Do the clients, family members, and donors of your nonprofit understand your value the way you want them to?
One youth program leader expresses the value of her faith-based program:
“Our faith is our anti-bullying program”
It is easy to agree that instilling faith in her children has the potential to reduce or eliminate bullying. Ending or preventing bullying is certainly valuable and important. However, is it worth the annual cost of serving a child? Recreational programming and tutoring assistance are also valuable. Is the whole package really worth the cost?
A decline in donor support suggests that the donors are looking for more. The decline can occur in the number of donors, the generosity of the donors, or both.
In this case, the donors are looking for more than keeping one child from bullying others, better grades, and recreational activities. The donors want to know that a meaningful and durable change is taking place.
If the youth program specifically recruited bullies, it might be possible to assert that the program ends bullying. However, it is hard to make that assertion when most of the children do not have a history of bullying.
If the program is going to claim success based upon its faith-based programming, it is important to communicate to the donors what is happening. What is the real value of faith development to the community?
The first step is to assess the child when he or she starts the program. Without the initial assessment, it is impossible to determine if any change occurred.
The nonprofit must be able to predict the change in the child.
Inward Condition – Does it create a child who is confident, poised, caring, kind, humble, obedient, positive, optimistic, calm, at peace with the world, hopeful, diligent, disciplined or some combination?
Assuming they are able make changes, what are the outward indicators that verify the change has occurred?
Outward Indicators – Does that translate into greater success, durable relationships, higher achievement, other things, or a combination?
What is the long-term value of the changes?
Long-Term Benefits (Outcomes) – What are the benefits at the next level of education, in his or her career, marriage, socially responsible, personal fulfillment, joy, happiness, or a combination.
Without all of the preceding, the donors assume they are receiving value for their gift. Knowing there is value, provides the donor with a sense of fulfillment and purpose. When the donors know the value of their gift, they respond with loyalty and generosity.
Next Step:
Look at how your nonprofit expresses its value verbally, in writing, and on the website
Determine if the value is clear and compelling for the clients and the donors
Re-express the value in terms of the change in inward condition, outward indications, and the long-term benefits from the change
Tell your donors what you are achieving and how the changes are going to reshape the world
Remember that since the donors underwrite many of your expenses, they need to see and understand your value. Their generosity is directly related to their understanding of your value.
Your donors, and the value your nonprofit creates for those it serves, are important to long-term sustainability. A decline in donor support is an indication of declining value and sustainability.
For your clients, the most valuable output from your programming is the long-term benefits.
If a client understands the lifelong value of your programming, they are more likely to complete the program and you are more likely to retain the client long enough to achieve the goals your donors want.
