Crafting Value Propositions For Nonprofits

Stop asking donors to fund your budget. Start inviting them to change the world. The difference between a $5,000 gift and a $50,000+ investment isn’t the donor’s capacity. It’s your offer. Here’s what neuroscience tells us about high-impact fundraising offers: When donors encounter truly compelling opportunities, their brains activate the same regions involved in processing personal identity and autobiographical memories. Translation? They’re not just considering a transaction—they’re envisioning how this gift fits into their life story. The organizations raising 6-and-7-figure gifts understand 3 things average nonprofits don’t: ✅ Emotional connection comes first Stop leading with statistics. Start with stories that help donors see themselves as heroes in your mission. ✅ Partnership beats charity every time Don’t ask people to fund your programs. Invite them to co-create solutions to problems they care about solving. ✅ Authenticity is non-negotiable You can’t manufacture passion through clever marketing. Your offer must emerge from genuine belief in your cause. When you craft offers that connect to donors’ deepest values and help them express their identity through giving, everything changes. Your donors stop seeing you as one charity among many. They start seeing you as THE vehicle for creating the change they want to see in the world. What story are you telling donors about the impact they can create?

Donors care about one very important thing: are you empowering them to give to a cause and work that matches their values? In our rush to craft the perfect fundraising campaign, we sometimes forget this fundamental truth. We may get caught up in metrics, storytelling techniques, and graphics, but at the heart of every donation is a simple question: does this align with who I am? Value Alignment. Ensure that your appeals reflect not just the work you do, but also the values underpinning it. Donors want to see themselves in the narrative. They want to believe that by supporting you, they're championing their personal beliefs. Beyond the Transaction. Donors aren’t ATMs. They're partners in your mission. It's more than just transferring funds; it's about joining a movement, a belief, a shared vision for the future. Open Conversations. Don’t just talk at your donors. Talk with them. Understand what drives them, their motivations, their aspirations. By doing so, you can present opportunities that resonate deeply with them. Feedback & Accountability. Always loop back and show the tangible impact of their support. A donor should never wonder, “Did my donation actually make a difference?” Stay Authentic. It’s easy to get lost in the numbers and aim to appeal to everyone. But remember, authenticity always wins. Be true to your mission and values. The right donors, the ones who truly align with your cause, will appreciate it and stick with you. Ultimately, our role as nonprofit professionals isn’t just to raise funds. It's to forge meaningful connections, nurture relationships, and bring together a community that believes in a shared dream. Let's make every donor feel like they're coming home when they support our cause.

Last week I helped one of the largest U.S. non-profits align around a new strategic narrative. While I mostly work with commercial brands, non-profits bring some new challenges to the table. I've been loving it. Not only am I helping an organization whose work matters to me personally, new challenges always force me to level up my craft. Here are the 3 main challenges I've been tackling this time... ===== 1️⃣ 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝟮-𝗟𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺 If I'm working with say, a B2B SaaS company, framing the problem is straightforward, because we can frame it directly around the buyer alone. But for a non-profit, you have to break down this problem into two layers. Layer 1 = the cause that needs support Layer 2 = the needs and wants in donors' heads You can't focus on Layer 1 alone, because the problem won't seem relevant. You would end up relying on guilt to drive action, which is rarely a good idea. You can't focus on Layer 2 alone, because if you're too blunt about answering "What's in it for me?" your appeal won't seem genuine. For a narrative to work, it must connect these two layers of the problem in a way that's authentic, meaningful, and distinct. It's a tall order. 2️⃣ 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗜𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜𝘁 𝗜𝘀𝗻'𝘁 Every organization has competition. However, most non-profits 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 their peers to succeed. They're tackling problems too large for any of them to address alone. Bashing competitors is a no-go. But... They also want donors to choose 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮, when presented with a choice. This means that having a unique POV is extra critical. It's not about being "better" than the competition, but being able to "own" a problem that no other organization can claim. (P.S. every good brand should aspire to this) 3️⃣ 𝗡𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗲𝘀 Legendary non-profits don't just have a "product" to sell. They have deeply held values that drive the organization's very existence. Values that attract the right donors, employees, partners, and board members. Values that can never be compromised. Not even for the sake of growth. Crafting the right narrative means we must go beyond an appeal to the market. We also have to keep the narrative true to those values. If we're not, the brand will start to erode. One wrong word and the whole thing can send the wrong message. Getting stakeholder alignment – especially from the CEO and across leadership – is the only way to do this right. ===== New challenges put me at my best. I can't wait for the next one. ✌️

