While I was getting my MBA, I took this amazing class in organizational intelligence. Basically, organizational intelligence is a cultural shift from a single person hoarding all of his or her knowledge in an organization to recording the knowledge so others in the org. have access to it. Think about it--when someone leaves an organization, there is usually a giant gaping hole left in their wake. If an organization has a culture of intelligence sharing there will be a smoother transition between employees and between employees across the organization in real time. Less duplication of work, more collaboration between employees--sounds pretty amazing to me!
In a nonprofit organization, many employees wear "multiple hats" and have so many different roles that the organization must instill a culture of shared intelligence where the employee (or volunteer) is willing to share what they know or do for the organization's future.
Technology is the best answer to this problem--asking employees to do something as simple as asking employees to post key documents on Google Docs (or another open site) or to record key relationships in the CRM would help anyone involved in the organization to see exactly where things stand with constituents.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Thursday, April 22, 2010
how much does social media really cost?
Social media can be exhausting. To do it well takes a lot of time, effort and knowledge. Social media aggregator tools (like the one that i have been using--Yoono) are great, but at the same time can be so distracting that you can literally spend your entire day clicking and reading on links that are posted, replying to tweets and starting conversations. Then, there are the other social media aspects to pay attention to--blogs, comments on blogs, mainstream media, etc. i think that I can literally make a career out of being on social media all the time looking for a job in social media (any takers?)...
This doesn't even talk about the dollars and cents cost of social media, and hiring an outside consultant can run a nonprofit A LOT of money. Insanity. Some excecutives at nonprofits reject the idea of social media because they think that it's a fad, while others may reject the idea because it is just too expensive. At a resource strained nonprofit, can you blame them??
This doesn't even talk about the dollars and cents cost of social media, and hiring an outside consultant can run a nonprofit A LOT of money. Insanity. Some excecutives at nonprofits reject the idea of social media because they think that it's a fad, while others may reject the idea because it is just too expensive. At a resource strained nonprofit, can you blame them??
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Facebook is Diggin' it
This week Facebook introduced the "like" button that can be used on any site anywhere., similiar to "Digg". It will be interesting to see how this will be used, and if it will catch on. Then again, it seems like anything that Facebook does will catch on. I was thinking of the ways that nonprofits will be able to use this to their advantage--will the sites get info on who is liking their site/article? Will they have access to any information on the sites? Facebook has said that the "liking" will allow advertisers to target their audiences more accurately, but what will happen with nonprofits? Also, I wonder if Facebook will have a grant program (similar to Google Ad Grants) that allow nonprofits to follow up with some of those who "liked" their pages...
A Conundrum
So yesterday, I met up with my friend Renee'. Renee' wants to start a career in volunteer coordination, and she and I started chatting about some ethical dilemmas that may come up when volunteering for an organization and how a volunteer should deal with that. For instance, what if you were volunteering (and highly invested) in an organization and you found out that said organization was involved in activities that were contrary to your beliefs. How do you, as a volunteer, deal with that? Conversely, what if an organization has a rock-star volunteer and then finds out that the volunteer is involved in some shady activities, etc. I think that this situation (or really either situation) would be the .00001% of the time, but it was interesting to think about nonetheless.
This involved into a conversation about corporate sponsorships for an organization....If an corporation approaches a nonprofit for a sponsorship, or vice versa, there is a courting process, but I think that so many times the donations or the prospect for joining forces with a nonprofit clouds some decision making. Whose decision making wouldn't be clouded though? Anyway, with the Internet making everything transparent, any corporation or nonprofit can't hide anything. For instance, a huge corporation may choose to join forces with a nonprofit who is focused on public health. The parent company of said huge corporation may manufacture food that is horrible for the public. How can the nonprofit accept a sponsorship knowing that the roots of this corporation works against the nonprofit's mission? Surely, this information will become known by some web-sleuths...but how can the organization pass up this huge sponsorship?
Just some food for thought...
***Update*** I just saw this article on the NPQ about a similar issue...and with some solid advice about turning something like this into a positive for the organization.
This involved into a conversation about corporate sponsorships for an organization....If an corporation approaches a nonprofit for a sponsorship, or vice versa, there is a courting process, but I think that so many times the donations or the prospect for joining forces with a nonprofit clouds some decision making. Whose decision making wouldn't be clouded though? Anyway, with the Internet making everything transparent, any corporation or nonprofit can't hide anything. For instance, a huge corporation may choose to join forces with a nonprofit who is focused on public health. The parent company of said huge corporation may manufacture food that is horrible for the public. How can the nonprofit accept a sponsorship knowing that the roots of this corporation works against the nonprofit's mission? Surely, this information will become known by some web-sleuths...but how can the organization pass up this huge sponsorship?
Just some food for thought...
***Update*** I just saw this article on the NPQ about a similar issue...and with some solid advice about turning something like this into a positive for the organization.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Phemonenal Presentation--I had to repost!!
Wow--this is a rockstar presentation! I wish that I had been able to go to the AFP conference to see this in person, but the slides are amazing as well!
Concrete ideas on how to actually get a social media strategy up and running and how it can be measured. Even though it's been said before, I haven't heard it said that social media has changed the conversation with constituents from "Monologue--> Dialogue". Love it love it love it!
great to check out!
Concrete ideas on how to actually get a social media strategy up and running and how it can be measured. Even though it's been said before, I haven't heard it said that social media has changed the conversation with constituents from "Monologue--> Dialogue". Love it love it love it!
great to check out!
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Very Very interesting...
USA Today posted this article about giving. It seems like the response to the earthquake in Haiti has quickly become a benchmark for social giving, but I think that it shows what could happen, but it is doubtful that this type of giving will happen for an organization without a major crisis.
One of the things that stood out to me in that there are approxmiately the same percentage of people from Gen Y and Matures gave via website. That was really interesting to me because I would think the Matures wouldn't give as much online as those in Gen Y.
Wowza. what does this mean? Should organizations have a site that speaks to a younger generation and a site that speaks to an older generation? How can the language and site speak to all without excluding any of the groups? It is a really intersting conundrum that nonprofits may need to address as the generational gaps become more evident.
One of the things that stood out to me in that there are approxmiately the same percentage of people from Gen Y and Matures gave via website. That was really interesting to me because I would think the Matures wouldn't give as much online as those in Gen Y.
Wowza. what does this mean? Should organizations have a site that speaks to a younger generation and a site that speaks to an older generation? How can the language and site speak to all without excluding any of the groups? It is a really intersting conundrum that nonprofits may need to address as the generational gaps become more evident.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Why emails are sent out
This is the chart of the week on marketingsherpa.com. The marketing objectives are ranked by importance on the chart.
I thought it was interesting to see the similarities (or what I think would be the similiarities) between this chart--which was made for for-profit companies and nonprofits.
Definitely the most important for both nonprofits and for profits would be to retain existing customers/constitutents. In one of the posts yesterday, I talked about how 8 out of 10 donors do not donate again. Keeping existing donors/customers/constituents is very important for a nonprofit, since it has already worked hard to gain the supporter in the first place. By communicating with this in mind will help to ensure that the donors know how their funds were used and why it is important to continue donating. This doesn't necessarily mean that it has to come through email (although that is clearly the cheapest method).
I would think that for the building brand education would be higher on the list for nonprofits as some email communications are made specifically to educate about what the organization does.
I would love to hear your thoughts on this--and how you think that this would be amended for nonprofits.
Facebook Fans Valued at $3.60 Each [STATS]
I came across this article (Facebook Fans Valued at $3.60 Each [STATS]) on multiple sites yesterday, but it was interesting to see exactly how these calculations were made. I don't think that this is particularly accurate (although it is probably as close as it could possibly be). It would be interesting to do this valuation for nonprofits and it is about as good an argument as any could be for noprofits to start focusing on social media. The value for gaining more and more followers and come up with unique information and updates for their fans. At a value of $3.60 a piece, gaining more and more fans can only help a nonprofit get more support for their organization.
Posted using ShareThis
Posted using ShareThis
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
8 out of 10 donors do what?>!?!
A couple of weeks ago, I saw a post on Social Fish that talked about some of the different free webinars that are going on through the month of April. Possibly the best post ever! I was able to sign up for a bunch of these free webinars and attended two today.
They were both interesting, but the second was really great--it was on how generations should be considered by nonprofits both for volunteerism and as donors. There are some generalities in each generation and it impacts learning styles, world views, etc. Nonprofits should know who their constituents are and how to approach them--for instance sending out a different newsletter to some of the age groups or changing messaging to recruit volunteers.
