An effective elevator pitch is meant to be no more than 30 seconds, just like the length of time you ride in an elevator. You want to keep the conversation interesting and high level – leave them wanting more!
Elements for an elevator pitch
Introduce Yourself
Before jumping into your elevator pitch, you'll need to introduce yourself to the person you're talking to, e.g., "My name is xxxx. I'm a board member for Inland SoCal United Way”. This will help you start the conversation off on the right foot.State our Org’s Mission
This is a succinct description of what United Way does. If you were to be cut off after these two sentences, the person you are talking to would still know exactly who you are and what United Way does.State our Value Proposition
What does United Way do exceptionally well that sets our service apart from the rest? Include a short statement about the value of United Way to the community.Grab their Attention with a Hook
Pull in your audience with an exciting story about a client or one of our accomplishments. An attention-grabbing hook keeps people engaged with what you're saying.
Example:
"My name is xxx. I'm a board member for Inland SoCal United Way. We help people improve their lives through programs in Education, Financial Stability, Health and Housing. Additionally, we connect people in need through our 211 contact center and crisis helpline. Our programs served more than 1 million people in the Inland Region last year and we are the fastest growing United Way in the world!”
Other interesting stats to include:
We helped keep 25,000 families housed during the pandemic through our rental assistance program
We answer more than 400,000 calls each year through the 211 contact center each year.
We distributed more than $200M in emergency rental assistance for families facing housing instability during the pandemic.
Our kids pack program feeds more than 2000 students every week.