Episode 90: Validating Need
Funders don’t just write checks because nonprofits ask for support. They need to be inspired and believe their money will make a difference. The Statement of Need is an essential tool for demonstrating need. Without the justification, Funders will not support your cause. Find out how to validate the need in your community; what goes into a Statement of Need.
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Podcast Transcript
Speaker 1 (00:09):
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 (00:35):
It's your girl, Amber Wynn on air and ready to talk to you about a very, very important key to the success of your organization, and that is validating the need. Sometimes we come into this situation having lived experience, especially if you are delivering services in the community and where you live, knowing or believing that there is a need. And I say believing because sometimes we take personal experience. I have clients who will call me and say, I'm going to start a nonprofit in my organization. We don't have this, we don't have that. And even while I'm talking to 'em, I'll just do a real quick Google search and I'll see that there are four organizations providing similar services. So from a funder's perspective, if there's already an established organization there or multiple organizations there, then the need becomes a little bit less. But we're going to talk a little bit more about that after we come back from our first sponsor. So we'll jump into it as soon as we get back.
Speaker 3 (01:49):
Are you a nonprofit organization with 501(c)(3) status? Are you using video to promote your cause and attract donors? If you answered yes to both of these questions, then the YouTube nonprofit program was created, especially for you. The YouTube nonprofit program allows you to activate your cause, broadcast a compelling story, and launch an effective campaign via YouTube. The program gives nonprofits access to YouTube tools that most users don't get an embedded donate button, call to action overlays, annotations, live streaming, and access to a community forum. So take advantage of this program for your nonprofit and you can really see the results in your video and overall communications.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
Hey, you're back here with On Air with Amber, and today we're talking about validating your need. It's not enough for you to say There is a need in my community. It's not enough. There's so many organizations out there right now. It's important that you're able to demonstrate need to a funder. What does validating a need mean? Well, there's two ways that you can go about it. One, you can use research which is very popular, and funders love it, right? Because you've got researchers out there, which means that they are in that particular community or they are focusing on that particular cause, and research is a deep dive into a cause or an issue or a problem. So when they know that there's research behind it, they know that a person has spent time and resources and not only looking at the problem, but also looking at the solutions.
(03:32):
So back in the nineties when money was good and it flowed from the heavens, like mana, we could do just narratives. We could say, here's a problem and here's a solution. Now philanthropy is more sophisticated, so it's not enough just to say that Amber Wynn, who's from Watts is looking around and seeing that there's a need. That's not enough. You have to validate the need. So the first way to do it is through research. The second way to do it is by administering an assessment. An assessment is when you actually go to the community and you ask them questions, you let them tell you what the needs are. If you live in a community, you know what your personal experiences are, but if you get a group of people in a focus group and you ask them objective questions like tell us what are the top five things that you struggle with, and then you have 25-50 people and you get those top five things from those 20-25 people, then you can say to a funder, listen, I've done a deep dive of my community.
(04:40):
I've talked to the community members themselves and this is what they said they've needed. The top five things would be access to high paying jobs. They need affordable housing. It's come directly from them so they know that it's not something that you've just made up arbitrarily. You've validated the need because you've actually spoken to the people in the community. So it's important that you don't just start a program and based off of what you're visualizing, what you're seeing in the community and saying, oh yeah, this is what we need to do. We need to have a tutoring program. How do you know the tutoring program could be a symptom, right? When in reality we need to strengthen the education system. Maybe the teachers in the schools aren't qualified or aren't really looking at the challenges in the community. Maybe in this community there is a higher rate of developmental disability and the schools aren't addressing it.
(05:46):
So you saying, oh yeah, we need a tutoring program because a lot of our kids aren't graduating. That may be, or it may be that there are other causes. And just dealing with the symptoms, if you do a deep dive and you can validate what the true issues are by actually interviewing the teachers or interviewing the parents or interviewing the students, then a funder's going to look at that and say, oh, this nonprofit is on the pulse of this community because this nonprofit actually took the time to do an assessment. Where do the assessments go? The results from your assessments are going to go to strengthen your proposals. So there is a section in a proposal that says, statement of need, or explain to us what the problem that you're trying to address. You take this validated proof of need and you put it in your proposal and it strengthens your proposal exponentially.
(06:44):
Because as I said before, I'll have people call me and say, oh yeah, there's a need that's not being met, and I'm Googling while they're talking. And I'm like, well, what about these five organizations that's in your community? This one provides tutoring. This one provides tutoring. Oh, well I didn't know about them, but they're not doing what I'm doing. Oftentimes it doesn't matter when a funder Googles and trust me, they're going to do their due diligence. Google's a community and there's already five organizations. They are doing the work, and especially if they've been around for quite some time, it's going to be challenging for you to get money. And I really want to point that out because people start nonprofits like the money is just sitting there waiting for them.
