Fundraising Event? Or Party with a Purpose?

Please, oh please, nonprofits who I love so much, don’t send me another invitation to a stuffy dinner with stuffy speakers and stuffed chicken (or a stuffed tomato for us vegetarians).

Instead, invite me to something fun, that I’ll actually look forward to attending, and that I’ll RSVP for early because I genuinely want to reserve my spot. Show me a good time and I’ll give it up (a nice check, that is)!

If this idea of supporters clamoring to attend your events is appealing, but you aren’t quite sure how to pull it off, you should check out next week’s webinar, Parties with a Purpose: How to Put the Fun Back in Your Fundraising Events on Wednesday, September 17 at 1:00 p.m. Eastern (10:00 a.m. Pacific).

It’s the usual deal: $35 for everyone in your office around one webinar connection or free with your All-Access Pass ($97 for 12 weeks of everything I offer.) If you can’t make it live, your registration also gets you two weeks of access to the recording, so you can watch the video when you do have the time.

This webinar will feature fundraising expert Gail Perry and our resident media maven Claire Meyerhoff. Gail is probably most well-known for showing you how to get your board to fundraise for you (I’m going to talk her into doing that webinar next!), but she also has some fabulous ideas on nonprofit fundraising events.

This webinar is shaping up to be one of our most popular to date based on current registrations, so get in on it now. Space is limited!

P.S. I’ll be spending tomorrow with Gail and Claire and will get some “freebie” tips out of them to share with you on Monday.

And don’t forget about Magic Keys Radio, live on Friday at 1:00 p.m. ET - We’ll be interviewing Gail, so you can get some good free tips then too. Come ask questions!

What’s Your Story? Nonprofits Need “Founding” Story

I’m teaching Nonprofit Storytelling: How to Write Your Nonprofit’s Best Stories this Wednesday, September 10, at 1:00 p.m. Eastern (10:00 a.m. Pacific). Join the webinar for just $35.

Every nonprofit has great stories to tell, although it’s not always clear exactly how and when you should tell those stories.

One story that ALL nonprofits should tell is your “founding” story or “how we got started” story.

One of my favorite founding stories is the one on Heifer International’s website. It’s buried in the site, but I bet it’s a story that staff tells all the time when introducing the organization to new supporters.

“These children don’t need a cup, they need a cow” was Dan West’s reaction to ladling out food rations to starving kids. What he did next, and how it grew into Heifer International is a great story for several reasons:

It’s about real people.

It’s about real emotions.

It’s about real actions that those real people took based on those real emotions.

Here is another founding story that appeared as Ruth Sheehan’s column in the Raleigh News and Observer this week: “Paying It Forward for Real” is the story of how the Caring Community Foundation came to be (Thanks to my buddy Claire Meyerhoff for the tip).

Once again, you’ll see that what makes this story so effective is that it’s about just a few specific, real people, reacting with real emotion to a situation (cancer in this case) and doing something concrete about it.

Note what these founding stories are NOT about:

– All the different organizational permutations that brought them to where they are today.

– Generic people who had generic ideas and generic responses ala “A bunch of people in the community had an idea and started coming to some meetings about it.”

– Lots of irrelevant detail that detracts from the core message. It’s sometimes hard to boil down a founding story when you are in the process of founding an organization, but with a little time and hindsight, you should be able to find those essential elements that explain why and how you came to be.

You can learn more about nonprofit storytelling during this Wednesday’s webinar. Details and Registration Here.

Ask Me Annual Report Questions Tues @ Philanthropy.com

I’m one of the guests for the Chronicle of Philanthropy’s online chat tomorrow (Tuesday, Sept. 9, at Noon Eastern). The topic is “Creating a Better Annual Report.”

These chats are always loaded with great information, so I hope I can keep the trend alive. You can help by asking some great questions . . . you can submit questions now or live during the session.

What Talking Points Do We Use and What’s Our Lead?

It’s the fourth and final day of Media Relations Week here at Nonprofit Communications. Since I skipped Monday, I’m answering two reader questions today.

But before I do that, I have a little favor to ask. Can you please help me decide what I should put on the webinar schedule this winter? If you haven’t weighed in already, please tell me which nonprofit marketing topics you are most interested in via this quick survey. Five free webinar passes are up for grabs for completing the survey.

Here’s question #1:

“How do you decide on ‘talking points’ when talking to the media?”

~ Alesha Mathis, Middle Georgia Community Action Agency, Inc.

It all goes back to “what’s news.”

Figure out your main point - What is the one thing you want people to know? How would you like the headline to read? Then support that statement with important details. Your talking points are really just your pitch, with some details added in. Put your talking points in order of importance, so you get the most critical information out there first.

