Don't lead with the mission statement

What actually lands with your friends, donors, and prospects

“What do I say to my friends?” Many board members wonder what to say about their organization when someone asks.

You don't want to be pushy, but you do want to be an enthusiastic ambassador and spread the word about your organization's impact in the community. You always want to be on the lookout for potential friends and donors, people who care about your cause.

Your lucky moment

Here you are, at a neighborhood gathering, and a friend is asking you about your organization. You may feel unprepared and taken unawares. But the fact is, you have a lucky moment. You have, right in front of you, someone interested enough to ask about your organization!

In these situations, many board members instinctively reach for the mission statement. Or they lead with facts, data, or descriptions of your organization's programs.

But reciting factoids almost always sends the conversation the wrong way. The fact is, your mission statement is not likely to be interesting when you say it out loud to a friend.

Here's the challenge with mission statements: they are often full of lofty, sweeping statements that can fall flat when spoken out loud. This kind of writing does not invite a personal connection. Data has little emotional pull, so the energy drains out of the exchange, and your lucky moment passes.

Look at it this way: when your friend shows interest and inquires about your organization, they are not asking for a program description. They were more curious about you, and why you are involved. When you answer with a mission statement, you lose the chance to open the door to explore their interest.

Stop “representing” your organization. Just be a person who loves it.

Why do you care?

Your personal reason is the only message you need.

The truth is, you don't need rehearsed talking points. People are far more interested in your own personal perspective than an abstract one. Your friend doesn't want your organization's strategic plan. They want to know why it matters to you, what you think about it.

So, finish this sentence, just for yourself: “I care about this organization because...”

Say it out loud. That's your message. Everything else follows from there.

In fact, you can go around your entire community telling everyone about your organization and why you think it's important. That's the true role of an Ambassador, spreading the word about your cause wherever you go.

Great community PR is an essential backdrop for fundraising. Peer-to-peer word of mouth is more powerful than any mailer or fundraising appeal. In a way, you are providing social proof, endorsing your cause and helping it build trust and credibility in the community.

I felt this firsthand at a recent neighborhood gathering. A friend looked over at me and said, “Oh, I didn't realize you were on the board of the Botanical Garden!”

I stepped right in, sharing my enthusiasm. “Yes! It's so exciting. We work to preserve endangered plant species in the Southeast. It matters so much for conservation, and for our future on a warming planet.”

She brightened right up. “I didn't know that. That's so interesting!” So I invited her over. “Let me show you around sometime,” I said. She smiled. “Absolutely!”

I hadn't planned any of that. I was even caught off guard at a casual gathering. What came out may have been garbled, but it worked. I said just a couple of phrases, and my sincere enthusiasm was enough.

Then stop talking and ask.

Here's the part most people forget about. Once you've shared your honest “why I care,” then stop. Create a conversation. Create some give and take by engaging your friend.

It's time to ask a real question back. “What's your own connection to something like this?” or just, “What are your impressions of our work?”

That one shift is what turns a nice moment into a real conversation. You're no longer explaining your organization at someone. You're finding out what they care about, too.

This is how board members make friends, and eventually create donor relationships. This is how it actually starts.

Take Away: Make Friends First. Ask Later.

A mission statement asks people to care about your organization.

Your own honest reason gives them something to connect with instead: you.

That's the whole idea behind Make Friends First. Ask Later. Say what you care about, ask what they think, and let the conversation go from there. The rest tends to follow.