Development for Conservation Practical Planning for Irresistible - PDF document

Development for Conservation Practical Planning for Irresistible Communications Presented to River Rally 2015 Conference May 2015 David Allen | fundraisinghelp@sbcglobal.net | 608-239-5006

4/30/2015 Materials www.developmentforconservation.com/ about ‐ us/resources Presentation Materials – RiverRally 20150502 Resources and Acknowledgements • Judy Anderson, Community Consultants • Jeff Brooks, Future Fundraising Now • Kivi Leroux Miller, Nonprofit Marketing Guide • Tom Ahern, Ahern Donor Communications • Andy Goodman, The Goodman Center Nomenclature • Communications is the process of transmitting information between a source and an audience. • Marketing implies an embedded call to action. • Branding is about how people feel about you in relation to others. 1

4/30/2015 Communications You are an “expert” communicator already. Everything you do and say, everything you write and publish, everything image or video ‐ you are communicating with those around you. • Do they listen? Or do they ignore? • Do they hear? Or do they filter? • Are they moved? Or are they insulated? • Do they act? Or do they move on? Communications planning is about being D ELIBERATE I NTENTIONAL P URPOSEFUL S TRATEGIC Eight Steps to Planning 1. Figure out the purpose 2. Figure out audience(s) 3. Figure out the message and the story 4. Figure out your limitations 5. Figure out “news” 6. Figure out the messengers 7. Figure out the Implementation 8. Figure out metrics 2

4/30/2015 Why Do We Communicate? • Establish credibility • Raise money • Attract new (volunteer, political, financial) support • Establish Relevancy • Educate Why Do We Communicate? • We want someone to KNOW (educate, inform) • We want someone to SEE (witness) Why Do We Communicate? • We want someone to KNOW (educate, inform) • We want someone to SENSE (witness) 3

4/30/2015 Why Do We Communicate? • We want someone to EMOTIONALLY RESPOND (move, inspire) • We want someone to ACT (market) With Whom Do We Communicate? • Board Members, former Board Members • Major donors • Members • Former members • Volunteers • Clients • People who visit • General public Know the Message Content Mood Language Channels 4

4/30/2015 Know the Story • Stories convey emotion • Stories stimulate the imagination • Stories move us to action • Make it a story about one person • Make it first person • Make the donor the hero Channels • Electronic – Website(!), email, e ‐ news, blog • News – Dailies, Weeklies, LTE • Broadcast – Radio, TV, Community Cable • Print – Newsletter, saturation mail, flyers • Video – You ‐ tube, Vimeo, • Social – Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Linked ‐ In • Telephone – News, Asks, Thank Yous • Face ‐ time – Real ‐ time networking! Resource Considerations • What do you have the money for? • What do you have the time for? • You do not need to communicate equally throughout your service territory • Design for multiple use • Repeated messaging in a smaller region is more effective than a single effort over a larger region 5

4/30/2015 Have a Plan for Handling “News” • How will you handle “Good News” • How will you handle “Bad News” • Remember to manage the viral ‐ ness factor Messengers • Executive Director • Board Leaders/Membership • Media Outlets • Individual Stakeholders • Celebrities • Business Community Leaders Form (follows Function) • Make it visual • Use a calendar– map it! • Identify bottlenecks and back out of them • Make it public 6

4/30/2015 Several Practical Ideas • Introduce a new communications theme each year • Drip feed a story over several months • Report on reactions as well as events Several Practical Ideas • Invest in video • Institutionalize Practice for Board Members Services Assessment, Planning, Training, Coaching You can raise more money for your organization – I can help. fundraisinghelp@sbcglobal.net 608/239 ‐ 5006 7

D AVID A LLEN I am a non-profit organizational development consultant. I work with organization boards to help their members learn how to be better leaders and advocates. My background includes 30 years working in membership fundraising, major donor development, communications, and marketing. I worked for about half that time for Nature Conservancy (TNC) chapters in Oregon, Texas, and Wisconsin. In addition to my duties for the individual chapters, I served TNC as an internal fundraising consultant and major donor development trainer. In 2000, served as the vice-president of operations for the Wisconsin-based, international conservation organization Sand County Foundation, a position I held through mid-2009. Gathering Waters Conservancy, a land trust service agency based in Wisconsin, called me in 2002 to ask whether I would be interested in teaching a seminar for Wisconsin land trusts on major donor development. From 2002, then, through 2009, I consulted on a nights and weekends basis with just a few clients each year. In March of 2009, I launched my consulting business full-time using the name Development for Conservation . Also in 2009, I partnered with Peter McKeever and Nancy Moore to form Conservation Consulting Group. Together we help land trusts prepare for accreditation by providing assessment, planning, and leadership coaching services. I consider myself a strategic thinker, problem solver, facilitator, educator, and program developer who brings a particular passion for conservation and the environment. Practice Competencies Fundraising Organizational Development • Development Audit • Strategy Development • Staff/Board Training and Development • Practice & Process Assessment • Major Gift Coaching • Problem Solving Facilitation • Capital Campaigns • Marketing

David Allen Development for Conservation fundraisinghelp@sbcglobal.net 608-239-5006 608 West Dean Avenue Monona, WI 53716 www.developmentforconservation.com