Nonprofit Bridge

In addition to spending many hours online, I still do read books.  Recently I finished Wendy Smith’s Give a Little – How Small Donations Are Changing the World.  If you ever think that only large contributions make a difference, this book will change your mind, showing how small gifts make up the bulk of many nonprofits’ revenues.  In addition, I was introduced to many wonderful nonprofits that I wasn’t already familiar with – a complete list is available here.  My favorite quote – “giving changes you as well as the world.”

Your small gift can also help these very worthwhile causes:

• Idealist is asking for help so it can continue to be a resource for the nonprofit community
• Nten’s Holly Ross asks that you celebrate her upcoming birthday by helping a nonprofit colleague to attend the upcoming Nonprofit Technology Conference
• Support Idealware’s mission of providing objective software reviews for nonprofits by purchasing its new Field Guide to Software for Nonprofits

If you missed the recent PBS Frontline presentation of Digital Nation, you can watch it (and comment) online.   It is very thought provoking, and may provide a reminder that multitasking is not always the best way to get things done.  Also see this report from Pew Internet on Social Media and Young Adults.

Wondering about whether mobile fundraising will become a major fundraising channel as it has been for Haiti?  See MobileActive’s Definitive Guide to Mobile Fundraising as well as Beth Kanter’s summary of some recent viewpoints.

Depending on how you interpret the 2009 statistics, online giving is the greatest thing since sliced bread or is over-hyped and still represents a small piece of overall donations.  Today’s Agitator.net post challenges us to think beyond the numbers.  Some major points:

• Are new online donors simply moving over from other channels, or are they really ‘new’?
• What’s getting in the way of some nonprofits that are not seeing increases in online giving?
• If your organization has experienced a jump in online donations, do you understand why?
• Are you taking advantage of integrated strategies to coordinate your online and offline appeals?
• Can new online donors be ultimately upgraded to higher levels of engagement – as you would normally want for offline supporters?
• If some donors are contributing because their friends or family asked, can you expect them to have a relationship with your nonprofit directly to encourage future support?
• Are you doing enough testing of online messaging, as carefully as you would do for offline?

Online fundraising isn’t a magic bullet, as those who simply add a donation button to their web site without any further effort soon learn.  Similarly, if you send out regular email marketing messages but don’t analyze who’s opening and actually reading them (and who unsubscribe), you’re missing the boat.  Regardless of your 2009 online numbers, you can probably do better in 2010 by taking the time to answer some of these questions.

For more online fundraising tips, download this new Online Fundraiser’s Checklist, review 25 Tips for Better Fundraising Copy and note the recent boom in mobile fundraising (hint – this channel won’t only be effective after earthquakes).  More people are online, but fewer are using the traditional desktop of laptop computer.  Apple’s new tablet is coming soon to add yet another option.

2010 will begin the fourth year for Nonprofit Bridge.  Whether you have recently discovered our blog or have followed us since the beginning, I’d like to offer any small nonprofit organization a complimentary phone consultation to discuss how you can effectively implement online strategies.  Some questions I often receive:

• With a small budget, how can I effectively do online fundraising?
• How can I develop an email marketing campaign?
• How much should we use tools such as Facebook or Twitter to communicate with our constituents?
• What is the best way to update our web content?
• We’re considering a new donor database or content management system – where do we start?
• Should I put my events online, even if they have no charge to attend?
• Which department / staff member should take the lead in online / Internet strategy?

Please contact us to take advantage of this offer.

With year-end approaching soon, don’t forget to send out a last minute appeal to your constituents (and thank them for their past support).

Wishing you a healthy and peaceful holiday season and new year.

This week I had the pleasure of participating in Nten’s first Online Nonprofit Technology Conference.  While on a much smaller scale than the annual spring event, the two days of online webinars featured some of our sector’s brightest stars and allowed an opportunity for much more interaction with the presenters than is normally possible at the live event.  Some highlights:

• Network for Good’s Katya Andresen reminded us that raising awareness of our organizations isn’t enough, it’s to ‘get someone to take an action.’    She also recommended we let the constituent be the messenger for our cause (much more effective than if message comes directly from organization).   She implored us to focus on the donor when designing our web sites, not on the organization structure, mentioning Kiva and DonorsChoose as examples of how to do this right.
• ConmmonGood Career’s James Weinberg described how social networking sites are replacing online job boards.  As a way to encourage staff longevity, he suggested finding ways to change job responsibilities even if the position doesn’t change.   If nonprofits can’t create opportunities for staff to advance, it is their responsibility to help them move elsewhere (not sure how many nonprofits would agree)
• Idealware’s Laura Quinn offered a sneak peak at her Field Guide to Software, to be released later this year.  She added that the choice of donor database is probably the most critical decision (and to make sure everyone in organization is comfortable using it)
• Beaconfire’s Michael Cervino discussed using benchmarks from sites such as PewInternet and  e-Benchmarks-Study to measure how well our organizations are performing, also showing how Google Analytics funnels can be used effectively.  He also described how online surveys are best used frequently with few questions.  (I added this is a great way to add data to help segment your database)
• Philantech’s Dahna Goldstein discussed how to help staff deal with change, e.g. making sure that staff are fully involved and kept informed
• Consultant John Kenyon and American Lung’s Rusty Burwell discussed online communications and the importance of inter-department collaboration.  See my previous post on this topic.  In response to my question, John stated emphatically that social media will never replace email as the main communications medium.