(And congratulations, Alesha, you won the drawing for a free webinar pass for submitting a question this week! I’ll email you the details.)

Here’s question #2:

“I know there should be the standard boilerplate about my organization at the end, if anyone wants more information, but when we are a relatively unknown organization (with little or no brand recognition) and we launch a program in a new state, it seems like more background has to be in the body of the press release or it doesn’t make sense. Also do people want to hear more about who we are helping, or who worked so hard to make it happen in the new state?”

~ Andrea Umbreit, Smiles Change Lives

And my answer:

Always lead with the news angle, regardless of how well-known you are. The new things you are doing are going to be more interesting than the details about your organization. Talk about the good work, then introduce yourself. As for who should be the focus, I’d lean toward the people you are helping. If some volunteers brought about the new program and they have really good stories to tell, you could lead with them. But you want to stay away from anything that sounds like you are just trying to publicly thank people for their hard work or to pat your own organization on the back. That’s not a good news angle.

What Do I Say to a Reporter When Pitching a Story?

It’s Day 3 of Media Relations Week.

Claire Meyerhoff and I hosted a press release writing webinar with tons of tips and some great real-world examples today, including advice on pitching your stories to the press. If you have the Nonprofit Marketing Guide All-Access Pass, you can listen to it right now or whenever you want.

Photo by Michael (mx5tx) on Flickr How’s Your Pitching?

On to today’s question:

“Can you give an example of how a media pitch call might sound? Perhaps you could provide what might be a “typical” script. Assume it’s an annual event-related pitch you are making to more than one media outlet, and that you don’t know the reporter personally.”

~ Matt Davis, Kids Help Phone

My answer:

Let’s start with some pitching prep first, then we’ll get down to the actual conversation.

Before you call any reporter, you need to have a few things very clear in your mind:

1) A “newsy” hook — why should your story be covered now? The Oregonian newspaper has what I think is one of the most helpful definitions of what’s news. You’ll see at the very bottom that hosting a fundraising event is probably considered news - but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t work on the elements in this list to really make your event standout. The bigger your media market, the harder you’ll need to work to make your event sound special.

2) Why should this particular reporter care? Sometimes you end up calling a general assignment reporter and that’s fine. You can go with a more straight-forward pitch. But if you want your story in the Business Section, you need to pitch a business reporter and your story should have a clear business angle. Fundraisers could appear in virtually every section of the paper with the right angle and press release content (include quotes from elected officials if you are trying for the “Local” section or talking to the government beat reporter, or quotes from business leaders if you are trying for Business Section, etc.) If the reporter has previously written about your topic or organization, definitely mention that (i.e., You wrote a great story about this in May, and I think this would be an excellent followup . . .)

3) What else you can offer, besides the press release? Will there be good photo opportunities? Can you put the reporter in touch with several people to interview (people who donated to your silent auction, people who will benefit from the work that the fundraiser will help pay for — whoever can provide quotes that will support the story angle)? Any behind-the-scenes tours of particularly cool venues or backstage interviews with big keynote speakers or high-profile guests?

Now, practice getting your pitch down to 30 seconds, with the first sentence being the most important. Most reporters will have no problem interrupting you and telling you they aren’t interested if you don’t grab them fast. (You’ll hear something like “It’s not right for us,” “Timing isn’t good,” flat out “No thanks,” or “I don’t know. I’ll call you back.” - which usually means no.)

So what the heck do you actually say to a reporter you’ve never met?

Getting started is this easy:

Reporter Named John Smith: “Hello, John Smith”

You: “Hi John. My name is Bob Evans with Save the Squirrels. I have a story for you.” (Note, you aren’t saying, “I have the best story ever” or “a story you’d be an idiot to pass up” — keep it as a straightforward suggestion.)

OR: Hi John. My name is Bob Evans with Save the Squirrels. I’d like to pitch a story to you really quickly if you have a minute.”   (Yes, it’s OK to call what you are doing pitching. That’s the term for it. The reporters know that’s what you are doing, so it’s no big deal to say it).

Reporter: OK. (Or I’m right in the middle of something . . .)

You: (If they say something like OK, launch right into it! If they say they are busy, but don’t blow you off entirely, say, “I’ll make it really quick, I promise” — which you’ll be able to do because you’ve practiced your pitch!)

