You've got 5 minutes to MAKE YOUR PITCH so MAKE IT COUNT!
Adapted from 100 Women Who Care, Santa Cruz
When your name is chosen to make a pitch for your chosen local charity, non-profit or worthy cause you have five minutes to inform the group about the organizations mission, needs and impact on the community. In a matter of 5 minutes you’ve got to be able to tell what they do, what kind of impact they have on others and what they will specifically do with the money given to them. The other members sitting in the room are committed to Power of Together 2 BECAUSE of the simplicity, the quick decisiveness and the camaraderie of seeing all the great work in our area. Use the time you have given to make a huge impact. Even if your cause isn’t chosen as the benefactor for the night, you have had the attention of change makers in southeastern Connecticut…..use it wisely.
1) Know the facts!
Practice your elevator speech. You need to be able to tell the story of the work the organization does in a minute or two. People get lost easily by drawn out explanations. Write down what they do, how they do it and who is affected. Put it into a paragraph or two and voila! you’ve got the start of your pitch.
2) Tell the HEART story!
Next tie in a story of those the organization affects with the work they do so that the group has a very clear understanding and connection to that work. Do a little research and find out about real people who have been impacted by the organization. Write down how and why the organization made a difference for those people. If it resonates with you, it will probably resonate with the rest of our members.
3) Show them the MONEY!
Where will the money go? The people in the room are ready to make a wise choice about their donation. If you struggle to explain where folks’ hard earned money will go, they will struggle to get their checks written or online payment made. It doesn’t need to be a detailed financial statements here, just a strong description of what the funds will be supporting. It could be operating funds to help start a new program within the organization or it could be for materials that directly contribute to the organization’s work. 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.
4) PRACTICE!
Run through your pitch a few times. Make sure you can deliver it in 5 minutes or less. Try to get it so you don’t have to read every word, but can look the audience in the eye and allow them to really feel the importance of your pitch.
Talking Points to Include in Your Presentation
Adapted from 100 Women Who Care Bloomington, IN
Making your case for support in the 5 minutes that you are allowed takes some planning. Following are some talking points you might want to incorporate into your presentation.
- State your name and the name of the organization you would like to receive the funding.
- Start with an engaging opening line, e.g., “75 women in our community are involved in a domestic violence dispute every month…”
- Share what the mission of the organization is.
- Describe the program that you would like to be funded. Provide some background information, if possible.
- Identify how many people and who the funds will impact.
- Tell a story of an individual who has been or will be impacted by this organization’s work.
- Tell how essential this program is and what our community will miss if this program does not get funded.
- Explain the measurements that will be used to ensure the success of this program and good use of the donation.
- Share what this donation will “buy” for our community.
- End with a heartfelt ask and a thank you.
Remember that you must be a member of Power of Together 2 in order to make a presentation at a meeting.
Get Started!
To join Power of Together 2, complete a Commitment Form and return it via mail, email, or bring it to the next meeting. To nominate a charity, non-profit or worthy cause for consideration, put your name in the hat at the next meeting. You must be at the meeting, and be a member, to put your name in the hat for a chance to speak about a local organization.
