No one would argue that growing your organization, expanding your audiences, and serving more people are activities critical to your future.

 

Yet organizations tend to use a rather ambiguous and lightweight word to describe this function in the nonprofit sector—"outreach."

 

Is it me, or is this word too ambiguous? Let me know what you think in the comments.

 

I've been thinking about this idea lately because of a significant project I'm working on with a client. We're cracking the code on a mystery this organization has wrestled with for years.

 

Despite all its outreach efforts, the organization had not seen the results it wanted. This year, they committed to resolving it, and we're making significant progress. They will be successful.

 

So, what's going on with outreach, and what do we need to be doing?

 

Reaching out is unclear. It lacks measurement and effectiveness. It's wishy-washy.

 

I could "reach out" by making a phone call and leaving a voice mail message. But nothing changes as a result. Yet I have, indeed, reached out.

 

Reaching out is passive. It's an input. And it doesn't get the job of growth done.

Outreach, on the other hand, when defined as a transitive verb "to surpass in reach" or as "the extending of services" moves us in a more definitive direction.

 

Outreach done right needs to entice, persuade, engage, and cause some change in action on behalf of the individual or group to whom you want to extend service.

 

And guess what? We have better words for this: marketing and sales or business development. 

 

Many nonprofit leaders shy away from the term and concept of sales. If you're one of those leaders, I invite you to reconsider. That mindset will keep your organizations stuck in low gear.

 

Being convincing, persuasive, and engaging is a sign of leadership. Being assertive and bold is the behavior of leaders on a mission.

 

The opposite, reaching out, is non-committal. For example, it measures the number of events or brochures handed out at a tabling event.

 

On the other hand, we measure sales in terms of conversions and closing.

 

What's the benefit of handing out a brochure if you have no idea what the recipient does with it?

 

How effective is "outreach" if you're not focused on more personal drivers for change? Or on building a relationship with your organization?

 

If your organization is as serious as my client is at effective outreach and growing your organization, you've got to up-level how you think about and execute your outreach activities.

 

Here are a few tips to get you started. 

When you think about outreach, it's natural to assume you need marketing materials—a brochure or flyer, a great website, or an active social media initiative. 

 

But that's not the first place to start. That's the last place to start.

 

Here are three steps to focus on first. Next week, I'll share three more steps. That's six steps before you go reaching out to anyone. Or producing a brochure—which you may not even need.

First, who is your audience? What role(s) do they have in an organization? What do they do all day? What happens on a typical day of their lives?

 

If your audience is consumers, definition is essential here, too. How old is your ideal customer? Where do they live? How would you describe the person's lifestyle? 

 

What else do you need to know about your audience to know whether or not they are a good fit for your program, service, or product?

Now that you know more about your audience, what would drive them to switch to or consider your organization? 

 

Equally important: What would prevent this audience from taking advantage of your program or service?

How receptive might your audience be to use your service or program? How much of a hassle is your program? Why wouldn't they want to switch to what you offer? What do you need to prove to them to get their attention?

 

By considering these questions so far, can you begin to see how much deeper you need to go for your outreach to be effective? 

 

Anyone can stand at a tabling event and hand out brochures. But if you haven't set your staff up to succeed, what's the point?

 

If the activity doesn't translate to growth, your organization is taking the long slow passive road rather than taking the urgent, mission-driven leadership approach.

Do you want to lead? Or count the number of brochures handed out?  Where might your outreach efforts get more rigorous and effective?

 

Stay tuned for next week, when we discuss three more steps in your process to more dynamic outreach. You'll learn how to set your staff up for success.

 

If you'd like to explore ways your team can upgrade its outreach efforts to be more efficient and effective, let's talk. You can book an appointment here.

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