feeling when you help someone, it's not just happiness, it's fulfillment.
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_00: And we believe it should be available to everyone, from frontline heroes to first-time fundraisers.
• 7:05
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• 7:08
  SPEAKER_00: This is our mission.
• 7:09
  SPEAKER_00: This is DonorBox, helping you help others.