Making Appeals Connect to Your Organization and Your Audience

We talk to clients a lot about choosing the right speaker for their special appeal. This portion of the program has the largest potential for revenue at the event, so finding someone that connects to both the audience and the cause is important. The key is to find someone who can exemplify the journey of change from who they were before your organization to who they are now as a result of your organization.

The special appeal speaker at this year’s Urban League of Portland’s Equal Opportunity Day Awards Dinner had the perfect mix of compelling storytelling and enthusiasm to help the organization hit its fundraising goals. Amber Starks was their appeal story, and she did the best thing possible when she started with the line, “I am Urban League.” The whole audience responded. And in one moment, the distance between the speaker, the organization and the room was erased and replaced with connection.

Amber has a bigger than life personality and is well loved in the community, so Urban League was able to capitalize on the fact that the room already knew her. She spoke directly about how Urban League provided invaluable support to her while she lobbied a bill to create a Natural Hair License which allows natural hair stylists to perform their craft without the financial burden of cosmetology school, effectively creating equal legitimacy and economic opportunity for natural stylists to start businesses in the state of Oregon, including Amber.

The audience could see a direct correlation between the support of Urban League and something like the passage of legislation. They could see it in the ability of a bright and talented woman being able to open a business to reinvest in her community.

She closed again, with “I am Urban League,” and then moved it to, “You, too, are the Urban League.” This created a cycle of connection in a very real way. It was both the story and the delivery that make for the knockout

The appeal was very successful in its fundraising. But beyond the financial goals, Amber was a fantastic example of the kinds of work Urban League is doing to create a strong and vibrant community. She also showed the audience exactly what kind of bright future they are investing in by investing in the Urban League.