If there's something from an educational standpoint that you can share , to create a lead gen campaign to get a bunch of new emails , alongside with doing something organic like a tag kind of campaign to get people to share on that day , like something that's a really moving , impactful piece of content and that'd be like your tent pole for end of year and like this is why we're doing these projects in 2024 . Hey , there you're listening to the Missions to Moomins podcast and I'm your host , dana Snyder , digital strategist for nonprofits and founder and CEO of Positive Equation . This show highlights the digital strategies of organizations making a positive impact in the world , ready to learn the latest trends , actionable tips and the real stories from behind the feed . Let's transform your mission into a movement . Hello listeners , welcome to another episode of the Missions to Movements podcast . This is the second consulting conversation of the season that we are having and I love doing these because I think it just gives you like , the real real of ideas and also the challenges or questions that other organizations might have , that you might also have yourself , and hopefully , some ideas , some nuggets of inspiration or tactics that I can share , that are helpful and useful not only to Lindsay , who's here with us today , but you listening as well . So Lindsay Melander is the executive director of Seed India . Lindsay , welcome to the show .
Speaker 2Thank you , I'm so excited .
Speaker 1Thank you for having me , of course . Will you give us a little bit of background into what Seed India is and specifically your story with the organization ?
Speaker 2Yeah , of course . Seed was founded in 2009 by locals in Calcutta , india . It was born out of Compassion International and with the need of , like you know , we got to get these families living in the slums help . So basic needs , education , all of that and then they saw the need growing and so , in over the next couple of years , they left their compassion jobs and really started launched out on their own . So they , I would say I want to give full credit to our founders , ps and J Street . They are local leaders serving their own people . They saw a need and they went out and were like we have to make change for our own community . Now fast forward many years and in 2016 , I was doing any random job and got connected to this organization . I have always kind of had a heart for international development . I knew that that was like a deep burden of mine . Feeling like global poverty was a really unique space and one that I did not grow up thinking about or talking about , or I'm like nobody talks about global poverty . I don't know . I didn't know the statistics or how bad you know , or suppression of women in developing countries and you know all of these things child labor , child marriage . I was like it just like really weighed on my heart . And so when I got connected , when I first learned about seed one , I liked it because it was local leaders serving their own people , so that was like a huge thing for me . It wasn't me as an American going in and assuming that I know other countries cultures better . And then it started like this , like long drawn out , I'm a volunteer first and so I was like let me help you . I don't know how , I don't know , let me use my project management skills , which is what I was doing , to help serve the organization as a volunteer .
Speaker 1Everything needs a good project manager .
Speaker 2Yes , please yes .
Speaker 1Yes .
Speaker 2Yes , so that was the start , was project management , and I absolutely I mean , in a lot of ways I'm like I don't really use that anymore , but I'm like that's not true .
Speaker 1That is not true all the time .
Speaker 2I use it all the time , it just looks different . And so I was doing project management and video production space , not doing this at all , and this just became a passion project of like there's a need . I have this ability . I don't know how to help , but I want to , and so I kind of worked myself into a job as a volunteer first and then went part time and then eventually full time at the beginning of 2021 . So we're two and a half years into full time as the executive director , but really trying to turn the ship around a little bit since 2019 of like hey , we have , they're growing over in India . The need is not going anywhere . There's 19 million people in the city of Calcutta . The poverty rate is increasing , women's illiteracy , all of those things . People are making a you know , less than the dollar a day . And I'm like over here , like okay , we kind of need to follow suit . I need to get the word out . I need to do better at telling stories so that I can connect with people . I can connect . Why should you care about this ? This is such a unique cause , like why should you , as the average American or Westerner , care about a community in the slums of Calcutta , and so that is what I exist to do . I'm like I call myself the chief storyteller . Yes , that's really , what I do is just tell the story over and over , and over and over again every single day of my life yes . And then it's just marketing comes with my job and I am the only staff in the US , so it is name it and I probably do it and it's probably not my favorite thing , but I'm learning and I'm trying to get better and that is why we are here , because I sit in a really unique space of running a global nonprofit having a team of 40 in country . But I'm here and it's just me and the board of directors . So I'm based in Nashville for my home and trying to spread the word as best I can and connect people to this cause . That matters . I love that and I think it's also very relatable .
