You’ve got 5 minutes to MAKE YOUR PITCH so make it COUNT Everyone has a different reason for why a non-profit group touches them. You may be a volunteer with them, sit on their board, work for them, and/or have been affected by them in a personal way. Whatever your level of involvement or reason, you want to make sure that if your form is selected, you give your organization the best chance to win. In five minutes, your presentation will tell our group what this organization does, how they do it, and how we can help them achieve their goals, and what specifically they would do if awarded the funds from 100 Women.
The women sitting in this room have come and are committed to 100 Women Who Care BECAUSE of the simplicity, the quick decisiveness and the camaraderie of seeing all the great work in our community.
Use the time you have been given to make a huge impact. Even if you aren’t chosen as the benefactor for the night, you have had the audience of change makers in Juneau-Douglas area listening to you and learning about your charity… please use it wisely and if you group is not chosen, don't give up. You will have another meeting and another opportunity and remember, we care about every community group.
1) Know the facts
Practice your elevator speech. This is your first minute of your presentation. You need to be able to tell the story of the work your organization does in under one minute. Drawn out explanations lose people easily.
Write down what they do, how they do it and who is affected. Then wrap that around a few sentences and voila, you’ve got your pitch. Don’t lose out on this opportunity for your group as you don’t know when they will be drawn again.
2) Tell the HEART story
Be sure to think of a way to tie in a personal story of those you impact with the work you do so that the group has a very clear understanding and hopefully a connection to that work. As you prepare, write down WHY you are involved or passionate about this charity? Why does it matter to you? If it matters to you, it will probably matter to someone else.
Write down a short story of how the work of the organization directly made a change and time it…get it under one minute and PRACTICE it.
3) Show them the MONEY
Where will the money go! The people in the room are ready to make a wise choice about where they donate. Those that struggle to define where their hard earned money will go once they write that check will find it hard to vote for that charity.
We’re not talking about detailed financial statements but rather a strong description of what the funds will be supporting. It could be general operating budget to help grow a new local organization; it could be for materials to distribute as a part of the program’s work or it could allow them to hire a summer student. Taking the time to find out where the money will go pays off in the long run and will give you the confidence to stand up and make your pitch to the group.
Above all, remember that we are a group of committed and supportive women who want to see you and your nominated charity succeed. Speak from the heart.
[Adapted from 100 Women Who Care Chicago website]
That's helpful, but what should I talk about?
Although it is not required to address all of the following in your presentation, we encourage you to know the answers to these questions in the event someone asks you to provide this information during the Q&A. You may also invite a representative from the charity to come to the meeting and help field questions.
- Your name and the name of the organization you would like to receive funding.
- Where is the organization located?
- What is the mission of the organization?
- What purpose does the organization serve? (Who? What do they do? How do they do it?)
- How would they benefit from receiving the donation? How will the funds be used?
- How many people do they serve on a monthly/annual basis?
- Describe the program that you would like funded. Would the funds be specifically earmarked for a certain program? Provide some background information for the program. Who will it impact? How many will it impact? How essential is this program – what will our community be missing if this program does not get funded?
- What percentage of funds goes directly to their mission? What percentage goes towards overhead and marketing?
- What is the organization’s operating budget? How does the organization sustain its budget (i.e., grant support, individual contributions, etc.)?
- Remember, you have the opportunity to get $10,000 for your charity.
- End with a heartfelt ask and a thank you.
