We can learn a lot from the classic Disney movies. One of my favorites is Beauty and the Beast– the original version of course!
This timeless tale teaches us that there are behaviors that win others’ love and behaviors that push people away. Funders are people too. In every impression of your organization, you are either drawing them closer to you or pushing them farther away.
Knowing what impression you are giving your funders is critical to your funding success!
Unlike the movie, funders are gaining impressions of you from many things instead of just your in-person meetings or phone calls. Some places that funders are gathering impressions of you are:
- Your website
- Your social media
- Your financial statements
- Your funding proposals & reports
- Your stakeholder communications
- Your thank you letters
- Media stories
All of these impressions build up to form a funder’s opinion of your organization, and whether or not your organization is worthy of their investment. In our practice, we routinely assess our clients’ impressions and make recommendations for improvements.
I developed the Attractiveness Quotient™ tool for this reason. Funding success is more than just a well-written request. We’ve had many clients take this assessment, complete with customized recommendations, and raise their organization’s profile leading to increased grant funding in subsequent years!
If you would like help determining if your organization is attractive enough for funders, you can look at my Attractiveness Quotient™ here.
The Attractiveness Quotient™ is also included in my work with clients who have a signed contract for grant writing services. If you are interested in learning about other grant writing services, contact us here.