Speaker 1I'm sure a lot of other listeners are like yes , I am right with you , I am the solo , I mean same here , sitting here on my end , right Solo , and it is can be very challenging and impossible to try and do Literally .
Speaker 2Yeah , but what can ?
Speaker 1you focus on and that's what I hope we can get to today . There's so many things you could do , but what are going to be the things that create the most efficiencies and impact that you need as a small , like solo team , like what's actually doable instead of all these Like I think we see big ideas and it's just not actually tangible , especially with now . We're recording in October and we want to see something come in in just like a couple months .
Speaker 2I know . Unfortunately , I think that as a small nonprofit , I compare myself to the big boys , and so then I see what they're putting out and I'm like , well , that's the only way that fundraising can work , because that's what I see . I see , you know , and I'm like they're just putting out such beautiful things and they're connecting the world with this global need , and but it's just not realistic . I am a one man show and our budget is not that big .
Speaker 1I do want to say , you do have beautiful imagery and storytelling and so it is very . It looks beautiful from what you've created with your brains and everything . So I do want to give you kudos to that and do make sure you give yourself a . I know I'm doing a good job , so I want to open the floor up to you for your questions , but before I do , I wanted to like go back to in the intro , which I think this is really important for anybody anyone's organization . You talked about trying to get people to understand the importance of what's happening over there and why we should care . What made you care when you were hearing these things is my first question . Because you not only started as a volunteer , but then you like , signed up for this as a job . Like , what was it that called you specifically to the work of this organization ?
Speaker 2I mean it's ironic , but I'm like I guess , because no one was talking about it I feel like there's things like especially with , like international development in that space specifically , there's places in the world I think , as Americans that are are more in the forefront of like what we see . So I had traveled a lot of places . I had like built a clean water well in El Salvador and I had went to Haiti after the earthquake and all of these things that like matter so much , those people matter so much . But the needs were different and very specific , because I think American nonprofits I'm I really hope I don't overshare and I do not want to like ever bash American nonprofits , because I believe in the nonprofit space more than more than the average person , because I'm in it , but I do think we have historically done more harm than good when we go in an effort to help . I just do and I saw it done so poorly in some of these places . You know , in Haiti I'm like after the earthquake we went and threw stuff at them and called it help .
Speaker 1Jenny Nuccio has been on talking about that in the past too .
Speaker 2It like broke my heart . I was like I left more angry and it wasn't . I'm not mad at Haiti , but I'm mad at like we've messed up their economy . They're like imploding , and so I think I saw it done so poorly with like nonprofits specifically in this space . And so when I learned about this , when I learned that one nobody talks about India like I just it was such a literally such a foreign place . You know , I didn't know a whole lot about Asia in general , but India specifically , for some reason , was really foreign , and so there is some pull to like Going to where no one goes and it's probably a little bit of my like yeah , watch me , you know . Yeah , I Don't know . Maybe stubbornness I don't know what it is I just didn't know the capacity for which India does not help its own people , like it does not , is not ingrained . I'm really lucky that in like to be in this world that I'm in , because I'm like I see local nonprofits and how much like they are on every corner of Nashville and I'm like they are helping their own . It's beautiful yeah , it is beautiful inner city and you know the people dealing with homelessness . I'm like you're on it and that doesn't exist over there , and so I think that was the first thing that made me go . Okay , I'm and I want to help , but also watching women and girls , that story of women's rights and girls and child Brides it messes with you and it's all because of birthright . You know , I didn't choose to be grew up as an American . They didn't choose to be a lowest caste Indian in the slums of cocoa . They didn't choose that , they just were born into it . It's generational poverty . I will always have a little bit of like women empowerment in me and so I'm like I have to do something for them . So I think that was probably the start of like the women are being treated so poorly . Women's oppression is alive and well . It is active in that culture . Yeah , we got to do something . So I think that's the first story that kind of went . I'm a woman , but I'm an American woman . It's totally different . So what's my role in helping women who look a little different than me ?
