Lynne Wester Masterclass
On the 10th of June the QLD Educate Plus Chapter had the privilege of hosting international speaker and Donor Relations Guru, Lynne Wester, at The University of Queensland’s Emmanuel College. 23 Advancement practitioners from 20 schools, universities, not for profit organisations and tertiary colleges gathered for this special Communications Masterclass which focused on creating and implementing a winning donor fundraising communications strategy.
Lynne inspired those in attendance, sharing samples of best practice donor communications and teaching the proven strategies she has shared with clients globally. So many practical tips were shared, but above all the message was clear: in communications seeking philanthropic support for your organisation, the donor needs to be at the centre; that is, the donor is the hero. When the organisation is at the centre, that is marketing for admissions. In fundraising, we don’t need to be perfect; we need to be vulnerable and speak about our institution as a cause. Lynne also shared a very simple formula for this termed ‘The Pixar Pitch’! Every Pixar film shares the same narrative DNA – a deep structure of storytelling that involves six sequential sentences: 1. Once upon a time, there was … (a person, a protagonist); 2. Every day … (there was this one obstacle); 3. One day … (a donor showed up! Someone just like you!); 4. Because of that … (the person received the help they needed); 6. Until finally … (the problem was solved! The donor was the hero!).
We thank Lynne for spending the morning with us and for sharing her expansive knowledge and experience. Our organisations will be all the better for it.
