Nonprofit Bridge

Social media expert Beth Kanter updated her list of listening, monitoring, engaging and management tools.  It’s not easy to measure the results of social networking, but it’s important to pick at least some of these programs, most which are free, to evaluate your efforts.   Here’s some questions to help evaluate your social media initiatives.   (Thanks also to Harish Rao for highlighting this topic for GrassrootsCamp at a live event this week in NYC.)

Network for Good‘s Katya Andresen explains why you can’t just focus on older donors, even though they have traditionally been the most reliable givers.   Older constituents are also getting more active in social media , per reviews in The Agitator.net and the Chronicle of Philanthropy of a recent Pew Internet report.

It’s challenging to change the name of a major event, but the March of Dimes used a variety of strategies to rebrand its major fundraising event (not all which worked well).

Courtesy of Big Duck’s blog, use these tips to revitalize your email subject lines.  (Sorry, email is still a valuable way to reach constituents, despite the rising role of social media.)

Finally, TechSoup asks what does your organization look like from the outside, reminding us of the importance of clear, consistent messaging across our online (and offline) communications.

Have a safe and restful Labor Day weekend.

Attended two events this week on social media, one live and one over the web.  Bonnie McEwan of Make Waves presented ‘U R What U Tweet: Social Media for Career Enhancement‘ at the NYC Foundation Center.  Blackbaud‘s Frank Barry presented ‘Donor Engagement through Social Media.’

At Bonnie’s presentation, I replied to an audience question about how does someone show that they are  ’social media savvy’?  For an individual who wants to establish their professional brand, start with LinkedIn and then a blog – if you can maintain it regularly.  For an organization, Frank suggested selecting a few social networks to start with, preferably those where your constituents are already speaking about your organization and/or cause.  Don’t try to be ‘everywhere’ or by simply using the same messaging.

Should one try to maintain separate professional and personal profiles on sites such as Twitter?  Bonnie said no, that it’s better to ‘be who you are.’   I agree – but make sure that at least 75-80% of your posts are related to your brand.  Bonnie added that every nonprofit should have a social media policy – see this example.

How do you find out what others are saying about your organization.  Frank summarized these tools, only one which is paid:

• socialmention
• twitter search (my tip – use the advanced option)
• google alerts
• technorati (to search blogs)
• igoogle dashboard (can be used to summarize feeds from above sites)
• radian6 (paid, but provides more sophisticated options)

If you are on social media, you need to engage your audience in conversation, not just send out information.  Frank suggested several ways to enhance your Facebook presence:

1. use custom tabs
2. create calls to action (e.g. sign up for our enewsletter)
3. provide direct links to other social networking sites
4. customize your logo
5. take advantage of Facebook’s built in photo sharing tool (or use Flickr)
6. post updates on your events
7. use third party fundraising tools
8. allow others to post on your wall
9. use video to connect with supporters
10. include content from your blog

Here’s another perspective on designing social media engagement from Debra Askanase.

Don’t forget to learn from those nonprofits that are actively using social media to build their supporter base;  Patrick Kwan and Carie Lewis at the Humane Society;  Wendy Harman of the American Red Cross, and the National Wildlife Federation‘s Danielle Brigida.  (As Frank pointed out, it’s best to put someone in your organization in charge of your social media efforts.)

Is social media worthwhile?  In my view, it’s important to measure your success not only by the financial contributions your organization receives, but by the level of commitment supporters demonstrate to your mission.  By maintaining an ongoing conversation with constituents in social media, you will ultimately benefit by both measures.

This week I received an especially interesting enewsletter from Nten, the nonprofit technology organization that I’ve been involved with for many years.  There was a lot of great content, such as:

1. project management on web redesigns
2. optimizing web sites for social media
3. asking the right questions to appeal to the right audience
4. getting help with web analytics with the Analysis Exchange
5. tips on creating website content
6. taking advantage of the mobile web
7. a roundup of other useful links, also featured in Nten’s blog

Many nonprofits have started to phase out paper newsletters in favor of enewsletters, but I wonder whether even this medium is still an effective way to reach constituents.  The average open rate for email newsletters is usually around 20% (see e2010 Nonprofit Benchmarks Study), and even those who do open them probably only scan them quickly.  When I realized the value of Nten’s content, my first inclination was to share the articles individually through my Twitter stream.  While many sites now have an easy way to do this, I often use Add This, which I’ve installed on my computer for easy sharing to multiple social networking sites.

No, I’m not advocating that you ditch the enewsletter.  But I am suggesting that wherever possible, you make information available to your constituents in small bites, and make sure there is an easy way to share content through social media and by emailing to friends.  And if you want to make sure your great content is noticed, make it available in multiple channels, but make sure to tweak to take advantage of strengths of each medium.