Speaker 1You're a little bit differently , but yeah , no , thank you for sharing that and I think that's a really interesting part about . I mean , I just wrote down , like education and through storytelling and educating Supporters , potential supporters about because I think that's a big part of it , right , we just don't know what we don't know , yeah , and like you're talking about , if it's not in the news , it's not in the mainstream . We're living through what's happening with Israel right now , yeah , and there's a lot of questions that I'm asking , but I just don't understand and until , like you take the curiosity in the interest and understanding , like where does this stem from ? Like why is this happening ? Same thing with what you're doing . So we see India . Let's talk about your questions here . When we were emailing a little bit back and forth , you were talking about end of year and feeling a little bit of donor fatigue when it comes up to Giving Tuesday an end of year . Can you share a little bit about what that struggle is and what you're thinking about ?
Speaker 2a couple things come to mind , but I think the biggest right now is that our audience is small . When I look at our donor list or email list or newsletter list , whatever I'm like it's not huge . We're small , nonprofit , and so we probably have 100 to 150 active donors right now , and that can be something , and and I do have to say , we have very generous donors . So even if we have like 15 large donors that make up a huge part of our annual budget and our annual revenue , our donor base is small , and so what that means is I feel like I am always Asking the same group of people , the same questions . So come giving Tuesday an end of year time . The audience is always the same . It is our 800 something social media followers , and they get tapped all the time and they are Devoted
Donor Engagement and Content Strategy Speaker 2. I would say we have some of the most devoted Donors on the planet and I will like never stop talking about them , because it like actually blows me away when they're in there all the way into this work , but the journey to get them all the way in is Whoo , it's a feat , yes , and so I just feel like I'm always in this . Really , I'm like living in the tension of . I've already asked you and I'm sorry . And we have another thing and I've already asked you and I'm sorry , but like here's our fall fundraiser and here's giving Tuesday , oh , and here's end of year , you want to give for tax purposes , and it's the same hundred people who get the exact same question .
Speaker 1What drew in those first hundred hundred and fifty ?
Speaker 2Trips . Honestly , I mean , that is what did it . So we got connected first to another organization here in Nashville in like 2011 so only a couple years after it was born and that organization really did a beautiful job of spreading the word , because the founder of that organization was loud about it .
Speaker 1No .
Speaker 2I would say that we don't have that kind of person anymore . That's like the spearhead influential speaker and so because of that and I don't think every organization does and needs one , but it does help and I think being in a place like Nashville , where I see nonprofits all the time that have like a famous Country singer at its helm , it does help . It does help and we're just not us . So we started off with like a semi big I don't know what you want to call him , but he had some influence in the national community and so that is what like started it all and then , truthfully , we went through some stuff and we had a lot of turnover and some board stuff , and so then we lost a lot of that since 2019 , since I came on part-time . It's like I am rebuilding trust here . I am like reminding people that the work in India has not stopped , and so it just feels like it's like in some way , it's stagnant and in some ways , it's like , yeah , but every time we send a trip , like this most recent team of eight , I have no doubt in my mind that that is like a new batch of Future donors , because they saw it , they felt it , they smelt it they . You know all of the things .
Speaker 1Yeah , yeah . Anytime that we can experience it in person , it is a game changer , of course .
Speaker 2Yeah , exactly , exactly , but that can happen every single week .
Speaker 1But do you have content from those trips ?
Speaker 2Every single one . Yeah , this past trip we actually brought a 360 camera so that we could do our first virtual reality experience in . India . Yeah , so that kind of stuff we're like building . Yeah , we had a videographer go last year and so he has put out a lot of content . But again the problem is like okay , no , I have all this content . I have no idea what to do with it . I Legitimately , I'm like is awesome , we have had photographers and videographers go for like the last few trips , and so I'm sitting on 14 terabytes of content on a dropbox with absolutely no clue where to get started .
Speaker 1You have the opposite problem . You have so much content that it probably feels overwhelming .
Speaker 2Exactly , and I know that that like what a beautiful problem to have right . Yeah , like it's a good problem .
Speaker 1Let's break this down a little bit , so I'm just like making a whole bunch of notes while you're talking , because there's so much amazing potential here . The first thing I thought about Was , in advance of this existing donor base being asked again how do we make them feel ? Thinked there was something on your website around that donors can send handwritten Christmas cards to a child in your dream home . Yep can you you and I'm not sure if you've done this already or in the past send a handwritten note or a card , or even just a personalized Thank you email to these 100 , 150 people ?
