Lessons From Charity:Water

Posted on June 12, 2011 by Norman Reiss

At Friday’s Fundraising Day in NYC, I had the pleasure of learning online strategy from the nonprofit that has probably done it best in recent years. In only five years of existence, Charity:Water has used a combination of compelling content and innovative outreach strategies to build a dedicated constituent base. Digital Director Paull Young described their approach:

ask supporters to ‘give up their birthdays,’ offering a great ‘experience’ in return
focus on ‘sharing great content,’ not on asking for money
‘uncomfortable transparency’ about exactly how donations are used
we ‘make the campaigner the hero,’ not the organization
goal is to have a ten year relationship with constituents
100% reliance on social media / online – no direct mail
exceptional video – take a look at Water Changes Everything

After his session, I congratulated Paull on his success and asked whether some of Charity:Water’s techniques could work in a larger, less nimble nonprofit. He pointed out that he had worked primarily with larger organizations before joining Charity:Water, then added that any nonprofit could do well by paying close attention to its culture and by ‘getting people with the right skills on staff.’ In our country where the availability of clean drinking water is usually taken for granted, it’s also impressive how this organization has developed such a huge following in such a short time.

As I also heard from several speakers during the event, you get the best results by developing the relationship with constituents first before making any ask. And as Charity:Water has demonstrated, it’s critical to stay in touch to show supporters specifically how their contributions have helped the cause.

If you weren’t able to attend the event, several session handouts are available here.

What’s New in ePhilanthropy

Posted on June 5, 2011 by Norman Reiss

Social media expert Beth Kanter summarizes recent studies on how to increase Facebook engagement – it’s also a great way to find out what issues your constituents are most interested in. Beth also outlines how to set SMART social media objectives.

To better understand how multichannel marketing works, read the recent DonorCentrics report and these write-ups from Frogloop, NonprofitTimes, The Agitator and Katya Andresen. One step in the right direction – make sure your marketing/communications and fundraising are planning campaigns together.

How much resources should your nonprofit devote to a Twitter strategy? Here’s Pew Internet‘s latest update on who’s using Twitter. And in addition to having a Facebook like button on your website, you can add a Twitter follow button also. Here’s also advice on the best days/times to tweet.

If you’re using integrated software like Convio, what stops you from using the tool most effectively? Recent options like @ConvioHelp and live chat can be helpful, but my experience shows that issues with product usability often get in the way also. My suggestion – make sure you take the time to train your staff on an ongoing basis.

Idealware also offers its own guideline on how to allocate your time between website, email and online outreach.

Attending Fundraising Day in New York this week? If so, please look for me there.

You Don’t Need to Recreate the Wheel

Posted on May 22, 2011 by Norman Reiss

Trying to figure out how your organization can be more effective online? There are many nonprofits that are already succeeding that you can learn from. Probably the most publicized success story in recent years is the astounding growth of charity: water, featured in a recent post by davidconnell.net. One particularly interesting point is how charity: water has partnered which local organizations that actually do much of their core work (the nonprofit didn’t build an infrastructure to do it themselves).

In addition, when charity: water communicates with its supporters, the focus is on the cause, not the organization. If your organization does many different things and you’re having difficulty what to focus on, take Katya Andresen’s suggestion to make modules out of your mission. Not all of your constituents will care about everything you do, but there is probably some program or activity that particularly interests them.

Hearing a lot about mobile? Nten‘s Holly Ross discusses 5 Nonprofits That Are Innovating with Mobile. Even if you decide that you don’t have the bandwidth for a mobile approach yet, don’t forget to test outgoing emails on cell phones since so many more constituents are reading emails on cell phones.

The old model of technology focused on getting support from product vendors. While I still work closely with my vendors’ customer support staffs, I also rely on checking in with my colleagues across the country, many who are asking the same questions as I am. (Some issues I’m currently working on are how can I increase engagement with my organization’s Facebook followers and how can I integrate online forms from my vendors in social media platforms – since this is where many of my constituents are spending time online, never reaching my nonprofit’s website).

Another way to learn from others is to follow the most frequently used nonprofit hashtags, as nicely summarized by Kerri Karvetski. (Don’t forget to use these hashtags when you post on Twitter!)

Fortunately, the nonprofit sector is a very open, sharing community. Instead of struggling on your own, take the time to learn from what other organizations have already done, and ask for help if you need assistance in making your nonprofit shine online. And don’t be afraid to fail. As I was recently reminded by social media superstar Danielle Brigida, most of us are still figuring things out, especially since online products / services are constantly changing.

