Episode 20: Strengthening Your Nonprofit: Free Resources Pt. 4

Struggling to build your infrastructure, qualify for grants, give funders what they’re requesting during the eligibility screening process? Use these free resources to help strengthen your nonprofit, produce “required documents”, and get funder-ready.

LINKS

Microsoft 365 for NonProfits
Buffer for NonProfits

NONPROFIT SPOTLIGHT: Girls Inc. of Los Angeles

Podcast Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:05):

Welcome to On Air with Amber Wynn, where nonprofit leaders learned to fuse passion and commitment with proven business strategies to create long-term funding, impact and sustainability. And now here's your host and resident Philanthrepreneur Amber Wynn. 

Speaker 2 (00:29):

Hey fam, it's Amber. We are on part four of Strengthening Your Nonprofit, where I'm sharing with you valuable free resources for nonprofit organizations. In previous episodes, we've talked about everything from how to get a free email extension to how to get information on what is it, accounting resources. And this episode we're going to talk about something that's really important from a business perspective. One of the resources is Microsoft for Nonprofits. So for any of you who's ever purchased a computer, they'll sell you the computer, but then you don't have the software, although they'll give you some wonky type of software that you've never heard of. What is it? I know they have like Keynotes instead of PowerPoint, or they'll have pages instead of Word and you can use it. But sometimes when you're trying to send those documents, it just doesn't work. So we have a resource today that I'm gonna share with you that I think is important because at the end of the day, when you're sending out documents, your correspondence needs to be in the platform that another organization, in particular your Funder, can read. And those bundles are not cheap, right, but they're foundational. They're foundational. You have to communicate with people, you have to use PowerPoint to create decks and tell your story. You need some type of email system. So, our first resource is Microsoft for Nonprofits. Let's take a look at them. 

Speaker 3 (02:18):

If your nonprofit needs a single solution to upgrade older versions of Microsoft Windows and Office, then Tech Soup can help. Microsoft 365 has everything you need. Microsoft 365 is a bundle subscription that includes Office 365 and an upgrade to the most current Windows operating system. Cloud-based and installed versions of both Windows and Office 365 are included. Plus software is upgraded automatically. Microsoft 365 business plans offer up to 300 licenses. If you already have an older business or enterprise version of Windows, you can upgrade Windows to the most recent version. Enterprise licenses are not limited by the same 300 license maximum. They also provide an increased set of features and capabilities. Microsoft 365 E3 offers everything you get with a business plan plus some additional benefits. E3 includes enterprise mobility plus security, also known as EMS, to help secure your systems from online threats. 

Speaker 3 (03:42):

An E5 license of Microsoft 365 offers everything that is included in an E3 license plus much more. E5 features a higher tier of EMS that provides even stronger security measures. You can use a combination of different licenses to meet all your software needs. For example, a handful of E5 licenses can be used for workforce management. Meanwhile, other employees might only need E3 or business licenses. Microsoft 365 is the perfect solution for nonprofits that want to upgrade their Windows operating system. It's also the right answer for organizations that want to benefit from both on premises and cloud-based software. And whatever your needs may be, Tech Soup is here to help. 

Speaker 2 (04:47):

That was kind of techy with the E3 and the E5. This is what you need to know. Sometimes when a donor goes to your website, they can tell in the URL whether or not the security is good because it'll say it'll tell you right there that it's not secure. So I know for me, when I see that, I'm not gonna make a donation because if I'm putting in my financial information and the website's not secure, then that puts me at risk. So you want to make sure that you're providing your potential donors with the security that they need so that they can donate to you. All of this, including you've got Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, and OneDrive, all of these things are available to you through Tech Suit. I'm going to provide you with the link of course, so that you can reach out to Tech Suit so that you can apply for the Microsoft Donation program. 

