Giving Compass' Take:

• At the Influence Nation Summit, philanthropists and funders discussed two critical points that nonprofits are struggling with: listening more than talking and sharing authentic stories. 

• Which nonprofits have done these two things successfully to create lasting movements?  How would feedback help organizations to listen and share? 

• Read about how to truly be listening in philanthropy. 

In September, leaders from the Ad Council, the Born This Way Foundation, Young Invincibles, the Transgender Law Center, the MBK Alliance, the National Geographic Society, and other organizations and causes gathered in Washington, D.C., at the Influence Nation Summit to talk about the tactics they've used in the past to move large numbers of people to take action.

Running through their remarks were two critical points that many nonprofits struggle to operationalize: 1) Listening is more important than talking; and 2) Sharing authentic stories with a compelling message is at the heart of every successful movement.

If you're a professional fundraiser, you've heard the admonition to focus on your donors and establish them as the "hero" of the narratives you share with supporters and stakeholders. You've been told to use "you" in your messaging instead of "we," to evoke donors' empathy by appealing to their emotions.  Before you go out to recruit new donors to your cause, it's imperative that someone on your staff spends some time finding and listening in on the conversations that are already happening around your issue.

The second component of a successful movement naturally follows the first. Careful listening should give you a good idea of the language, concerns, and passion points surrounding your issue so you can then use that information to create stories that don't overpower the conversation but instead dramatize the issue in an unforgettable way.

So while you're recruiting new donors and working to retain the ones you already have, try to gather information you can use to create compelling stories for and with your supporters. How? Here are a few things to keep in mind:

  • Look for ways to create common ground.
  • Invite people to share.
  • Learn how to tell stories via Facebook Ads.

Read the full article about listening for and sharing stories by Derrick Feldmann at PhilanTopic