Embracing Technology & Social Media in the Nonprofit World

Brooke Csukas

Education Market, eTapestry

12/14/10

What is our history?What is our history?• Founded by former execs of MSC

• First “Software as a Service” solution for nonprofits in 1999

• 6,000+ Nonprofit clients worldwide

• Became part of Blackbaud-August 2007

• Formed partnership with NSFA in 2009

AgendaAgenda

AgendaAgenda

1. Optimizing your Website

2. Attracting Donors/Support through Social Media

3. Collecting Information on the Web

4. Making your Database Work for You

5. Communicating with New/Existing Donors

So what does the fundraising world look like these days?

Giving USA 2010 results:• Total charitable giving down 3.6%• Total giving $303.75 billion in 2009• Only the 3rd year giving has been over $300 billion• Individual giving consistent -only dropped .4%• Foundation grants decreased 8.9%• Corporate giving increased 5.5%

(mostly gifts in-kind)• 2.3% Increase in gifts to human services

5 Reasons to Focus on Technology:1. You need to move beyond business as usual; despite the economic climate2. You need to increase awareness3. You need greater efficiencies4. You need increased productivity5. You need greater reporting

The basic rules still apply…

• Fundraising is still about relationship building

Acquisition Cultivation

Today’s environment is a little different:

Acquisition Cultivation

Keep it simple & Make Integration a Focus

Constituent Website

Gather Information

Use Email

DatabaseDatabase

Web Site OptimizationWeb Site Optimization

75% of donors will check your website before making a gift whether it is Online/Offline

If Relationships are Built on Communications . . . Set yourself up for success!

A Few Key Changes can Make a Huge Difference

Your website = tool for engagement

Web Site Optimization:Before, After, and After!Web Site Optimization:

Before, After, and After!

1. Learn from your content - Google Analytics

2. Make your site easy to find- Google Grants- Links to your site from social media outlets- Links from all of your correspondence pieces

3. Make your content ever changing - Static vs. Content Mgt site? - Facebook updates and Tweets- Pictures, podcasts and blogs

4. Give Constituents a way to INTERACT!

Keys to Building a Successful Web SiteKeys to Building a Successful Web Site

Top Ten Traffic Sources

Google Grant/Sponsored Links—How to Google Grant/Sponsored Links—How to increase your web presence/visibilityincrease your web presence/visibility

Google Grant/Sponsored Links—How to Google Grant/Sponsored Links—How to increase your web presence/visibilityincrease your web presence/visibility

They’re at your website, now what do they do?

1. Can they engage?

2.2. Can they add content? (Web 2.0)Can they add content? (Web 2.0)

3. Can they give or volunteer?

Your goal – to get something from them!

Keep it simple & Make Integration a Focus

Constituent Website

Gather Information

Use Email

DatabaseDatabase

Social Media

What is Social Media?What is Social Media?Social media is online content created by people using highly accessible and

scalable publishing technologies. Social media is a shift in how people discover, read and share news, information and content; it's a fusion of sociology and technology, transforming people from content readers into publishers.

Social media has become extremely popular because it allows people to connect in the online world to form relationships for personal, political and business use.

How can it work for you?“What’s in it for my organization?”

– Creating Awareness (More with less)– Viral Effect– Event Registration– Driving Website Traffic– Engaging Alumni– Encourage Interaction/Action

Which of the following types of social media does your charity currently use?

33%34%32%

41%

26% 25%

13%

79%

57%

30%

36%

79%

16%

11%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Video Blogging

SocialNetworking

Blogging Podcasting Message/BulletinBoards

Wikis Do Not UseAny

2007

2008

Food for Thought….Food for Thought…. Top 5 Most Visited

Websites in the United States:

1. Google2. Facebook3. Yahoo4. YouTube5. Wikipedia

(Blogger.com #7, MySpace is #11 and Twitter #12 )

Source: http://www.alexa.com/topsites/countries/US

YouTube!YouTube!• Evoke emotion• Videos can easily be posted on website or as a link

within an eBlast or eNewsletter• FREE service to increase your visibility

78.6% of total U.S. Internet audience

viewed online video.

