Presentation Tips
If the organization you nominated is chosen your presentation should be simple and not overly formal. In no more than 5 minutes, you have to be able to tell what they do, what kind of impact they make and what they will specifically do with the money given to them. The women sitting in this room have come and are committed to 100+ Women Who Care BECAUSE of the simplicity, the quick decisiveness and the camaraderie of seeing all the great work in Door County. We like our member to present their personal passion for the nonprofit and their reasons why members should vote for it, in addition to being informative and representing the nonprofit. Visual aids and handouts are not allowed for the presentation as time is limited. After the member’s presentation, a representative from the nonprofit is invited to join the member for a 5 minute Q&A session.
Link for Presentation Tips in downloadable format
Know the facts!
You need to be able to tell the story of the work the organization you are representing is doing in under 1 minute. People get lost easily by drawn out explanations. Write down what they do, how they do it and who is affected. Then wrap that around a few sentences and voila you’ve got your pitch.
Tell the HEART story!
It is helpful to think of a way to tie in a personal story of those benefitting with the work they do so that the group has a very clear understanding and connection to that work. As you prepare, write down why does this organization matter to you. If it matters to you, it will probably matter to someone else.
Show them the MONEY!
Where will the money go! The people in the room are ready to make a wise choice about where they donate. Present a strong description of what the 100+WWC funds will specifically be supporting.
Tips: Presentation Content
Introduce yourself and the organization, and the colleague helping you present.
If you are a member of the organization, use ‘we’ not ‘they’. Why do you choose to participate in this organization?
Focus on the need in Door County and how your organization responds to and services this need. Share the geography and number of people served by your organization.
Why should givers choose your organization for their donation?
How is the organization currently funded?
Be personal, thorough, and specific. Givers are always interested in how the organization uses volunteers. Be specific about the number of volunteers and volunteer hours to staff and paid hours.
Feel free to use this as a forum for soliciting donations of all kinds including volunteer time. What are the organization’s needs?
What would the impact of the donation be for your organization. A specific use of the donation helps members understand their exact impact. Identify who the funds will impact, and how many people it has served, and how many will be served by this donation. Are there any current unmet needs that could be impacted by this donation?
How are donations spent? What are you doing to minimize administration costs and sources of funding? Explain the measurements that will be used by the nonprofit to ensure the success of this program, and make the best use of the donation. If practical, demonstrate creativity in the organization and how you make money stretch.
Tell human stories to make the organization and the organizational need real.
If you have a vision or plan to impact the future needs of Door County, please share.
End with a heartfelt request and a thank you to your fellow givers for their consideration.
Tips: Presenting to a Large Group
Try to stand in one place. It helps the audience concentrate on your face, not on your body movements.
As you are speaking, create eye contact with a single participant and speak directly to them for ten to fifteen seconds and then move your gaze to another part of the room and repeat. This makes it appear as if you are personally speaking to everyone.
Speak slower than you would in a one-to-one conversation and pause momentarily after an important point in your talk. A large, listening audience needs a few more moments to absorb your information.
Do not try to fill the pauses. Practice eliminating verbal fillers like ‘um’ and other ticks - especially on video.
Begin your talk with the most important information, not a build up to the most important information. Repeat your most important information at the end of your talk. Audiences remember most what they hear first and last.
Everyone wants to hear what you say. The microphone is your best friend. But, if you put it too close to your mouth your words are garbled, too far away, your voice cuts out. Keep the microphone about one to two inches from your lips for the best effect. Feel free to practice with it prior to the meeting.
For in person meetings, in Q & A, wait for the question and then for the question to be repeated. People in person and on the phone/webex need the question to be repeated to clearly understand. If you haven’t done so already, introduce the Q&A organizational participant. Answer all questions concisely so that you have more time for more questions.
Tips: Video/Virtual Presentations
A strong internet connection is needed for Zoom. Make sure you are in a location that will support that.
Check equipment beforehand - especially any headphone or mics and make sure that sound is good so that we can clearly hear you and volume is sufficient.
Look at the camera as you present. Position notes behind your camera so you have more opportunity to look up at the audience through the camera. Have a close up headshot and in focus video. We want to see your face well so that it feels personal, despite the remote format.
Make sure lighting is good - front light your face with a small desk lamp if required.
Pay attention to what’s behind you in the background. Keep it simple, light and bright. You want the audience to focus on you and your message.