The best thing you can do to prepare for your presentation is to complete the mandatory Nomination Form.  You should obtain the information from the organization’s Executive Director, Board Member, or Administrator.

We strongly suggest that you bring a copy of the nomination form to the podium to have key information on hand. The nomination form, along with the tips below, will guide you in giving a detailed and professional presentation. Please, no handouts or visual aids.

If your name is selected, you only have 10 minutes (including questions) to present a view of the organization’s impact and what will specifically be done with the funds.

Only the person giving the presentation can speak and answer questions.

Here are a few tips:

1)  Know the facts!

Practice your elevator speech. You need to be able to tell the story of your organization’s work in under 1 minute. People get lost easily by drawn-out explanations. Write down what you do, how you do it, and who is affected. Then wrap that around a few sentences, and voila! You’ve got your pitch. If an organization is drawn that you are a part of and you don’t feel confident being able to clearly and concisely convey the message, pass this time and brush up on the organization you are involved in so you can make a solid pitch. Sometimes, if there isn’t clarity, it can do more to hurt the organization you are trying to help by confusing those who are hearing about it for the first time.

2)  Tell the HEART story!

Be sure to think of a way to tie in a personal story of those you impact with your work so that the group has a very clear understanding and connection to that work. As you prepare, write down WHY you are involved. Why does it matter to you, and who/what have you seen change in the times you have been involved that have mattered to you? If it matters to you, it will probably matter to someone else. Write down a short story of how the work of the organization directly made a change and time it…get it under one minute and PRACTICE it.

3)  Show them the MONEY!

Where will the money go? The people in the room are ready to make a wise choice about where they donate. Those who struggle to define where the ladies’ hard-earned money will go once they write that check will find they struggle to get it written at all. I’m not talking about detailed financial statements here; I am talking about a strong description of what the funds will support. It could be a general operating budget to grow a new local organization or for materials to distribute as a part of the program’s work. Taking the time to find out where the money will go pays off in the long run and will give you the confidence to stand up and make your pitch to the group. If you don’t explain during your ten minutes, you will likely be asked during the Q&A, so you should still be prepared with an answer.

– From Heidi Boynton, 100 Women Who Care Santa Cruz