The Pentera Blog
Strategic Impact Stories Show Donors the Results of Their Giving - And Can Lead to More Gifts
We all know that donor stories are effective tools for spreading your marketing message and inspiring generosity in others, but don't forget their equally engaging counterpart: the impact story. Donors love to hear about like-minded supporters who share their values and visions for your organization, and they also love to hear how their gifts - and the gifts of others - are improving lives in the communities you serve.
The power of one
Research shows that focusing on the story of an individual to represent the greater cause is more compelling than a grand overview of need, which can be daunting. Tell your donors how your organization helped a single person:
- One first-generation scholarship recipient who can now fulfill a dream of service to others.
- One patient whose outcome was improved by a piece of equipment purchased with gifted funds.
- One child in an underserved region who can now go to a school built by volunteers and donors.
These all make readers feel like they now personally know someone whom they have helped by being a loyal supporter of your work. And that feeling of accomplishment and community will lead to more gifts.
Put it in writing
Gifts of education, lifesaving health care, and humanitarian aid are best illustrated with personal stories. And many recipients want to express their heartfelt gratitude to your donors. They can do this in your Pentera-produced marketing pieces and on your Pentera-hosted Web site.
Resources like Charity Navigator, GuideStar, and CharityWatch help potential donors do their due diligence, but savvy donors also want to hear directly from you about where their money goes and what type of documented outcomes you share with your supporters.
Client examples
A Big 10 client includes student spotlights featuring quotes from grateful scholarship recipients in newsletters for their three campuses. A large East Coast institution regularly features scholarship recipient cover stories on newsletters for both their university and their medical school. And our writing team helped a small Pacific Northwest school craft a custom questionnaire to highlight a grant recipient.
Let us help you
Let Pentera help you show your readers where their money goes; even more important is to introduce them to the people who are directly affected by their generosity. When your prospective donors see how you manage charitable funds and feel a connection to the individuals your organization helps, they are more likely to make a gift - or another gift or a planned gift - to ensure that more people will benefit from your work.
