Nonprofit Bridge

Do you take the time to analyze how long visitors stay on your web site, and what paths they take?.  Try these 14 free tools to find out why they leave.  Crazy Egg  is especially worth looking at, even though it now has a small monthly cost.  

Many nonprofits are still unsure about how to approach social media.  Wild Apricot’s blog offers encouragement in how to create a social media policy

Want some real statistics in how nonprofits are faring during these rough economic times.  Review Target Analytics Index of National Fundraising Performance as well as The Agitator’s quick review of its findings.  Why do you think animal welfare and environmental organizations are doing better than others?

Steve MacLaughlin offers an interesting look at 2008 Online Giving Trends,  including more reasons to use a multi-channel fundraising approach.

Need more reasons to pursue or enhance an online fundraising policy at your nonprofit?  Robert Weiner has many great resources to support your case.

Finally, Jeff Patrick at Common Knowledge offers an analysis of Mission Inspired Gifts, a combination of fundraising and ecommerce which may be worth trying at your organization.  In a webinar earlier this week, Jeff explained how the messaging is critical in telling donors exactly how their funds will be used.

Learn how to increase your online fundraising, attract new constituents and engage current supporters during a one hour webinar.

Wed, Jan. 21

7 PM EST

Register Online

Last night I attended by web conference a meeting of the Internet Strategy Forum, led by the group’s founder, Steve Gehlen.  Steve summarized highlights from the soon to be released update of the Corporate Internet Strategist Study.  About 10% of survey respondents represented nonprofit organizations.  Some major points:

1. Marketing is the department most often responsible for Internet strategy (60%)
2. More companies (19%) are now devoting a separate department to focus on Internet strategy
3. Web tools / services are most often selected through a collaboration between Marketing and Information Technology
4. Job titles for those who manage web and online projects are ‘all over the place’
5. For groups which handle web strategy, social media has become an important component

The only difference I can see between this group and others that focus on this are for nonprofits is the exclusion of a fundraising/development role which, as I’ve said, is as important as that of Marketing and IT.   The full study will be available for download on the Internet Strategy Forum site by month end (information on the 2006 report is now available).   I’ve also asked Steve to filter this data for nonprofits, which I will also share here.

The most important point is conclusion #2 – the growing trend towards a separate department allows online strategy to function as a cross-department collaboration, where it can be most successful.  I will also discuss this issue at my webinar next week, Getting Started with ePhilanthropy.

Thanks to Allan Pressel of CharityFinders and Cristine Cronin of NY Charities for joining me at this week’s event at the NYC Foundation Center, Online Fundraising Strategies for Tough Times.  Over 120 attendees joined us for a two hour session on how to help our nonprofit organizations prosper, even in this difficult economic climate.  Thanks also to Charlotte Dion of the Foundation Center for hosting the event and allowing me to present.  If you could not attend, please view my slides, Ten ePhilanthropy Tips for Tough Times

As a follow up, I’d like to offer an one hour webinar, Getting Started with ePhilanthropy on Wed, Jan. 21, 2009 at 7 PM EST.  This will be the first of what I hope to be monthly online classes on how you can use online strategies at your small or medium sized nonprofit organization.  This month’s session will focus on inexpensive and easy ways you can improve your web site, utilize email marketing techniques and promote multichannel strategies.  Best of all, you can attend from any place where you have a phone and an Internet connected computer.  Register Now.

Reminder: Thursday evening, January 8, I will moderate a panel discussion at the NYC Foundation Center, Online Fundraising Strategies for Tough Times.  Guest speakers will include Allan Pressel of Charity Finders and Cristine Cronin of NY Charities.  Due to a large number of registrations, the Foundation Center has closed registration, so unfortunately you won’t be able to attend unless you’ve already signed up.  However, I will offer a follow-up webinar on Wednesday evening, January 21 on ephilanthropy strategies.  Watch for details in my next post.

Addendum 4-21-09
If you were unable to attend this event, you can now listen online at the Foundation Center’s events archive.