Then go for it — no need for small talk or a bunch of background, just get to the point:

Our local squirrel population has been decimated, and on Saturday, we are holding a special Dog Walk & Festival at City Park to raise money for a breeding program. Dogs love to chase squirrels and dog owners all over town are reporting high levels of depression since the dogs have nothing to chase now. We are expecting at least 100 people and dogs at the festival and we’ll have all kinds of fun contests, including a Dog/Owner Look-a-Like Contest and an American Idol-style howling contest where the fire department will sound the truck sirens to get the dogs going. It’s going to be lots of fun, with great photo opps, and all of the money will go directly to solving our local squirrel problem.

Reporter: Do you have any numbers on the problem?

You: Yes, a university study showed that our squirrel population is down by 50%.

Reporter: How do we know the dogs are depressed?

You: Dog owners can tell and vets across town are being asked for anti-depressants.

Reporter: Any vets actually giving out the pills?

You: Yeah, I can put you in touch with one or two. Do you want me to email you the press release for the festival and some vet contacts?

Reporter: Sure. I’ll see what I can do.

You: Thanks John. Let me give you my cell phone number . . . .

It’s really that simple. But notice how the reporter went off on a tangent with the dog depression? That happens all the time! Remember that THEY decide where the story really is. You can always try to steer them back to your angle, but ultimately the reporter will decide what to write about, or whether to cover it at all. Respect that, and don’t get pushy or critical about their decisions. A story about vets prescribing anti-depressants that mentions your festival is better than no story at all! And now you know the reporter a little better and can come back next time with an even more focused pitch for John Smith.

Reporters tend to be skeptical by nature, so don’t be put off if they quiz you or don’t seem particularly excited. Work your pitch and follow-up with whatever the reporter asks for. Remember, you need each other. Reporters need good stories, and you need the publicity. Build those relationships, give reporters what they need (good stories!) and you’ll get some great press in return.

Happy Pitching!

P.S. Check out the Bad Pitch Blog for lots of “don’ts” and some good “dos” too.

Tags: pitching, reporters

How Far in Advance Do I Send an Event Press Release?

Photo by Peter Kaminski on Flickr We’ll answer all of your press release questions, including pesky timing issues, during Thursday’s webinar. Get the Details/Register.

It’s Media Relations Week, Day #2 (I skipped Labor Day, but will make it up with a bonus at the end of the week).

Here is today’s question:

“What kind of timeline should you follow when marketing a special event or fundraiser, especially with regards to press releases and community calendars?”

~Elizabeth Day, with For Every Mother and BirthNetwork of Northwest Arkansas

And my answer:

Before you can set your schedule for contacting the press about your event, you have to decide what kind of coverage you want and when you’d ideally like it to appear. Do you want coverage before the event so that people can read about it and buy tickets? Or do you want a reporter or photographer at the event and to write about what happened afterwards? Or both?

Coverage Before the Event

Newspapers often have community calendars in print and online, and radio and TV stations have calendars online. Some will also broadcast upcoming events at the end of their news programming. Find out how far in advance they will list your event and submit your details as early as possible.

If you are looking for more than an event listing and want a feature article in the newspaper, for example, think about what timing makes the most sense. Do you have a firm ticket sales deadline or can people get tickets at the door? Issue a press release 3-5 days before you’d like the coverage to appear. A deadline or the event date itself are timely, and therefore newsworthy.

You can’t just announce your event and expect to get coverage, however (unless you live in a really small media market and you don’t have lots of local competition). You need to come up with a “hook” that makes the event especially newsworthy. Will someone with celebrity status be there? Is there something really out of the ordinary in your silent auction? Pull out a couple of details that are really unusual or interesting and highlight those. A story about a single attendee, speaker, or beneficiary will be more interesting to the media that a general story about a fundraiser.

Coverage After the Event

If you want a reporter and/or photographer to come to the event and cover it as a news story, you can issue a media advisory 5-7 days before the event. A media advisory is not a press release; it’s more like an invitation. It includes a very brief (less than a paragraph) description of the event, followed by the basic logistics, often listed in a Who, What, When, Where format. Be sure to let the press know if they need to contact anyone in particular ahead of time to get a press pass (if not, they’ll assume they can just show up, which is usually fine). Also be sure to note any good photo opportunities. This is essential if you hope to get TV coverage.

You can also issue a press release right after your event, regardless of whether the media attended it or not. If they did attend, they’ll base their coverage on their own experience and only use any new facts or figures you provided in the release. Again, you can’t just say “we held a fundraiser” and expect to get coverage. How much did the event raise? Who won the drawing? Did anything funny or unusual happen at the event? Did you have a record-breaking turnout? Find the most memorable moment or interesting factoid about the event and base your post-event press release on it.

Get more tips during Thursday’s webinar “How to Write a Press Release Reporters Will Love.” It’s on September 4, 2008 at 1:00 p.m. Eastern (10:00 a.m. Pacific).

