Four things to do to jump-start your right brain
- Thu, June 17 2010
- Filed under: Fundraising essentials
The brilliant Mark Rovner and I did a Nework for Good Nonprofit 911 Webinar yesterday: Messaging from the Right Side of Your Brain (available for free on demand).
Here’s what we said:
Our problem with messaging is we talk too often sap the emotion and color from our work when we seek to put it into words. We talk about our work in analytical ways when we should be speaking from the heart to compel people to action.
What if you could effortlessly convey the heart and soul of your work every time you sit down to write web copy or your next fundraising appeal? We all know passion is infectious, but writing from your own place of passion and commitment can be a real challenge in the hectic and demanding environment of your nonprofit.
So we offered four exercises to move you from your left to your right brain in messaging.
First, imagine you’re in an art museum gazing at a picture that captures the heart of your work. Mission statements and statistics don’t count! Those go on the placard next to the picture that tells you the boring details about the art. What we find is nonprofits don’t fill the frame with a picture that moves donors - they just focus on the placard. Fill your empty frame. What do you see? What faces, what scenes, what expressions? This is what you want to convey in your messaging.
Second, fill that frame with a hero that demonstrates the best of your work. Who is that person? What are they doing?
Third, try to distill that visual vocuabulary into a phrase that is your brand mantra. Nonprofits offered some good ones on the call. My favorite:
Bringing hope home (for an organization helping fill the homes of people in great need with furniture - and bringing them training and opportunity).
Last, in less than six words, tell the whole story of your organization. My favorites were:
I woke up to puppy breath. You? (for an animal adoption agency)
You were. They are. You can. (private boarding school)
Try these out! Share what they evoke. And then try to push your fundraising toward this kind of right-brain thinking!
Comments
Katya,
I think your artwork exercise can be very helpful to anyone writing copy for nonprofits. In fact, I’ll keep it in mind for those times when I need to stimulate my creativity.
In your post, you focus on breaking the image in the art frame down to 6 words or less ... for a tagline.
Again, I think this exercise can also help people when writing web copy, emails, direct mail appeals, etc. They don’t have to condense it down to six words or less, but use the exercise to zero in on the core message. The emotional pull that draws readers in and motivates them to give.
Neat idea. Thanks for sharing it!
Thank you for such brilliance. I could not get access to live course but I read it from your blog. I think I need an audio recording of the session. Is it possible?
Thank you
I love your blog and think that this entry is to true. When you take all of the extra out of your pitch and focus on the heart of your organization you definitely get more across!
Thanks for the opportunity to listen to an audio recording of the webinar. I found the six-word story concept especially useful. I was able to come up with about a dozen that describe our work.
It’s good you’re encouraging nonprofits to be more creative in their storytelling!
Your chief executive must be a master storyteller if they are out soliciting gifts. How can you help them tell the story in a passionate and compelling way?
I’d also like to see nonprofits celebrating mistakes and trying to be goofy. For instance, making this a visual exercise, and someone putting a superhero in the frame, and then someone else saying, “No no, I don’t think the flying spaghetti monster is what we’re going for here. But that’s pretty funny!” And then making it the office mascot for a week.
We’ve got to keep developing our sense of humor as nonprofit professionals… we’re going to keep needing it!
Mazarine
I’d also love an audio transcript of your postings… I loved this post and have some ideas on how I can start to utilize the right side of my brain. 
Thanks much!
DerekS
What great inspiration - I love reading this blog to get my creative juices flowing!
These are great exercises. I especially like the last one. Every non-profit and for-profit company should have a sort of catchphrase like that.
That was a very interesting post.
I enjoyed reading it!
Thanks
Thank you for the great post.
I loved your 4th advice, I think it is the best.
I have had problems over the years of not being able to express my emotions in writing. This will help. Thanks
Wonderful! Your words have sent me on my way to the Norton Simon Museum. It’s been too long.
Tell it right from the heart. Passion brings it’s own rewards.
Your blog is very informative. Hope other blogs would be same as yours.
Always follow your heart and trust God.
I’d love to hear more and learn from your blog. =)
I feel inspired! Thanks very much for the post it was very informative!
By just reading your article then imagining the process of using your left brain to right, felt relaxing and many ideas coming to my mind. That’s a new way of getting ideas by relaxing your brain.
Great tips for getting into the right mindset. This could also be used for writing any kind of copyrighting online, not just for non-profit.
Copyrighting is extremely effective when it can come from your right brain because it helps you to see other peoples wants and needs from their perspective. In that way you can speak to their wants and needs more effectively and hopefully get the donation.
As long as you can put it to them in a way that makes them see “WIIFM” whats in it for me, you will always get the money.
I like the fact that I can listen to the play back and glad it was recorded for all to find and listen.
Im so glad you raise the issue of right brain activation. Unfortunately in our modern society the right brain is totally neglected and underdeveloped. School teaches us mostly to use the left, analytical hemisphere of our brain and so do most jobs. The key is a harmonious blending of both hemispheres, so we can stay sensible while being in touch with our heart and soul. One way to do this is by listening to stereo emphasized music on the headphones. Your tips for the right brain are great though, just the act of visualizing alone does the trick. 
Amazingly useful post, my friend and i have been struggling with making a good art and “motto” to my mini-donation agency that will help my neighbors in haiti, and this has helped me a lot! ive already come up with something : “With your help, they can be”
We forward donations and efforts for 3 local Non-Profit. This article helps with communicating the cause.
A good post. Righ brain emotion is one of the tools used very effectively in advertising.