February 29, 2008
Metaphors and Fund Raising
A good metaphor can be crucial to garnering supporters, writes Gayle Roberts, a fund-raising consultant in San Francisco.
On her blog, Fundraising for Nonprofits, Ms. Roberts points to a YouTube video that represents the world’s population as a village of 100 people as a powerful way to convey a message about inequality.
The “video”: says that in such a community, 53 people would live on $2 or less a day, while six others own 59 percent of the village’s wealth.
“It makes us easily understand the differences in the world, and where we fit in,” she writes.
“What powerful metaphor are you using to tell your good cause’s story? What if your client base or community was only 100 people? Who would they be? What if you had only 100 donors, how would they be contributing?” she asks.
Click on the comments link below this post to respond to Ms. Roberts’s questions.
— Ian Wilhelm
Comments
Commenting is closed for this article.
Previous: Housing Crisis Linked to America's Impoverished Counties
Next: What Does the Investigation of Obama's Church Mean tor Nonprofit Groups?
Thanks so much for the shout out. That’s so very kind of you.
— Gayle Roberts Mar 3, 11:13 AM #
Interesting – and good advice. GOOD metaphors can help people get it. It’s yet another thing to add to my to-do list: Create metaphor for our cause.
— Casey Mar 3, 12:10 PM #