Several years ago, I read the book “Yes, and…” by Kelly Leonard and Tom Yorton, which outlines the concept vital to good improvisational comedy developed by the legendary Second City comedy group. The book explains that the concept of replacing “No, but...” with “Yes, and…” can be transformative not only on the stage, but in all facets of life. That small shift builds momentum and creates energy, which can result in all kinds of good in the world. I think of this often when developing strategies to build relationships with donors, as it is rare that a nonprofit is surprised by a major gift from an unknown donor.
More typically, that relationship is grown over time in a way that allows the donor to feel comfortable to invest in the mission, knowing that their contribution will truly make a difference. Like any relationship though, it can easily die on the vine if the organization does not have a stewardship plan in place to keep it alive. That’s where “Yes, and…” comes in.
For example, during a recent assignment, the goal was to increase awareness in the community of the new nonprofit organization, to engage eventual donors, volunteers, and advocates for the cause. As a first step to engagement, we created a new opportunity that gave online followers the chance to donate lunch for the youth in the program throughout the month of June, using the simple, free tool of Sign Up Genius. Very quickly, every slot was filled with names – most of whom were new to engaging directly with the mission.
A few of these new friends opted to have lunch delivered, but most chose to drop the food off themselves. At that point, this became more than just a lunch! This was the start of a new relationship. Each food donor could tour the site, meet the kids and program partners, and see first-hand the joy their kindness created. In our follow up correspondence, we were able to not only thank them for their in-kind contribution, but also invite them to a newly established onsite “Lunch and Learn” event to discover more about the mission. Additionally, the email signature we added included a link to the organization’s online wish list and within a day of sending out donor acknowledgements (also critical to the stewardship plan), we had two new registrants for the “Lunch and Learn” event and a new gift purchased from the wish list.
These simple, yet powerful engagement efforts and the responses to them bring me back to “Yes, and...”. By intentionally stewarding every phase of the relationship with every donor, we are helping it to grow.
“Do you want to donate lunch to the kids in our program?”
“Yes, and...now that I’ve enjoyed that experience, I’d like to learn more about your organization.”
“Would you like to attend our next Lunch and Learn event?”
“Yes, and…maybe I’ll bring a friend along as well!”
“Would you be interested in purchasing a much-needed item from our wish list?”
“Yes, and…in what other ways can I give to your mission?”
Setting the stage for a new donor (at any level!) to say “Yes, and…” will lead to a relationship that is mutually beneficial and long-lasting – and that’s what we are all aiming to achieve!
How do you apply “Yes, and…” to building relationships for your cause?