Rarely are donors attracted to supporting your administrative costs. They want to hear about your nonprofit's programs and services. Your mission statement may not be enough to involve some donors. It's imperative you learn to write an effective overview of your programs, especially for your website where people give you only seconds to grab their interest. Follow these steps to make your overview effective.
Instructions
1. Identify each of your nonprofit's programs and services. Write down the people you serve with each one. Consider also whom you're targeting with your overview. A campaign to recruit donors, for example, is different from a brochure you give to potential clients.
2. Write a brief history of each program and service. Just a sentence or two giving your audience an idea of how long the program has been in place is enough.
3. Talk about what your clients will get from the program or service. Be specific about skills, legislation, knowledge, items, support and anything else you offer. Use words from your mission statement to create a connection between the two.
4. State the goals you've set for each program. Present them as bullet points so they stand out and are easy to scan. This is especially important online.
5. Describe how your nonprofit intends to reach these goals and serve your clients. This should include a method to evaluate the efficacy of the program. You'll impress your donors by stating outright how you intend to learn from your experiences and grow your organization.
6. Mention other organizations, governmental agencies and people who are collaborating with you on the program. Donors appreciate a nonprofit that uses its resources efficiently by combining them with others.
7. Include contact information in nonprofit program and service overviews intended for your clients. For materials given to donors such as direct mail pieces, newsletters and event literature, it's important to make "the request" and include a reply device.