What’s New in ePhilanthropy

Posted on May 8, 2011 by Norman Reiss

When developing a Facebook strategy, remember that your constituents don’t just want to hear about your organization. Andrea Barry explains how she adapted Idealware’s strategy to appeal to supporters’ desire to ‘be social.’

Planning a new website? Beaconfire reminds us to pay attention to content early, and to incorporate content into the wireframes. Techsoup also provides this overview into the redesign process. Big Duck suggests we put someone in charge of content creation. (Here’s my recent post on developing a content strategy.)

This week, I launched a new campaign for my organization through a combination of email marketing, website and social media strategies. It takes a lot of coordination, but you can’t just rely on one channel to get the word out. Read more tips on integrated marketing from Convio and EMC.

How often are you sending bulk emails? Hopefully you have some type of communications calendar. And don’t forget to review the statistics after your email goes out. Is your audience actually taking the action you are encouraging them to do? See also these ideas for email marketing to seniors.

Today is Mother’s Day. In addition to showing your mother how much you love her, also post her picture to support a new campaign to demonstrate that our parents want to protect Medicare benefits not only for themselves, but for their children and grandchildren.

Social Media for Social Good

Posted on May 1, 2011 by Norman Reiss

This week I had the pleasure of listening to a panel of social media experts at the Foundation Center’s Social Media for Social Good event. Speakers included Renee Alexander from US Fund for Unicef, Julia C. Smith from Idealist, Farra Trompeter from Big Duck and Nten‘s Amy Sample Ward, preceded by a presentation by Small Act‘s Casey Golden.

As might be expected during an event on social media, there was an active stream on Twitter, which you can review with the #SM4SG hashtag. Below are some highlights:

Mentioned several times this week and also by Danielle Brigida who recently spoke at the NYC 501 Tech Club, social media involves a lot of trial and error and experimentation. Often you will have to try different tactics before you find what will work best with your audience. Don’t be afraid to fail.
Engagement = stimulating a conversation and encouraging constituents to take action on issues.
Developing a social media policy for your organization will help guide your staff how to speak about your nonprofit online – look at the social media governance policy database and the social media policy generator for help.
Your social media policy should be a fluid, living document that is reviewed with staff and updated regularly, not in a book that is stored on a shelf.
On Twitter, in addition to sharing ideas from others you find worthwhile, make sure to include your own ideas too – the best Twitter streams have a mix of links, no links and original content. See this example of a Twitter engagement formula.
If your management is still uncertain whether social media is worth the effort, show what your competitors are doing online to engage and build their constituent base.

Want more resources? For a step by step process on how to use social media, download Idealware’s Nonprofit Social Media Decision Guide. For more guidance on developing a social media policy – Big Duck’s Measuring Your Impact and Creating Policies for Social Media. And for general tips on Twitter, read Mashable’s Twitter Guide Book

Social media is sexy, but don’t forget the online basics: make sure your website and email marketing program is in place. Social media works best when part of an overall communications strategy that includes any way you connect with your constituents, whether online or offline. Focus not only on your organization’s programs, but on the issues which your organization (and constituents) is most focused on.

Thanks to the Foundation Center’s Vanessa Schnaidt for moderating the discussion and to social media guru Jereme Bivins (who manages the Foundation Center’s Twitter stream) for planning this event.

The New World of Mobile – Smartphones and Tablets

Posted on April 25, 2011 by Norman Reiss

For a long time, I resisted getting a smartphone, preferring to stay with my trusty desktop computer. I didn’t want to have to work with a small screen and keyboard, and also balked at having to add a data plan to my cell phone bill. I did have an Itouch, but was limited to using it online when wi-fi access was available. When I was given a netbook for work, I enjoyed the convenience, but still spent most of my time online at my desktop connection.

Late last year, I got my first Android, and was able to sign up for a plan which included phone, texting and data at a fixed price which was less than what I had been paying for voice only. Now I use it mostly for social networking, still preferring to use my desktop at home and at work when possible. But as shown in A Mobile Word: How Your Supporters are Using Smartphones and Why You Should Care, many of our organizations’ constituents have taken the plunge to mobile, yet we often develop websites and sending emails as if everyone was still primarily using a desktop computer.

