A nonprofit business invited me that day to attend one of its closing events for their development project. They planned the event to show the project’s success after running for almost four years, and they invited investors, partners, and potential donors to attract more money. The moment I entered the hall, I knew that I would have made a better use of my time. The nonprofit business management and team discouraged many people from investing in their business. In this article, I will discuss measures that nonprofits use to drive away potential funders and donors instead of attracting them. That’s not just it. Albusi has a nonprofit business pitch deck template for you. You can definitely use that to pitch your nonprofit idea to investors around the corner.
Alright, let me tell you more about how this event (and many others that I attended) turned me off.
Nonprofit Businesses No-Nos For Investors
Thinking That Because You Have A Cause, People Will Hang Around
I had a huge problem: the nonprofit management never respected the attendees’ time. Just because your nonprofit business has a cause and supports others does not mean people will cancel a whole day for an event that can be done in two hours. It’s essential to respect people’s time and schedules. Investors already have a lot on their plate. Also, keeping presentations short says that you are professional, not short-worded. Investors and partners always work with organizations that understand time is money. Believe it or not, the organizing committee played a one-hour podcast video in the event I am telling you about. So, imagine how the rest of the event went on.
Overemphasizing The Cause in A Harmful Way
It was really impactful to have some of the beneficiaries attend the event and discuss their challenges. It was touching and respectful, and attendees connected with them at first. They were the best people to uncover many of the misfortunes that the nonprofit is working towards resolving. However, what was not okay was bringing over 16 individuals to do this. It was not a matter of time management here. It was more about overemphasizing the cause and inefficiently turning the event into a drama scene. I would have enjoyed the set more if three individuals could give us a whole context about things and connect with the audience. And guess what? While this was happening, the majority of attendees left. So, tell us about your cause and be innovative while doing that, but not like that.
Sounding Very Dependable
Yes, of course, you need their investment and funds. But don’t look like your nonprofit business will close if the investor is uninterested. Being transparent is very important because it helps build trust with potential investors and partners. I was practically sitting at a table where the nonprofit representative was trying to push the investor to like their idea when the investor was in no way convinced. Don’t push too hard. At the end of the day, this investor might be interested in your work later, but if you keep going that way, they would never want to get involved in a conversation with you again.
Sending Mixed Signals (Last thing before the Nonprofit Business Pitch Deck Template, I Promise)
If you invite people to pitch your nonprofit and ask for funds, don’t print and distribute thousands of marketing flyers that people never read. This was only one example of the many extravagant details that were not useful for the event and only said that the nonprofit was misspending money. Again, I am not saying do not market your work and tell others about it; do this smartly and efficiently. Focus on your target and what these things mean to them. Investors know money very well.
The Nonprofit Pitch Deck Template You Are Waiting For
As you must know by now, Albusi’s goal is to provide entrepreneurs with all they need to start their own businesses. RCTs is one service that provides you with the main essential sections for your pitch deck or business plan. There are many downloadable examples available on the website. Sunshine is our related RCT to help you plan and pitch your nonprofit business. The template will give you an idea to write your elevator pitch, problem statement, the solutions that you are proposing, financial projections, and investment asks.
However, please consider what we discussed before when planning a networking event or inviting your next potential funder to pitch.
In addition to this, the Albusi team can craft your one-of-a-kind nonprofit business pitch deck, and that’s another exceptional service to entrepreneurs that you can not miss. Check out what our previous clients say about this service, and do not hesitate to ask if you want a pitch deck designed or written by us.
Lastly, I encourage you to go through some educational material to orient yourself on the field and what works. When you do that, make sure you actually learn about things that are relevant and applicable to your context and that comply with the legal regulations of your country.
Bottomline – Nonprofit Business Pitch Deck Template and Dealbreakers
I hope I was able to give you a picture of some of the dealbreakers that nonprofit businesses do all the time without knowing how harmful things can be for their image.
In addition, you have great pitch deck templates to plan an impactful nonprofit business for your community and build this on a solid foundation.
And, of course, if you’re out of time and want a consultant to help you plan and complete this right, you can always contact one of our freelancers. They will help you draft a complete business plan for your nonprofit business and help you pitch it to others, too.
I highly recommend that.
Meet The Author Of This Article
I’m Jenny Ayman, a project manager in the development field with specific knowledge and experience in capacity building and entrepreneurship programs. I aspire to transfer the hands-on experience I gain in my professional career through writing.
Also, if you need help planning your business, I recommend checking out some of our freelancer’s business plans or pitch decks!
