Start with Why: A Guide to Meaningful Engagement

If you’ve ever spent time with a preschooler, you know the power of the question: “WHY?”

For any answer you give, they’re inclined to say, “BUT, WHYYYYY?”

Soon, you’ve gone leaps and bounds beyond their initial question into another realm of knowledge completely.

It can be exhausting, but those kiddos are on to something…

Start with Why

That relentless curiosity is at the heart of Simon Sinek’s classic Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action. If I had to identify the one book that has most impacted how I approach my work, this would be it. (If you’ve ever attended one of my workshops, you might even think I’m obsessed with this topic—the TED Talk version, the full book, and plenty of related articles.)

While there are many takeaways from this book that are relevant for the nonprofit sector, let’s chat about what I think is the most powerful.

The Golden Circle

In nonprofit communications, it can be tempting to focus on WHAT your organization does:

• We feed # people every day

• We tutor and mentor # students every year

• We provide healthcare for # community members

But, Simon reminds us that “People don’t buy WHAT you do, they buy WHY you do it.”

In other words, lots of organizations and companies do similar things. The real difference—the part that moves people to give, volunteer, or partner—is your WHY. That’s what speaks to shared values, belonging, and even our core identity.

WHY may sound like:

• We believe everyone deserves a safe place to call home.

• We want unemployed and underemployed folks to have a chance to uncover their potential and be reminded of their intrinsic value.

• We are committed to caring for the “whole patient”—not just their body, but also their spirit.

Applying the Golden Circle

I use the Golden Circle concept nearly every day. It helps me:

• Plan board and/or staff retreats with a clear sense of purpose

• Create a strong case for support that attracts people with the same vision for change and growth

• Audit an organization’s website and communications plan to ensure they’re highlighting their uniqueness and values

• Draft a “Mission Moment” for a board meeting or a fundraising event

• Train and engage volunteers around a shared mission and desired impact

• Prepare for a major donor meeting by aligning their WHY with the organization’s WHY

Perhaps one of the best examples of using the Golden Circle is through my work as a Senior Advisor at Capital Campaign Pro. In addition to a standard case for support, we recommend that our clients create a Campaign Discussion Guide. This simple one-page document (front and back) follows the Golden Circle: it starts with WHY this vision is important and timely, then moves to WHAT the campaign will accomplish, and concludes with HOW the campaign goal will be reached. I think Simon would be proud of this usage.

Whether you’re planning a campaign, meeting with a donor, or leading your own team, remember to start with WHY. Your WHAT informs. Your WHY inspires. And that’s what draws people to join you in creating lasting change.