Tele-Town Halls: 4 Tips to Engage Supporters

Looking for a powerful, effective way to engage your nonprofit’s members? Have you ever considered conducting a tele-town hall?

As you may already know, traditionally, town hall meetings took place in-person and were usually connected with political campaigns. Yet, with the advent of advanced technologies and social media, the town hall environment today has rapidly evolved into a place where nonprofit supporters can feel more connected than ever before. After all, live engagement either via telephone, Twitter or Facebook can be far more personal, direct and meaningful.

Nonprofits can use town hall meetings today – in the form of telephone stewardship and fundraising – to communicate key messages to supporters, update them on the progress of a specific program, announce a new fundraising initiative or even to solicit feedback. The biggest advantage: The host organization can control the tone and overall message.

Here are four tips to consider when planning your organization’s tele-town hall meeting:

1. Always ensure your nonprofit’s goals are clearly communicated to all participants. The success in any fundraising campaign starts in the strategic development of the content and execution.
2. Alert supporters of the tele-town hall meeting well in advance via email and social media – Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and other available channels.
3. Your organization should be well-represented on the call by team members who are prepared to respond to a wide range of questions. Note: Never, ever cut off your call if supporters are still actively engaged in the topic, or if there are questions that have not yet been answered.
4. Always thank all participants at the end of the call, and provide easy ways for them to have their future concerns addressed. Additionally, let them know where they can find relevant archived information and notes from the call.

Town hall meetings have existed for years as they are an effective forum for all types of communities to gather and voice their opinions, raise questions and listen to others in the community.

Holding a tele-town hall meeting can provide your campaign or organization with an incredible outreach tool to build further support and discuss important issues related to your cause. These meetings not only allow you to engage with the individual supporter while accommodating thousands, but they also can help advance your fundraising efforts for many years to come.