In addition to having long maintained this blog as a way to share my ideas with the nonprofit community, I’ve also used LinkedIn to keep in touch with my professional network and my Twitter feed as a way to share thoughts and resources that I learn about in between by (usually) weekly blog posts.  But I haven’t paid as much attention to my Facebook page, figuring that this is more of a ‘personal’ site and doesn’t specifically relate to my ephilanthropy work.  (I’ve also been concerned about the occasional privacy issues that have come up with sites such as Facebook, addressed in a recent Nten webinar.)

But in ignoring Facebook, I’ve made the same mistake as many nonprofits that are beginning to use social networking tools – not going where the constituents are.  Facebook is approaching the 500 million user mark, and is expected to go much higher.  Clearly, it is fulfilling the need that our supporters have to be connected to each other.  I’ve also noticed more of an overlap between personal and professional posts, an issue that my friend Farra Trompeter of Big Duck has often spoken about.  While I’m not suggesting that you share details of your personal life for the world to see and comment upon, it is a good idea to show more than one dimension of your personality.

What does this mean for nonprofits?  The more you can get to know about your constituents, the better you can develop your relationship.  You can find out by analyzing which of your web pages are most popular with Google Analytics, by taking surveys or polls with tools such as SurveyMonkey, or by simply asking what their most important priorities are.  You can also learn from listening and by using simple tools such as Google Alerts.

Even if you don’t fully understand why it’s become such a phenomenon, you can’t afford to ignore Facebook.  But make sure you review your privacy settings so you understand how your information will be shared. For a detailed description of Facebook’s brief but remarkable history, read David Kirkpatrick’s The Facebook Effect.  For help on deciding what to put on Facebook vs. Twitter vs. other social networking sites, see my post earlier this year, What Content to Post in Each Channel.

Addendum 7/15/10 – I will be featured today on Nten’s Facebook page.

At last night’s 501 Tech Club NYC monthly meeting, Foursquare co-founder Naveen Selvadura and Brooklyn Museum‘s Chief of Technology Shelley Bernstein talked about how Foursquare can be used to attract and engage constituents.  Earlier this week, Foursquare received $20 million in financing and currently has over 1.8 million users despite having only launched 18 months ago.

Naveen described his product as ‘software designed to change people’s behavior,’ to ‘get them to do more things, go more places.’  In addition to becoming ‘mayor’ of places frequently visited, Foursquare users can display badges as well as take advantage of promotions offered by participating vendors.  Shelley described how her organization has used Foursquare to get more involved with the community surrounding the Brooklyn Museum.  Interestingly, when she was asked whether the museum’s initiatives have resulted in an increase in museum visits or in donations, she said that Foursquare doesn’t yet offer enough information to be able to evaluate this.  Naveen added that Foursquare currently offers limited demographics on who is currently using its service.

Why has Foursquare worked well for the Brooklyn Museum?  Shelley explained that it was the nonprofit’s ‘social culture,’ which is further discussed in the recently released book, The Networked Nonprofit (Beth Kanter also attended last night’s event).  Another attendee from the Metropolitan Museum also described using Foursquare, but pointed out that it was more tied into the Met’s focus on education (vs. the Brooklyn Museum’s emphasis on community).

Reportedly Facebook is already working on including a similar functionality within its service, so it will be interesting to see how this affects Foursquare.  What I find most interesting is that for many of us who use the web, it really doesn’t matter where we are.  Yet with Foursquare, users are encouraged to ‘check in’ to their location several times daily, and to possibly connect with (in person) other friends who are where you are.  Can this be beneficial for a typical nonprofit?  If your constituents are using Foursquare, it may be interesting to find out.  But as has been done by the Brooklyn Museum and the Metropolitan Museum, first consider your organization’s mission and how this type of product can fit in.

Thanks to group leaders Charles Lenchner, Thomas Negron and Farra Trompeter and to Planned Parenthood who hosted the event and provided snacks.  This was the largest crowd that I can recall for a NYC 501 Tech Club gathering.  See also Farra’s recap.

P.S. Has your nonprofit tried Foursquare yet?  If so, leave a comment detailing your experience.  I will offer a free Nten webinar registration to first person that responds.