Speaker 2Yeah , so we did that for the first time in 2022 last year . It went off so well , they freaked out , they loved it so much . I actually have one . It's like so cute , they like all painted oh , I love that . And written card Yep , and our kids wrote little notes . I know , I know I'm obsessed . So , yes , the answer is , I Want to do more of that .
Speaker 1I'm even thinking about so . Those were just for listeners , but she just showed me that card one of the kids created and you sent those out to the donors , correct ? Okay , I'm talking about like an email from you , oh just from you .
Speaker 2Okay , okay , okay , say more .
Speaker 1Yeah , and you could do an email from you . I would throw in some photos , just make it super informal , like photos from the trip , like a little update about what's happened this past year , like some bullet points . I just wanted to say thank you , like we're so gracious . This is what's happening . No ask , no ask , just the heads up just came back and it's super relevant . You can even do a quick . Have you heard of video ? Ask , I don't think so . So it's website video . Ask , calm , for free , and you could just record a video of yourself and it easily is embeddable into an email and it plays like a little gif thing . Okay , yep , yeah , and you could just do one video for everyone and then just explain like I just came back from a trip . This is where we're at , like a little like state-of-the-state , almost like the quick 30 second , one minute video , not too long , yeah , and then you could even just simply put up like a Dropbox or a Google Drive of some photos , or just put some photos in the body of the email from the trip , just saying thanks , yeah , in advance . It's like a nurture thing , but it's also just like , I think , with donor fatigue , like we want to help , we want to be given the opportunity to make a difference , because that's bringing true to our personal identities , right . So I would one think about that just like now , in between , when you're gonna ask again is to just do those Thank yous and let people know you just got back from a trip with all of the footage . I Would see , if there's I mean there's a website called fiver they might have heard of and if you can find a video editor just to splice through and make some short like vertical clips for you , you could honestly , in Canva like the most popular videos right now are just Showing that b-roll in the background of the trip and then just put some compelling copy on the top . Yeah , tell a story , tell a stat and just rinse and repeat .
Speaker 2Yeah , and these are not asks right , this is just yeah yeah , just education .
Speaker 1Just education yeah just letting people know . Are there core areas that you focus on ? Obviously I know there's the dream home with seed India . Other core , like verticals , that you focus in Yep , okay , what are those ?
Speaker 2One is child development and education in the slum , Okay . Two is women's empowerment , so that is literacy and small business training and then the dream home .
Speaker 1So I would say those are like the three buckets Okay so I would think about your content in those three buckets , yeah , and what are leading up to what are a couple different videos , stats . I'd actually probably think about the stats of the stories first and then just match Be rolled to it on the back , just make it really simple for you . So that's kind of on the content side . That's a way to think about it . If there's work that you've done this year , if there's a story that's compelling , that would be how I would think about it , and that way the B roll Doesn't even have to exactly Align with what you're talking about , but it's along the same lines as the narrative . Yeah , right , right , right the other thing that I think we discount so much I'm actually gonna be speaking about this at the nonprofit story and telling conference and a couple others this fall is your story . I'm terrible at telling , it is so powerful and like you are , you are there , you are going on these trips from the standpoint of you are a woman leader , an executive for a nonprofit . I would say to pitch you but for real , like think about literally . That's why I asked you think about . You had this story of what called you to work in this space , the progression of the volunteer . I'm sure you have plenty of stories from being on the ground in India , compelling stories from . I mean , there's probably so much there that you could unpack and tell and this is a great time like pitch yourself on podcasts , pitch yourself to . If there's local Nashville news outlets around giving Tuesday , they're all gonna be looking for stuff like that right now to tell like positive stories about even your personal LinkedIn . I think that's how we originally connected . Yeah , that is yeah but starting to write I'm trying with LinkedIn .
Speaker 2Yeah my brain will tell me and this is probably insecurity but my brain will tell me like they are the story , I am not , and so it is the hurdle that I have to get over . Yeah , of like people want to see cute kids , which is true too that can be true too , but I agree , and that it doesn't have to be either , or ?
Speaker 1no , of course . Yeah , I can be both . Yeah , so I would say to for the small audience . I mean , those are growth things , right . Podcast Growth getting the story out , news outlets getting the story out . I wonder for giving Tuesday and end of year , are you thinking about them as two separate Fundraising ? Asks ?