Thanks to Holly and the NTen staff for putting on another great program, and congrats also to Holly for being recognized by Nonprofit Times in the Top 50 Power and Influence!

This week has featured a flurry of comments about whether nonprofits are taking advantage of new social media tools such as Twitter.  Seth Godin says no but the Chronicle of Philanthropy gives several examples to  show how some nonprofits are doing things right.   See also social media guru Beth Kanter’s attempt to reconcile the two sides.

My take: smaller organizations such as Charity:Water will continue to take the lead on showing larger nonprofits how to raise funds and engage constituents in a variety of new ways.  Larger organizations are still trying to deal with what Clay Shirky’s observation during his year’s  Nonprofit Technology Conference: nonprofits have already lost control of their branding and messaging .

Here’s a newly released report on How Nonprofits are Using Web-based Technologies to Reach Their Goals.   Not surprisingly, many organizations are still experimenting to discover what works.  On the for profit side, some companies are using outside firms to manage their Twitter and Facebook presence;  my take – social media works best if it’s coming directly from organization staff.

eTapestry introduced their ’software as a service’ product in 1999, long before many others realized the benefits of a web based interface.  (eTapestry was acquired by Blackbaud in August 2007.)  This week I had the opportunity to attend a session given by CEO Jay Love who offered some interesting insights.

Social media is on everyone’s radar lately;  Jay described the value of monitoring comments about your company / brand and described a recent experience where eTapestry was able to respond quickly to a negative tweet by a customer.  Read about the happy ending.

It’s often frustrating when our donors stop giving, but sometimes the problem is hidden when the number of new donors more than make up the difference.  If we can find ways to re-engage lapsed donors, what a difference this can make in our list growth!  Here’s some recent Guidestar tips on how to reduce donor attrition rates.

Two important questions to ask:

1. How do you welcome new subscribers?  (Common Knowledge has also done considerable work on developing a welcome series of communications.)
2. How do you manage relationship after opt-in?

Jay described the importance of having a donor database what everyone uses to document constituent interactions, also detailing a personal experience where he is considering discontinuing support for a charity which ‘asked the same questions’ that he had already answered in a past meeting.  In my experience, organizations that have a fully functional CRM often have difficulty getting staff to use it.   In response to my question,  Jay recommended that nonprofits demonstrate that those who are the biggest ‘note takers’ are the most successful in fundraising – and publicize this information to all staff.

Another point which may seem obvious but isn’t always applied – make sure you direct constituents to specific landing pages so you can track where they came from, not to your general home page.

For more ideas, visit Jay’s blog as well as Blackbaud’s NetWits ThinkTank blog.   To learn more about social media, visit the Gear Up for Giving training offered by the Case Foundation.

In preparing for its upcoming  Online Nonprofit Technology Conference, Nten has asked What’s Holding Your Technology Back? I’ve posted a lengthy response, but make sure to read through everyone’s comments to this interesting question.

If you missed last week’s Blackbaud NetWits Summer Camp, all sessions and slides are now available for review.  I’ve known Steve MacLaughlin for years and his insights are very helpful.

Have a great Labor Day weekend!

Yesterday’s Social Good Conference was the final event of the Summer of Social Good,  benefiting four nonprofit organizations which were featured at yesterday’s event: Livestrong, Humane Society, Oxfam America and WWF.  The program offered many examples of how we can use online tools to further our missions, particularly social media.

Facebook’s Randi Zuckenberg suggested that to fully take advantage of Facebook’s latest capabilities such as their Insights Tool, nonprofits setup a page, not just a group.  She also suggested creating videos to feature on the page.  It’s not so important how many fans your page has rather how many of them are engaged with your cause.  Read more at Wall Street Journal.

Global Giving and Causecast offered brief presentations to show many ways constituents can be encouraged to support causes beyond making direct donations.

What have been the most successful online fundraising campaigns: Twestival ($250,000), America’s Giving Challenge ($340,000) and Causes Birthday Wishes ($ 2 million in 6 months!).

Andy Ridley offered a stirring review of the success of the worldwide Earth Hour initiave, reminding us to ‘let people make their own messages’ to promote your cause.

Oxfam America extensively uses social media because “it’s the best way to reach supporters quickly” and “allows for instant response / feedback.”  Bob Ferguson offered these suggestions on how to help Oxfam:

• follow us on Twitter and retweet our posts
• join our Facebook fan page and repost
• sign up for our e-advocacy list
• volunteer
• tell others about Oxfam

Humane Society has made a strong commitment to ephilanthropy and was an early adopter of social media.  They have 25 (!) staff in online communications, 6 which focus on social media.   Everyone in the organization “gets it” – their CEO is tech savvy and blogs regularly.  They’ve raised over $400,000 in Facebook Causes (still doubt that this platform can be a significant contributor to fundraising revenue?).  While brand monitoring “can be very time consuming,” Twitter offers the best way to keep in touch with what others are saying about your organization.   Take advantage of tools such as Tweetdeck and Google Alerts.

