The curse of organizational narcissism [Mr. Yuk Fundraising, part 4]

A series about four common fundraising problems that can poison your work and flatten revenue. I wish I could put a “Mr. Yuk” sticker on those practices.

Want to know the worst-ever piece of fundraising advice?

It’s this: Just tell your story!

Your story — the story of your organization is the wrong story to tell if you want to motivate people to donate.

What’s “telling our story” like? It’s like that guy at the party who corners people and talks at them about himself — his amazing life, his great talents, his conquests and successes.

It goes like this:

Since our founding 93 years ago, we’ve helped blah blah prestigious awards blah blah blah beloved by all blah blah blah blah zzzzzzzzzzzz…

That’s narcissism. You don’t raise much money that way.

Because people really don’t care about how awesome you are. In fact, the more you talk about your awesomeness, the less awesome people think you are.

With the possible exception of your Mom, nobody gives because of who you are. They give because you do something they want done.

The give because they’re trying to be awesome.

Most of them don’t think of it that way, but that’s what they’re doing. Putting their values into action. Shaping and repairing the world. Demonstrating through action that they are good people.

You are a tool for them in their lifelong quest to be who they want to be and do what they hope will do.

Your story about yourself is at best irrelevant. And boring.

The story to tell is their story. How they are going to change the world. What it means to them.

That’s why your fundraising should not say:

Give us some money, so we can do something amazing with it.

Instead:

Do something amazing by giving!

That’s the story: The problem the donor will help solve. They way the world will get better because of their giving.

Don’t get me wrong: You owe it to them to be awesome. But talking about it isn’t how you reach them.

Don’t tell your story. Tell their story. Show what giving means to them. Because that’s what moves them to give.