I was so pleased to have the chance to talk with my friend and former colleague, Joan Ochi, earlier this month. Joan is a development communications expert, having worked at GlobalGiving, Conservation International, and the George Washington University, to name a few. She now works with a broad portfolio of clients to help shape their messaging and communications to a variety of development audiences. Some highlights from our conversation are below.
What is development communications, and how is it different from ways in which we communicate to other external audiences?
This “genre” of communications is geared not just toward donors, but to prospective donors and other constituents that an organization might want to engage for philanthropic support, such as foundations or corporate partners. The field of development communications has expanded significantly in recent years–far beyond old-school direct marketing appeals–to include proposals, case statements, stewardship, digital engagement series, impact reports, social media, and much more.
Additionally, development communications has become a specialty area. Previously, development communications may have been handled by general communications staff. You’ll now see there is increasing recognition that development communications require a different voice, more tailored messaging, and strong calls to action.
What are your top tips for communicating effectively with donors?
- Speak in the donor’s language. Keep it simple and focused on them, not you. Make sure that you clearly translate complex concepts into engaging, readable language, not academic or techno-speak.
- Focus on impact. How might their philanthropy make a difference? For some, that might mean metrics (e.g., how many people were served as a result of their gift?), while for others it may mean hearing anecdotes or emotional stories about lives saved or changed as a result of their giving.
- Be aspirational. Philanthropy reflects a donor’s interests and passions, their commitment to discovery and achievement, and sometimes, their personal quest for status and recognition. The way we communicate with them needs to reflect that. Donors should be able to envision the role they might play and how they can not only enable your organization’s success, but create positive benefits for the wider community and society overall.
- Use visuals whenever possible. Representing what a prospective donor’s name might look like adorning your building or on the business card of an endowed professor makes the concept less abstract and more real. Similarly, including photos in a report will help bring your written words to life and ensure the impact you are conveying is tangible. And using infographics can make complex data clearer and more engaging.
Can you describe the difference in how you communicate to lower-dollar donors versus higher-dollar donors? What do higher-dollar donors expect? How can effective communications to lower-dollar donors be a part of a cultivation process that seeks to engage them more deeply?
The expansion of online giving, which tends to involve smaller-dollar donations but has grown considerably in terms of overall number of givers, has given way to new types of communications and stewardship needs. Lower-dollar donors still want to know what impact their gifts have had on your work. How can you deploy impact-oriented communications in a mass-market approach? When I worked at GlobalGiving, we required all of the projects on our site to report quarterly progress and impact. These reports were pushed out to donors to demonstrate how their gifts were being used. The idea behind creating this sort of feedback loop is to help people better understand how their gifts make a difference and inspire them to give again. Remember that not every communication “touch” should be an ask. Ensuring your donors hear you say “thank you” is vital.
For higher-level donors, communications should be more customized, connecting them directly to what they have supported. Provide them with opportunities, either in person or virtually, to get to know the beneficiaries or to see your work “on the ground.” Many, but not all, higher-level donors also appreciate public recognition, so be sure to acknowledge them as appropriate in public forums.
A big thank you to Joan for her insights! You can read more about her work here.