In Walt Mossberg’s recent laptop buying guide, he suggests not buying a laptop now, which was the device that was supposed to be the replacement for desktops, and to consider whether a tablet may fit your needs. I haven’t used a tablet yet, but my boss does and he takes it everywhere he goes and ‘loves’ the device.

Recently I received an email newsletter that had this link on top: view on mobile device, reminiscent of when we were told that every email should have a ‘print friendly’ link. Now, fewer people regularly using printers, but practically everyone has a smartphone and possibly a tablet as well. So it’s critical that we design our online communications to be brief, viewable in narrow columns, and that we test on the most common platforms that our constituents are using (you can find this out through your web analytics or by surveying your audience).

There’s also the additional questions of whether to develop a mobile friendly website or a mobile application, or possibly a tablet specific or Facebook application. As a first step, however, make sure your website and email blasts can be viewed well on smartphones. Even if you have mostly ‘older’ constituents, this is a change that you must start preparing for now. If you need help, look towards Nten or firms that specifically work on mobile strategies such as MobileActive or consulting firms such as Common Knowledge. Also review Five Must-Have Characteristics of Nonprofit Mobile Websites.

Developing a Content Strategy

Posted on April 17, 2011 by Norman Reiss

Do you use an editorial calendar to plan what content you will post on your website and other online platforms, or do you mostly create content on the fly? In Deciding What the American Red Cross Tweets, social media guru Wendy Harman says that it’s a combination of both, and that her organization encourages staff to learn by using social media but also provides training. At certain times of year or when disaster strikes, the Red Cross uses much more planned content.

At a recent webinar on Content Strategy on a Shoestring Budget, Balance Interactive suggested these books: the Web Content Strategist’s Bible, and Content Strategy for the Web. Here’s my additional tips:

Encourage staff to participate in the content creation process by writing up feedback received from the constituents you’re helping – proactively ask for feedback by phone, email or through surveys.
Spend some time organizing your network directories so content is stored in a logical way – and make sure staff know where to find and post data
Don’t forget to add photos, videos or podcasts – this is especially effective to quickly post content from organization events
Categorize your Facebook and Twitter posts to make sure you’re not overly highlighting one aspect of your work while neglecting other programs
Look for ways to tie in current events with your work
Decide how many platforms you can realistically post on – better to do a few well than to try to be everywhere
When tweeting, make your post worthwhile for someone to read even if they don’t have the time to click through on the link

For more ideas on content creation, view Managing Content on the National Wildlife Federation’s Website. If you’re in NYC, learn from social media expert Danielle Brigida at this week’s NYC 501 Tech Club meeting. Finally, sign up for Kivi Leroux Miller’s upcoming webinar, Taming Your Editorial Calendar and Content Creation Process on May 18.

Wishing everyone a healthy and joyous Passover and Easter holiday.

What’s New in ePhilanthropy

Posted on April 9, 2011 by Norman Reiss

Most of us are still figuring out what works and what doesn’t in social media. For help in developing conversations instead of one-way communications, review John Haydon’s 16 Ways to Get Comments on Your Facebook Page and Robin Stephenson’s Twitter Community Organizing Rules for Non Profits. Especially on Facebook, you’ll need to try different approaches before you find out what works best with your constituents.

Having engaging content to share in our multiple communication channels is a continuing challenge. Per Kivi Leroux Miller, here’s how ASPCAPro Manages Content Creation, which reinforces why regular editorial meetings / calendars are so helpful in developing ideas and planning your outreach.

If you think you’ve heard it all about storytelling, consider M&R’s Storytelling and the Art of Email Writing. Hint – you need to understand what motivates someone to give before you can write effective fundraising copy. Veteran storyteller Andy Goodman provides more tips in Storytelling: The First Best Thing.

If you’re always wondering what day/time is best for emailing your constituents or posting on social media, view HubSpot’s recent presentation The Science of Timing, as well as Blue Sky Factory’s When is the Best Time to Send Email. And don’t forget to integrate social media into your website so you use one channel to support the other in building your audience.

Finally, Jeff Brooks offers 20 Ways to Be Donor Centric which includes some familiar but useful reminders such as paying attention to the content and promptness of your gift acknowledgements.

Report from Chase Charity Insights Event in NYC

Posted on March 31, 2011 by Norman Reiss

A stellar panel from Facebook (Matt Jacobson, Head of Market Development), Mashable (Zachary Sniderman, Social Good Assistant Editor), Nten (Holly Ross, Executive Director), and Twitter (Jack Dorsey, CEO/Co-Founder) shared thoughts this week on nonprofits’ use of social media at the Chase Charity Insights event in midtown NYC.

