{"id":10461,"date":"2018-05-03T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-05-03T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.causevox.com\/?p=10461"},"modified":"2024-05-08T21:39:02","modified_gmt":"2024-05-08T21:39:02","slug":"nonprofit-communications","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.causevox.com\/blog\/nonprofit-communications\/","title":{"rendered":"Nonprofit Communications: Finding Your Nonprofit’s Voice"},"content":{"rendered":"

Nonprofit communications is all about voice.<\/h2>\n

When you post on social media, write a fundraising letter<\/a>, or create a PSA, how do you sound different from other organizations?<\/p>\n

Your voice.<\/p>\n

\u201cVoice\u201d is a rhetorical device that conveys the personality and uniqueness of the writer to the reader. It\u2019s made up of a patchwork of elements, including grammar, vocabulary, style, and emphasis. Simply put, it\u2019s what makes you sound like you.<\/p>\n

Invoking \u201crhetorical devices\u201d might seem a little lofty when we\u2019re talking about fundraising, but stick with me. Rhetoric is just persuasive writing and speaking, which is what most fundraising writing is. What your organization sounds like is part of what makes people give.<\/p>\n

What Are We Talking About, Exactly?<\/h2>\n

\u201cVoice\u201d is one of those squishy things about writing. Unlike grammar or structure, which have clear guidelines, voice, and its even more elusive partner, tone, involve just as much emotion as they do logic. It\u2019s something we recognize on a gut level, but often don\u2019t consciously notice.<\/p>\n

Since voice is something we know when we hear it, let\u2019s look at some examples.<\/p>\n

Each company or organization below has a clear, identifiable voice.<\/p>\n

1. Geico: A Quirky Voice<\/h2>\n

\"IsYou could probably identify Geico\u2019s goofy humor, beloved gecko, and straight-forward sales pitch without even looking at their logo. They use casual language, outrageous examples, and clear calls to action to create their voice.<\/p>\n

2. The Humane Society: Seriously Compassionate<\/h2>\n

I promise I\u2019m not going to make you watch one of those Sarah McLaughlin commercials again.<\/p>\n

\"Is
You can still hear \u201cIn the Arms of the Angel\u201d anyway, can\u2019t you? Dang it. Sorry.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Humane Society uses emotional language and is generally a bit more serious in tone. This is probably because it\u2019s hard\/wrong to make jokes about sad animals. Instead, their humor runs more along the line of a cute twist on a cliche and it never veers into anything wacky.<\/p>\n

3. Nike<\/h2>\n

\"\"Athletic shoe and apparel company Nike, instantly recognizable just by their swish logo, has a no-nonsense voice. They use short words and phrases (\u201cJust Do It\u201d), and often use sports-focused and performance-oriented language.<\/p>\n

How To Craft Your Nonprofit Communication Voice<\/h2>\n

Advertisers devote a lot of time and energy to developing the \u201cvoice of the brand.”<\/a> This isn\u2019t just a thought exercise; an identifiable voice has a dollar value for corporations. Nonprofits may not be able to conduct focus groups and bring in psychologists to advise us on our voice, but it\u2019s still worth thinking about, crafting, and then articulating your organization\u2019s voice. Why?<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. \n
      \n
    1. They way you talk to your supporters will influence how they feel about your organization. It\u2019s part of what makes them think you\u2019re trustworthy, which is an important factor in deciding to give.<\/li>\n
    2. There are a lot of good causes and organizations. A clear voice helps your organization stand out from the crowd.<\/li>\n
    3. Discussing and defining your organization\u2019s voice helps it stay consistent across channels, throughout the organization, and through staff transitions.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      In this video, World Bicycle Relief\u2019s impact is told in the voices of girls whose lives have been changed by their bicycles. Their voices are authentic, enthusiastic, and unforgettable.<\/p>\n

      Personality<\/h2>\n

      Who is your organization? As a nonprofit, your first thought may be to turn to your mission statement but hold off on that for a second. Your mission is what you\u2019re trying to do, not who you are. Many organizations may essentially share your mission, but what makes you the only you?<\/p>\n