(07:31):
I have a resource. It's validating your idea. And what you can do is before you even start your nonprofit validate to see if number one, it's a good idea. Meaning if it's a good idea for the area that you plan on starting your nonprofit in. I'm not saying that you don't need to start your nonprofit, but maybe the area that you're in is very saturated. And what you want to do is start a nonprofit that is going to be number one successful. Number two, that's going to be utilized, right? If you've got five other organization in a 10 mile radius, then that's high competition. If you feel passionately about your cause, then maybe there's another community that really needs your services. What's amazing about finding that out before you start is you haven't invested all of this money and all of this time and energy only not to be able to sustain your organization.
(08:26):
So the resource that I have will allow you to do the research before you even start. It's called validating your nonprofit toolkit. I'm going to put the link in the bio section so you can use that to really determine is your organization viable? Is it fundable? Is it sustainable? And by doing this, before you can make an informed decision, you can say, alright, well is this a good idea? Alright, is this idea good for this neighborhood? And there's little tricks of the trade that funders use to really determine that, and I'm going to share that with you. But at the end of the day, you want to be able to clearly articulate that there's a need, why there's a need, and that you have the solution. It's important because nine times out of 10 when you make these submissions, these grant submissions, and you don't have a strong statement of need, that's where you lose the most points. And then that's where you're not funded. So it's not just you get to come in and say, Hey, I've been in this community for 20 years and this is not happening and this is not happening. I provide you with a template on how to actually validate your need, and that's really, really important. All right, so now we're going to pause again for another sponsor. And when we come back, we're going to hear a question from one of you guys out there in my ask Amber, so we'll be back in a minute.
Speaker 4 (09:56):
Nonprofits are building a better future for everyone. Whether your organization focuses on bringing clean and safe drinking water to everyone on the planet or caring for people in your local community, nonprofits like yours are making a difference every single day. But nonprofits also face a unique set of challenges, how to manage volunteers and operations on a limited budget, how to raise awareness about your organization and mission through storytelling and how to drive more engagement from donors to fundraise for your nonprofit. We believe that every nonprofit should be able to focus more energy on making an impact. Our mission at Google for Nonprofits is to equip nonprofits with the best of Google tools at no charge in more than 60 countries around the world. Your nonprofit can collaborate and communicate more effectively with smart, secure business apps from Google Workspace with Gmail, your nonprofit employees and volunteers can send email from your nonprofits.
(11:04):
Custom domain teams can stay connected from different locations by using Google Meet and Chat, and you can access and collaborate on documents from anywhere. With Google Drive, increase your productivity so you can spend more time serving your cause or community through Google for nonprofits, eligible organizations can receive free advertising to run ads on Google search with ad grants. Ad grants enables your organization to appear in ads on Google search. When someone's searching for topics related to your mission, your nonprofit can receive free advertising to raise awareness, reach donors and recruit volunteers. Tell the story of your organization through video to create an emotional connection to your cause. With YouTube, nonprofits can expand their audience, reach new supporters, and connect viewers to their mission. And finally, imagine that your donors and supporters could see exactly where their donations are making a difference. With Google Earth and Maps, nonprofits can create compelling custom maps that help tell their story to the world. Nonprofits are changing the world. We are here to help Learn more at google.com/nonprofits.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
And we're back. You're on air with Amber. And now I'm going to take a question. Remember, if you have a question for me, you can reach me via email at Amber, at amber win.net, any of my socials. But now let's hear what your question is for me. Ask Amber.
Speaker 5 (12:51):
Hi, my name is Theo calling from Florida. My question is about celebrity spokespersons. My boy wants to get a celebrity spokesperson to increase our visibility and engagement. Is this something you would recommend?
Speaker 2 (13:04):
Excuse me. Hey Theo from Florida Celebrity Spokespersons. So a couple of things. Number one, they cost unless you can engage a celebrity because they have a personal experience. When I worked at Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, they did a wonderful job was connecting with family members of patients who had pancreatic cancer. And so sometimes they would speak out on behalf of pancreatic cancer research because that family member who was a celebrity was deeply impacted. But you can actually pay for a celebrity spokesperson. If you see Shaq, he's all over commercials, right? I know Alicia Keys is doing something, you can get a celebrity spokesperson, but what I'm going to implore you and your board to do is to be very clear about what the expectations are. Because celebrities will go in, they'll read a script and that's it. And guess what? Your fans know it. But if that celebrity is passionate about what it is that you're doing, there is a personal connection, then I think that you'll get more engagement because they are passionate about what you're doing.
