WORDS That Inspire ACTION
DIRTY WATER. It kills more people every year than all forms of violence, including war. But it doesn't have to.
What words are you using to inspire people to take action with the issue your nonprofit organization addresses? The words above are from the homepage of a Web site for a nonprofit organization called charity: water, whose mission is to bring clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations. Their words inspire action.
It is not enough for a nonprofit organization to describe its mission on the homepage of their Web site or to send out a flyer with a description of who they are and what they do. Your nonprofit organization must choose to stand out by using words that will impact your community members and inspire them to take action. You must use words that move people to want to do something about the issue your nonprofit organization is addressing.
Many nonprofit organizations have a few words or a slogan that they use to communicate the issue they address to the community. While select members of the community may be able to recall these words when asked, most community members will not remember your specific words. Most often, people will use words such as: helpful, charity, nonprofit, helping people, etc., which are generic words that could be used to describe any nonprofit organization. This is why it is important to set your nonprofit organization apart from others, and use words that inspire action, which resonate with your community members. By choosing words that will inspire action, your nonprofit organization will not only see an increase in the level of awareness and perception for the issue you address, but will also see an increase in giving levels and volunteerism from your community. Inspiring words inspire people to take action.
Make a point to explain how you are effectively addressing your issue. charity: water states how they are effectively addressing their issue right on the homepage of their Web site. They explain that 100% of public donations go directly to water projects and all operating costs are covered by a group of private donors, so every dollar given can go to people in need. By explaining how you are effectively addressing your issue, your community will be inspired to take action and will want to give to your nonprofit organization.
At Perspectives, we conduct research to assist nonprofit organizations in finding out how to better communicate with their community, as well as how to increase giving levels and volunteerism. In our research, we have seen the disconnect between a nonprofit organization communicating its message to the community, and community members being able to recall the message. We know from our research the importance of choosing inspiring words that your community will remember.
A community survey will help your nonprofit organization to understand the awareness and perception of the issue you address and what you can do to improve your communication with the community. If your nonprofit organization wants to test the effectiveness of its current message, conducting a community survey is a great way to find out how well it is being communicated to your community members.
We would encourage your nonprofit organization to review its message and to make sure you are using words that inspire action. If you have any questions or would like assistance in adjusting your message, feel free to contact us at (269) 657-5400 or e-mail me at
. We would be happy to talk with you about how we can work together to further the success of your nonprofit organization.
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