Speaker 2no , no , I don't think so . I think , historically , what's ended up happening is that we have November ends up being our biggest fundraising month , because by the time December rolls around , we're done . We're not done , but we're mostly done , and I Think that that is because we have a fall fundraiser the very like a dinner fundraiser the first week in November every year . So that starts
Online Marketing Strategy for Fundraising Speaker 2it . And then November , through giving Tuesday , is like online marketing campaigns . We have done an in-person giving Tuesday event the last two years but in all honesty , they've completely flopped . We're gonna only do online this year and not do an in-person and just kind of see if that makes a difference . If more people are , just they don't want to go out the Tuesday after Thanksgiving , we're not sure . Yeah , but people aren't showing up . So we're gonna we're dropping that , only doing online . So it's basically between November 4th , when our dinner is , and November 28th is like that is when our biggest Fundraising push happens , which means that by December it slowed down quite a bit , and I always feel a little weird about that because I'm like man , I feel like I exhale on December 1st when I shouldn't , but we've historically just done really , really well in all of November .
Speaker 1Okay . Well , is there a reason why November can't be like your big month ? No , no , there's not a reason like who's telling me who says right ?
Speaker 2Yeah , yeah , yeah . Who says I know ?
Speaker 1it's like as long as you're reaching . Is there a specific goal for the end of year , just overall , that you're trying to reach ? Yes , okay , is that based on a specific thing for 2024 ?
Speaker 2Truthfully , that is just like our general budget . We like weren't making it , and then the last two years we've done phenomenally well in November , and so then now we're like , okay , we got to get ahead for the new projects , the projects we're launching in India in 2024 , okay , okay , like we're building a building in the spring and so like it's like we got to finalize that and getting you know . So I'm like there's like pieces , but it's for the most part , it's what's going on over there .
Speaker 1Well , that's amazing . I mean I would focus this fall on those projects and what are the expenses associated with each of those projects ? And then I wonder if there's a way for those 100 150 active donors . Do you have a recurring giving program ?
Speaker 2Do we have one ? Yes , is it great ? No , no , no , no , no , no . I mean We've got 52 recurring donors . So that's what I would say Okay , so it's not nothing , okay , it's not nothing . And it like makes or breaks us . So I'm like so thankful for those 52 . It's insane , like just and that , and that has grown substantially in the last two years . So I'm like I'm blown away that we're at 52 . It can be better . That's what I would have to say .
Speaker 1Yeah , I wonder if and I've been talking about this a lot on the podcast , but it's really segmenting the asks of these different audiences that you have . So , like the existing 52 recurring instead of asking them for another Separate donation , can you ask them to increase their gift ? Yeah , this year , yeah , and that's that bucket and you have like different . You have stories going to them for people who have donated one time Multiple gifts in the past couple years . Can you ask them to now become a recurring donor and then have the option to of Will this audience ? You talk about them being so devoted , how can they share with their audience , like , maybe for Giving Tuesday ? It's not a donation ask , but it's a we want to get the word out About what we're doing and you have this amazing content . What we want you to do , 800 social followers , is blast this out , tag your friends , share it out on your stories and like have that be your major call to action and then Like the week after . After that push , then you have your donation asks .
Speaker 2Yeah , like in early December .
Speaker 1Yes , yeah , yeah , early December .
Speaker 2Yeah , yeah .
Speaker 1Can it even be Like the handwritten Christmas card concept , right like something that they can do . That's not a gift . But then if they tag all these people or some way to generate like getting you new emails To be able , to nurture those people between giving Tuesday and December . We just wrapped up it's actually the episode right before this one . We just wrapped up my lead generation challenge and , similar to you , meegan , who I listened to the podcast , so shout out to me again at roots Ethiopia .
Speaker 2Yes , you sent me them as an example , that's right .
