Today we’re talking about the importance of sharing your story – and why it’s more important now than ever.
Once COVID hit, EDOs and tourism organizations had to scramble to keep up with all of the new, pressing demands. You’ve had to create, promote, and execute on brand new funding programs, requiring extensive staff time and resources. Whether you are a 1-person office or part of a 30-person team, you were expected to fulfill your new responsibilities.
Now, you need to demonstrate everything that you have been doing during COVID to your stakeholders.
Most of us aren’t naturally good at “bragging” on ourselves. However, as an organization that is funded by tax dollars, sharing your successes is not about you. It’s about showing your stakeholders that your organization has been a good steward of taxpayer dollars. This will allow you to continue serving your community in powerful ways.
If budgets are tight in the upcoming fiscal year, it will be even more important that you’re able to properly tell your story.
Here are some key aspects of of your story to tell to stakeholders:
- What new funding programs did you implement?
- How many businesses have you helped?
- How many grants have you administered?
- What have businesses been able to do as a result of the grants?
- How many jobs have been retained as a result of those grants?
You should be reporting out this information, updating your board, presenting to local elected officials, preparing your annual report, and highlighting all the ways that you have had to pivot.
As your organization continues to figure out ways to help your community adapt to the changes in our society, you will need to continue sharing this valuable information with your stakeholders.
If you’d like support with tracking key information and creating an outstanding annual report that will stand out to stakeholders, contact us to start a conversation.
