First impressions count - start off on the wrong foot with potential supporters, and it could take a long time to regain your ground. Here are five tips for making a good impression from the word go.

1.     Chuggers

The public understands the need for street collections. But the way they are approached, and how often, might be something to rethink and approach with delicacy.

2.      Sell services

Most people associate charity work with raising money for desperate beneficiaries, rather than providing advice or counselling. Make sure other services are made as clear to the public as more conventional causes are.

3.      People support charities that hit home

It’s a long-established fact that supporters donate to charities they have direct experience with. It’s not easy to augment a trend that is based on raw emotion, but it’s important to make sure you are tapping into it. Partnerships with similar organisations can help donors empathise with other causes.

4.      Bad press

Not all media coverage is good. If one opinion can be jaded by a single news article, then imagine the cumulative effect on public confidence. Keep an eye on sector coverage in the press and try to redress that balance in your own organisation, before you’re tarred with the same brush.

5.     A penny for ‘em

Ask people what they know about your charity. If their knowledge is limited, answer any questions and begin to build a good impression, face to face. If their first impression isn’t a positive one, ask them why. You must be willing to take this on board and make changes accordingly.

Find out what the word 'charity' really means to the general public.

This article first appeared in The Fundraiser, Issue 3, March 2011