One of the most impactful things that came out of this was that 8 out of 10 donors do not donate a second time to a nonprofit. &*&(^(&(U WHHHAAT?!?! This is crazy. Thanking donors and mainitaining a good relationship with them is so important. But thanking them in a way that makes them feel good (possibly indicated by their generation) while making fiscal sense is the best. A millenial (born 1980-present) could be thanked via a quick personalized email. On the other hand, a Boomer may want a phone call thanking them, etc.
Moral of the story--get to know your donors, get to know their generations and use that information. Listening to the donors and what they want is imperative to keep donors coming back to your organization.
They were both interesting, but the second was really great--it was on how generations should be considered by nonprofits both for volunteerism and as donors. There are some generalities in each generation and it impacts learning styles, world views, etc. Nonprofits should know who their constituents are and how to approach them--for instance sending out a different newsletter to some of the age groups or changing messaging to recruit volunteers.
One of the most impactful things that came out of this was that 8 out of 10 donors do not donate a second time to a nonprofit. &*&(^(&(U WHHHAAT?!?! This is crazy. Thanking donors and mainitaining a good relationship with them is so important. But thanking them in a way that makes them feel good (possibly indicated by their generation) while making fiscal sense is the best. A millenial (born 1980-present) could be thanked via a quick personalized email. On the other hand, a Boomer may want a phone call thanking them, etc.
Moral of the story--get to know your donors, get to know their generations and use that information. Listening to the donors and what they want is imperative to keep donors coming back to your organization.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
More from NTEN
I have so much to say about Beth and Allison's "The Networked Nonprofit" session that I couldn't fit it all into just one post. Plus, I am trying to get up to Andrew Sullivan's suggested 20 posts in one day. I kid, I kid.
One of the other things that was talked about during the session was how transparency of an organization and how that impacts the communication strategy. Transparency is so important because there is so much competition for donors and so many competing organizations that being transparent has become increasingly important.
Being transparent will hopefully help organizations to figure out what their "competitive advantage" is. This sounds really business-y, but it's true. There are millions of nonprofits all competing for donors. If the nonprofit doesn't have a clear idea of where it is going and how it is getting there, it will not be spending donations most efficiently. Transparency within an organization gives it more accountability to the donors, and force the organizations to find their niches.
One of the other things that was talked about during the session was how transparency of an organization and how that impacts the communication strategy. Transparency is so important because there is so much competition for donors and so many competing organizations that being transparent has become increasingly important.
Being transparent will hopefully help organizations to figure out what their "competitive advantage" is. This sounds really business-y, but it's true. There are millions of nonprofits all competing for donors. If the nonprofit doesn't have a clear idea of where it is going and how it is getting there, it will not be spending donations most efficiently. Transparency within an organization gives it more accountability to the donors, and force the organizations to find their niches.
NTEN Conference, Part 2
At the remote conference at Convio, we were able to choose some of our sessions. There were a couple that I desperately wanted to go to, and luckily they were one of the ones chosen for Convio to stream. I geeked out a little bit over the fact that I was able to attend "The Networked Nonprofit," which was led by Allison Fine and Beth Kanter. I had read Allison's book "Momentum" and LOVED it, and pretty much every informational interview that I have ever gone on has recommended to follow Beth's blog, since she is THE expert on social media.
One of the biggest brain grapes that I got from this session was that "Listening is the gateway drug for social media." Whoa--this ties in to what Andrew Sullivan was saying about how blogging is a one-on-one conversation, that social media is really SOCIAL, it's not all a one way street. Listening does so many things for the social organization--it allows the organization to not only find where its constituents are, but also to figure out HOW to interact with them. The session talked about how there is a "great learning in reflection"--how organizations need to assess ideas, look and see what works and if they don't give them a "joyful funeral" to say goodbye.
But doing this means that there must be a culture of innovation, of not just forging ahead blindly, but figuring out what to do and giving it up if it's not working. That's a lot of pride to swallow. If this isn't part of the nonprofit's culture, taking small steps in that direction will definitely help--but big steps would probably be better. :)
One of the biggest brain grapes that I got from this session was that "Listening is the gateway drug for social media." Whoa--this ties in to what Andrew Sullivan was saying about how blogging is a one-on-one conversation, that social media is really SOCIAL, it's not all a one way street. Listening does so many things for the social organization--it allows the organization to not only find where its constituents are, but also to figure out HOW to interact with them. The session talked about how there is a "great learning in reflection"--how organizations need to assess ideas, look and see what works and if they don't give them a "joyful funeral" to say goodbye.
But doing this means that there must be a culture of innovation, of not just forging ahead blindly, but figuring out what to do and giving it up if it's not working. That's a lot of pride to swallow. If this isn't part of the nonprofit's culture, taking small steps in that direction will definitely help--but big steps would probably be better. :)
my Tom's Shoes obsession and a Day without Shoes
Ok, like most females (and a portion of my male friends), I love shoes. At the risk of turning into one of those Sex and the City chicks, I will say shoes make me happy. If I'm feeling down, a pair of heels will literally give me the lift I need to get through the day.
Anyway, last week was Tom's Shoes "A Day without Shoes", which encouraged people to go without shoes for an entire day to raise awareness about those who do not have shoes at all. There are millions of people who are exposed to a variety of diseases through their feet because they don't have shoes. I had to work on the "Day without Shoes", but I rocked my red Tom's in solidarity with the cause.
Tom's did an AMAZING job promoting this cause through social media. They twittered, sent out reminders, talked about the t-shirts they had for sale (if you couldn't go shoeless), and asked for pictures of people who were going without shoes. They really turned this event into a "social" event--even though many of the connections that were made were virtual.
Great job!
Here's a pic of my Tom's on a recent outing to Austin's Mount Bonnell:
Anyway, last week was Tom's Shoes "A Day without Shoes", which encouraged people to go without shoes for an entire day to raise awareness about those who do not have shoes at all. There are millions of people who are exposed to a variety of diseases through their feet because they don't have shoes. I had to work on the "Day without Shoes", but I rocked my red Tom's in solidarity with the cause.
Tom's did an AMAZING job promoting this cause through social media. They twittered, sent out reminders, talked about the t-shirts they had for sale (if you couldn't go shoeless), and asked for pictures of people who were going without shoes. They really turned this event into a "social" event--even though many of the connections that were made were virtual.
Great job!
Here's a pic of my Tom's on a recent outing to Austin's Mount Bonnell:
My new position--WOO HOO!!
I am extremely fortunate to announce that I am now the Director of Fundraising and Communications for Cadence Sports Online. This is a part time role, so I will still be able to look for jobs and move. My role at Cadence is EXACTLY what I want to be doing--I am writing the communications for a few of the events that Cadence is producing. This includes the fundraising encouragement letters, the registration pushes and the social media pushes for the events.
I am really excited about this opportunity because I will be able to look in depth at the emails and social media and how it will impact these events. One series has a fundraising minimum and the other doesn't--so it will be interesting to see how different reactions to different types of emails.
I am extremely lucky because both of the nonprofits that I am working with are forward looking and are willing to try different things. From my friends at other nonprofits, I have heard that the opposite is usually the case, so I am extremely fortunate to be working with organizations that aren't stuck in the mud.
One of the things that I am looking to do is to hit the $0 fundraisers...Most experts say that it is best to concentrate the focus on the participants that are already fundraising, rather than to focus on the ones that are at a $0 balance.
I don't believe in this--I think that there is a HUGE opportunity that we are missing. For an event that less than 20% of people are fundraising for, getting the remaining 80% to donate SOMETHING will hopefully make the sloooooowww cultural transition to making this event a fundraising event, not an awareness event. I have come up with a few different ideas and done some cost analysis on some of the different ways that we can recognize those who do donate, which will hopefully encourage others to do the same. My boss calls this "Shaming". I look at it the other way--we just need to do something that is fun and recognizable and will get people talking, which will hopefully translate into getting at least a portion of those $0 balance fundraisers raising some funds.
I will keep posting on any updates for the events, and how things will turn out with these great organizations!
I am really excited about this opportunity because I will be able to look in depth at the emails and social media and how it will impact these events. One series has a fundraising minimum and the other doesn't--so it will be interesting to see how different reactions to different types of emails.
