Creating your nonprofit’s vision statement is an opportunity to script the future of your organization and make an incredible impact in the world. However, that will only happen if you know how to draft the script and you understand the key milestones to achieving your vision.
A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to take my wife to the theater. While I won’t bore you with the details of the show (it was an opera), I did notice a few things when it came to the story and how it relates to the vision that nonprofit leaders create for their organizations.
What Nonprofits Can Learn about Vision from a Night at the Theater
A well-crafted, vision-infused fundraising campaign closely resembles the story arc of most dramas. Act one introduces the characters. In act two, obstacles arise. And the final conflict shows up in act three, after which the grand denouement draws everything together to a happy resolution.
A Vision Takes Donors on a Journey.
Your vision is the “story” that carries donors on a journey from start to finish. This should not be a one-and-done transactional relationship. Instead, we must encourage philanthropic engagement over time as the story unfolds toward the realization of the ultimate vision.
Involve Donors at Every Milestone.
When your overarching vision (story) infuses everything you do, donors will participate throughout the process. You should invite donors into the narrative at every step of the journey. When they see how the journey impacts lives, they’ll want to be a part of it for the long term. Every time you hit a milestone in the story, you have another reason to go back, make another ask, and involve donors in the story once again.
When you establish a clear vision, donors will understand there are milestones along the way and they need to be involved again. That’s a compelling vision. It gives donors a chance to be a part of something bigger.
Are You Ready to Create an “Epic” Vision?
Do you want to script your organization’s future and involve donors in a larger story, one that will fire their imaginations and stoke enthusiasm for your cause? Download the free Pursuant whitepaper called “I Have a Dream—The Importance of Vision” and learn how creating a compelling vision will power your organization forward.
Is vision woven into your organization’s fundraising? Are donors captivated by your nonprofit’s storyline and eager to see the conclusion?