Do you touch a cord with your nonprofit constituents?

Connecting with your constituents and creating engagement in your mission requires considering a few issues.

• Do you touch a cord with your constituents?
• Do you encourage personality and creativity with your employees?
• Is your communication personal, without the veneer of the corporate lingo?
• Do you make decisions with the focus of improving the constituent experience?

Nonprofits that are loved by their constituents break down the barriers between corporate image and the needs of the constituent. One of the keys is the perception that the nonprofit met my needs. This is very personal. It requires an investment in simplifying the experience for the constituent.

It isn’t always easy to be real and transparent with your constituents. It may take some courage and guts. It is one thing to send an automated receipt to donor within 5 seconds after a transaction. It is another thing, the next day, to send a personal email (with a real email address) from the CEO and include a real phone number to call if they want to chat. It would be stunning to answer the phone if they call.