Don't Be Everything To Everyone
Nonprofit leader, you can't be everything to everyone, and you really don't want to be.
When you try to use broad messaging that signals to everyone, you end up with a weaker message that signals to no one.
As Seth Godin writes:
"If you persist in trying to be all things to all people, you will fail. The only alternative, then, is to be something important to a few people."
Your mission isn't **for** everyone. It's for the right people for you.
The ones who want to solve the problems your mission addresses.
The ones who understand the importance of your work.
The ones whose values align with yours.
Those are the ones you want to signal to your messaging.
So you can attract, maintain, and deepen relationships with the right people for your mission.
As we head toward giving season and the pressure is on, don't focus on reaching everyone—focus on clear messaging that reaches the right people for you.
Because clarity creates connection.
After a decade as an in-house nonprofit marketer, Jordana Merkin founded Voice for Good to bring her insider knowledge and outsider perspective to help growing nonprofits like yours clarify their messaging to raise awareness and funds for their missions.
Her work with nonprofits includes messaging guides, communication strategy, and copywriting. (Learn more here!)
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