As a nonprofit, you know how crucial it is to build and maintain relationships–with your staff, volunteers, and supporters, with those you serve, and with the community in which you operate. You have also worked very hard to build and maintain relationships with the corporations and the local, state, and federal agencies that provide you with the funding you need to carry out your mission. And relationships, whether between two individuals or between an organization and its staff, volunteers, supporters, and funders, are founded on mutual trust.
Building relationships based on trust
Jocelyn Harmon evaluated the results of a Harris poll that indicated that the more trustworthy an organization was perceived to be, the more likely it was that a consumer would donate to it. If “trust is the essential ingredient in creating a thriving (and profitable) organization,” then how, she asks, do you create it?
She found one answer to this question in the book “Transparency: How Leaders Create a Culture of Candor,” a collection of essays by Bennis, Goleman, and O’Toole. In their first essay “Creating a Culture of Candor,” the authors write that “building trust is a long-term process and has to be built into the very fabric of an organization's culture. Moreover, trust building is an ethical responsibility of both followers and leaders in an organization.”
How transparent are you?
Although the word “transparency” is in danger of overuse, nonprofits are beginning to realize that a static website or electronic newsletter distributed via email isn’t sufficient for building and maintaining the kind of transparent relationships that are needed in order for their organization to thrive. Glossy brochures, professionally prepared annual reports, and twice-a-year fundraising drives, while important, frequently fall short in actively engaging your organization and its constituents in the kind of two-way conversation that is essential for building relationships based on trust.
Building trust through blogging
One solution is to set up a blog. Although there are many definitions for blog, their one must-have trait is the ability for readers to leave comments. This is what makes blogs an interactive conversation, paving the way for transparency and trust. According to Britt Bravo, nonprofits can use blogs to give supporters “a glimpse behind the scenes, and provide a transparency and authenticity that an annual report or brochure may not.” She recommends connecting with readers by allowing them to see the name of the author, rather than hiding behind an anonymous “posted by organization x.”
“Blogs also build trust,” she says, “because readers can write comments and correspond with the writer(s). In a world where websites offer only an anonymous contact@organizationx.org address, or make you go through a maze of automated messages and ‘press 2 now’ in their phone system, the value of human connection can't be underestimated.” She cites the Ann Arbor District Library System, which uses a blog for the front page of its site. “Library users can ask questions and make suggestions about library news, announcements, and events in the comments of each post,” she explains.
Nonprofits are all about relationships built on trust through communication and conversation. Consider blogging as an effective tool in your arsenal.
Resources:
Idealware - “Helping Nonprofits Make Smart Software Decisions”
Nonprofit Technology Network (NTEN)
TechSoup - the technology place for nonprofits
Beth’s Blog: How Networked Nonprofits Are Using Social Media to Power Change
You can also access the class notes for the Blogging 101 class given by the Ann Arbor District Library.
Kathy Kieva - With a life-long fascination with science and a love of the written word, it has been - and continues to be - a joy to combine the two: as ...