Real Life Example….Dec 11:Subject line: Urgent Appeal: Your gift to CRS is

vitally important!

Straight Appeal Static donation formRaised $112k

Source: Laura Durington: CRS Social Media Presentation-AFP Maryland, 2009

YEAR-END 2008Dec 29:Subject line: Only 48 hours left to make a tax-

deductible gift!

Added “hotspot” text

Added video message from our president (that plays right on the donation form)

Added a strong pull-quoteRaised $112kWatch the video

Source: Laura Durington: CRS Social Media Presentation-AFP Maryland, 2009

YEAR-END 2008

Dec 31:Subject line: Final Deadline: Last chance to

make a tax-deductible gift

New “hotspot” textKept video message

from our presidentNew pull quoteRaised $119kWatch the video

Was CRS’s most successful online fundraising campaign to date (non-emergency).

• Three e-mail messages in this campaign (based on a direct mail piece)

• Banner ads used on website• Posts on social networking sites advertising campaign • Use of YouTube video within message

This campaign raised $594k online. Source: Laura Durington: CRS Social Media Presentation-AFP Maryland, 2009

The Results…

FACEBOOKFACEBOOK• What is Facebook??

– A Free, online social networking site that connects people through online communities• Facebook started out as a service for university students but now almost one

third of its global audience is aged 35-49 years of age and almost one quarter is over 50 years old.

• Non profits can use Facebook to: – Connect– Brand– Share your story – Fundraise

FACEBOOK UsersFACEBOOK Users

Facebook

Source: http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/how-to-add-google-analytics-to-your-facebook-fan-page/

Where can I learn more?

• Beth’s Blog, Beth Kanter: http://beth.typepad.com/

• Social Media Examiner: http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/

• Tech Soup, Technology for Nonprofits: www.techsoup.org

Flickr, Podcasts, Message Boards, Flickr, Podcasts, Message Boards, BlogsBlogs

• Flickr—Photo Sharing Application• Podcasts—Short recordings about a variety of different topics

that can be purchased, downloaded for free, or posted on a web page

• Blogs—A portion of a website (or a separate entity altogether like Twitter) in which an author posts discussion topics or information to be shared with followers– Personal Blogs=Online ‘Diary’– Organizational blogs=Information sharing/News Updates

Podcasts

 

Blogs

The Power of Twitter

Real Life Story via the “New York Times”…

“Web Site Story Continued”Gift for Promotioncharity: water * 11 Employees * 500,000 Followers on Twitter * 500 Donors Cover

all Admin Costs * Donors can Locate

Their Well on Webvia Google Earth

* Raised $965,000via Sept. Birthdays

charity: water1. Was the $250,000 raised via Twitter the key

fact?

2. Was the $975,000 raised from Sept. birthdays the key fact?

3. Is the way they have harnessed web/video technology the key?

4. How about how they show impact via Google Earth?

Communicating daily w/ 500,000+ followers!

Social Networks: Hints for SuccessSocial Networks: Hints for Success

• Being present is not enough, engage• Be authentic, otherwise you will be exposed fast• Endorsements matter, think forwarded emails!• Measure Results • Have something to say, must be regular or it dies fast• Focus on driving traffic back to your website

Stephanie Miller, Email Insider, 2009

Collecting information on your website

Ecommerce / Online Giving

Personal Fundraising

Shopping Cart

Ecommerce & Online Giving

Important Functions of your Online Donation Page:

• Integrates directly into donor database• Requires no additional manual entry• Customizable• Allow for recurring gifts• Match the look & feel of your website

(security)

Ecommerce & Online Giving

• Volunteers• Events• Membership• Donor /

Alumni Log-in

Personal Fundraising

• Higher response rates• Higher average Gifts• Capture all THREE levels of

Fundraiser Donations: Participants, Teams, Donors

• Begin harvesting relationship with constituents that donate/participate for the first time.