I am extremely lucky because both of the nonprofits that I am working with are forward looking and are willing to try different things. From my friends at other nonprofits, I have heard that the opposite is usually the case, so I am extremely fortunate to be working with organizations that aren't stuck in the mud.
One of the things that I am looking to do is to hit the $0 fundraisers...Most experts say that it is best to concentrate the focus on the participants that are already fundraising, rather than to focus on the ones that are at a $0 balance.
I don't believe in this--I think that there is a HUGE opportunity that we are missing. For an event that less than 20% of people are fundraising for, getting the remaining 80% to donate SOMETHING will hopefully make the sloooooowww cultural transition to making this event a fundraising event, not an awareness event. I have come up with a few different ideas and done some cost analysis on some of the different ways that we can recognize those who do donate, which will hopefully encourage others to do the same. My boss calls this "Shaming". I look at it the other way--we just need to do something that is fun and recognizable and will get people talking, which will hopefully translate into getting at least a portion of those $0 balance fundraisers raising some funds.
I will keep posting on any updates for the events, and how things will turn out with these great organizations!
the NTEN Conference, Part 1
Lucky for me I live in Austin (at least for the time being). On Friday, I was given the topportunity to go to the NTEN Remote conference at Convio. We were able to watch the plenary (I think that's the word) speaker, blogger Andrew Sullivan. It was very interesting to hear him speak--he addressed how to best interact with the audience and then he said something that rocked my world. He said that blogging really is a one-on-one conversation. This is such an interesting perspective on blogging (or writing in general). Most of the time when I write posts, I feel like it's being sent into the great unknown. I feel like I'm just sending my thoughts out into the great unknown. However, Andrew's thoughts on this make me realize that this is a much more intimate experience. Blogging really is a conversation with someone, and all of my many readers (thanks guys!) are able to get inside my head for a bit, just like having a conversation with someone.
Andrew also casually mentioned that we should be blogging about once an hour, every day. Umm..
Andrew has a medium sized country worth of followers. I don't. As much as I hope the people that read this like me, I dont think anyone wants that much information from me. If I wrote 20 posts a day, 10 of them would be mildly relevant, 3 would be interesting and 14 would be about brushing my teeth.
That being said, my schedule is allowing me a little more freedom to make more posts, so I will be trying to post more...just not 20 times a day :)
Andrew also casually mentioned that we should be blogging about once an hour, every day. Umm..
Andrew has a medium sized country worth of followers. I don't. As much as I hope the people that read this like me, I dont think anyone wants that much information from me. If I wrote 20 posts a day, 10 of them would be mildly relevant, 3 would be interesting and 14 would be about brushing my teeth.
That being said, my schedule is allowing me a little more freedom to make more posts, so I will be trying to post more...just not 20 times a day :)
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Communication Overtones, Social Media and Public Relations Strategy: Cause Marketing that Leads to Real Social Change
Communication Overtones, Social Media and Public Relations Strategy: Cause Marketing that Leads to Real Social Change
This is AMAZING! Please read. Very well written, and incredibly informative.
Communication Overtones, Social Media and Public Relations Strategy: Cause Marketing that Leads to Real Social Change
Communication Overtones, Social Media and Public Relations Strategy: Cause Marketing that Leads to Real Social Change
This is AMAZING! Please read. Very well written, and incredibly informative.
Communication Overtones, Social Media and Public Relations Strategy: Cause Marketing that Leads to Real Social Change
Communication Overtones, Social Media and Public Relations Strategy: Cause Marketing that Leads to Real Social Change
This is AMAZING! Please read. Very well written, and incredibly informative.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Social Media Aggregators
Ok, so I have been really really bad about keeping up with my Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook recently. It is REALLY hard to keep up with all of this stuff! So I did a little research to see what I could do to keep up with my different social media accounts, and I found one called "yoono" that seemed to get some good reviews. I installed it today, and I love it so far--I can keep up with Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn in the side of my browser window. It's awesome! I love it so far--but will keep posted to see if this is love at first click or if it will a deep, meaningful relationship.
I also joined a new social networking site today called Young Asssociation Professionals---its a networking site from the ladies at SocialFish.
I also joined a new social networking site today called Young Asssociation Professionals---its a networking site from the ladies at SocialFish.
Saying "No"
During one of my informational interviews, I was informed about a local nonprofit named "Young Women's Alliance". Last week, I was able to attend one of their meetings--it was a general meeting, and one of the best meetings of the year! It involved a panel discussion of the advisory board for YWA, and we were given the opportunity to listen to the women speak, and then ask them questions. It was interesting to hear their perspectives. I believe all three of the women were entrepreneurs and each of them were also on the boards of various nonprofits and had even started some nonprofits. It was really interesting to see how these women have dealt with juggling their personal and professional lives. One of the things that they mentioned was getting the ability to use the word "no" and how much that has changed their lives. I think that all of us (especially women) have had trouble using that word and how big of an impact it will have on their lives. I have a very very hard time saying no, but I am slowly learning how to. When I tell some people that I am interested in working for/with nonprofits, some make faces and say that nonprofits just burn their people out. Learning how to say no will be crucial to making sure that this doesn't happen to me!
Coke should give this guy a call!!
I came across this article a couple of days ago, and I am amazed! The iconic Coke bottle has become synonymous with the brand, and it would be interesting to see how an amazing idea like this would be able to revolutionize (look at the numbers!!!!) of Coke and it's environmental impact. Kudos to this guy for coming up with such a great idea!
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Lining up people and their passions
I read this blog post and I thought it was pretty amazing site with a pretty cool concept. Most people know what they want to become involved in, but they don't know how to find an organization that does exactly what they want.
60 Minutes Per Day Social Media Maintenance Plan
Check out this SlideShare Presentation: I thought that this was really powerful...and it's so easy to see and follow, and the more familiar you become with the social media tools, it may only take only 45 minutes! or it can be amended according to your organization's specific needs. Either way---I think that this is a great starting point!
Lights. Camera. Help. Party
Last night I went to a party that I found out about on the YNPN list serv. My friend Renee and I went and we decided to go to check it out. We weren't sure what it was about or what to expect, so we were pretty nervous. It turns out that Lights. Camera. Help. is a new non-profit here in Austin and their mission is to help nonprofits create movies or short videos for marketing, social media or fundraising for their organizations. Lights. Camera. Help. gives classes to other nonprofits in what they need to do to make movies. They also host a nonprofit film festival and give cash prizes to those nonprofits who have the best films. We were able to watch a few of them last night at the party--they were pretty powerful. One that struck me the most was from a local organization here in Austin that works with students who have dyslexia in a free after school program. The students in the short film were all very well-spoken and so willing to learn! They spoke about what an impact this particular nonprofit had on them and their learning at school. It was incredible--and I wanted to donate to them right away!
Lights. Camera. Help. is also debuting a new volunteer match-up system. This will allow nonprofits and volunteers to be auto-matched in their system to get the skills in the time-frame that the nonprofits need. This is great--and hopefully this model of matching volunteers automatically to nonprofits' needs will become more and more powerful and exact so that it will be mutually beneficial!
Lights. Camera. Help. is also debuting a new volunteer match-up system. This will allow nonprofits and volunteers to be auto-matched in their system to get the skills in the time-frame that the nonprofits need. This is great--and hopefully this model of matching volunteers automatically to nonprofits' needs will become more and more powerful and exact so that it will be mutually beneficial!
Bumpin' Bumpin'
One of the apps on my iPhone has an ad that runs before it starts. The ad is for PayPal and it says that there is an app where two iPhone users can bump each other to get and accept a payment. This got me thinking-this could probably work for accepting donations! Picture it--a grassroots fundraiser is having a dinner to support a cause. In addition to collecting cash donations, donors can "bump" with the event organizers to collect funds. No money has to exchange hands--it could just be bumped! And then the peer-to-peer fundraising tool would make sure that it was billed and the donor was recognized!
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Status messages the automatic way!!
Recently, I became part of the Progressive Exchange Listserv. Yesterday, someone from water.org or one.org sent out an email asking all of the PXers to join World Water Week. There was a link to the Facebook application for the week, so I was immediately intrigued and clicked on the link. I was given the opportunity to choose exactly how involved with the campaign I wanted to be. I had the option of donating my status messages and/or my profile picture for the campaign. I decided that I would just do the status message, and I have posted a couple of status messages from water.org already encouraging others to donate their messages, and to learn more about World Water Week and the plight of those who do not have access to water.
