David Oaks has spent over 40 years in ministry. He has touched thousands and thousands of lives in his time as a pastor.
Though David is now retired, he hasn’t stopped impacting people. He now comes into nonprofits and brings order to the chaos with his problem-solving solutions.
I recently got the chance to learn from his incredible wisdom. The foundation of excellence that David has built in his life has added amazing value to my life and business. So, today I’m sharing it with all of you.
The Power of Gratitude
Being thankful has an incredible effect. In the nonprofit world, showing your genuine thanks to your donors goes a long, long way.
David advises just going nuts in being thankful to them. It will dramatically increase your bottom line in your nonprofit. One practical way to do this is to send a personal card to every person who donates. In that note, be specific about what that money was used for.
Collecting Stories
David also advises that all nonprofits collect the stories of what has been done and how their organization has changed people’s lives.
Put these powerful stories into the newsletters that you send out to your donors. Don’t use that space to talk about the new carpet you’re installing but to talk about the ways their donations have furthered the mission of the organization.
Additionally, never let a story of life-change slip. Collect them all. Then make sure to get them out everywhere you can: in your marketing, on your social media, and especially in your newsletters.
Vision
A nonprofit’s vision is not what they do. It is a picture of what things would look like if everything you were doing worked perfectly. That is what makes it so memorable and powerful.
Instead of focusing on your processes, focus on your outcomes. It’s not that what you do doesn’t matter, but visionaries are the ones who change the world. If you can describe a world where your organization isn’t needed, you will attract resources and have everything you need.
Additionally, don’t talk about the extent of the problem you’re trying to solve. This only makes people feel overwhelmed and less likely to donate. Instead, give them part of the problem and explain one small thing they can do to help.
If you want to learn more about expressing thanks well, check out Episode 052: How to Say Thank You Excellently with David Oaks.
