The Community Foundation recently hosted a public speaking seminar for our nonprofit fundholders.

Jon Shure, who recently retired as a senior director at Taft Communications, spoke with nonprofit staff at Make Your Voice Heard: Public Speaking for Nonprofit Professionals.

Jon began his career as a reporter for The Record of Bergen County. He also previously served as communications director for Gov. Jim Florio, and director of state communications at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities in Washington, D.C. He told those in attendance to allow themselves to be open to creativity. Here are 10 more of his tips:

  1. No one cares what you know, until they know you care.
  2. A smile goes a long way in connecting with your audience.
  3. Ask about logistics, such as the size of the room and the availability of a lectern, well before your scheduled speech.
  4. As you craft your talk, keep your goal in mind: what do you want your audience to take away from your speech?
  5. No one can hear a paragraph: speak in simple sentences.
  6. You don’t need to memorize your speech, but you do need to practice it out loud.
  7. If you are offered a microphone, use it.
  8. Speak slowly.
  9. Tell stories.
  10. Be assertive, not bombastic. Passion persuades.