I am happy to donate my status messages—I didn’t even have to do anything since the app does all the work for me. I am a little afraid that this is a “Big Brother-y” type app since it automatically updates my status messages and it can change my profile picture. I hope that my friends aren’t getting spammed by the app, and I can always check and update my preferences for the app at any point during the week.
A few days ago, I wrote about how our social networks have become our editors for news, videos, issues, etc. I don’t know if my network on Facebook is clicking on the links or not for these posts, but I feel good knowing that my friends and family (the only people in my Facebook network) know that this is important to me.
Has this become the future for advocacy in nonprofits? Will it be as easy as creating an app that will give you access to status messages and profile pictures? Will this be cost prohibitive for some organizations? But does this cheapen advocacy for an organization? I don’t feel like I am really a part of World Water Week—sure I gave my status message, but I’m not doing anything more than that…It will be interesting to see if this catches on or not.
I am happy to donate my status messages—I didn’t even have to do anything since the app does all the work for me. I am a little afraid that this is a “Big Brother-y” type app since it automatically updates my status messages and it can change my profile picture. I hope that my friends aren’t getting spammed by the app, and I can always check and update my preferences for the app at any point during the week.
A few days ago, I wrote about how our social networks have become our editors for news, videos, issues, etc. I don’t know if my network on Facebook is clicking on the links or not for these posts, but I feel good knowing that my friends and family (the only people in my Facebook network) know that this is important to me.
Has this become the future for advocacy in nonprofits? Will it be as easy as creating an app that will give you access to status messages and profile pictures? Will this be cost prohibitive for some organizations? But does this cheapen advocacy for an organization? I don’t feel like I am really a part of World Water Week—sure I gave my status message, but I’m not doing anything more than that…It will be interesting to see if this catches on or not.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Nestle Meltdown on Facebook shows Sticky Side of Social Media
Nestle Meltdown on Facebook shows Sticky Side of Social Media
This article is what most nonprofits list as one of their biggest fears and reasons for not implementing social media--they can't control what is being said about them on pages and comments. The firestorm that Nestle is experiencing has affected the price of its stock and it is receiving wide spread attention. People who may not have heard about the issues with Nestle are now going to be exposed to the issue.
We talk about how our social networks have become our news editors. We learn from what our friends are interested in, and in turn we pass along what we are interested in. In fact, there are people in my social network (especially on Twitter) that I have never met and probably will never meet, but I respect their views and find them interesting so I will read their opinions and click on links that they post. In this way, news and opinions can spread quickly.
It will be interesting to see how Nestle responds to this and how they can possibly make a comeback. Perhaps in this 140-character world our attention spans and memories are so short that the majority of people will forget the issues getting attention right now.
This article is what most nonprofits list as one of their biggest fears and reasons for not implementing social media--they can't control what is being said about them on pages and comments. The firestorm that Nestle is experiencing has affected the price of its stock and it is receiving wide spread attention. People who may not have heard about the issues with Nestle are now going to be exposed to the issue.
We talk about how our social networks have become our news editors. We learn from what our friends are interested in, and in turn we pass along what we are interested in. In fact, there are people in my social network (especially on Twitter) that I have never met and probably will never meet, but I respect their views and find them interesting so I will read their opinions and click on links that they post. In this way, news and opinions can spread quickly.
It will be interesting to see how Nestle responds to this and how they can possibly make a comeback. Perhaps in this 140-character world our attention spans and memories are so short that the majority of people will forget the issues getting attention right now.
Friday, March 19, 2010
A little rant or What not to do to your donors....
I love my alma mater. I hope to one day have a scholarship named after me there. However, because of the economy and other competing interests (like the cost of going there), the scholarship will need to wait.
I am on the committee for my 5 year reunion. Our contact person has asked all of us to make a donation to the college's annual fund. Completely understandable, I get it. I would expect that the people on the committee would be one of the first to donate. So, last night I got some money together and made my donation online.
Now, let me tell you this. My alma mater is a warm and fuzzy place. They are smiling people, a small college where everyone knows everyone and you feel good about yourself for going there. I made my donation pretty easily online. No big deal. Then I waited for the thank you email after the confirmation that I was sure would come. This place is warm and welcoming and they thank everyone all the time, so I was sure that a thank you would be on its way.
Immediately after I made the donation, I received an email. I will copy and paste it because it is that unbelievable.
From: xx_prod@infinet-inc.com
Subject: Standard Notification
Date: March 18, 2010 11:25:29 PM CDT
To: Molly Heinsler
Molly Heinsler,
A credit card payment in the amount of $51.00 was approved on 03/19/2010 at 00:25 AM.
The confirmation number is 124870.
Regards,
QuikPAY Online Services
this is the only thing that I have received from the college. I received a "Standard Notification". It doesn't even have a thank you.
Please do not do this to your donors.
In this economy, with my lack of a "big girl" job, I had to sacrifice to make a donation. And all i got was a standard notification.
Ouch.
I am on the committee for my 5 year reunion. Our contact person has asked all of us to make a donation to the college's annual fund. Completely understandable, I get it. I would expect that the people on the committee would be one of the first to donate. So, last night I got some money together and made my donation online.
Now, let me tell you this. My alma mater is a warm and fuzzy place. They are smiling people, a small college where everyone knows everyone and you feel good about yourself for going there. I made my donation pretty easily online. No big deal. Then I waited for the thank you email after the confirmation that I was sure would come. This place is warm and welcoming and they thank everyone all the time, so I was sure that a thank you would be on its way.
Immediately after I made the donation, I received an email. I will copy and paste it because it is that unbelievable.
From: xx_prod@infinet-inc.com
Subject: Standard Notification
Date: March 18, 2010 11:25:29 PM CDT
To: Molly Heinsler
Molly Heinsler,
A credit card payment in the amount of $51.00 was approved on 03/19/2010 at 00:25 AM.
The confirmation number is 124870.
Regards,
QuikPAY Online Services
this is the only thing that I have received from the college. I received a "Standard Notification". It doesn't even have a thank you.
Please do not do this to your donors.
In this economy, with my lack of a "big girl" job, I had to sacrifice to make a donation. And all i got was a standard notification.
Ouch.
Five insights into the behaviors of social media users
Five insights into the behaviors of social media users
This article is particularly interesting to me because social media seems so ubiquitous, but that's only because we are really immersed in it. If you are following a bunch of people, how do you remember who is following you and who isn't on Twitter and whether or not they are posting? I certainly don't remember, and don't have the time to check because I am too busy updating my other sites or reading blogs. :)
One thing that I found really amazing is the line in the article that says "Social media users of all ages are still spurred to check things out online as a direct result of face-to-face communication". I find this to be true, and thanks to the iPhone, I can check it out almost immediately. Word-of-mouth is still extremely important, and it wasn't so long ago when most companies were finding ways to guerilla market their products, and now they seem to be neglecting this in favor of social media. Oh, but both need to be focused on. Both are extremely important!!!
What does this mean for non-profits? So, many non-profits are doing one or the other--they are not using social media at all, and are trying to focus on their constituents in person or only via email. Others have foregone the in person focus for social media. Neither of these is good! Granted, I do want to work in a job where I can use my the knowledge that I have gained about social media, but I still want to be able to interact with people face to face.
Moral of the story--Face-to-face communication is still important. So is social media. Use your resources wisely!!!
This article is particularly interesting to me because social media seems so ubiquitous, but that's only because we are really immersed in it. If you are following a bunch of people, how do you remember who is following you and who isn't on Twitter and whether or not they are posting? I certainly don't remember, and don't have the time to check because I am too busy updating my other sites or reading blogs. :)
One thing that I found really amazing is the line in the article that says "Social media users of all ages are still spurred to check things out online as a direct result of face-to-face communication". I find this to be true, and thanks to the iPhone, I can check it out almost immediately. Word-of-mouth is still extremely important, and it wasn't so long ago when most companies were finding ways to guerilla market their products, and now they seem to be neglecting this in favor of social media. Oh, but both need to be focused on. Both are extremely important!!!
What does this mean for non-profits? So, many non-profits are doing one or the other--they are not using social media at all, and are trying to focus on their constituents in person or only via email. Others have foregone the in person focus for social media. Neither of these is good! Granted, I do want to work in a job where I can use my the knowledge that I have gained about social media, but I still want to be able to interact with people face to face.
Moral of the story--Face-to-face communication is still important. So is social media. Use your resources wisely!!!
