A Guest Post by Elizabeth Turnbull, a Guest Expert in the“Writing for Nonprofits” Coaching Program

Whenever you travel and are in a new culture, it’s always a good idea to stay quiet for a while and listen before you speak. Look around you and observe how people greet one another. What do they say when they leave? How do they thank each other? What words are taboo?

Asking these questions will help prevent you from sticking the proverbial foot your mouth. And they’ll give you a more rewarding experience throughout your journey.

For someone transitioning from a “traditional” job, nonprofits are a new culture in and of themselves. They’re not businesses, though they seek money to grow. They’re not government programs, though they offer many basic services to the public. They’re not necessarily churches or temples though many are faith-based.

Nonprofits are their own culture, seated somewhere in an uneasy space of financial transactions and deeply rooted convictions. To further muddy the waters, each nonprofit has its own sub-culture and one food bank may very well have a totally different communications approach than the food bank just a few streets away.

If you want to work with nonprofits, you’ll be wise to listen before you speak.

• Read through the existing materials. What vocabulary do they use? How do they sign off from letters? How do they thank donors? What works and what has to change?

• Read through the materials of like-minded organizations (that’s nonprofit-speak, for “scope out the competition”). What do they do better? Worse? Differently?

• Ask if there are words the organization doesn’t use. Some organizations feel very passionately about vocabulary, and there could be a long list of “taboo” phrases. If you unwittingly use one in your writing, you might step on some toes, and you’ll definitely look out of touch.

• Sit in on meetings and spend time at the office whenever possible. Watching the interactions of staff and the people they serve will fill you with useful information and make your job so much easier.

I’ve worked with a variety of nonprofits during the past five years and no two approach communication the same way — even those with “like-minded missions.” But they have all been extremely appreciative and helpful when I stop, listen, and ask a few basic questions before I step in as their voice.

By listening before you speak, you’ll learn the cultures of your nonprofit clients (including their donors) and help them share their stories in a way that’s meaningful, moving and effective.

The Writing for Nonprofits Coaching Program is a month of training and coaching to grow your freelance business and nonprofit clientele. Session starts April 26, 2010. Get the details and register.

Nonprofits don’t need freelance writers.

What they do need are newsletters, direct mail fundraising letters, Facebook pages, annual reports and other content for both print and online distribution.

But not even the content is the real need. The real need is donors, volunteers, advocates, and other supporters who can help them implement their mission.

So why would you market yourself to nonprofits as simply a freelance writer? When you do that, you fall into the trap of talking about features, when you should be talking about benefits.

The benefits of a good freelancer are newsletters that inspire supporters, annual reports that reassure donors, and Facebook pages that get people commenting and sharing about the cause.

When I first started out, I talked to potential clients about how I could provide freelance writing services. I got blank stares. When I started talking about how I could write their newsletters, special reports, and event speeches, I got paid.

Kerry Karvetski (one of the guest experts in our “Writing for Nonprofits” Coaching Program) doesn’t say on her website that she’s a freelance writer. She says

I write kick-butt e-mails and Web site copy, launch super solid e-mail campaigns and know my way around more than a few content management systems, e-mail services and social networks.

Now that’s what nonprofits need!

The Writing for Nonprofits Coaching Program is a month of training and coaching to grow your freelance business and nonprofit clientele. Session starts April 26, 2010. Get the details and register.

Many freelancers assume that writing for nonprofits means nothing but grantwriting. That’s a big myth. Here are ten other publications that most nonprofits need — which means they may need you as a freelance writer to produce them.

1. Case Statements. Before many funders will accept a grant application, they want to see a case statement. The document outlines the need for the nonprofit and its programs and makes the preliminary case for funding. Grant applications spell out all the details.

2. Newsletters. Nonprofits need to communicate with their supporters and most do that via print newsletters, email newsletters or both. Get more info here.

3. Brochures and Flyers. These short marketing pieces help nonprofits explain who they are and what they do.

4. Web Content. If you understand the difference between print and online communications, you can help a nonprofit produce a website that works.

5. Press Releases. Nonprofits rarely have advertising budgets. They need publicity to get the word out and well-written press releases go a long way in getting that coverage.

6. Event Marketing Materials. Most nonprofits host events, whether they are fundraisers, workshops, or celebrations.

7. Internal Management Guides. Nonprofits have policies and procedures just like any other organization. It’s important to get all those processes in writing so work can continue despite staff turn-over.

8. Funder and Board Reports. A nonprofits must report to its board of directors and to its funders (e.g. foundations, government agencies). You can help spice up these reports.

9. Speeches. Nonprofit leaders are often asked to speak before other community groups and to make presentations before funders and at conferences.

10. Annual Reports. Though not legally required, producing an annual report is considered a best practice in nonprofit management. Learn more here.

Forbes.com publishes a list of the top 200 largest nonprofits. Visiting the websites of the groups on the list is a good way to learn more about nonprofits and their editorial needs. Keep in mind that these are the really big fish — you should also research much smaller organizations.

To save you the hassle of navigating the Forbes site, I have created a Furl list of 195 of the 200 organizations (the other 5 either don’t have websites or the sites were down when I tried to find them).

You can also download the bookmarks in formats for Internet Explorer or Mozilla browsers.

The Nonprofit Times also publishes a list of the Top 100 Nonprofits.