Imagine two soup kitchens in the same city. The local demand for their services is unfortunately high, and neither place is big enough to handle it on its own. But together, they’re a pillar of support for the most vulnerable people in the area.

Say you live in this city and want to do your part for those in need. How do you choose which soup kitchen to donate to?

Spot the difference

I’ve worked with many nonprofits that find themselves in this position. Their work is incredibly valuable, but they aren’t the only players in their niche. Sometimes, there are two, three, or half a dozen other organizations doing similar work.

In this situation, when it comes to attracting donors, I’ve noticed a kind of unusual tendency: Inevitably, the way these different nonprofits present themselves keeps getting more and more similar.

They don’t seem to be competing to outdo each other. Instead, it’s almost like they’re trying to note how many of the same things they offer. In the tale of two soup kitchens, this means that in their marketing materials, both of them emphasize that they have fresh food every day, they’re volunteer-run, they recycle—the same set of features appearing in every ad, no matter which organization it belongs to.

Seeing this, potential donors will hardly be able to see much daylight between the two options. If they’re basically the same anyway, it doesn’t really matter which one they support. They might as well choose the first one to show up on their internet search, the one with the more memorable name, or the one that a friend of theirs gave to the other day.

All the money that goes into outreach, and in the end, whether a donor chooses one or the other comes down to the flip of a coin.

Race to the bottom

What is happening here? Isn’t the goal of marketing to stand out? Why are these nonprofits focusing on the strong points they share, rather than the ones that set them apart?

From what I understand, the logic is this: “People know that other soup kitchen offers fresh food every day. If we don’t mention that ours is fresh, too, they’ll assume it’s not!”

In other words, it is a competition, but the challenge isn’t to prove that you have something valuable to offer. It’s to prove that you aren’t missing anything that the other guy offers.

I’ve already pointed out why this doesn’t work. It’s simply not an effective way to make an impression. It doesn’t let donors know what you stand for or what your story is. All it tells them is that you’re just the same as everyone else.

In the end, this worry about seeming less-than doesn’t actually help your bottom line.

Selling something positive

The truth is, the two soup kitchens aren’t exactly alike. They each have their own perspective and approach. One of them is focused on creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere, where people will be glad to come with their families and feel no sense of shame or hesitation. The other takes steps to reach those who are the most in need, who might not have the resources to even find out what help is available to them in the city.

On a basic level, these establishments complement each other. They tackle the same problem from slightly different angles, each addressing an important aspect.

If they put out that message, they could also back it up with specifics:

• Our staff is all trained in X

• We devote 50% of our days to X

• Here is our plan to expand our handling of X

Donors would then be able to make an informed choice about not only which tactic, but which execution they wanted to give their support to.

I’ve found the programs that really lean into their identity are more memorable, trusted, and successful than those that focus on one-upping their competitors.

Picking a focus isn’t just good for your marketing. It also gives everyone in the organization a strong clarity of purpose. This lets them make decisions that move the organization confidently forward in a well-defined direction.

What is the defining characteristic of your nonprofit? Have you tried to make this the central feature of your outreach? How did it go? Let me know in the comments below.