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Ok, so it’s been a while since I’ve talked about my job search. Maybe I haven’t even spoken about it at all on my blog. I’m not quite sure. Anyway, I was turned down from my dream job. I thought this job, company and I were meant to be—it was seriously just about everything that I could dream of. And it was in DC! It just wasn’t meant to be.
I have to admit the job search has me just a little jaded. I am currently working at 3 other jobs that are just to tide me over until I get my “Big Girl” job. I hear on the news all the time about people who have been unemployed for months, weeks, etc. I don’t want to think about how long it has been for me to under-employed (or “unemployed” according to the people hunting me down to pay my student loan debt), but it’s been a while. I’m holding out though—I know what I want in a job and in the organization that I work for. I’ve become astute enough through my education and my information interviews to know that I shouldn’t just take ANYTHING no matter what.
Anyway, after the dream job fell through, I found a similar job posting with another organization. I have a contact there, but he is on vacation until next Monday. Which means that he won’t even respond to my email until…maybe Wednesday at the earliest?
This is a for-profit SaaS company with offices in Austin and the job that I want is in DC, where they have other offices. I have been contemplating taking out some Facebook ads that are targeted only toward people with this company’s name in their profile. The ad would like to my personal website, which has my resume and other personal information on it.
I think I’m going to go for it—nothing to lose right? As one of my friends said “In this economy, you have to do whatever you can to get a job!” So, I guess I am just going to go for it. Maybe.
I have to admit the job search has me just a little jaded. I am currently working at 3 other jobs that are just to tide me over until I get my “Big Girl” job. I hear on the news all the time about people who have been unemployed for months, weeks, etc. I don’t want to think about how long it has been for me to under-employed (or “unemployed” according to the people hunting me down to pay my student loan debt), but it’s been a while. I’m holding out though—I know what I want in a job and in the organization that I work for. I’ve become astute enough through my education and my information interviews to know that I shouldn’t just take ANYTHING no matter what.
Anyway, after the dream job fell through, I found a similar job posting with another organization. I have a contact there, but he is on vacation until next Monday. Which means that he won’t even respond to my email until…maybe Wednesday at the earliest?
This is a for-profit SaaS company with offices in Austin and the job that I want is in DC, where they have other offices. I have been contemplating taking out some Facebook ads that are targeted only toward people with this company’s name in their profile. The ad would like to my personal website, which has my resume and other personal information on it.
I think I’m going to go for it—nothing to lose right? As one of my friends said “In this economy, you have to do whatever you can to get a job!” So, I guess I am just going to go for it. Maybe.
The Merit of Merit Badges
Remember when you were little and you got a badge in Girl or Boy Scouts for learning a new skill or going on an overnight trip? The feeling of being able to proudly show the badge, of knowing that you had done something good and were being recognized for it was, well awesome.
Lately, I have been obsessing using the CauseWorld app on my iPhone. At first, I received many badges for where I was checking in. I got a frequency badge for checking in a bunch of times at one location (ok, it was one of the places that I could be in my apartment and check in from), an All-nighter badge for checking in at 3 am (couldn’t sleep), a Nomadic badge (for checking in at 5 different places) and various others. Now that I have been using it for a while, the badges are more infrequent, but I am obsessed with getting them. I don’t know which one I am going to get next, but it has become a compulsion to check in wherever I go! And the thing is—every time I check in, I receive more karma points, so it all goes towards a good cause. I have donated all the points to great causes, so it’s all good!
My yoga studio has something similar. We receive wrist bands in different colors for attending classes. Just like CauseWorld, we receive more at the beginning of our journey, and they become more and more infrequent, but somehow more rewarding. It’s a point of pride for me to wear my 200-class wrist band, and I can’t wait until I get the 350 class band in front of the people that I practice with. They present the wrist-band at the beginning of class and the teacher gives a little speech. It’s nice to be recognized for hard work!
I listened to All Things Considered today on NPR, and they had an Austin local contributor talking about the interactive part of SXSW. When asked what the next big thing is, Omar Gallaga said that it would probably have to be 4-Square and Gowalla, GPS based apps where people can check in at locations and let their networks know where they are. People earn badges for where they check in (similar to CauseWorld), and the ultimate honor is being declared the Mayor of a certain place on 4-Square. This is given to the person who has checked in the most times at a specific location.
Anyhoo, what does this mean for non-profit organizations? GIVE BADGES. Our inner Girl or Boy Scout still wants badges. Perhaps organizations can give badges to people that volunteer. They can get badges for frequency, duties performed, etc. Maybe Convio, Blackbaud or any of the other CRMs can allow badges to become part of their peer-to-peer fundraising pages. It’s like the equivalent of the sashes that we used to have our mother sew our badges on! But seriously, nonprofits need to jump on board with this stuff. I am all about recognizing people for their hard work and making a big deal of people who are doing good things for your organization. Do it!!
Lately, I have been obsessing using the CauseWorld app on my iPhone. At first, I received many badges for where I was checking in. I got a frequency badge for checking in a bunch of times at one location (ok, it was one of the places that I could be in my apartment and check in from), an All-nighter badge for checking in at 3 am (couldn’t sleep), a Nomadic badge (for checking in at 5 different places) and various others. Now that I have been using it for a while, the badges are more infrequent, but I am obsessed with getting them. I don’t know which one I am going to get next, but it has become a compulsion to check in wherever I go! And the thing is—every time I check in, I receive more karma points, so it all goes towards a good cause. I have donated all the points to great causes, so it’s all good!
My yoga studio has something similar. We receive wrist bands in different colors for attending classes. Just like CauseWorld, we receive more at the beginning of our journey, and they become more and more infrequent, but somehow more rewarding. It’s a point of pride for me to wear my 200-class wrist band, and I can’t wait until I get the 350 class band in front of the people that I practice with. They present the wrist-band at the beginning of class and the teacher gives a little speech. It’s nice to be recognized for hard work!
I listened to All Things Considered today on NPR, and they had an Austin local contributor talking about the interactive part of SXSW. When asked what the next big thing is, Omar Gallaga said that it would probably have to be 4-Square and Gowalla, GPS based apps where people can check in at locations and let their networks know where they are. People earn badges for where they check in (similar to CauseWorld), and the ultimate honor is being declared the Mayor of a certain place on 4-Square. This is given to the person who has checked in the most times at a specific location.
Anyhoo, what does this mean for non-profit organizations? GIVE BADGES. Our inner Girl or Boy Scout still wants badges. Perhaps organizations can give badges to people that volunteer. They can get badges for frequency, duties performed, etc. Maybe Convio, Blackbaud or any of the other CRMs can allow badges to become part of their peer-to-peer fundraising pages. It’s like the equivalent of the sashes that we used to have our mother sew our badges on! But seriously, nonprofits need to jump on board with this stuff. I am all about recognizing people for their hard work and making a big deal of people who are doing good things for your organization. Do it!!
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Alternative Spring Breaks
It’s spring break time again. Lots of college students are headed down to various tropical locales to drink, sleep and sun themselves on the beach. However, more and more schools and organizations are offering alternative spring breaks. Students who sign up may travel to an area that needs help and volunteer for several days, or stay where they are and volunteer locally. Most students coming back from Mexico say that it was “the experience of a lifetime”. The students on the alternative spring breaks would probably say the same, and actually mean it.
When I was in college, our campus ministry department had a staff member whose sole responsibility was to organize and recruit students to go on multiple trips “mission trips” throughout the year. This was not to say that the students were out preaching—it was faith through action and social just oriented than anything else. There were local trips, national trips and even a few international trips. All of them were amazing, and some even gave college credit!
When I was a sophomore in college, I traveled to Americus, GA to work with a group from my school and to learn about the history and mission of Habitat for Humanity and to help build a house in one of the Habitat communities. During the few days that we were in Americus, we lived together in a large Habitat-owned house, and cooked, cleaned and entertained one another.
I remember calling my father after our first day of working on site and giving him a stern talking to because I was 20 and had just learned how to use a hammer! I was absolutely horrified that I had just learned this basic life skill.
During this trip my eyes were opened to more than just my lack of manual labor—I also saw some poverty, and learned about what a great mission Habitat for Humanity was. We met Millard Fullard (the founder of HoH) and his wife, who were able to talk to us a bit about how they live and why they have done everything that they have. We spoke with people who have been recipients of Habitat homes and how their lives along with their living situations. Because of my experience, I continued to volunteer for the local Habitat chapter during my college career, and support Habitat as much as I can.