Speaker 1Yes , so she created this unbelievable , unbelievable lead magnet . That was like five Ethiopian recipes and we had like three different audiences that we sent it out to Warm . Look like in a new saved . She has had over 404 new emails Comes no way yeah for the average cost . I think it was 98 cents oh . My gosh and so , if you can imagine , no one's gonna donate this 98 cents . So Nor do I think any forms except that little bit amount . Yeah , that was your lead Campaign on Facebook , Wow and it works . Yes , with all this content , if there's something from an educational standpoint that you can share to create a legion campaign to get a bunch of new emails , alongside with doing something organic , like a tag kind of campaign to get people to share on that day , like something that's a really moving , impactful piece of content and that that'd be like your tent pole for end of year and like this is why we're doing these projects in 2024 , basically yeah . I would say that I would say to segment what the different asks are for each group . How can you activate this really devoted group to reach out and find Other people that next really devoted group . Yep , exactly . The other thing is for the social audience that does follow you but might not be on your email list yet is can you DM them like chunks at a time and just like thank you so much for being a follower , like I just got back from a trip , and share a photo with them ? Would love to send you an update on what we've been doing . What's your email ?
Speaker 2Yeah , that's a really good idea . I love that on Giving Tuesday we always shoot some sort of DM , but I like the idea of getting ahead of it , so that yeah by that time we already have their email . Yes , yes so we're like , yeah , we're all we're preparing for that time , instead of like day of . Hey , you know , it's Lindsay checking in . Yes thank you for your donation this year . Thank you for following us , or whatever it is .
Speaker 1Yes , absolutely . There's another thing that I that I love to do , so we're recording this the beginning of October , so now is like the sweet spot of time to raise awareness again about everything you've been doing . If there's a way again , I would focus on like creating those , like a tentpole piece of content that showcases the trip , what is gonna be your 2024 goals , right , that you're working on , and I love just doing like a video view campaign on through Facebook and Instagram ads , where you just launch video views to certain audiences and then you can retarget anybody who's watched that video After with like a call to action . Okay , so it's like even for your warm audience , because people just don't see Content on everything . That's just how it is . Yeah , can you put that video up ? You just do your warm audience versus doing like a lookalike and then for all those people and then maybe it links to like a blog Look where you're talking about your trip . You have some photos again , it's not an ask and Then you retarget them when it's time to then make that donation .
Speaker 2Yeah . So you say , do that now , like in October , yep ahead of and do the same audience in November .
Speaker 1You would just , yeah , you would pull so anybody . When you're in ads , you can create an audience of anybody who's watched that video . Okay , and then retarget them . And video view campaigns are very cheap . It's like a penny Okay or less sometimes for cool video views .
Speaker 2We love cheap around here .
Speaker 1Yes , you can amass a large amount of views and then you could even Narrow it down to people who watched 50% of this video . So you know , it wasn't just like a three second . Yeah , if somebody passing it by on their feed , but they actually took interest .
Speaker 2Yeah , that's cool .
Speaker 1And what I didn't know , that yeah , I didn't know that .
Speaker 2And now , because we're not doing an in-person event on Giving Tuesday , we're going to put that what we would have spent on that event , we're gonna put in ads awesome , so yeah , so that's the plan is to like , really put some money behind online marketing this year , and that's all . I mean , it's all an experiment , but I think it can work , yes , okay .
Speaker 1So , knowing that I would definitely do video views campaign , okay , and then I would do so . So , leading up to , I'm just gonna break down kind of what we've talked about so far yes , number one , your existing audience . We want to nurture , like , update about the trip . We want to say thank you to let's multi like marketing channel here . We're gonna run some ads , a video view campaign , to a couple different audiences . I would run it to your warm audience , which means anybody who already likes , follows , has engaged , has visited you on Facebook and Instagram . Okay , you can . Also , if you have a pixel , actually , I can tell you if you have a pixel on your website , you do so anybody that's visited your website , you can include them in that too . So you have your warm audience and Then you have I would do a lookalike , so building off of that warm audience , so people like these people , and you could honestly just go really broad if you wanted to do and just do a saved like a brand new audience based upon interest , that people that have an interest in maybe , india and Philanthropy yeah you're right , it should be in the millions should be pretty big you think keeping it broad is a good thing ?
Speaker 2Yep .