Personal Fundraising

Shopping Cart

•Items/Tickets

•Customizable

• Registration

Fulfillment

•Shipping/Tax

Where does the information go? • How do you track all of the information

you know about a donor? • Can you store their interests, historical

conversations, and all contact points in one location?

• Is your institutional memory protected?

• What are the benefits to combining all this information into one location?

Database – utilizing,not just managing, your information

Relationships•How would tracking relationships increase your fundraising success?

ReportingHow do this year’s donors compare to last year’s?

Database = Fundraising Tool

• Only works if used daily by all

• Must be consistent/accurate

• Powerful Memory Supplement

• Technology makes it easy

On the Road

•Does your organization have multiple offices? •Can you access your organizational data from anywhere? •How do you track notes from major gift visits or events?

What needs do your organization have for accessing your development database?

Communications

• People are connected 24/7

• How can we be expected to communicate with so many people?

• How can we personalize our message?

Why Has Email Become So Important?

• People are busy…they want to communicate/interact on their own time

• Email is inexpensive…• Email provides virtually instant access

to friends and supporters• Email is a great equalizer• Email is measurable• Today’s Supporter has shifted

Grow Your List Online• Direct staff and other close

supporters (board, volunteers, etc.) to include subscription links in email signatures

• Use Search Engine Optimization/Marketing to increase traffic and subscriptions

• Advertise your newsletter/services/cause through a 3rd party list

Grow Your List Offline

• Ask for email addresses at every touch point

• Instruct staff to capture email addresses over phone when appropriate

• Include your website address on all printed materials

• Offer an incentive to register (contest, raffle) to collect emails

Why Segmentation is Important• Segmentation breaks your

audience into manageable parts

• If the goal is building relationships, it helps to know who you are talking to

• Segmenting your list will lead to more targeted messages

• If you don’t segment, you are treating every one of your recipients like they are the exact same type of person

How to be a Good Sender• In your messages, always include:

– The purpose; why you are sending it to the reader

– A clear way to unsubscribe. – Consider offering alternative ways to receive

emails, such as:• Receiving newsletters monthly vs. weekly• Change of address (home vs. business email)• Sign up via RSS

– Link to your homepage– Privacy policy– Physical/street address of your organization

• Don’t get caught in spam traps

Think viral and be a good sender!

Designing for Mobile Devices

• Mobile readers are more likely to scan your email rather than reading

• Include compelling call to action in the first 15-25 characters of your subject line

• Avoid “top heavy” images in the design• In addition to testing email browsers, test

messages in handheld devices

email (html)

Track what’s happening! Who receives, who opens, even who clicks on links

within your emails.

What Now?

1. Take a look in the mirror

How do you stack up?

- Website (Interaction?)- Social Media Presence- Collecting Info online- Database Effectiveness (Tool for

Fundraising?)- E-mail/Communications

What Now?

2. Plan

Make technology/social media a priority

- Set Aside Time for Review- Add to Board Agenda- Seek Professional Assistance (Most companies will help you do this at

NO COST!)

What Now?

• 3. Start Slowly Decide which areas to start with– Website?– Social Media? If so, pick one to start with!– eCommerce?– Database?– Communication?

If you’re already doing all of these, pick one way to improve in each area.

What Now?

4. Continuous Evaluation

Must be Measurable

- Website Hits- Social Media “Friends”- Fundraising Dollars- Donor Retention Percentages- Communications

- Cost vs. Results

What Now?

5. Have Fun!!!

- Try New Things- Get Creative- Share your passion for your

mission!

What Now?

1. How do we stack up?

2. Written Plan

3. Start Slowly

4. Continuous Evaluation of Tools/Technology

5. Have FUN

Resources• Getting Started with Facebook• Beth Kanter Blog – How Nonprofits Can Use Social Media• www.twitter.com • Blackbaud – Raising Money During Challenging Times• Getting Started with Google Analytics• www.socialmediaexaminer.com • www.techsoup.org

• eTapestry Home Page• Contact eTapestry for Guidance

Questions?

Thanks!

Brooke Csukasbrooke.csukas@etapestry.com

317-336-3912