Advanced Storytelling: Your Money Story

Quickly, do you know exactly where your organization is, at this point in the year, in meeting your annual fundraising goals?

Does everyone?

Do you talk about your “growth” budget with your board and your donors?

Are you regularly sharing your vision for making a bigger impact and what that will take financially?

Are you basing your annual budget on a small % increase over what you raised last year but you don’t know how you’ll raise more?

What might be missing is a critical component to your communication. Sharing your money story.

Your “money story” is the gap between where you are today in reaching your annual fundraising goals AND your visionary – forward thinking – fundraising goal – vs. the amount you’ve raised so far this year.

I define advanced fundraising as blending a single person mission moment with your money story.

Annual funding gap messages and visionary fundraising goals kept private and hidden leave money on the table

If, to be effective, you MUST become a $1 million or $10 million or $100 million organization – share that vision regularly.

Executive Directors and Development Directors who shy away from sharing their money story tell me they feel talking about a large “funding gap” will cause people to think their organization is not run well.

I believe the exact opposite.

I’ve watched, over and over again, as organizations that are transparent about costs, goals, and the impact of a gift create stronger and more committed donors.

Make certain when you share your money story you aren’t being boring. Check out these two versions of the same story for an example of advance storytelling.

I promise you will take your fundraising to the next level when you include BOTH –  a compelling people story with your money story.