9 Speaking Tips for Your Next Recognition Event & 2 Things Never to Do

When addressing a group of supporters who have gathered at a donor-recognition event, it is important to effectively manage both the message and how you deliver that message.

A colleague contacted me recently for some advice about his upcoming appreciation event:

I will be emceeing and addressing the members of our legacy society. The President and the Chair of our current capital campaign are both speaking as well, but it falls to me to open the gathering and set the tone, then close the gathering and send them on their way. Given an opportunity like this, what would you make sure you said? Do you have any words of wisdom?”

The answers to the above questions will vary somewhat based on the unique culture of the group. Determining the correct message and how to appropriately deliver it will require sensitivity to the organization’s traditions, regional culture, and national mores. With that in mind, here are nine ideas what he might consider doing followed by two things he should definitely never do:

1. Be lively. I have found that many legacy society events can be dull, even funereal. If that’s what your folks are expecting and want, then give it to them. However, if the situation allows, I encourage you to try to be a bit light and jovial. Sometimes, we can take ourselves a bit too seriously, particularly when it comes to planned giving. Giving should be a joyful, positive, uplifting experience, even for a very serious cause. Keep that in mind when addressing your supporters.

2. Show appreciation. Just because it’s a donor-recognition event, do not assume that your supporters will feel appreciated simply by being there. Make sure you tell donors that you appreciate not just their gifts but also their involvement and caring.

3. Tell stories. People also like a good story, especially if it’s amusing, has a twist, or is heart-warming. Think of what you want to say. Then, think if there’s a story you can tell that will make the same point. Stories engage people by allowing them to put themselves into the situation. Hearing a good story activates many of the same parts of the brain that would be activated if the listener were actually living the situation. For maximum impact, make sure to use real stories.

4. Tell donors how gifts have been used. It is important for donors to understand that the organization wisely uses donations to achieve its mission efficiently. Very often, we focus on how gifts will be used. That’s certainly important. In fact, that’s my next point. However, we must also show folks the impact of past support. That gives us an opportunity to provide evidence of our organization’s effectiveness.

So, if a realized bequest contribution allows a social service agency to provide 50 meals to the homeless each week, then share that story. Remember that bequest commitments are revocable. And, if treated well, your planned gift donors will be among your best prospects for another gift. Therefore, you’ll want to keep reassuring the people that made those commitments that they made the correct decision.

Sharing a story about a previous donor whose gift has been realized will do a number of important things:

• Tells people that donors continue to be remembered and appreciated even long after they’re gone.
• Reminds folks that others have made a planned gift. People like to know that they’re part of group.
• Underscores that planned gifts have a real impact.
• Implies that all donors will likely be similarly appreciated and have their gifts wisely used to achieve the organization’s mission.

5. Tell donors how gifts will be used. For planned gift commitments that might not be realized for years to come, it can be difficult to demonstrate how the realized donation will be used. However, while difficult, it is still something you have to do. It is important for you to let donors know that their gifts will work to wisely benefit those the organization serves. And, if appropriate, tell them how the broader community or society will benefit as well.

World Giving Index Reveals Bad News & More Bad News

Between 2010 and 2011, the world witnessed a sharp fall in generosity as global economic growth slowed. The number of people who have donated money, volunteered time and helped a stranger has fallen significantly.

For the United States, there is even more bad news. The US lost the distinction of being the world’s most “generous country,” falling back to fifth place.

This bad news comes from The World Giving Index 2012. The Charities Aid Foundation,  an international charity based in the United Kingdom, published the findings recently. The report, compiled from survey data provided by Gallup, ranks charitable behavior in 148 nations. CAF bases the rankings on three measures:

Have you done any of the following in the past month?:

• Donated money to a charity?
• Volunteered your time to an organisation?
• Helped a stranger, or someone you didn’t know who needed help?”

The CAF report reveals, “In 2010, 65 percent of Americans said that they had donated money to charity in the previous month. That figure fell by eight percentage points to 57 percent in 2011.” This helps explain the American drop in the rankings.

The news for Australia is much better as that nation reclaimed the number one spot. “In a typical month, more than two-thirds of Australians donate money to charity and help a stranger. More than a third volunteer,” according to the report.

 

World Giving Index 2012 — Map with Country Rank

 

In 2011, the top ten most giving countries were:

Survey Sounds Alarm Bell for Nonprofit Sector

Over 91 percent of businesses believe they are equally or better equipped than nonprofit organizations to deliver social change, according to a recent survey reported on by Chloe Stothart of Third Sector Online.

That means just nine percent of respondents thought it was somewhat more or much more effective for businesses to donate to charity to achieve social change!

What makes these statistics even more shocking is that all of the 142 survey respondents were businesses with a Corporate Social Responsibility budget. Imagine what the statistics might look like if a more representative sample of the business community were surveyed.

While the survey was conducted in the United Kingdom by YouGovStone for the Social Investment Consultancy, it should strike fear into the hearts of all nonprofit organizations worldwide.

In the United States, corporate giving in 2010 totaled $15.29 billion, five percent of all giving, according to Giving USA 2011. While a comparatively small slice of the overall giving pie, corporate giving is nevertheless significant. And, for some nonprofit organizations, corporate giving plays an even greater role.

Here’s why the nonprofit sector should be alarmed by the survey findings:

 

• There’s no such thing as “corporate philanthropy.” For a detailed explanation of what I mean by this, read my blog post on the subject. In short, corporations exist to enhance shareholder value, not to engage in purely philanthropic activities. That doesn’t mean businesses don’t give away money. It just means that when a business does give money, it is looking to enhance the company’s value for its shareholders. So, when businesses talk about engaging in efforts for “social change,” they are talking about efforts that will benefit the business and not necessarily society in general. Also, the business community may be overestimating its ability to facilitate social change while underestimating the ability of the charity sector.

 

• The survey results reveal an underlying mistrust of the nonprofit sector. The business community seems to have the attitude, “If you want something done right, do it yourself.” As long as this lack of confidence in the nonprofit sector exists, we can expect corporate giving will not realize its full potential. All donors, whether corporate, individual or foundation, want to know that their funds will be wisely and efficiently used.

 

Jake Hayman, chief executive of the Social Investment Consultancy, believes the survey is reflective of the attitudes held by the broader corporate community. He said that businesses were becoming far more interested in doing good through their own efforts rather than by donating to charity. Hayman says,

There’s been an evolution from wanting to sponsor or outsource the good you do to wanting to run it yourself based on your strengths”