(14:26):
So generally speaking, they're not cheap. So if your board organization is at that level where you can engage a celebrity person, I'm going to say go for it. But I would just recommend that it be a little bit more organic because guess what? Celebrities have a brand. And so it's beneficial to them to connect themselves with the cause. It makes people see that they're, that they're human, that they're concerned about more than their looks and their passion. So there could be a very good connection with a celebrity and a nonprofit. It's just all about how you negotiate the terms of that engagement. So go for it. Let me know how it goes. All right. All right. So now we are at the point of the episode that I love the most. It's focusing on you, my amazing nonprofit leaders. And in this episode, we are going to focus on an organization called StoryCorps. StoryCorps was started in Grand Central Terminal in 2003, and since then, more than half a million people have recorded their stories. Story. Corps’ mission is to preserve and share humanity's stories in order to build connections between people and create a more just and compassionate world. And today, I just really want to focus on this nonprofit because in this world, we need more compassion and we need to learn more about each other. It's in that engagement that we become more alike than we are different. So let's check out StoryCorps.
Speaker 6 (16:07):
What were you like as a kid? Do you remember the day you met me? What are your dreams for me? Do you remember when things really changed for you? Tell me about your childhood in Mexico. If you could ask me anything in the world, what would it be?
Speaker 7 (16:21):
StoryCorps knows what makes a good conversation. Listening is at the heart of StoryCorps mission. We record, archive and share your stories to build connections between people and create a more compassionate world. Every story's archived at the Library of Congress because every voice matters. What's your story?
(16:43):
Partnering with StoryCorps gives you the opportunity to celebrate a milestone moment in your organization, build a culture of storytelling at your organization, develop your team's professional skills, boost your brand and digital presence with engaging content that speaks to your impact. Recognize your stakeholders, embed our best practices into your workplace, and document and honor the stories of your company or community. We send our trained staff and equipment to your location to record interviews with your participants. We can bring our iconic Airstream trailer along to make an even bigger splash. We conduct presentations and workshops to share the power of storytelling and teach our best practices for recording the most impactful interviews. We transform your interviews into short audio segments in the style of our signature broadcasts. We can also turn these edited stories into short animations. Our services amplify your PR capacity building and fundraising efforts. Let's celebrate your organization. And its many voices.
Speaker 2 (18:01):
I love it. If you're interested in StoryCorps, you can find them@www.storycorps.org. Alright, and so right now, I'm going to pause for a second for my mindset minute, and I want to talk a little bit about the difference between self-determination or funding. And what do I mean by that? I host quite a few webinars, workshops, and invariably someone will say to me, well, the funder's asking me to do this, and I don't have time. I'm in the community. I'm working, and I should get this money to do X, Y, and Z. And let me just say, having been an executive director, I know it's a lot of work and I know exactly how you feel. And this is what I say to the person in the audience, do you want the money? Because at the end of the day, you need to get the money to deliver your services.
(18:59):
It's like when my kid says to me, mom, can I have money and I'm money don't grow on trees. So what do they have to do? They have to do the chores. They have to demonstrate that they've earned this. So it's sort of the same thing with the funder, right? I don't have an infinite amount of money. I have a finite amount of money, and so I want to give it to the organization that I feel is going to give me the most return on my investment. So that means they're going to meet this standard. They're going to be able to be eligible. So yes, you're doing the work. No, you don't have time to fill out an 80 page application, but here's what I have to say. If you want that money, then you're going to do what it takes to get to that, right?
(19:47):
You do know best for your community, but at the end of the day, you need to get the money first. Get the money first, and then within the scope of your proposal, show them that you know what you're doing. Show them that your way is the best. I've done this lots of times. I'll get the money and then I'll say, yes, I'm going to deliver these services, and then I'll deliver them in the way that's unique to me, culturally responsive, very down to earth. And then have them say, my goodness, how are you able to get these types of results? It's because of the way that I deliver my services. It's because of the content that I'm providing. It's because of my connection and how I build trust. And then they will then say, okay, we're going to give you more money, and you do what your way.
(20:35):
So you don't want to burn the bridge before you cross it. You want to cross the bridge, get to the other side, and then be like, bam. Right? So in this mindset minute, I want you just to remember this mantra. Get the money first. Get the money first, and then show them through your actions how amazing your program is. You can complain and not fill out the application, but remember in doing that, that's about ego, and that means that you won't be able to serve more people than you're serving because little money means little service. Big money means big service. So get that money. That's all I'm saying. All right, so we're wrapping up today. Our conversation was about validating the need. It's extremely important not only in the grants that you submit, but in donor cultivation. When you're reapplying for grants, when you're looking for people who are interested in supporting you, you need to be able to document the proof that there's actually a need and the need that you're serving is actually going to solve the problem and not the symptoms.
(21:49):
We have so many things we can talk about, and we're going to continue to talk about them until we're just exhausted and you have all of the information that you need to strengthen your nonprofit infrastructure. I'm going to be here for you. So if this episode was helpful, something you didn't think about, something that you think somebody else would benefit from, be sure to share. Go on. All of my social medias hit like tell people about me. Because at the end of the day, my purpose in being here is to serve you. So the more people who have access to my information and that's going to help them, it's going to me accomplish my mission of strengthening the world one nonprofit at a time. We'll see you next episode. Bye.
Speaker 1 (22:37):
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. See you next time.