Serial Comment

There are few things more exciting than leading an interview. During the discovery phase of our projects, focus group interviews are our chance to dive deep into the mission, values, and aspirations of an organization, as well as build a sense of trust and connection with stakeholders.

For many years, Libretto has had a presence at AFP’s Fundraising Day in Boston. Sometimes we send a few Librettists to mingle, other times we share our insights via a presentation, and we always try to set up a table with information about our offerings.

Since January, “the present moment” has emerged as a euphemism for the unprecedented challenges and daunting uncertainties many of Libretto’s clients are facing. Despite the fact that nonprofit organizations are by necessity apolitical, virtually none of the mission-driven organizations we work with have been immune from the political forces dominating the headlines. Here are a few thoughts on what we’ve observed during our recent work with our nonprofit partners, who are still striving to effect positive change in a challenging political climate.

Libretto works with ambitious mission-driven organizations to develop messaging platforms that drive their institutional and fundraising communications. Once a platform has been finalized, we often find ourselves wondering about its subsequent implementation. How often does the client use the platform? In what contexts? What’s the longer-term impact of the platform on the client’s communication function, and on the organization as a whole?

Once you’ve generated a list of potential names or themes for a product, fundraising campaign, or organization, the review process begins. How you structure that process can have almost as much influence on the ultimate success of the project as the list of candidates itself.

Naming is one of the most enjoyable—and in certain respects, mysterious—parts of Libretto’s practice. Our naming work reflects an approach that is equal parts systematic and serendipitous.

While some people may have an intuitive sense of how they can use a messaging platform, most don’t. Once they’ve been given your organization’s messaging guide—which is intended to serve as their communications toolkit—they will almost assuredly have questions, concerns, or doubts about its use, or perhaps even its utility. Training is the best way to address this.

One of the greatest professional compliments I ever received came at the end of a discussion with a client about a project that had (temporarily) gone off the rails. At the end of our exchange she observed, “You’re a really good person to have a difficult conversation with.” This moment stayed with me because I came to realize that there were a number of important sentiments implicit in her statement: This wasn’t easy. You kept your cool. I think we’ll be able to figure this out. (And we did.)

Most mission-driven organizations periodically engage in some form of strategic planning—and when that process is complete, they typically seek to share the results with their constituents. So what would an effective strategic plan digest deliver?

I’ve written my fair share of appeals, and I’ve read plenty more (as many as I can get my hands on). In our increasingly digital world, the printed appeal letter is still an important strategy for engaging donors and inspiring support—as long as it’s done well.