WWF explained their social media strategy as a way to build community, not just do fundraising.  They’ve also worked with MobileCommons to build a mobile subscriber list and were recently featured in the Facebook Gift Center.  They’ve also built relationships using eBay Giving Works and SocialVibe.

LiveStrong described their recent Global Cancer Summit, which was promoted primarily in Facebook and Twitter, and attracted 4500 online attendees.  Their goal: “make those online feel like they are at the Summit and are participating and learning.”

Beth Kanter has long offered a wonderful blog on social media;  her in person presentation was equally stimulating.  Beth suggested we use three R’s to connect with our constituents: relationship building (don’t just connect when asking for money), rewards and reciprocity.  She also used her personal connection with Cambodian children to demonstrate the power of establishing an emotional connection with story telling.  Read Beth’s comments on conference.

Drew Olanoff, recently diagnosed with cancer, offered a stirring description of how he’s created Blame Drew’s Cancer to promote Livestrong.

All for Good’s Jonathan Greenblatt described how his organization is using open source to transform volunteerism and to engage all Americans in service.

My take aways from the day:

1. Organizations like HumaneSociety are succeeding online because everyone in the nonprofit is involved, not just a ‘department’ which has been charged with the role of promoting and monitoring their online brand
2. It’s important to support organizations that have charitable goals.  My wife has a large shoes collection, but we’ve never known about Tom’s Shoes.
3. While online connections are important, so are face to face conversations.  Some attendees I tried to speak with at the conference seemed so involved with their computers / phones that I felt that any attempt to speak to them would not be welcome.
4. We need to all find a way to make volunteering part of our lives.  I’ve slipped a bit and will do my best to rectify this by year-end
5. Use social media tools to engage with constituents, not just build a large list.  The organizations profiled above have set a wonderful example of us to follow.

The end of the event featured a surprise ‘announcement’:  Mashable’ COO Adam Schwartz, who hosted the event, proposed marriage to Sharon Feder on stage.  We all cheered and she said yes.

Usability testing is a great way to find out how well your web site is really meeting the needs of your audience.  Take a look at Userfly and how Beaconfire is helping Nten to redesign its web site.

Often projects fail because of a breakdown in communication.  No Surprises: The Key to Good Communication offers suggestions on how to keep all stakeholders on the same page.

Need a general list of online services?  Try 100 Online Tools for Non-Profits.

Beth’s Blog consistently offers wonderful material, even when she’s not the author – 4 Keys to Building a Successful Nonprofit Web Site.

Blackbaud is offering a good review of online strategies in a webinar series later this month.  Registration and details.

Some great Nten offerings coming up in September, offering an online version of events usually held live:

• Online Nonprofit Technology Conference - based on content from Nten’s recently published Managing Technology to Meet Your Mission: A Strategic Guide for Nonprofit Leaders
• We Are Media – for a great review of social media strategy (For more on this topic, see What’s in a Social Media Policy and Why You Might Need One.)

Personally, my wife and I are finally moving into our new home Monday, Aug. 17 after living in temporary quarters for the last month.  We’re looking forward to entering the next stage of our lives together.

At many organizations that I’ve worked at, projects often don’t meet expectations not because of a bad product but more due to a lack of staff training.  Many nonprofits have a high turnover rate, so training becomes an ongoing need, not something that you can just schedule once in a while.  Some recommendations:

1. Take advantage of web / phone conferencing software to offer classes regularly.  But make sure that participants are encouraged to ask questions at any time, not just at the end of the session.  Especially when you can’t visually see others’ reactions, it’s important to make sure everyone is absorbing the material.
2. Offer recorded classes on your intranet, but don’t use this as an excuse not to provide live classes.  You can only get so much benefit from a class where you can’t ask questions.
3. Give participants an incentive to fill out evaluations immediately after the class, and pay attention to their comments.
4. Timing is important.  Don’t offer a class a month before a new product is available.  But also don’t wait until the product has been rolled out before classes are offered.
5. When hiring new staff, knowledge of specific applications is helpful, but more useful is selecting employees that are comfortable with learning.  Most jobs change significantly after someone is hired, so choose candidates that are comfortable with learning new technologies.
6. When budgets are tight, it’s tempting to cut training first.  Change how training is offered if you must, but don’t eliminate it completely;  staff productivity will be directly affected.
7. Provide  ‘quick start guides’ to help participants retain skills, but don’t be surprised if you need to often a refresher class periodically.

One last poin:  Take advantage of free / low-cost training offered by organizations such as Nten, Network for Good and Idealware. For example, Kivi Leroux Miller’s recent 7 Steps to Better Email Fundraising and Communications session and accompanying Nonprofit Email Marketing Guide are wonderful resources for those new and old in ephilanthropy.  Personalized training by your nonprofit staff  is optimal but don’t forget to take advantage of other online options.