How do you build support for non-profits early in their development process?
If you can master this four-step process, you’ll do just fine.
Beijing's Watercube, under Construction. Under Creative Commons Licence.
1) The Ask: How do you pitch your new organization? It’s important that hone your message. Build a 10 second pitch, a 30 second pitch and a 2 minute pitch. Know exactly what you are asking for and find the best ways to ask it.
2) Use your contacts to secure wide-spread support. Who do you know that’s naturally interested in your work? Which of them are connectors? Don’t just focus on getting your direct contacts working for you, but make sure you get their friends and their friends’ friends on board too.
3) Communicating with like-minded non-profits. Next, you need to build support within civil society. How do you build relationships with potentially competitive non-profits? Reach out and make them feel comfortable. Bring them some added value.
4) Staying in touch with supporters. So you’ve built up a nice little base of people that admire your work. Great. Don’t think they’ll stay around forever. Nurture them. Build them up. Make them true believers in your cause.
This strategy don’t just apply to people starting non-profits, it applies to people in all walks of life–including those that have recently started a new job and are hungry to succeed, or people that have been working for years but need a career boost.
If you build it, they will come–but ya gotta be smart about how you build it and how you treat them after they show up.
I’ll be building each of these points out throughout my blogs this week.
