Some nonprofit organizations have very simple missions that are easy to communicate to the public, like a food bank that provides free food to low-income individuals and families, or an animal shelter that cares for and finds homes for stray or abandoned animals. Everyone has at least a basic understanding of what these types of charities do and why their services are important. However, there are other nonprofit organizations that are no less important but are much more difficult to explain to the average person. This can present a large challenge when it comes to raising support or growing the organization.
VitalChurch Ministry, the nonprofit organization at which I am the Chief Operating Officer, is one of those organizations that has a mission that is a little hard for people to grasp at first. Our mission is to see churches reconciled and restored to unity, with gifted leadership in place, gospel values embedded, effective governance established, an exciting mission agreed upon, and discipleship pathways engaged.
To the average person, this mission might seem a little obscure—even for a Christian who understands the importance of the local church. However, those who have been a part of a struggling church that didn’t have the leadership in place to remedy their situation understand why outside help from a nonprofit like ours is crucial. That’s why a majority of our organization’s support comes from people who have been directly impacted by our nonprofit. They attended a church at which one of our interim pastors served. They saw the impact our organization made, and they wanted to help ensure that our organization could help other churches like theirs.
The challenge for our organization comes in communicating our mission to those who have never had direct experience with us. I’m sure we aren’t the only nonprofit with this challenge. Here are some of the things we do to help overcome it:
Tell Stories
At VitalChurch Ministry, we send out regular emails. In them, we typically provide an update on a church in which we are currently serving or one at which we just finished serving. We talk about the impact our pastors made in these churches. If possible, we include a quote from a church member or staff member about how our organization helped transform their church.
Occasionally, we include videos in our emails or post them on social media that tell an inspiring story about a revitalized church. Different people like to consume content in different ways, so it’s good to provide options!
Don’t Try to Oversimplify Things
It can be tempting to try to boil down what your organization does into one simple phrase. This isn’t always advisable—or even possible. When you have a complex mission, trying to simplify it too much can be a mistake. It can be uninspiring, or worse, confusing. Instead, invest the time it takes to get people to understand what you do. Don’t be afraid to create a longer-than-average mission statement. (See the VitalChurch Mission statement above—it’s definitely not short!)
Have a clear “About” page on your website that explains what you do and the problem(s) you are trying to solve. Refer to it often and make sure your communication is consistent across all platforms (your website, emails, social media, printed materials, live events, and one-on-one meetings).
Break Down Fundraising Campaigns
When raising funds, you may want to consider creating campaigns for specific initiatives or programs within your nonprofit, rather than trying to raise money for your organization as a whole. This can be especially helpful if some of the specific things you do are easier to understand than your overall mission. Just be careful that you use the funds appropriately. If you raise money for a specific initiative or program, it needs to actually be used for that purpose!
Your nonprofit was started for a reason! It may not be a cause that everyone understands right away, but that just means you need to put in a little extra effort to communicate your cause.
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