As much as I’m on the web, I’m also a big reader, especially of books in ephilanthropy.  Here’s some selections from my summer reading list:

1. The Networked Nonprofit – Beth Kanter & Allison Fine – as discussed last week, Beth & Allison offer advice on how to use social media to make your nonprofit more ‘open’ and is authored by two of the most respected experts.  More about live book release events here.
2. Fundraising When Money Is Tight – Mal Warwick – Having long advised fundraisers, Mal focuses on how to survive in tough times.
3. Raising Thousands (if Not Tens of Thousands) of Dollars with Email – Madeline Stanionis – Email marketing is still the nucleus of many organizations’ fundraising campaigns;  Madeline advises on how to use it most effectively
4. The Nonprofit Marketing Guide – Kivi Leroux Miller – Kivi has always been generous with her knowledge on the web;  the book offers advice on “high impact, low cost ways to build support” for your cause
5. Internet Management for Nonprofits – Ted Hart, James Greenfield, Steve MacLaughlin, Philip Geier – Recommended by Nten‘s Holly Ross, this book offers individual chapters by a wide range of ephilanthropy experts
6. The Ask – Laura Fredericks – While not heavy in online techniques, Laura offers many specifics on ‘how to ask anyone for any amount for any purpose.’
7. Developing Your Case for Support – Timothy Seiler – I haven’t started reading yet, but my sense is that many nonprofits can benefit from a systematic approach of demonstrating to potential contributors why they should help
8. Open Leadership – Charlene Li – Follow up to her popular Groundswell, Charlene describes how social media can help your organization

A few more that are not nonprofit specific, but are still very relevant:

9. Rework – Jason Fried & David Hansson – Authors are founders of 37signals, developers of project management software Basecamp.
10. Switch – Chip Heath & Dan Heath – I am always fascinated by books about the change process;  Chip & Dan’s suggestion of focusing on what works, not on what doesn’t, is particularly enlightening.

You may be able to get some of these from your local library.  (If you’re in New York, please help the New York Public Library, which is facing drastic funding cuts.)  Above (affiliate) links are through Amazon, which usually has the best prices.  So if you’re heading for the beach, take one of these books along.

Beth Kanter, CEO of Zoetica, who has shared her expertise for years on Beth’s Blog an at various nonprofit events, will host a virtual launch party Mon, Jun. 21 for her new book The Networked Nonprofit with co-author Allison Fine.  Beth has long been a proponent for social media, but that’s not all that this book is about.  It’s also about changing the culture of your organization to operate in a network, much as individuals have recently learned the importance of networking from experts like author Keith Ferrazzi in Never Eat Alone and Jason Alba in his JibberJobber career management site and his other resources such as LinkedIn for Job Seekers.

Care2 hosted a webinar this week featuring the authors, National Wildlife Federation‘s Danielle Brigada and Autism Speaks‘ Marc Sirkin, moderated by Care2‘s Jocelyn Harmon who writes Marketing for Nonprofits.  Whether you read the book, attend the virtual launch or hear Beth and Allison’s ideas on the web or at an event , don’t miss this opportunity to learn how to transform your organization to “play well with others.”

Kudos to Danielle, who admitted during this week’s webinar how challenging it can be to change a large nonprofit that often moves slowly.  (My experience has been the same.)   But whatever size organization you work for, becoming more “networked” will better enable you to serve your constituents.

Attended this week’s NYC chapter meeting of the Internet Strategy Forum, where we discussed the latest changes on Facebook.  View the presentation;  plan to attend our future meetings (remote access is available even if you’re not in NY).

Kivi Leroux Miller, in addition to having released her new book Nonprofit Marketing Guide, also wrote an excellent post on Beth Kanter’s blog about the importance of knitting together your website, email and social media content.  Since each constituent may choose to connect with your organization in different channels, why not offer a consistent message throughout?  Also consider taking Idealware‘s webinar next week on Choosing the Right Communications Mix.

Beth also offered a simple process to use actionable listening to learn from other nonprofits when planning your social media outreach strategy.

Gail Fredricks spoke to ABC News about How to Ask for Money – great summary for those of us who are still learning about fundraising.

Many of us are now managing or working with colleagues across the country or even in other countries.  Nten has just kicked off a webinar series, Virtual Team Leader: Training for Managers of Remote Teams (a recording is available of yesterday’s first of four sessions).  Tip: Don’t rely only on email as your main communications device.

For some email marketing tips, read about the importance of personalized messages and 3 things that will actually improve your email campaigns.

Jocelyn Harmon and Geoff Livingston had an interesting discussion this week on the perennial question, Is It Possible to Raise Money with Social Media?  As I’ve suggested, Geoff pointed out that while social media can be used for fundraising, its main value is in building a social community that is engaged with your cause.   While Facebook Causes has worked for some nonprofits, it doesn’t allow organizations to retain contributors’ contact information for further cultivation efforts.   A private, house network may also be a viable option;   Geoff offered the example of TuDiabetes.

At this week’s NYC 501 Tech Club meeting, I also gave a short presentation on the recently released Nonprofit Social Network Benchmark Report, which also analyzes the results of a survey of almost 1,200 nonprofit professionals conducted earlier this year.  Search Twitter for #501techNYC for more details on meeting.  Nten is also offering a webinar series which explores the State of Social Networking in the Nonprofit Sector 2010.

