THE NONPROFIT THAT SELLS

Hey, Mrs. or Mr. Nonprofit Leader,

What are you selling?

“Selling? We don’t sell anything. We’re a non-profit.”

It’s easy for nonprofits to forget they are businesses. While you’re not selling products like a retail store or services like an IT company, you’re still selling.

You are selling vision, ideas, community, and hope. You are selling a new reality for a group of individuals who can’t see a way out of their situation. For some that vision looks like safety. For others, it looks like healing. For others, it looks like three healthy meals a day. For others, it looks like education.

That’s what you are selling.

You, as a nonprofit leader, see a better future for people. And you also have a way to make that dream a reality. You have a strategy to put into motion that will shift things so those who are living in desperation can believe it won’t always be like it is. A better day is coming.

That’s what you are selling.

But who are you selling to?

You are selling this dream to the underserved. Many of them don’t believe their future can be different. But you see it differently. And you must sell them on the idea too.

You are selling this dream to donors also. You need people who will support your nonprofit with money, counsel, and encouragement. You can’t do it alone.

So don’t shy away from being a salesperson. Too much is at stake. You are peddling more than goods or services for a profit. You are peddling hope to people. Hope calls for courage. Hope calls for persistence. Hope calls for passion.

Keep in mind that sales is more than words. Sales is action. Don’t just tell them. Show them. Do something with your vision. Help them see it. And when they see it, they will believe it.

What are the stories behind your nonprofit? Whose life is different because of you, your vision, and your action?

And at some point, your best salesperson will no longer be you. Rather, your sales team will become the recipients of your vision. It’s the people whose lives have changed because of your nonprofit. They will sell your vision. Your sales team will also include the donors. They came alongside you and gave time and money and energy. And guess what? Their lives were changed because of your nonprofit too.

So, Mrs. or Mr. Nonprofit Leader, while you are not selling a product or a service, you are still selling.

Dreams, ideas, vision, hope. That’s what you are selling.

That’s what the world needs. So don’t shy away from selling. Too much is at stake.