I support these alternative spring breaks very much, but only if the students are in the frame of mind where they WANT to volunteer, learn and experience. The traditional spring breaks are good—students work hard and they should have fun. But sometimes, they feel the need to give back. As these alternative spring breaks become more popular, graduating students will have a more worldly view and know what it feels like to give back, and to make a difference in someone’s life.
When I was in college, our campus ministry department had a staff member whose sole responsibility was to organize and recruit students to go on multiple trips “mission trips” throughout the year. This was not to say that the students were out preaching—it was faith through action and social just oriented than anything else. There were local trips, national trips and even a few international trips. All of them were amazing, and some even gave college credit!
When I was a sophomore in college, I traveled to Americus, GA to work with a group from my school and to learn about the history and mission of Habitat for Humanity and to help build a house in one of the Habitat communities. During the few days that we were in Americus, we lived together in a large Habitat-owned house, and cooked, cleaned and entertained one another.
I remember calling my father after our first day of working on site and giving him a stern talking to because I was 20 and had just learned how to use a hammer! I was absolutely horrified that I had just learned this basic life skill.
During this trip my eyes were opened to more than just my lack of manual labor—I also saw some poverty, and learned about what a great mission Habitat for Humanity was. We met Millard Fullard (the founder of HoH) and his wife, who were able to talk to us a bit about how they live and why they have done everything that they have. We spoke with people who have been recipients of Habitat homes and how their lives along with their living situations. Because of my experience, I continued to volunteer for the local Habitat chapter during my college career, and support Habitat as much as I can.
I support these alternative spring breaks very much, but only if the students are in the frame of mind where they WANT to volunteer, learn and experience. The traditional spring breaks are good—students work hard and they should have fun. But sometimes, they feel the need to give back. As these alternative spring breaks become more popular, graduating students will have a more worldly view and know what it feels like to give back, and to make a difference in someone’s life.
know yourself
Yesterday was another informational interview. I have recommended to anyone that I know who is looking for a job to go on as many as early as possible. Anyway, back to the informational interview. I had coffee with a friend of a friend who makes her living as a professional grant writer. Sometime over last summer, I decided that my life work was going to be grant writer. I literally read every book in the Austin Public Library system on writing grants, researching grants and how grants are evaluated. I learned a lot, and tried to apply for some jobs, but before I could get a job, I needed experience. So, I have volunteered to write a grant for an organization that is looking to do something that I am actually passionate about! I was very lucky to be able to write my first grant on something that I actually like!
Anyway, we chatted about how her experience as a contractor/consultant has been and the unique challenges facing grant writers who do not work directly for an organization. She mentioned that she does not just do grant writing, she also will work to develop programs, evaluate past (failed) grants and mentor someone who is looking to expand their career into grant writing. She said that one of the biggest things to focus on right now is the services that I will and will not provide. Creating boundaries within my work will help me to be most effective at my job, most effective for the organization and efficient.
I think that this was the thing that struck me most about our conversation—that setting boundaries for when I pick up the phone, should a client call, what to agree to do, etc. is the most important because you know your own strengths and capabilities better than anyone. I believe that acknowledging these things will help you to become successful!
Anyway, we chatted about how her experience as a contractor/consultant has been and the unique challenges facing grant writers who do not work directly for an organization. She mentioned that she does not just do grant writing, she also will work to develop programs, evaluate past (failed) grants and mentor someone who is looking to expand their career into grant writing. She said that one of the biggest things to focus on right now is the services that I will and will not provide. Creating boundaries within my work will help me to be most effective at my job, most effective for the organization and efficient.
I think that this was the thing that struck me most about our conversation—that setting boundaries for when I pick up the phone, should a client call, what to agree to do, etc. is the most important because you know your own strengths and capabilities better than anyone. I believe that acknowledging these things will help you to become successful!
SXSWi
SXSW Interactive is just wrapping up here in Austin. I wish that I could have gone because there were so many different amazing resources for nonprofits and other geeky things that I am interested in. There were a lot of panels and talks on social media and the ways that nonprofit organizations can use them to their advantage.
Last year, the Capital Area Food Bank of Texas decided to do something unique during SXSW. Using a 4 person street team and 50 Bloggers, Twitterers, and Facebook users they were looking to increase donations to the CAFB. Tyson Foods said that it would donate 100 lbs of food for every person who went to a specific website and filled out a form.
Neither Tyson nor CAFB knew what would happen next. Over 4800 people signed the pledge! Additionally, 714 people who signed the pledge gave an additional $28,000. 95% of these donors were first time donors!!
One of the most amazing things was that one single Tweeter was the source of 967 visits to the website to sign the pledge. Who would have thought that one single person could drive so much traffic?
The age of social media is here and nonprofits can clearly be successful by using it. SXSWi may be a unique case because it attracts techie, social conscious people. This was a perfect thing for Tyson and for Capital Area Food Bank to launch last year.
This year, Capital Area Food Bank just came out with an iPhone app. I was curious what the “iPheedaneed” app was all about, since they are one of the first (possibly only?) nonprofit to have an app. The app includes news and facts about CAFB and their mission, recipes and events. One of the most innovative things is a game called “Catch the Can”. I tried to play it and failed miserably, but kudos to CAFB for having something interactive on the app!!
Last year, the Capital Area Food Bank of Texas decided to do something unique during SXSW. Using a 4 person street team and 50 Bloggers, Twitterers, and Facebook users they were looking to increase donations to the CAFB. Tyson Foods said that it would donate 100 lbs of food for every person who went to a specific website and filled out a form.
Neither Tyson nor CAFB knew what would happen next. Over 4800 people signed the pledge! Additionally, 714 people who signed the pledge gave an additional $28,000. 95% of these donors were first time donors!!
One of the most amazing things was that one single Tweeter was the source of 967 visits to the website to sign the pledge. Who would have thought that one single person could drive so much traffic?
The age of social media is here and nonprofits can clearly be successful by using it. SXSWi may be a unique case because it attracts techie, social conscious people. This was a perfect thing for Tyson and for Capital Area Food Bank to launch last year.
This year, Capital Area Food Bank just came out with an iPhone app. I was curious what the “iPheedaneed” app was all about, since they are one of the first (possibly only?) nonprofit to have an app. The app includes news and facts about CAFB and their mission, recipes and events. One of the most innovative things is a game called “Catch the Can”. I tried to play it and failed miserably, but kudos to CAFB for having something interactive on the app!!
Friday, March 12, 2010
Just listen while you work
I have gone on many informational interviews recently. They are amazing and helpful, and I have met and spoken with many interesting people. It is far out of my comfort zone since meeting with people I don’t know makes me sweat. Not like exercise sweat, but nervous sweat.
I did what any perfectionist, type-A over-achiever would do—I prepped. A lot. I researched the organization that the person worked for, Googled them and then came up with a list of about 30 questions to ask. When I met my interviewee, I bombarded them with awkward questions and took notes on my paper.
As I have gone on more and more of the informational interviews, I have become more comfortable. They still make me sweat, but at least it is not pouring off of me like before. I have put away the questions and the pen and paper, and now focus on having a genuine conversation with this person who has taken the time to meet with me. I still ask questions, only this time, I remember the questions and it isn’t so awkward.
To my shock, I think I have gotten pretty good at them! One of things that I make sure to ask at every interview is “What skills do you think are the most important for someone in the nonprofit industry?” The answers have ranged from learning HTML to having the ability to have many different roles in the organization and be comfortable with it.
This past week, I went on one of the best informational interviews to date. When I asked the skills question, my interviewee thought for a second and then said “Listen, you need to be able to listen”. Wow.
The nonprofit side of my head started thinking that this was a great idea. If someone is donating their money or spending their free time volunteering, there must be a reason behind it. Listening to them—figuring out what motivates them can strengthen your mission as an organization. People want to be heard, and for the most part they enjoy telling their stories. Listening to them makes them feel like a valued member of your nonprofit community.
Then the for profit side of my head started thinking—if you can listen effectively, you can figure out how to market your organization most effectively to that person. You can figure out which way to approach them so that their passion can be utilized most effectively.
As we continued to chat, my great interviewee spoke about how difficult it was to actually listen. To be present and actually listen is an incredible skill. This may be a huge challenge for nonprofits with limited resources and stressed staff, but if they can just find a few moments to listen to the stories of their constituents, it will surely pay off in the long run.
I did what any perfectionist, type-A over-achiever would do—I prepped. A lot. I researched the organization that the person worked for, Googled them and then came up with a list of about 30 questions to ask. When I met my interviewee, I bombarded them with awkward questions and took notes on my paper.
