United Way Marketing 101: People Not Process
Perhaps you have heard the saying “Like watching sausages being made.” This saying suggests that most people, after watching sausages being made, would probably no longer have any appetite for sausages. Luckily for us, the sausage industry has never felt the need to show us the process for making sausages.
On the other hand, United Ways have never been shy about talking process. United Ways use a lot of processes for all sorts of things such as workplace campaigns, allocations, volunteering, outcomes evaluation, community impact, collective impact, and grants. Surrounded by all of these processes, many United Ways have fallen into the trap of talking about their processes – or “how the sausages are made.”
Even worse is the fact that United Ways find a way to talk about their processes everywhere. United Ways have found ways to include their processes in campaign presentations, campaign brochures, campaign videos, websites, annual reports, and news articles. Here are just a few examples:
People Not Process
Just how inspiring do you think these processes are for your donors or community? Think about some of the products and services you purchase. Did you need to know all the processes that went into manufacturing your car when making a car buying decision? You may want to know that your car is safe, but that only requires showing the NHTSA Safety Rating, not a complete explanation of all the design, engineering, and production processes used to build safety into the car.
Did you need to know all the processes used by your local charitable organization when deciding to support them? You may want to know a local charitable organization is accountable and efficient, but that only requires linking to GuideStar, not a complete explanation of all the budgeting, accounting, auditing, and financial policies used by the organization.
Just as people don’t want to watch how sausages are made, your donors and community do NOT want to see your processes. The simple Marketing 101 rule your United Way must follow is: People not process.
Three Ways Your United Way Can Communicate People Not Process
Here are three powerful ways you can talk about people and not processes at your United Way:
1. Lives Changed: Share how many lives have been changed through the work of your United Way. Check out this example from United Way of Pierce County (Tacoma, WA): 145 families have advanced out of poverty. Note that their number of lives changed is not just an expression of how many people were helped; rather, this statistic shows how many people no longer need help.
2. Personal Story. Tell the story of someone whose life was transformed by the work of United Way. Check out this example from United Way of Greater Greensboro (Greensboro, NC): Family Success Center member serves community at Cone Health during COVID-19 pandemic. Note that their story is about how Mariah was able to complete her GED and earn her CNA instead of all the processes used by Family Success Centers to help individuals like Mariah.
3. Making Progress. Show how the work of your United Way has helped people year-after-year to make progress addressing a challenging community issue. Check out this example from United Way of Pickens County (Easley, SC): Your Impact – United Way of Pickens County Newsletter. Note that the newsletter includes information about how third grade reading has continued to improve in Pickens County since 2015.
BONUS TIP: When you talk about people instead of processes, it is important to focus on quality over quantity. Your marketing and communication will be more effective if you choose one good story rather than attempting to tell a whole bunch of half-inspiring stories, or when you focus on just one program rather than trying to talk about every program your United Way operates or funds.
Always remember, it is about the people not the processes.
Essential Marketing for United Ways
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An up-to-date website that clearly communicates your United Way’s work and outcomes to your donors and community
Effective promotion of your special events using multiple media platforms that invites your community and increases participation
Media publicity that grows awareness and understanding of your campaign, allocations, and special events
An active Facebook presence with regular customized posts and message replies that engage your followers year-round
A customized campaign brochure that increases understanding of your United Way and inspires donors
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