Do You Need a Big Menu?

This week, Sarah and I were presenting our session “Share the Messages Your Donors Need to Hear” at the 2020 Great Rivers conference in beautiful, but cold, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. One of the concepts we talked about was selecting a couple of messages to communicate instead of trying to communicate everything that your United Way does. The reason we advocate for this is that when United Ways try to communicate all of their work, it often results in dozens of messages which no donor could reasonably be expected to remember.

Toward the end of the session, one of the participants asked this question: “When I make a campaign presentation, don’t I need to talk about all the work we do?” The simple answer is no. If you have a limited amount of time to talk with employees in the workplace, you will be better served to deliver one message effectively.

You have probably been to a restaurant that has a big spiral-bound menu – many pages with an endless number of items from which to choose. Restaurants with exceptional food, service, and atmosphere, are not restaurants with a big spiral-bound menu. When you think about the best meal you have ever had in a restaurant, it was most likely at a restaurant with a limited menu, perhaps only one page, with a small number of items.

A United Way with a spiral-bound menu of activities rarely becomes known for any of their work. The large number of messages required are impossible to communicate effectively. United Ways with a limited menu become known for their work because it only requires one or two messages to clearly communicate their work. Repeating one or two messages over the course of a year significantly increases donor understanding of United Way.

Our donor research has found that most donors can only recall one or two issues that United Way addresses, with some donors unsure of exactly what issues their United Way addresses. A focus on one or two issues can also result in donors increasing their contribution because donors understand how their donation to United Way changes lives in their community.

The next time you are communicating with donors, or potential donors, provide them with a limited menu. Use one or two messages to explain your issue, actions, and results and show donors how their donation will change lives in their community.