Speaker 2 (05:49):

But this is a very valuable resource because as I said, it's not cheap. I think the bundle starts at like $300 and then if you have more than one person using it, there are those licenses. But having this type of software is essential for you to do business because this is the platform. This is the type of software that most businesses use. So as I said, I'm gonna put it in the link so that you can access this and apply for it if you don't have the software or as the commercial stated, if you wanted to upgrade. Sometimes people have software that's from 1997, and so <laugh> it’s just crunchy, right?. And so you wanna be able to give your staff, your volunteers, the opportunity to use software that's current. It's just that simple. Just cuz you're a nonprofit, it doesn't mean that you have to have systems back from 690 BC. 

Speaker 2 (06:52):

We wanna keep you current. We want to have the people who are supporting you, feeling like you're making it easy for them to do their job. So that's Microsoft for NonProfits. Our next resource is Buffer. Buffer is what you would use to make your life easier. At the end of the day, my commitment to my nonprofit leaders is to make your life easier. We already know that you're doing the work, you do it every day. Sometimes you guys aren't even getting paid to do it. So my goal is to help you make your life easier. And Buffer is a software system that you can use to schedule out your social media posts. Let's take a look. 

Speaker 4 (07:38):

Social media management is complex. You are a photographer, designer, video editor, community manager and analyst. Yet, people think all you do is spend all day on social media. There has to be a better way, and there is. Buffer is a social media management platform built to streamline your workflows and showcase the value of your work. First, analyze your previous posts to see what's working, know when to post, what to post, and how often to post. Once you're ready, plan and prepare your social media campaigns to increase your reach, engagement and traffic. Then jump straight to the post that needs your immediate attention and never miss an important comment. Finally, repeat the cycle by analyzing your new posts. Measure the impact of your work and report your results so that your team understands the power of social media, but helps you simplify your social media workflows all in a single platform so that you can focus on building your brand and maybe take that vacation day that you've been putting off. 

Speaker 2 (08:54):

So what I wanna focus on, cuz I mentioned this in the last episode, is hope is not a strategy. You can minimize the amount of time you spend on social media just by analyzing where your target audience is engaging with you. And Buffer can help you do that. What you wanna do is just make sure that you're looking at those analytics and using them to your benefit. So what you wanna do also is to align your posts with your strategy. For example, if you are trying to recruit board members, if you're trying to recruit volunteers, tutors, or whatever, you wanna schedule that around the time that you're doing your recruitment. So I feel like sometimes my nonprofits feel like it's not a big deal, they just need to be out in the space. You want to make sure that you leverage the time that you use, right? 

Speaker 2 (09:46):

It's not just being on social media for social media's sake. And it's not just about being on social media to promote your events. This is a mistake that many of my nonprofit leaders make. You wanna tell a sexy story? You want people to find your posts engaging. That means that you're sharing information. If you are a subject matter expert on teen pregnancy, then your social media posts should be talking about why it's happening, how to prevent it, what are the resources that you can give to teens, like the things that you are delivering in your program. Just take small chunks of it and put it in your social media. You want your people to say, Oh my God, this is some great information, right?. So that's the first thing you wanna do. You want to align your posts with whatever strategy is going on, right? Then you want to give more than what you ask for. Nonprofits have a tendency just to ask, ask, ask. If you are a resource in your community, you wanna give more than you ask. So give out valuable information. 

Speaker 2 (10:55):

Have some of your clients come on and tell their story so people can feel inspired about what it is that you do. But don't just always have your hand out asking for donations. Let them see what you're doing. Let them fall in love with you so that at the end of the day, you really don't have to ask cuz they see what you're doing and they wanna be a part of this momentum, right? Buffer is there to help you plan your content. Now, before I engaged in a company to do my social media, I scheduled it. And this is what you should consider doing. You carve out one afternoon or one morning, maybe it's a Saturday morning, you carve out two or three hours and you have your strategy. So that means you need to know what you're doing in your programming for the year or for the month. 

Speaker 2 (11:49):

Let's just go the month. If you know that you're gonna have three workshops, you're gonna have an orientation that you're looking for a board member, there you go. You've got your content for that month. That morning you get up, you make your coffee, you make your tea. For me, Sade always works really well in the background. Maybe a little Miguel or Happy Feelings by Frankie Beverly Mays, that is a great background music. Something that's gonna be in the background, make you feel good while you're scheduling out your posts. You do it once a month and it's scheduled. It releases into the ether and then you don't have to worry about it again. If something comes up in between then and there, you can still get on and post. But the purpose of you prescheduling these is so that you don't have to worry about scheduling or, I mean, you don't have to worry about posting throughout your month and it's gonna free you up cuz you know that it's already going out there. 