How Can I Prevent Newspaper Column from Going Stale?

It’s “Media Relations” week here at Nonprofit Communications.

Last Friday, I asked subscribers to my Nonprofit Marketing Tips e-newsletter (sign up here, middle of left-hand column) to send in their media-related questions so Claire Meyerhoff, media maven and my co-host of Magic Keys Radio, and I could answer one each day on the blog. Submit your own question and I’ll throw your name in the hat for a free webinar pass.

Photo by seangraham on Flickr Reporters don’t like it stale. Learn how to write a press release reporters will love during this week’s webinar.

Here’s today’s question:

“Our nonprofit has a unique opportunity to submit an article once a month to the local paper under the title ‘Spotlight on Mentoring.’ We showcase a mentor from our program each time, writing about the mentor as an individual and the role they play in Communities in Schools (CIS). I’m working on my second article, so obviously it’s still all new and fresh to me. However, I know that at some future point, it’s going to be tempting to simply ‘fill in the blanks’ each month and allow the article to become stale. I feel confident I can find interesting facts about the individual to share in each article, but how do I make sure my approach to their relationship with CIS and the not-so-subtle recruitment pitch that is included does not get repetitive and old?”

~ Christina Cooley Howell, Communities in Schools

And here’s Claire’s advice to Christina:

This is a fun chance to…have fun!

It should never be “fill in the blanks” because each mentor has their own unique story that you will discover when you interview them. This is the “wow, really?” moment. When you think, “wow, really?” — make sure you focus on that topic, then write about it.

Never bury the lead. If the person you’re interviewing says they just ran the Boston Marathon, put that in your lead. For example:

“When Teresa Lopez tells a six-grader that perseverance pays off, she means it. That’s because Lopez just finished the Boston Marathon, finishing in the top half of her age group. This week, Lopez has a new challenge — encouraging the fledgling soccer career of 12-year old Brian Conner, who is playing a team sport for the first time in his life and who says soccer practice feels like a marathon to him.”

The lead is THE most important part of your article, so put your best, most colorful stuff up front.

Your article is only as good as your questions, so try to come up with some unusual ones besides, “Why is this important to you?” Ask the mentor, “If YOU could have had any mentor when you were growing up, who would that have been?” or “Could you use a mentor now?”

Think about the last article you read in People Magazine or Parade … and WHY you found that article interesting. Then apply it to YOUR article.

You could write about a day in the life of a mentor, including what they talked about over lunch and what they ate. It’s the small details that make a story interesting and believable.

If you have a really good mentor who had a really dull experience, ask them for their best tips for a young person who wants to be the first in their family to go to college, and write about that. Call your article something like “Five Top Tips from a Seasoned Mentor” Or ask that person for their “Do’s and Don’ts” of mentoring.

After you’ve written about ten mentors, do a “greatest hits” column with each mentor sharing what they enjoyed the most about the experience. It doesn’t have to be ten, of course; it  could be six or seven.

Make sure your article doesn’t sound like an advertisement for your program. When you’re finished, have someone read it out loud to you. If it sounds like a cheesy cable TV commercial, it needs some work.

Your quotes should be heartfelt and about a person or feeling.

“I loved working with Christina, because she was just brimming with enthusiasm. I graduated from high school twenty years ago, and it’s fun to see high school again through new eyes.”

is better than…

“Mentoring makes me feel good and it’s important to talk to teens.”

Put a little something-something at the end. The reader made it this far, and they deserve a treat. Your paper is local, so you want to connect with your readers (in an appropriate way of course!). If you have a line or two for a writer byline, do something fun with it . . .

“Tina DiAngelo is Director of the XYZ Mentoring Project. She lives in Scranton where she is involved with Community Theater and the SPCA. Her dream mentor would be Maya Angelou.”

Learn more about working with the media from Claire and Kivi during Thursday’s webinar on “How to Write a Press Release Reporters Will Love.”

Great Reading at the Carnival of Nonprofit Consultants

Jason Dick at A Small Change Fundraising Blog has posted the latest edition of the Carnival of Nonprofit Consultants, our twice monthly roundup of the most interesting stuff in the nonprofit blogosphere. Following the Carnival by subscribing to it is great way to keep up with what’s going on.

Jason highlighted interesting posts from several blogs, including Connection Cafe, Business Philanthropy Coach, Philanthropy 2173, Ask Direct, Donor Power Blog, Social Actions, Epic Change and more. Check it out!

The next Carnival will be published around September 15 at FIO Parnters Perspectives, followed by editions at Ready, Aim, Inspire on October 1 and Nonprofit Marketing Blog at October 15.