Another interesting topic is the intersection of Marketing and Fundraising, explored in the Fundraising Well (and also by Steve MacLaughlin in When Marketing and Fundraising Collide).   Nancy Schwartz offers four ways that these departments can work better together:

1. Start at the top.  Your management team must support this partnership and establish a structure which facilitates collaboration.
2. Articulate shared priorities to serve as the core of a common agenda.
3. Focus on what’s working well in both areas – and do more of it
4. Share success stories where collaboration has resulted in positive results with constituents.

Finally, has your organization considered mission inspired gifts / gift catalogs?  Also see 7 Tips for Successful Online Fundraising.

Please follow NonprofitBridge on Twitter for more.

Last week I had the pleasure of attending the 10th annual Nonprofit Technology Conference in Atlanta, GA.

Social media was a popular topic throughout the three day event.  Jeff Patrick hosted a lively discussion on the just released Nonprofit Social Network Benchmark Report (which I helped to prepare), co-sponsored by Common Knowledge, Nten and ThePort.  While nonprofits’ increased use of Facebook and Twitter were not a surprise, some of the data showed interesting trends about issues such as the use of commercial vs. house (private) networks.  You can download the report free here.

Similar to how Twitter forces messages to be limited to 140 characters, the Ignite presentations featured a series of talks which were each limited to 5 minutes and 20 slides.  Scott Bechter-Levin encouraged us to share more information with our network;  Steve Heye provided a wonderful comparison of how techies and business users interpret the same information very differently.

Friday’s plenary speaker Andrew Sullivan offered a look into what happens when your blog becomes too popular, as is his The Daily Dish.  Blog readers expect steady feedback but “expect you to say things they agree with.”  But he added that his blog has enabled him to cover international events very quickly and has encouraged a “free flow of data.”

Saturday’s plenary speaker Asi Burak described how games can be used to stimulate thought about difficult world issues, demonstrating PeaceMaker, a simulation of the Middle East conflict.   Games allow us to play roles that we’re usually not comfortable with and help us to understand the ‘other side’ of the argument.  I’ve often ignored games, but this is a very different focus than the games you see on Facebook.

When it comes to social media, small organizations often get better results than larger nonprofits.  In the session Beyond Traditional Fundraising: Utilizing the Web and Social Networks to Secure Donors, speakers from Alix’s Lemonade Stand, Architecture for Humanity and Spirit Jump described how they’ve been able to stimulate interest to their causes.   The goal “isn’t always to raise money” but that you “no longer have to have money to raise money.”  An interesting observation was that constituents who are most engaged online aren’t always the best donors.   Clearly these smaller nonprofits are not only using social media heavily, some are bypassing the more traditional channels such as direct mail completely.

Will Kiva kill your nonprofit? This session focused on the trend of allowing donors to pick specifically the people and causes they will support as well as receive regular feedback on how their contributions have been used.  Many nonprofits I’ve worked for in the past have discouraged restricted gifts, preferring to receive funds that can be used for any purpose.  While not all types of nonprofits can support this type of giving (e.g. direct service organizations work well but large affiliate based organizations will find it more difficult), clearly this is a trend worth paying attention to.  One suggestion was to not stop asking for unrestricted gifts, but to start additional programs that are more targeted.

While not as well attended as the social media talks, the session Diversifying Your Tech and Online Communications Teams provided an interesting overview into why diversity in nonprofit staff can result in better service to diverse groups of constituents – and better fundraising results.   One interesting perspective (of a typical nonprofit) was “We’ll help your community but we really don’t want your input.”  Another observation: “We’re all a majority in some ways but a minority in others.”  A recommendation: “Learn about the communities (you serve) instead of trying to represent people you don’t know.”

Online communications gurus Beth Kanter and Kivi Leroux Miller – offered How to Design and Present Online Training People Will Love.  Many of us need to train colleagues in remote locations, so it’s important to understand the differences between live and online instruction.   Since many of our attendees will be multitasking, it’s even more important to hold their attention;  one suggestion was to use a more visual slide design, using principles from Garr Reynolds’ Presentation Zen.  Idealware’s Laura Quinn also offered a look at popular web conferencing tools such as Readytalk and GoToMeeting/GoToWebinar – make sure you take advantage of discounts available to nonprofits through TechSoup.  (For a concise summary of nonprofit software options, check out Idealware’s Field Guide to Software for Nonprofits.)

Just for fun, we enjoyed an after-event party at the World of Coca-Cola, which offered a novel ‘tasting room’ allowing us to taste brands from all over the world.  (My favorite was Bibo Candy, but I’ll probably have to travel to Africa to find a store that sells it.)

I’ve been a Nten member for many years, and this event gets better every year.  Thanks to Holly Ross and her staff for a wonderful three days.  If you missed the event, you can enjoy some of the sessions here.