SHARE YOUR IMPACT

INVITE YOUR AUDIENCE TO A WINNING TEAM

Everyone likes to win.

Whether it’s your March Madness bracket or choosing the quickest line at the grocery store (yep, I see you), we all want to be on the winning team. And nonprofits are just that – a team. A team of employees, volunteers, donors, partners and board members putting on their matching jerseys and rallying around a common cause.

But, how do you get more people – and the right people – on your nonprofit’s team?

Here’s one way: you share your impact. Your impact – your team’s record, as it were – is the best case you have to make to show that your work is winning. To demonstrate that your work and their investment are making a difference.

So, here’s the game plan for the rest of this blog: we’re going to walk through why we share impact, what to share and how to share it.

WHY SHARE IMPACT?

Sharing impact has a two-fold purpose: honoring your current team members and recruiting new ones. It’s a chance to show your supporters the tangible ways they’re making a difference and thank them for helping out the team. You’re in essence saying, “you’re the real MVP!” But it’s also an invitation for donors to continue investing – perhaps at a higher level. Or for potential supporters to see that their time, talent and treasure will be used well. Make them trust that yours is a team worth joining.

WHAT TO SHARE?

Impact reports are different from annual reports in that you have a little more freedom. You can often forego the boring financial information and focus more on the exciting stuff. The magic equation is stats + stories. You need statistics for your analytical, numbers people. Your missional goals are a strong place to start – the number of people fed, children clothed, immigrants welcomed. Additionally, sharing your growth year over year shows that you’re moving along the right trajectory. Maybe you served 50 people in the first year, but now you’re serving 500! That is worth noting and celebrating.

But then, you’ll want to balance the numbers with the stories. Those 500 people you fed last year? Introduce us to one of them. You built a home for a refugee family? Let us meet that family. A volunteer served 100 hours? We want to hear from her! Statistics will help make your case but stories will bring it to life.

HOW TO SHARE?

There are many ways to share your impact with the world! Your mind probably jumps to a printed impact report first because it’s a classic. And, it’s a great piece of collateral to have on hand throughout the year. But there are so many other ways to share your impact. To name a few… 

Create a page on your website with neat infographics and compelling photography. Bring your impact to life through a powerful story video. Build a drip campaign into your social media content calendar so you remember to regularly celebrate impact. Launch an email series that shares a quarterly impact interview or feature. Incorporate a time of celebration and “impact sharing” into your next event. The world is your oyster when it comes to celebrating the difference your team is making!

FINAL THOUGHTS

We’re in overtime by now with this blog, but here’s one final tip. We tend to focus on sharing impact just during Q1 when we’re reflecting on the previous year. But, sharing your impact shouldn’t be a once-a-year marketing initiative to check off a list. Sharing your impact should be an ongoing effort, just like being a part of a team is an ongoing effort. That’s how you win, after all.

So, start today! Why not?

And, if you need an assistant coach (or even just someone else to warm your bench), reach out to us and let us know how we can empower you to better share your impact. Go, team!

-Hannah Jessen Conway, Client Success Manager