How can you win over a skeptical audience or donor?

Share stories. People love to hear about smart things that others in their same situation were able to benefit from. Stories sell

Science and data are irrefutable. Use real world examples. Show pictures. The best way I have seen to convince a donor is to have real and applicable success stories of the project’s impact on a life or town. A quick example is of a blighted low-income town that no one could ever imagine turning around. A local philanthropist offered scholarships to graduating seniors, he also offered to pay for books and other costs. He also provided the area daycare teachers with training and helped residents of that town pay for the daycare. A significant change has happened in that town. No more graffiti, graduation rates in top are higher and there is less incarceration. This helped my board agree to fund wrap around services in this area.

To win over a skeptical audience or donor, authenticity is key. Start by thoroughly understanding their concerns and addressing them head-on. Share compelling data, success stories, and your organization's track record. Build trust through transparency and open communication. Lastly, engage in a genuine, ongoing dialogue to demonstrate your commitment. #TrustBuilding #Engagement #Transparency

I believe it’s also helpful to let them know that monies donated will be judiciously used and accounted for via regular updates. Donors get more comfortable when they know that their money is being responsibly used. It’s also helpful if you share photo or video proofs of projects and beneficiaries. All these point to responsibility.

I believe the best strategy to win your customers is authenticity. Prospects will be drawn to you, for the way you are. They may like your product but they will not resonate if they don't feel connected in some 'invisible' way. Therefore it is important to show what you stand for, your values, and your mission. Those are the strongest 'magnets' when it comes to attracting your prospects.

A client wanted to fire me when I said 'stop all your marketing campaigns immediately!'. 'Why?' he demanded. 'Because your website doesn't work properly. It's really difficult to find your way around the site. And the site is very slow.' Develop Credibility Before Raising Visibility. Not the other way around. Since this not only loses leads and sales it also annoys your visitors and damages your brand. So, effectively all of your ad campaigns and social media feed is actually damaging your brand when visitors land on a frustrating CX site. You are paying money to damage your brand. After the initial wobble, he agreed. We fixed the site and now we also continually boost ratings, reviews and collect endorsements. Everyone is happy.

One of the most important ways to overcome objections is to show that you have done your research. Is there a study you can reference? "We learned from our market assessment that 4/5 people preferred to donate to causes that enable them with growth opportunities," etc. Also stating that you tested plan A and plan B and what you learned was.... I like to use stories, examples, and because I enjoy data science, I'm always looking for ways to weave research into an answer. For example, I learned from building 50 different programs focused on 3 specific areas - education, health, safety, that safety was the most important to group A, located in the Midwest market but not as important as it was to group C located on the East Coast.

Can we separate Philanthropy from Social Responsibility? Perhaps Philanthropy takes ESG (Environmental, Social & Governance) issues to the next level. Is this, Philanthropy, what's missing from tech giants (& AI companies), VLOPs and VLOSEs (Very Large Online Platforms & Very Large Online Search Engines) aspirations? The EU Digital Services Act may impose ESGs on VLOPs and VLOSEs. Great brands that survive over 100 years like Cadbury's and Guinness invested in philanthropy. In the USA the Business Roundtable (2019) replaced “Firms should primarily serve shareholders” with: “Businesses should be run for the benefit of all stakeholders”. Larry Fink: "Stakeholders are pushing companies to wade into sensitive social and political issues."

Philanthropy can deliver a real sense of purpose to a business - satisfying customers, motivating staff and other stakeholders. A Sense of Purpose is important – because (a) customers like to buy brands that stand for something & (b) staff want to work for an organisation that stands for something. Deloitte research found that: Purpose-driven companies witness higher market share gains and grow 3 times faster on average than their competitors. This is why companies like Netflix include (in their job culture deck) Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince (author): "If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the people to gather wood, divide the work, and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea."

Many years ago, giving back was novel, aligning one's career to a mission, not usually something that was promoted. Today, it is the opposite. We live in a time where philanthropy is a star. Passion projects are the norm. Recognition abounds for those who shake the trees. I work with a non-profit that just had their major funder for the last 50 years because they no longer supported their mission. The fund wanted to give $ based on their BODs favorite causes vs needs-based. This movement in money is going to cause challenges to those who need the help especially if the trend moves beyond what I'm seeing in the Bay Area. I believe we need to go back and educate those in the place to give back on what helping society really means.