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Bring Your Staff Into Your Community |
Yesterday, Lacey wrote about how to engage folks who are interested in volunteering for organizations. It's a great segue into another area that I find lacking in most nonprofit websites: staff and organizational employees. What do they both have in common? Your volunteers and paid staff are part of a diverse community within your organization. However, it's this diversity in community that is often neglected.
Frequently, staff can get left aside in the community. Why? Is it because they are paid members of the community? Are their roles separate from the community that includes folks like donors, volunteers, Board members? If you're thinking 'yes' to either of these questions, I would argue that these ideas can't work in today's world where employee engagement is a true key to strong organizational health. It's time to bring your staff more fully into your organization's community.
Here are some ideas that can help you better integrate your own staff into your organization's community:
Let your staff tell their stories. Why they work for your nonprofit. What they enjoy in life. Let their unique characters come out so donors and other external folks who are passionate about your cause can connect with them. Don't sequester them to mere names, phone numbers, and email addresses on your Contact Us page. For instance, here at Convio, we have this blog as one way to allow us employees to share ourselves and what we know with our community.
Don't settle for stock employee photos when you have real pictures. I'm not a big fan of stock photos of shiny happy people. They just don't connect with me. Instead, consider using real pictures of your staff doing the work that matters to your cause. Put these in relevant spots on your website. Your donors and activists want to see staff passionately serving their cause.
Engage your staff as ambassadors. I wrote in more detail about this last month. Again, if you're committed to creating a work environment that focuses on employee engagement, then help your staff find ways to speak openly and enthusiastically about their work. Feature this work prominently on your website. Guide your staff into talking about and sharing their successes and best practices at conferences. For more ideas on employee engagement, visit http://www.baileyworkplay.com/?s=employee+engagement.
I'm not advocating that you make your website completely staff-focused, just more balanced to reflect the true community that your organization creates daily. Nonprofit work is demanding. And while it can also be rewarding, every individual wants to know they are seen and valued for the work they do. Donors, advocates, and other folks on the outside of the organization don't often know and appreciate the work that goes on inside. Don't be afraid to shine a spotlight on your own staff and what they do every day.
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