As I have gone on more and more of the informational interviews, I have become more comfortable. They still make me sweat, but at least it is not pouring off of me like before. I have put away the questions and the pen and paper, and now focus on having a genuine conversation with this person who has taken the time to meet with me. I still ask questions, only this time, I remember the questions and it isn’t so awkward.
To my shock, I think I have gotten pretty good at them! One of things that I make sure to ask at every interview is “What skills do you think are the most important for someone in the nonprofit industry?” The answers have ranged from learning HTML to having the ability to have many different roles in the organization and be comfortable with it.
This past week, I went on one of the best informational interviews to date. When I asked the skills question, my interviewee thought for a second and then said “Listen, you need to be able to listen”. Wow.
The nonprofit side of my head started thinking that this was a great idea. If someone is donating their money or spending their free time volunteering, there must be a reason behind it. Listening to them—figuring out what motivates them can strengthen your mission as an organization. People want to be heard, and for the most part they enjoy telling their stories. Listening to them makes them feel like a valued member of your nonprofit community.
Then the for profit side of my head started thinking—if you can listen effectively, you can figure out how to market your organization most effectively to that person. You can figure out which way to approach them so that their passion can be utilized most effectively.
As we continued to chat, my great interviewee spoke about how difficult it was to actually listen. To be present and actually listen is an incredible skill. This may be a huge challenge for nonprofits with limited resources and stressed staff, but if they can just find a few moments to listen to the stories of their constituents, it will surely pay off in the long run.
"Call to Action" buttons
I came across this link today and I thought that it was really relevant, especially for those organizations to look at their website quickly and determine whether or not they are using the best practices that are listed in the article. A nonprofit may have a lot of different "call to actions", so making sure that they are not cluttered on the page, or losing their effect is important.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Another Benefit of Nonprofit having a strong social media presence
Many nonprofits already know the benefits of becoming involved with social media and how it can bring in new volunteers, donors, and advocates. Yes, that’s true, but having a strong social media personality can also benefit an organization by showing a corporation that your nonprofit is a “cool” and that this is something that a corporation would like to partner with for a sponsorship.
Think about it—a corporation wants to improve its image by supporting a nonprofit. The corporation has a strong Facebook presence with a few thousand fans, a Twitter account with a lot of followers and an iPhone app. When the corporation is looking for a nonprofit, will they choose the nonprofit with the template website and Facebook page that hasn’t been update in months? Or will they choose the nonprofit with the strong social media presence?
There may be some overlap with the followers of the corporation and the nonprofit, but each would get more “eyes” on them with a partnership. They would mutually benefit from a sponsorship, and everyone would be happy.
If your nonprofit is approached for a corporate sponsorship, it is important to talk about what your social media obligations will be. Most nonprofits think about what the signage will be at their events and to include their logo on the programs and website, but what about the social media aspect? How many times will the corporation mention your cause and how many times do you need to mention the corporation?
Think about it—a corporation wants to improve its image by supporting a nonprofit. The corporation has a strong Facebook presence with a few thousand fans, a Twitter account with a lot of followers and an iPhone app. When the corporation is looking for a nonprofit, will they choose the nonprofit with the template website and Facebook page that hasn’t been update in months? Or will they choose the nonprofit with the strong social media presence?
There may be some overlap with the followers of the corporation and the nonprofit, but each would get more “eyes” on them with a partnership. They would mutually benefit from a sponsorship, and everyone would be happy.
If your nonprofit is approached for a corporate sponsorship, it is important to talk about what your social media obligations will be. Most nonprofits think about what the signage will be at their events and to include their logo on the programs and website, but what about the social media aspect? How many times will the corporation mention your cause and how many times do you need to mention the corporation?
Where in the world is your non-profit?
One of the newest social media tools to catch on is 4-Square. The user sets up an account and then “checks in” to different companies using the GPS on their mobile device. For instance, if you went to the coffee shop down the street, you would check in using 4-Square. You could then see who else had checked-in in the businesses around you. You can also see who has been dubbed “Mayor” of the business you checked in to. This is the person who has checked in the most.
For profit companies (like coffee shops) have a pretty easy connection to 4-square. They can give prizes to the “Mayor”, then can give a small discount to anyone who checks in, etc.
How can nonprofits use this to their advantage then? Most nonprofits do not have a place where people frequently go—like a coffee shop or a grocery store. At a fundraising event, they can give prizes to anyone who checks in. They can partner with a local business who can give a penny for every person that uses 4-Square to check in.
It will be interesting to see whether or not 4-Square is something that takes off, or whether it will be a flash in the pan, and fizzle out quickly. I don’t think that this should be one of the first social media presences for a nonprofit, but if an organization already has established itself with social media and wants to know another tool that they can use, 4-Square could be a great thing to “check” out!
For profit companies (like coffee shops) have a pretty easy connection to 4-square. They can give prizes to the “Mayor”, then can give a small discount to anyone who checks in, etc.
How can nonprofits use this to their advantage then? Most nonprofits do not have a place where people frequently go—like a coffee shop or a grocery store. At a fundraising event, they can give prizes to anyone who checks in. They can partner with a local business who can give a penny for every person that uses 4-Square to check in.
It will be interesting to see whether or not 4-Square is something that takes off, or whether it will be a flash in the pan, and fizzle out quickly. I don’t think that this should be one of the first social media presences for a nonprofit, but if an organization already has established itself with social media and wants to know another tool that they can use, 4-Square could be a great thing to “check” out!
Monday, March 1, 2010
Communication Personalization
As part of research for a job interview, I signed up for multiple email campaigns. I wanted to get the experience from the user's point of view, and to see what things are good about an email campaign and what aren't. So my inbox has been inundated with emails from these nonprofits.
I wanted to see what the sign up process was like--how it easy it was to find on the website, whether there were options for which communications to receive, etc. Some of the websites were incredibly easy to use and there were others that took a bit of hunting to find. If an organization wants to get new supporters, advocates and donors, it needs to be easy to find!! I know that everyone blogger says this, but it is really important!
Most of the organizations that I signed up with sent an immediate confirmation email and I began receiving emails immediately. This was great--i signed up and while I was still feeling passionate, I was given the tools to do something about it!
However, one of groups that I signed up with took over a week to send me a confirmation! Everyone today wants immediate gratification, and taking over a week to start receiving emails made me question whether or not I wanted to support this organization that takes that long to send a confirmation!
I think the moral of the story is that nonprofits should have an immediate response or confirmation to strike while the iron is hot for their supporters. Nonprofits should also have an "outsider" try to use the website and give feedback on its ease of use. Sometimes we get so familiar with our own websites that we forget what it's like for someone on the outside, so asking a volunteer to investigate it will help to get another perspective.
I wanted to see what the sign up process was like--how it easy it was to find on the website, whether there were options for which communications to receive, etc. Some of the websites were incredibly easy to use and there were others that took a bit of hunting to find. If an organization wants to get new supporters, advocates and donors, it needs to be easy to find!! I know that everyone blogger says this, but it is really important!
Most of the organizations that I signed up with sent an immediate confirmation email and I began receiving emails immediately. This was great--i signed up and while I was still feeling passionate, I was given the tools to do something about it!
However, one of groups that I signed up with took over a week to send me a confirmation! Everyone today wants immediate gratification, and taking over a week to start receiving emails made me question whether or not I wanted to support this organization that takes that long to send a confirmation!
I think the moral of the story is that nonprofits should have an immediate response or confirmation to strike while the iron is hot for their supporters. Nonprofits should also have an "outsider" try to use the website and give feedback on its ease of use. Sometimes we get so familiar with our own websites that we forget what it's like for someone on the outside, so asking a volunteer to investigate it will help to get another perspective.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Personalization of donations
One of things that I have noticed recently in fundraising is that donations have become more and more personalized, and donors are able to have more control over where the funds are going. Heifer International was one of the first organizations that did this. Donors are able to choose which animal they are going to donate and learn about how that particular animal helps its recipients.
Now, more and more organizations are doing this--including Habitat for Humanity and others. I think that this is really an amazing idea, and more nonprofits should get on board with it. it seems like every product that we purchase can be personalized or made to order, and as society moves towards this, nonprofits need to be able to follow suit with donations.