Speaker 2 (12:54):

So, look into Buffer, it's free for three platforms. Now, if you're on TikTok and Instagram and LinkedIn and Pinterest and okay, it's half off for six channels. So it costs annually about $60 a year. So, because you have a 501(c)3 tax exempt status that you can leverage, it will cost you $30 a year. So that's really affordable. We spend more than that on lunch. So look into Buffer so that you can leverage your time, create a strategy around what it is that you're putting out into your community. And again, for three channels, know your audience. If your audience is on Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook, you're straight. Cuz three channels are for free. Then when you start getting more engaged and you start getting some resources, you can upgrade. And for half the amount, you can have six platforms. So that's how I started off. 

Speaker 2 (14:02):

I start off with leveraging those resources that I can use. And once I get more money into the coffers, I just upgrade. All right, so now it's the time where we asked a question. It's Ask Amber, and if you have a question that you wanna ask me, just visit my website, shoot me an email at amber@amberwynn.net and ask your question and I'll read it here on my podcast. And the question for today is, What is the best way to get people to support? I don't feel comfortable with asking people for money. I feel like I'm begging. So my asks aren't as strong. And in the end, I either end up with small donation or nothing at all. And here's what I have to say to this. Some people just aren't comfortable with asking. I mean because I've been in the grant writing space and I've been an Executive Director, it's like what you have to do. 

Speaker 2 (15:04):

But that doesn't mean that all people are comfortable with it. I myself, I don't see asks as challenging because I don't see no's as no's, right? But to answer the question, the first thing I'm gonna tell you is to position your ask as an opportunity. A lot of the reason why people get caught up with asking for money is because they think that they're asking for money. But if you position it as providing an opportunity, it's a whole different ballgame, right? What do you mean by that? Well, when you ask somebody for money, you say, Hey Amber, would you be interested in donating to my nonprofit organization? We could really use your support. That's an ask for money. But if you said, Hey Amber, I know that you are big on supporting young girls in the community. We have this amazing opportunity to send six girls to visit the CEO over at L'Oreal. 

Speaker 2 (16:08):

Is this something that you think you'd like to be a part of? You see the difference? Are you asking somebody for money? Are you asking them to partner with you to create an opportunity for a client that otherwise would not have it? So it really is about the language. I have people saying to me all the time, I tried that, I tried that. And I'm like, Well, what did you say? And when they tell me what they said, I was like, Well, <laugh>, I wouldn't bite either. It's not a engaging proposition to participate in something amazing. And that's what you wanna do. Not only that, you wanna stay away from the doom and gloom. If you're saying, Hey, we really need your support, without your money our girls aren't gonna be staying in poverty. They're, they're going to end up pregnant. And this is doom and gloom and it just feels icky as opposed to if you're saying, Hey, would you love to partner with us? 

Speaker 2 (17:10):

We've got some amazing individuals and all they need is an opportunity. Lisa here, she says she wants to be a mathematician. So what we'd like to do is create a program where we can partner her with other females who look like her. That program runs about $25 a girl for 12 weeks. Is this something that you think you'd be interested in? And either they're gonna be interested or they're not. Here's the thing. If they say, Yeah, no, that's not something that I'm really interested in. Do a follow up question and say, Really? So what types of things are you interested in? That's always my comeback because if I have other programs or other opportunities, I'm gonna partner up with them, not now, maybe later. And I'll say, Remember when we were at the event and I asked you if you wanted to support the Job Training program? 

Speaker 2 (18:00):

And you said, No, you were really interested in girls going into media. Guess what? I have an opportunity for you. We are partnering with this organization so that our girls can experience or explore multimedia programs. And now there's an opportunity, all about the language. Finally, try and align your ask with the donor's need or interests, which is what I just said, right? You're interested in something. I'm not gonna try to shove you into supporting something that you're not interested in. If you're interested in frogs with three legs, and I say to you, I have a rhinoceros with four legs, that's not a good fit. So I'm not gonna try and sell you on that. I'm just not. I'm gonna look for an opportunity to connect you with something that you are passionate about. And here's the last thing, talk, listen. Sometimes people are so nervous, they're talking and talking and talking and talking and talking. 