Speaker 1Yep your copy and the creative pull in the right people and Then so you run that video view first . Run that until you get enough of a audience size that feels good to you . With the spending you could do that for , like , I mean $5 a day . Yeah , and you can ramp up a bunch of views on that and then you'd retarget those people . Either you could do a lead campaign to get their emails and that video view kind of the call to action there I would say it would be to have a Blog post okay , just to go to your website , and then you could do the lead Campaign and you could do a donation campaign . So that would be like the ad side of things . And then the third thing we talked about , which again is organic , is you me mm-hmm Okay , I hear you and looking at some podcasts to be on local news outlets . The other thing that you had earlier mentioned was a collaboration that you did that was really successful . Are there other brand collaborations that you could work on for this year ? Yeah , I know that's usually something that might take a little bit more time , but even getting ahead for the spring . Yeah , because if you can get in front of one of my favorite Nashville organizations is ABLE . Are you familiar with ABLE ?
Speaker 2Oh
Collaboration and Fundraising Strategies Speaker 2yeah .
Speaker 1And so for anybody else that doesn't ABLE employs , isn't it women who have been ? Is it abused ? Domestic violence ?
Speaker 2Yeah , I think it's domestic violence .
Speaker 1And it gives them a job and they make these beautiful clothes and like leather products . Actually , my backpack is from them .
Speaker 2Yeah , my bag is too . Yeah , my everyday bag . Yeah , and earrings and wallet and purse . So don't we're super fans , it's a problem .
Speaker 1Yeah . So it's like is there an ABLE of the world right that you could partner with ? And then they are helping amplify the mission of what you're doing . Yeah , right , and yeah , doing Instagram lives and whatnot and sharing things on their email lists , like that kind of thing . So if there is a collaboration that could happen , maybe somebody , that's a conversation , maybe ask your board of directors with their businesses or people they know . Yeah , it's like , hey , who knows a company or brand that aligns with us on values ? That would be a really good partner . Or a couple going into end of year . That would be , because if there's a connection already built , then that's easier to come up with . Obviously , yes , correct , and then some of your own LinkedIn posts .
Speaker 2Instead of once every two years , of doing that , which is my track record right now .
Speaker 1Yeah , and just coming up and think about what are those compelling stories ? So you've been . When did you join the organization ?
Speaker 2Volunteer 2016 staff 2019 .
Speaker 1Okay , and maybe it seemed to me like the anniversary of being at the organization , or with the past few years , or I think a lot of other executive directors would love to hear what you're going through , because I think it's so relatable .
Speaker 2I mean yeah , because I see others and I'm like okay , I'm not crazy , or this is normal , or whatever it is . So I mean I agree .
Speaker 1Yeah , yeah . And then , on the content front , so that we don't feel the overwhelm is , think about those . We don't want it to go unused . And that's the worst thing is , if we just have like paralysis , I know Overwhelming just sits there and it's like , oh God Is just to carve out . Okay , what are a few ? What are the main things that we want to convey the end of this year ? And I think it's talking about , like I love the messaging that you started with this whole conversation . No one's talking about this . Yeah , but we need to . Yeah , and here's why . Right . And then maybe focusing on , like I don't know anything about what the culture is like in India for Childbreds , I don't know , like all those things that she mentioned , I know .
Speaker 2I wouldn't have been . Yeah , what is ?
Speaker 1global poverty . Like how does that relate to us here ? Right yeah , in telling those , the less than a dollar a day , we can't buy anything here . I don't even know what's less than a dollar , I know .
Speaker 2Nothing .
Speaker 1Nothing I know I'm like is gum no .
Speaker 2I know , I thought of gum too , I know .
Speaker 1Somebody , just let me gas in Los Angeles is $7 a gallon .
Speaker 2It is , it is , I know , so it is just .
Speaker 1These are the things that are relatable here , right , and then how do you compare it to ? We cannot fathom that , but yet it's happening .
Speaker 2In 2023 .
Speaker 1Right , but then this is what we're doing , this is what we're prepared to do in 2024 . But this is what we need to like make that happen , unless a donor is telling you like stop asking me , keep asking , keep asking , ok , ok , the generosity of people . I think so often , actually , we're afraid of the ask and I just think , if it's compelled around an impactful thing , that's going to make me internally like feel good about doing something , like you're giving somebody the opportunity to feel that way . So I would just say what is it to help them and maybe that's even in your thank you emails is we're looking to expand and to grow . Have that post , maybe on Instagram or LinkedIn , that , whichever one , you feel compelled , would you share it with your community .
Speaker 2Yeah , that is a free and easy way to help .
Speaker 1That's my ask right now . My ask is I want so many . I want as many eyeballs as possible on this problem , because no one's talking about it .
