Travis Kelce Is a Model for Successful Nonprofits

If you’re a football fan, follower of all things Taylor Swift or just dial into pop culture every once in awhile, the name Travis Kelce should sound familiar — not just because the Kansas City Chiefs tight end (Swift beau) has won back-to-back Super Bowl championships but because he is known for his devotion to getting better.

He takes nothing for granted.

Travis Kelce shows up for brutal drills alongside rookie teammates who haven’t just signed a $34.25 million contract. Players say he sets a standard. Despite being considered among the greatest athletes who have ever played his position, someone who could kick back a little, he turns up the intensity.

This is a lesson for nonprofits. The best teams out there are led by good people who work hard to improve.

Tell the Story

The stories of nonprofits are compelling.

Too often, they’re kept a secret not by design but through distraction and neglect. Staff is overworked and just getting through each day feels like a win.

But rich people are getting richer and often seeking charities to support on the advice of tax lawyers. A lot of people find appealing the idea of donating to good causes and simply don’t know where or what. Potential donors are out there. They want to learn more.

I’ve witnessed the impact of a little-known nonprofit get press coverage, and then watch checks roll in from strangers. Also, reporters provide that data during a job review and potential pay raise. Action shows engagement and engagement leads to revenue for everyone.

Media Training Matters

Here’s a checklist to consider:

• Nonprofits need to know who they are, what they’re trying to accomplish and who benefits. Too few organizations can answer these questions clearly.
• Media training is essential for the executive director of any organization as well as its board of trustees. When a story gets public attention, people in charge should already understand media style and assumptions that may be made during an exchange. (This is a given in corporate America as well as savvy charities.) When communication is clear, the charity wins supporters and the media outlet satisfies its news consumers.
• In this digital age, the media landscape is more equal than ever — radio, TV, print, social. That means a newspaper reporter for a tiny local publication may have similar reach as a major metropolitan daily. Readers share links to everything they read. You never want something to appear in print before it’s available online. People get frustrated and won’t go back to find information.
• Crisis training should be done when there is no crisis. This is called issues management. When there’s a crisis — an internal or external issue that may range from embezzlement to an unfortunate incident involving a child on a field trip coordinated by the nonprofit — it’s good to know what to do immediately. Boards of directors should budget for these trainings. They’re affordable and incredibly useful.

Avoid Ugly Drama, Spotlight Successes

One nonprofit, dealing with harassment claims among a high-ranking official and members of his staff, needed to manage the situation in a way that wouldn’t erode public trust in the organization or its mission. My approach tends to err on the side of transparency. When the public and the press see an organization identify a problem, and then take action to resolve the problem, excitement wanes.

Two of my favorite client projects not only avoided a public relations nightmare but resulted in the clients getting recognition for exceptional leadership. This requires principals to listen to the strategic communications team they hire.

When People Understand Impact, They Write Checks

Donors want a return on investment. “ROI” is a sexy term in business that lays out what’s possible for each financial contribution. When I was recruited to Stanford University to join its School of Medicine development team, I was known to craft powerful return-on-investment donor proposals: Here’s where we are today and where we can go with these dollar amounts.

Donors want to see and understand the transformation they can make possible.

Prior to Stanford, I did work for a team of brilliant doctors at San Francisco General Hospital. One proposal, crafted for a filmmaker who had never donated to medical research in his life, inspired a $50,000 check within 10 days. He liked that the proposal told a story just for him. He also gave permission to use his name in all future fundraising efforts.

Stories of Major Donors Are Real, Compelling

Potential donors want to be seen as individuals rather than bank accounts. At the same time, great care must be assigned to current donors. Everyone is capable of more. Everyone wants to feel appreciated. I knew of a donor who made a gift that exceeded $20 million for a building and, after he was invited to participate in meetings with designers, he gave more.

Again and again, I’ve been in discussions with reporters who cover beats involving charitable activity and they have zero idea. Telling the story of what’s happening is not public relations, it’s news.

If you’re not telling your story, someone else is.

Note: Phoebe Wall Howard has more than a decade of experience in strategic communications with a specialty in nonprofits. She has two decades of experience as a journalist.