The holiday season affords nonprofits a unique opportunity to connect with supporters and potential donors. As Terry Axelrod--our special guest presenter on our October 20, 2009 Nonprofit 911 call--pointed out, there are three reasons for this opportunity:

  1. This is the time of year when people connect to one another.
  2. It is a season when people are actually encouraged to be kind and generous-the Scrooges of the world are enjoying the extra pleasure that comes with helping people.
  3. This is the natural season of giving money. They're taking stock of their finances. It's the end of the tax year. And now they're deciding who to support first!

What better time is there to make your mission and work come to life? As Terry said: "Most nonprofits are not in the party planning business. They are in the business of serving people and making the world a better place."

With that in mind, here are three easy ways to bring your mission to life at your next event:
(Another big thanks to Terry Axelrod of Benevon® who shared these with us at the October 20 Nonprofit 911 training!)

  1. Live testimonial. Who has your organization touched? What lives have you changed? Who has been affected? Invite that person up to share his or her personal story! Keep in mind that this method is not reserved for human services organizations only. Say you're an eco-conscious nonprofit who's saved public lands from development: Invite a family who hikes there! And if you're a health advocacy group? Bring up a child who your legislation has affected because now she gets equal rights at her school.

  2. Quick speech from leadership. Your Executive Director or CEO is the visionary leader of your organization for a reason. Where does his or her passion lie? What changes have previous supporters enabled? Where is your organization going in the next year and how will that affect those in attendance at your event?

  3. An invitation to come back for seconds. (We're not talking about the buffet here.) After the seven to eight minutes taken up by ideas one and two above, take the opportunity to invite attendees to learn more. This step is your call to action for attendees! Have a Board member invite folks to take a tour of your nonprofit's facilities. Provide your URL where people can learn more about next year's plans.

Bonus Tip: Not having an event? Not a problem! The holidays provide a great opportunity for you to bring your mission to where your supporters are. Say you have groups clamoring to do a volunteer project for the day-serving at your soup kitchen on Thanksgiving or distributing gifts to the elderly in your senior care center. Before you let them sign on the dotted line and pick a date, bring an orientation event to them at their office. This "event in a box" is a great opportunity to get the company on board with your mission and encourage them to build a lasting relationship instead of a one-day program.

Interested in learning more? Download the training materials (transcript, audio recording and handout) from our Nonprofit 911 call about "Missionizing Your Year-end Fundraising"!