Speaker 2Yeah .
Speaker 1I kind of love that is like a theme Me too .
Speaker 2I keep going back to like our monthly donors and going , you know , for those specific 52 human beings that are like really bought in because so they signed up to give For . As we lead up to Giving Tuesday , as we lead up to end of year , as we make asks of them , what is appropriate to say hey , like if you're in a place ? What is the language around asking them for more Is what I'm asking .
Speaker 1I would speak to the goals that you have for 2024 and what you need to get there . And if there's a way I mean I always look at the number what's the big number goal and how can we break it down to get there . And if you knew that maybe not all 52 increase , but if X happens , this is going to allow us to do this yeah , that's the message I would share with them , because they want to feel collectively . Oh yeah , like I'm in for that . They'll know if they're in a place or not . Yeah , yeah right , you don't have to say that You're right . Yeah , you're right . I think you just say this is where the need is . If we like , hand raise , if half , if 20 , which is not that many right . If 25 people increase by five dollars , ten dollars , right , that's like a Starbucks drink , now I know , just disturbing on its other half .
Speaker 2I know I know it's gross .
Speaker 1If you buy ten dollars a month , this is what is possible . Yeah , that's what I would send to them , and then I would keep that specific group updated and I wouldn't let emails like I would say , oh my gosh , we already have 10 . We'll need 15 left . Yeah , oh my gosh , we only have five left . Like I would keep the momentum and the cadence of that . Do not think that it's too many emails , because and I've talked about this before and I was just saying is it's so important the amount of emails I get on Cyber Monday and Amazon Prime Day sales and is crazy . And I get like an email from an organization . I know . I know it's like I never did it .
Speaker 2No like yes , I am . I say no for people and I feel like I'm oh my goodness , I got to stop . I got to like just send the emails .
Speaker 1I need to create a like a hit send playlist .
Speaker 2Yeah , I know , just hit , send Dang it .
Speaker 1Like a pet , like a hi like Beyonce in there and get some like good girls . Like yes , send .
Speaker 2Gosh , yes , exactly . There's like two different situations here too , where I've got like our CRM sending those type of email newsletters and then I've got my personal Gmail . And so when I think about like it's easier for me to send , as me in my Gmail because I'm like I'm a real person , I'm not , for some reason , sending through the CRM feels less personal to me , no matter what it would , no matter what , even if my name is attached to that email or seed is attached to that email for some reason , I like will say no for those , more than I'll say no for like blowing somebody up in Gmail . I don't know , it's like two different stories . I tell myself that's so funny . I know .
Speaker 1I know , yeah , don't let it tell yourself that there was . I mean , I would remove that mindset as much as you can . And then I think if you focus on these things and ask like board of directors , like how can they be of assistance to you ? Video views , how can you hire somebody cheaply on like Fiverr to help edit those things out for you quickly ? That's where I would start . Was that helpful ?
Speaker 2Yes , thank you , you're very welcome , thank you , thank you . Thank you , I think down the road
The Value of Monthly Giving Programs Speaker 2. I still want to talk to you about monthly giving programs , but we're not there yet .
Speaker 1Yes , I would love to . I'd love to yeah that audience .
Speaker 2I mean recurring .
Speaker 1they are so valuable . I just had an interview with an organization that they said they are the most valuable group of people in the organization and that if you don't have a recurring monthly giving program as a part of your fundraising , then you do not have a solidified giving program at your room .
Speaker 2I totally agree . We can't do any I mean we can't plan , we can't dream , we can't execute any of it without them .
Speaker 1Let them know that . Do they know that ?
Speaker 2Yeah , I mean , I've told them , but you're right , I should probably know them more . They're awesome . Yeah , they're awesome . I like they're the first to get main communication , so they're the first to get , like you know , hey , this is the biggest news or a child graduated , or whatever . So I try to keep them up to date as far as that goes . But I can always be clear .
Speaker 1Yeah , man , let them be your the voice to amplify everything you're doing . I know you got this , yeah , cool . Thank you , dana . You're welcome . Thanks , lindsay , it was great talking with you . Can you tell I love talking all things digital to make this show better . I'd be so grateful for your feedback , leave a review , take a screenshot of this episode , share it on Instagram stories and tag positive equation with one e so I can reshare and connect with you .