You Can’t Fund a Mission No One Understands

Let’s explore why clarity is a vital fundraising strategy and how simplifying your message can turn confusion into commitment.

Over the years, we have worked with many organizations that are working to solve incredibly complex problems:

• Communities long impacted by systemic disinvestment and economic injustice
• Lack of economic investment in communities that have been historically excluded
• Housing and public health crises
• Tech education inequity in public housing communities
• Human trafficking
• Traumatized survivors of murder victims
• Modern-day slavery in places like Sudan and South Sudan
• Inequity in access to early childhood education
• And many more…

Clarity is Hard when Complexity is Real

In every case, the depth and scope of the work are so complex that it can be difficult to even begin describing the work you do and the impact your organization is making on the communities you serve.

These are systemic, multi-layered problems that can feel overwhelming to explain. For most people on the outside, that level of complexity means they may have no idea what your organization actually does.

The reality is that you can’t fund your work, attract new partners, or increase engagement if people outside of your team don’t understand what you actually do.

It’s even more challenging if your team members don’t know how to explain what you do. Your donors and volunteers must clearly understand why you’re inspired to stay in this fight.

The challenge before you is to translate the depth of your work into language outsiders can grasp, while not watering it down so much that it dilutes the soul of your purpose.

When you simplify your mission, you make it more actionable for donors. You are looking for that “OMG that’s incredible!” moment where everything clicks and they see how vital your work is in your community.

Here are three simple ways your organization can seek clarity that inspires action:

1. Create an Easy On-Ramp

Smooth “on-ramps” help audiences understand how to engage with your organization’s mission and programs. You can educate your audience all day long, but you also need to provide simple steps they can take to support your work.

2. Name the Problem, Then Spotlight the Solution

It’s important to clearly explain the problem your organization is working to solve and highlight your unique solution. If your organization hopes to be effective, your team must be able to articulate the complexities of the problem clearly and present the clear solutions you have implemented that bring about change.

3. Codify Your Message — Don’t Keep It Locked Up in One Person’s Head

Create a “Core Messaging Stack” to align your team around clear and consistent messaging. If your messaging only lives in your founder or executive director’s head, it’s time to extract that genius and codify it so that the message is accessible to the entire organization. The foundational messaging that comes out of this process gives you the clear, consistent, and compelling language you need to convey your work to potential donors.

Bonus tip: A new comprehensive Core Messaging Stack is the ideal resource for training ChatGPT or creating a custom GPT that your team can use across marketing, communications, and fundraising efforts. You can read about our thoughts on this here.

The Bottom Line: Clarity Drives Funding

The people closest to your mission are already committed. But the people you need to reach the most (new donors, first-time website visitors, potential partners) need more than a vague or abstract mission, because if your message doesn’t resonate, it gets ignored.

People need a clear sense of what you do, why it matters, and how they can help.

They need understanding.

If they don’t get it, they won’t give. So do the hard work of making your message clear.

You can only truly fund a mission that people understand.