Every nonprofit should be generating at least $10K/month in corporate support from LinkedIn: But most overthink, delay, and rely on cold grant portals. Here’s the playbook we used to help dozens of nonprofits secure corporate partnerships without a big team or paid ads: 1. Spend 3 hours crafting your offer Most nonprofits waste 6 months guessing what companies want. Your offer isn’t your mission statement. It’s the intersection of what you need and what companies care about. To start strong: • Align with CSR or employee engagement goals • Package your impact clearly (metrics > fluff) • Make it easy for them to say yes Hint: “Sponsor a student” is vague. “$5K gets your team involved in mentoring 20 first-gen college students” is concrete. 2. Validate your outreach strategy You don’t validate your offer by posting generic content. You do it by starting 20 conversations a week with potential partners. 1. Use LinkedIn Sales Nav to find CSR, DEI, HR, or marketing leaders 2. Add 100–200 a week 3. Ask about their current community involvement or employee giving goals The market will literally tell you what to offer. 3. Be willing to start with zero If you’re unproven, start by co-creating a pilot. • Invite a company to “test” a partnership • Offer shoutouts, storytelling, employee experiences • Document the results (pics, quotes, metrics) This builds the social proof you’ll need to charge sponsorship fees later. 4. Niche your pitch Generic asks = ignored. Narrow in: • 1 issue you address (climate, youth, equity, mental health) • 1 type of company (tech, CPG, financial) • 1 type of support (employee engagement, storytelling, cause marketing) From there: • Craft a one-pager that sells itself • Use examples and testimonials • Build confidence with every new convo 5. Build as you go You don’t need a deck, toolkit, or portal before outreach. Most nonprofits delay by “getting ready.” That’s code for hiding. We helped one nonprofit get a $25K deal with nothing but a Google Doc and a calendar link. Since applying this system: • One nonprofit closed 2 major corporate partnerships • Another turned LinkedIn into their #1 lead source • Dozens now have 5 warm leads/week with zero ad spend If you want to learn how we do it, I’ll send over a few examples. PS — Which step do you feel stuck on?

What I wish more nonprofits knew! I recently attended an interesting workshop led by Tom Davis, all about helping nonprofits craft their best fundraising elevator pitches. I loved it so much, I had to share these insights with you. If you’re a fundraiser, this post is for you. Tom broke it down into 4 key elements every strong pitch should have: 1. Shared Vision Every company has its own mission, values, and strategic focus. Do your homework. Read our ESG reports. Understand our vision and mission. Then show us how your mission aligns with ours. When our goals intersect, that’s where real partnership begins. 2. Emotional Connection You’re sharing a story and inviting us to join your journey. Tap into emotions like empathy, urgency, hope, and compassion. You are the storyteller and the translator of impact. Help us feel why your cause matters. 3. Quantify the Impact We’re businesses. Yes, we care about heart—but we also care about outcomes. ROI isn’t just a buzzword—it’s how we justify our investments. Show us the numbers. — How many lives will be impacted? — What’s the measurable outcome? — How will we track and celebrate success together? 4. Authenticity & Trust This one might be the most important. We get flooded with partnership requests daily. What stands out? Genuine relationships. Start by building trust—not by making a hard ask. Share stories. Be real. Show up consistently. That’s what creates long-term partnerships that actually last. If you’re a CSR professional, what else would you add to this list? What makes a nonprofit pitch stand out to you? Drop your thoughts below 👇