Speaker 2 (19:00):

You don't give the donor an opportunity to share with you if they're interested or not. You're so nervous and you just beat them down. I share my story and then I listen. I say, Hey, we've got this amazing opportunity. I think it's something you might be interested in. What do you think? They're going to tell you if they're interested or not? And what they give you is what then you use to create a relationship. Creating a relationship is really key in the ask. It's not like you can go up to a person and say, Hey, can you give me $150? And they're like, Yeah, I'm gonna give you $150. You gotta get to know them. They've gotta get to know you. Like this is their hard earned money. So it's unrealistic to believe that on the first ask, someone's gonna give you money. It's unrealistic. 

Speaker 2 (19:53):

Does it happen? It does, but it's unrealistic. If you go in with the expectation that you're gonna have to ask them seven times, which is what they say in our industry. You gotta ask somebody seven times before they actually support you. Maybe it's in a newsletter, maybe it's in a post, maybe it's a direct call, maybe it's a video. But they need to hear your story. They need to hear your impact seven times before they donate. I think if you realize that, it takes off some of that pressure. My mom said that I could sell sand to a beach. I've been really successful at asks, but it's because I don't see them as asking. I see it as allowing people the opportunity to make a difference. So maybe if you look at it that way, it'll be a little bit less daunting and it takes practice. 

Speaker 2 (20:47):

All right, so speaking of opportunities, the next session is one of my favorites. It's where I get to highlight amazing nonprofits in the community doing the work. This one is in particularly special to me. It's Girls Inc. Of Los Angeles. And I had the honor of serving as an Executive Director there. It was my dream job, and they are still doing amazing things. Their mission is to inspire all girls to be strong, smart, and bold. Isn't that an amazing mission? Yes. And they do it through partnerships with schools and that centers through 82 local affiliate organizations focusing on the development of the whole girl. A combination of long lasting mentoring relationships, a pro girl environment and research based programming equips girls to lead fulfilling and productive lives. Let's take a look at Girls Inc. Of Greater Los Angeles. 

Speaker 5 (21:50):

The directions are, each passage or pair of passages below is followed by a number of questions. After reading each passage. It's a practice test. It's meant for you to practice and not stress about it at all. My name is Brianna Harris. I'm 16 years old. Girls Inc helps me with the focus aspect. It boosts up my confidence on how well I'm gonna do. It helps me realize that no matter what my score is, a college will look at my score. My life before Girls Inc., in my perspective, I was a little bit of a troublemaker. I was a little bit timid when I walked into a classroom. After Girls Inc. my life changed completely. I've gained so much more confidence in myself. I have tried to run for Class President. I have joined so many after school clubs that I didn't think I could do. My attitude has changed. I'm nice to people. I've just become a whole better person because of it. 

Speaker 6 (22:53):

Okay, so there you guys wrote through, I said …

Speaker 5 (22:55):

Fall. If I had Girls Inc. as a third grader, I would be the first person in my classroom to raise my hand. It wouldn't be like, Okay, let somebody else answer it and it would've installed the mindset in me that I am not an inferior. It would've been wonderful, very wonderful. 

Speaker 2 (23:24):

Yeah. Like I said, Girls Inc will always have a special place in my heart. So if you're interested in donating or volunteering or finding out more about the organization, visit them at www.girlsincla.org. All right, that's my jam right there. As a matter of fact, I want you to visit my website, www.amberwynn.net, and go to my Resource page. All of the information that I've been sharing with you in this four part series can be found. I have not only the information, the resources that I've been sharing with you, but I've got tons of other free resources. I am constantly combing through websites and conferences, trying to find information and resources, free or low cost, for my nonprofit leaders. So visit my website, go to my resource page to find this information and other free resources. I also have a free resource library. 

