Pitching sponsors used to seeing results

Are you prepared for the emerging wave of philanthropists who invest in organizations with a sustainable business model and a measurable social impact? Here is a likely dialog reported by the Boston Globe in “Bottom-line philanthropy.”

"You're going to hate me for this, but you've got to listen to yourself on tape. In your initial presentation you said 'um' 33 times."

So said an investment management firm to a nonprofit doing a test run for a funding pitch to a group of potential donors, including investors, government officials, and foundation executives who pick their charities the way they pick stocks: using facts and data.

Modeled after the financing pitches that start-up companies make to venture capital firms, the event by the Social Innovation Forum illustrates a push in the philanthropic community to help nonprofits become more businesslike, understand the language of the private sector, and win the backing of influential, deep-pocketed donors.

"I know it's a little cold, but when I make a decision to support a nonprofit, it's just like an investment for me," said the investment management firm. "I know they're all going to help people, so I want to give my money to someone who will help people three times as efficiently.

Afterward, the not-for-profit presenter confided that he "felt nervous the whole time." But he was grateful for the straight talk, he said. "It was really refreshing to have somebody be fully honest with me, especially a person who's coming from a very professional and effective background."

The VDC plays this role at UMass Boston, helping researchers figure out how to better present their work so that people understand the need they're trying to address and how the work they're doing is effective.