Action 3: Share stories

Part III of a four-part blog series on building relationships with donors and customers.

A few months into COVID, one of the small, local businesses we support posted on their Facebook page that thanks to all of their customers, they had been able to keep 80% of their staff on payroll. We gave them more business the next day.

Share important and impactful stories with your customers and donors. It will make differences beyond your wildest dreams.

For nonprofits, many of us already have an email list we use to communicate with donors. Whether it’s an email blast or newsletter, share current successes and struggles with your donors. We are well into COVID now, so how has that affected your programs and mission? Or has it? How have the recent elections around the country affected your work? Are you in a field or geographical area where winter makes it more difficult?

Donors want to hear about this. I have found that especially these days people are very much interested in taking action to support others. They want to know how their donation or volunteering has made a difference. You hold that key. Share the stories.

In the world of small business it may be difficult to do this. Pre-COVID many businesses we support didn’t have a Facebook page, website or email list. Figure out how you can best communicate with your customers and start sharing what is going on. Many smaller communities have a Facebook page where businesses can share items on a certain day (or any day). Take advantage of that. If you have the capacity to do so, start gathering emails of your customers and send a monthly note about how things are going, offers to support your customers, and any news that might remind them you’re there.

Stories add a lot to building relationship with your donors and customers. Keep them going and those relationships can only grow.

Thanks for reading!