Blog Your Mission

“Amidst the growing number of blogs about blogging, I’ve noticed a trend towards focusing on how blogs can be used as tools to tell people about your mission. Few, however, have talked about how blogs can be used AS mission.”

So began a post by Jeremy Gregg, director of development for Central Dallas Ministries, on his blog The Raiser’s Razor last week in which he talked about the power of organizational blogs focused on mission. Gregg explained that Central Dallas Ministries has two blogs, neither of which are used specifically for fundraising purposes. But both affect fundraising.

For example, CDM CEO Larry James’ blog, Larry James’ Urban Daily, creates a discussion among an international group of readers about issues central to CDM’s mission, such as poverty, hunger, health care, housing, etc. Last year, it brought in $70,000 from subscribers,

Another CDM blog is written by the youths and staff of the organization’s After-School Academy. It teaches the youths computer, writing and critical-thinking skills and gives them a platform to voice their ideas.

“It might seem a small thing, particularly when considering how much time is spent on it compared to the potential return. That was my perspective, I must admit. However, we recently had a meeting with a donor who was so impressed by our ability to provide such learning opportunities to young people that he wrote a $100,000 check to us ON THE SPOT.

Is that going to happen regularly? Certainly not.

Was the blog the reason why it happened? Not entirely.

Was the blog an important factor in the gift, and could our continuation of the blog help us to develop stronger relationships with donors in the future? Definitely.

It is critical that in our work of raising funds for our organizations that we not lose sight of the far more essential work of our organizations. Indeed, by focusing on mission rather than money, I truly believe that we will raise more money and build stronger donor relationships than if we simply built all of our communications and outreach around fundraising.”

— Aug. 7, “Blogging: Outreach, Mission … or both?” (http://theraiser.blogspot.com)