Minding One’s Language

A few weeks ago Rachel Beer wrote an excellent piece  which discussed the language fundraisers use and how that can reinforce  fundraiser’s cynicism towards their donors. This really hit home for me. Recently I’ve become increasingly uncomfortable with the way in which I and my colleagues bandy around terms that dehumanise the people who do fantastic things. It seems incredibly odd that people, who spend a significant percentage of their professional life deliberating about which adjective will get the best emotional response from a supporter, feel it appropriate to label those same supporters in ways which caricatures them by and with a single trait. I understand this is MASS marketing, but forgetting that we are marketing to individuals is as ineffective as it is lacking in integrity.

In February 2012 a series of news articles in Australian media used some of the language used by fundraisers (F2Fers and others at a conference) as the crowbar with which to pull a hatchet job on the industry. Morally correct principles such as not targeting vulnerable people and making sure donors could afford a donation were spun to suggest a lack of empathy as they were trained using an inappropriate acronym. (They were told not to sign up people who were POYSN “poor, old, young, stupid and non-english speaking” households.)

But this goes far beyond risk management. It’s about setting up a frame which views the wonderful donors who give or who may give to our organisations as great people. Even if you are the most hard-nosed and weather beaten of fundraisers, you know that in 2012 marketing requires a two way line of communication and that relies on trust. If you’re going to market something on Facebook, you will need to be prepared for people telling you exactly what they think of your think in no uncertain terms and with no control from yourself.

One of the greatest lessons I was taught as a F2Fer was when a manager redefined our lexicon. He took a verbal and in some cases literal red marker to the way in which we spoke about our work, to our teams and to ourselves. No longer were we allowed to talk about “trying” to do something. We did, or did not. There was no try and therefore no room for excuses. Similarly we were banned from wishing anyone good luck. Luck suggested a lack of responsibility for the results. It worked, or was at least part of the reason teams grew and individual results increased.

So in his shadow I vow to put a red line through the following terms and the more positive ones in their place.

Attrition: stop focussing on the negative Instead talk about retention. Focus on giving people an experience and relationship with you that makes them want to keep giving

Upgrade. They are people not personal computers. Instead, be honest with what you’re asking them to do. Increase their donation

Payment. Your charity is not a phone company. The people who give your money are making a gift or donation

Marketing: similar to the above. There is a lot to be learned from marketing but I will never try to sell you double glazing. I work in fundraising. I raise money for important causes that I believe in. It is different

What are your worst words?