      Occasionally, breaking the rules and starting with a negative works better than trying to invent the positive from thin air. We often have a clearer idea of what we don\u2019t want to sound like, than what we do. Think about what isn\u2019t you, the thing you\u2019d say, \u201cNope!\u201d to immediately. \u00a0Does any particular language or style strike you as \u201coff?\u201d<\/p>\n

      Once you\u2019ve determined some of the characteristics that aren\u2019t part of your personality, you can consider what the opposite, or alternatives might be. If you know snarky and cynical isn\u2019t for you, are you warm? Earnest? Welcoming? If you hesitate to get too serious, are you irreverent, silly, or funny?<\/p>\n

      Vocabulary<\/h2>\n

      The words you choose are how you communicate your voice. They\u2019re the things the reader actually interacts with, so choose them carefully. To see if your words reflect your personality, consider:<\/p>\n

      1) Cause-Related Language<\/h3>\n

      There are several ways to talk about a cause, and chances are, you\u2019re already pretty specific. You know if you say \u201cconservation,\u201d instead of \u201cenvironmental protection,\u201d or \u201ccontemporary\u201d instead of \u201cmodern\u201d art.If you\u2019ve got a mix of terminology floating around your organization, it\u2019s time to standardize to clarify your voice. If a term requires a bunch of explanation, it probably shouldn\u2019t feature heavily in your fundraising writing. Stay away from jargon and technical definitions, which can confuse and distract your audience.<\/p>\n

      2) Emotion<\/h3>\n

      How, and how much you engage emotions is part of your voice. Obviously, The Humane Society doesn\u2019t care if they make us cry, in fact, they\u2019re probably trying to. Other organizations don\u2019t go straight for your heart, but appeal to your sense of justice, or provoke your rage.Some words have a more emotional impact than others. Think of:
      \n\u201csad,\u201d vs. \u201cdevastated\u201d
      \n\u201clet down\u201d vs. \u201cdisappointed\u201d
      \n\u201cpleased\u201d vs. \u201coverjoyed\u201d Aim for vocabulary with the most emotional impact possible, while keeping a watch on good taste. It\u2019s possible to lean too hard into the emotional vocabulary and either exaggerate or start to seem manipulative. People like being emotionally affected, not tricked. A good test is to simply ask yourself if an adjective is accurate.<\/p>\n

      3) Connotation<\/h3>\n

      Language is tricky. Some words are technically perfectly fine, and yet, still have the power to mean something different, give us a weird feeling, or make us sound like jerks. We call this linguistic phenomenon \u201cconnotation,\u201d and it can seriously mess up your voice.Cause-related vocabulary is a bit of a connotation minefield, especially related to how you talk about the people you help. Do you say, \u201chomeless person,\u201d \u201cperson experiencing homelessness,\u201d \u201cour homeless neighbors,\u201d or \u201cvagrants?\u201d (I know you don\u2019t say “vagrants,” but see how it changes how you sound?)A word doesn\u2019t need to be offensive or outdated to wreck your voice via connotation. \u201cCheap,\u201d \u201cfrugal,\u201d and \u201caffordable,\u201d all have the same literal meaning, but if you told me you were building cheap housing for single moms, I\u2019d suspect you were a would-be slumlord. If you said you were building affordable housing, I\u2019d think you were thoughtful and mission-driven.<\/p>\n

      Sometimes, we\u2019re not aware of all the connotations (or even, eek, innuendo) that words have. When in doubt, have someone else take a look.<\/p>\n

      Style<\/h2>\n

      Style isn\u2019t who you are (that\u2019s your substance), but it\u2019s how you present yourself. Think about the culture of your organization. If someone comes in the door, are they greeted by a receptionist behind a desk, or does someone yell, \u201cHey there!\u201d from somewhere in the back? Are you a fancy gala type organization, or a backyard barbeque kind of organization?<\/p>\n

      We often use \u201cstyle\u201d in the context of personal style. This is kind of silly, but I think it works: What kind of shoes would your organization wear? Steel-toed work boots? Sandals made from recycled tires? A nice classic pair of pumps? This is a clue to your organizational style.<\/p>\n

      Outdoor gear company YETI is definitely wearing hiking boots or waders. They cultivate an authentic voice by directly featuring people who use their products. Check out this video about an Alaskan fishing guide.<\/p>\n