Jack Dorsey, who recently announced he will return to the helm of Twitter, began by recalling the now familiar story of Charity:Water, and asked that nonprofits:

focus on design and storytelling – tell stories about the people you’re helping, not only about your organization
measure results and listen to constituents
use ‘simple tools’ to engage followers through ‘constant outreach’ to stay in touch

(Jack’s most recent project is Square, an amazing credit card reader which plugs into mobile phones, allowing organizations to accept donations / payments anywhere.)

Jack noted also that many charities are addressing the same issues, asking that we find ways to work together towards common goals.

Matt Jacobson explained how a simple gesture of agreeing to pay for someone’s groceries led to the $93 dollar club which has raised over $120,000 to fight hunger. He offered a few websites to help nonprofits get the most from Facebook, such as Non-Profits on Facebook and Facebook Pages.

My friend Holly Ross gave a quick review of the Nonprofit Social Network Benchmark Report, recently released at Nten’s Nonprofit Technology Conference (and which I recently blogged about). The most interesting takeaway – how organization size doesn’t matter – any nonprofit can benefit from using social media. But Holly pointed out that online represents only about 5% of total fundraising and that direct mail still brings in the most money. She also asked that we look past statistics and focus on telling good stories and building relationships. During the Q&A session, Holly reminded us not to talk at people, but to seek to engage in conversation.

Zachary Sniderman offered several examples of creative nonprofit social media initiatives such as Earth Hour, Living Philanthropic and would you believe, World Poopin’ Day.

Today’s event was sponsored by Chase Community Giving, which recently extended its philanthropic program by two years and $25 million and will soon begin another contest to select charities to support. There was some controversy over this program last year but nevertheless, learning from our colleagues on how to creatively use social media at our organizations is very worthwhile.

Notes from Latest Benchmark Reports

Posted on March 27, 2011 by Norman Reiss

Two major benchmark studies were released at the recent Nonprofit Technology Conference: the e2011 eNonprofit Benchmarks Study (#11NTCbenchmarks) and the Nonprofit Social Network Survey Report (#11NTCBench). If you haven’t yet had a chance to digest their contents, below are some major takeaways:

When analyzing email marketing statistics, a high unsubscribe rates will often be accompanied by a high response rate. With overall open rates of emails declining, it’s a continuing challenge to get subscribers to open and read your email messages. So look at all your statistics; don’t panic if you suddenly see a rise in unsubscribes
Do you give an option for monthly gifts whenever you ask for one-time donations? Other than by large nonprofits which seem to do the best in this area, many US based organizations seem to neglect this strategy – or forget to pay special attention when communicating with these donors
9 of 10 nonprofits now have a presence on Facebook, but use of Twitter seems to be leveling off (my take – what’s good for other nonprofits may not be best for you. I’ve seen Twitter often succeed better in creating a buzz and raise visibility than relying mostly on Facebook)
While most nonprofits aren’t raising significant funds on Facebook, many of the organizations that are doing the best in raising money are small. So if you dedicate the budget and staff, you can get good results
Many nonprofits focus on commercial networks such as Facebook and Twitter; only 13% of those surveyed have private / house networks which are used mostly for program and service delivery (my take – even though they’re initially harder to create, house networks have the strong advantage of being totally under your control; Facebook can and does change its rules often, and still makes it difficult for you to extract email addresses of those who like your page.)
Few organizations have yet shown concrete hard benefits from measurements such as ROI to validate the use of social networks; soft benefits such as increased organization visibility and non-financial supporter engagement are mentioned more frequently.

How can you use these statistics to tweak your online strategy? With an overall email churn rate of 18%, it’s critical that we always be thinking about ways of building our supporter base. While website and email marketing still predominates, it’s clear that the most successful nonprofits use a variety of techniques to engage current constituents and to attract new supporters. Social media can help, but it shouldn’t be done in a vacuum. Pick a few channels to focus your efforts, test some new approaches to see how they work, and get ideas from what other nonprofits are already doing successfully, especially others in your vertical. As both reports show, results often very dramatically between sector, e.g. international organizations whose results are often skewed by fundraising for emergencies.

For even more statistics, review the Online Giving Study, also presented at the recent Nonprofit Technology Conference. Many slides and recordings from the event sessions are now available at Nten’s NTC page.