Speaker 2 (24:34):

It's 10 separate things that you can do to strengthen your nonprofit. So I've got a ton of information. Go over to my website and check it all out. Now is the time where we do our Mindset Minute. I'm gonna take a minute and I'm gonna talk to you about some things I just really want you to consider. So in this mindset minute I am going to share with you something that I don't want you to take the wrong way, but I don't know how else to set this up. In this Mindset Minute I'm asking you to stop expecting sex before dinner. What? Amber? What are you talking about? So there's this thing in the dating world where men and women go out and it's like, Oh, well, we ate and we hung out. And it's a joke. So it's like, Oh, so we had dinner and so now we're gonna have sex. 

Speaker 2 (25:36):

And in the nonprofit sector, I see this all the time, and this is what really pops into my mind. So you go on this website and the first thing that pops up is donate. You haven't even had the opportunity to read what's on the website. Soon as you click on it, just there's a popup that says, Donate. Give to us, give to this, give to that. And the first thing I think is, Well, dang, we ain't even had dinner and you already asking me for sex. Like, what the heck? So here's what I want you to think about, right? Visitors don't know you. If you were featured on a podcast or you were mentioned in a newsletter or somebody said, Oh, this is a great organization. Think about it. When you go onto their website and the first thing that pops up is donate and they know nothing about you, how do you think that makes them feel? 

Speaker 2 (26:35):

I'm gonna tell you, it's irritating for me. I click off, I don't know who you are, You're asking me for money, and I have no idea who you are. So my recommendation is to have a donate button in the top right hand corner of your website. Make it stand out if it's in your nav bar, right? If your tabs are white, make it red, make it yellow, make it green. Make it stand out. But don't have this popup page as soon as your visitor come to your website. Let them explore your website. Let them see some of the stories, the impact that you're making. Let them be able to click through and read who your Board Members are, who the Executive Director is. Let them, I don't know, feel comfortable before you immediately start asking them for money. Does that make sense to you? That the first thing that a person sees once they open your page is give me money. 

Speaker 2 (27:37):

I don't know you. Let them get to know you. You can also ask if there's a story on your website, at the bottom, have a donate button. At least they've read the story. Same thing with your newsletters, right? Don't let the ask be the first thing that a potential supporter sees. It's off putting, right? If we're going out on a date, when you come to my door and I open it and I say, Hi, you're not gonna stick your tongue in my mouth; the very first thing you're gonna do. No, we're gonna have dinner, we're gonna go to a show, we're gonna laugh, we're gonna talk, and then at the end of the date, if I'm feeling you, then hey, yeah, let's do that, but let me get to know you. So for our Mindset Minute, I'm gonna share with you my recommendation. Do not immediately ask your visitors for a donation before they've gotten to know you. 

Speaker 2 (28:37):

Put your donation buttons discreetly at the end of a story, at the end of the page. Have a donate button prominently in your Nav Bar, but don't bombard your potential supporters with an ask before you've even had dinner. All right? So that's what I have for that. And as a matter of fact, that's what we have for today's session. We're wrapping up part four of strengthening your nonprofit. I've been sharing with you some free resources to help you get your house in order to help you create an infrastructure whereby you can, number one, tell your story. You can look the part. You can recruit not only potential clients, but volunteers. You can get visibility so that funders know who you are, they understand the impact that you make, and you can start diversifying your funding streams so that you can get revenue from 1, 2, 10 different sources. I am your girl. I'm gonna always have your back. I am here to support you. 

Speaker 2 (29:50):

And yeah, at the end of the day, your success is my success. And honey, I don't fail. So, go through some of the previous episodes. Go to my website@ww.amberwynn.net Resources, and get this free information, y'all. Use it so that you can strengthen your organization because the world needs nonprofits, the world needs you, your community needs you. So we got to get your house in order so that you can be around for the long haul. So that's all I have for today. I will see you next week. But remember, take care of yourself, like you take care of your community. See you next time. 

Speaker 1 (30:31):

Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe and leave a review on iTunes. Head over to www.amberwynn.net/podcast for the links and resources mentioned in today's podcast to see you next time.