The other day, I was in the grocery store where they were having another fundraiser for a local food pantry. The greatest part about this was that they had brown bags of food all over the store with the contents stapled to it. A customer could choose the amount of the donation and the contents of the bag for the food pantry. I thought that this was particularly great as some people remember how great macaroni and cheese tasted when they were hungry, or only wanted to donate $6 worth of great food.
On a personal note, my siblings and I made a donation in honor of our aunt and her family to Heifer International. We had decided the amount of the donation, and then looked at the animals that we could get for that amount. After studying the catalog, my sister decided that she REALLY wanted to give a bee hive. This was a bit more than the amount that we had decided on, so we each pitched in a little more because the bee hive was the donation that we wanted to get.
Although we are probably the exception and not the rule in this case, we did donate more because we knew what we were getting for the donation. Nonprofits may be able to capitalize on this and get even more donations!
Now, more and more organizations are doing this--including Habitat for Humanity and others. I think that this is really an amazing idea, and more nonprofits should get on board with it. it seems like every product that we purchase can be personalized or made to order, and as society moves towards this, nonprofits need to be able to follow suit with donations.
The other day, I was in the grocery store where they were having another fundraiser for a local food pantry. The greatest part about this was that they had brown bags of food all over the store with the contents stapled to it. A customer could choose the amount of the donation and the contents of the bag for the food pantry. I thought that this was particularly great as some people remember how great macaroni and cheese tasted when they were hungry, or only wanted to donate $6 worth of great food.
On a personal note, my siblings and I made a donation in honor of our aunt and her family to Heifer International. We had decided the amount of the donation, and then looked at the animals that we could get for that amount. After studying the catalog, my sister decided that she REALLY wanted to give a bee hive. This was a bit more than the amount that we had decided on, so we each pitched in a little more because the bee hive was the donation that we wanted to get.
Although we are probably the exception and not the rule in this case, we did donate more because we knew what we were getting for the donation. Nonprofits may be able to capitalize on this and get even more donations!
Monday, February 22, 2010
The most useful one of these I have seen yet!
In my research on ways your nonprofit can use social media, I have come across a bunch of "10 ways your nonprofit can best use social media". However, this one is the best one that I have found yet. I think that the tips mentioned are incredibly useful and relevant for nonprofits. One of the tips that resonated the most with me is the one about making social media social. Most people enjoy seeing pictures of themselves and their friends online. Add in the fact that they are doing something good, and they get some bonus points!
However, nonprofits do need to get permissions before tagging people in pictures. Some people don't want to be tagged (even if they are doing something positive), so make sure that the registration form/sign in sheet has an opt-in for this.
This can also get a nonprofit more followers to your Facebook, Twitter, etc. because people will want to see when the pics are posted, details of the event, etc.
8 Steps to Designing a Reactivation Campaign - ClickZ
8 Steps to Designing a Reactivation Campaign - ClickZ
I thought that this article was really interesting. It's geared towards for-profit companies, but I think that there are some great things that can be taken from this. One thing that is overlooked all the time is the 2nd tip--make sure that you identify a goal. This is so important! Is the organization just looking to get people volunteering again?, to reactivate a donor? or to get them to become advocates? Identifying these goals BEFORE you start designing and implementing an email campaign is crucial to its success.
Another thing that I thought was a really great point was figuring out why these people have left/stopped donating/etc. Were they receiving too many emails? Were the emails that they were receiving not interesting to them? This could be a reason to implement a "communications preferences" portion to the website so that you can hear from the constituent how often and on what topics they want to hear from the nonprofit. This information is important for designing future email campaigns!!!
Saturday, February 20, 2010
A cool new iPhone app
When I met with James yesterday, we geeked out a little bit over our matching iPhones. We talked about different iPhone apps and potential ways that nonprofits could utilize the iPhone to increase donations, awareness and advocacy. One of the best apps that he mentioned is called "CauseWorld".
It's free to download, and it uses geotagging to tell where you are. The app finds businesses around you, and you select where you are and receive "karma points" for it. When you get enough karma points, you can choose where to donate the funds---to preventing child abuse, help fight cancer, to help the victims of the earthquake in Haiti, or a few other causes. The sponsors of this free app, Kraft and Citi, donate the equivalent to these causes.
How cool is this?! Kraft and Citi have some sort of relationship with the businesses listed (not every local business is listed), and it may drive business or at least awareness of these local businesses utilizing the sponsors' services as well as an interesting and fun way to donate to nonprofits.
I haven't used it too much yet, but you do get merit badges for things like staying up late and there's a feed to see who has donated to which cause.
Definitely worth checking out!
I donated to diabetes foundation and all I got was a...WHAT??!!?!?
I love going to the grocery store. There's something about the order of the aisles, the way that everything has its place and is in an order. It's one of my happy places. I love it. I also am really interested in the ways that nonprofits can work with grocery stores because the grocery stores are so willing to support local causes and because everyone in the community has to go to the store.
Last year, I was in the store, and at the check out, the cashier asked me if I would like to donate $1, $5 or $10 to a diabetes foundation (I'm not sure of which one). She then told me that if I donated I could choose a bottle of water or a...wait for it....
wait for it....
a cupcake. A beautifully decorated cupcake. Frosting 1/2 inch high, yellow CUPCAKE. For donating to a diabetes foundation. WHAT?!!?!
Granted, the colors of everything all matched well. The cupcakes looked delicious, but who made this decision? I am sure that the diabetes foundation is grateful for having such a prominence in the grocery store and for all of the donations from the customers, but someone is probably banging their heads against their keyboard for giving such an incongruous gift for the donations.
Somewhere, someone wasn't communicating. Perhaps the diabetes foundation didn't have support for this type of donation, or the grocery store just assumed that the cupcakes had worked before, for other causes, so it would assuredly work for this one.
I know that this was an oversight, and this type of thing can happen to any of us, but it's something that we should all be aware of. Asking a co-worker to check over our work, treating each situation individually, and looking at it from an outsider's perspective may help to avoid something like this.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Nonprofits and why they need email campaigns NOW
I had a really interesting conversation this morning with James, who works at a local (and great!) CRM company. We were discussing how some nonprofits are resistant to investing time and money into email campaigns and social media campaigns when they still receive a major portion of their donations via direct mail campaigns. These direct mail campaigns are targeted towards the demographics with the most money, those who are older (about 50+). In the next few years, people who are more familiar with email and online transactions (donating, shopping, etc.) will become this coveted age group. There will be a drastic shift from receiving direct mail donations to receiving email donations. Ensuring that nonprofits have established effective email campaigns will ensure that the infrastructure is in place for this shift. Nonprofits will be able to tell what works and what doesn't work for email campaigns and will be able to process donations online.
So many nonprofits have a short-term view. They have to--they can't be sure of where their funding will be coming from or if it will continue for the long term. Convincing these nonprofits that they need to invest in these email campaigns NOW because it will have such an impact on the future is a challenge that the companies (like James') face daily.
The shift from direct mail donations to online donations may be drastic, so those nonprofits that aren't on the ball may miss out on a lot of this money!
I would love to do more research to really crunch the numbers on this (sorry, it's a lot of ball park-ish), because I think that many executives would have to see the evidence in black and white to really jump on board with the email campaigns.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Boy am I on a roll today: The Albert Einstein Guide to Social Media
Albert Einstein is amazing! When I came across this article, I thought that it put social media into a really unique perspective. One aspect of this article that really struck me was the line "Information is not knowledge. Any man who reads too much and uses his own brain too little falls into lazy habits of thinking."
There are so many different blogs, articles, books, webinars, etc. on social media. Everyday I can hardly keep up with the amount of resources that are updated daily. Sure, someone can spend the day reading all these articles, but to actually put them into place and to figure out what role social media has within their organization. Putting all of this information into practice is imperative to the health of the organization's social media strategy.
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***My thoughts and prayers are with the people who have been affected by the plane crash just a few miles down the road here in Austin***
Two posts in one day!!!
Ok, so I just came across this article from SocialFish. How amazing is this to be able to see exactly where your constituents are and how to reach them. I'm all about efficiency, and being able to see where a nonprofit can use its energies for the maximum benefit is amazing. Thank you for sharing this amazing resource SocialFish gals!
WoW for WOW!!
My boyfriend is an avid World of Warcraft player. I don't get it, it annoys me and it takes up A LOT of his time. He has made up a character, earned weapons and "gear" and has also made a "pet". I don't think that there is a real purpose for these pets, I think that they just act as a silent sidekick. These items can be purchased with gold that is earned through completing different challenges in the game. Last fall he let me know that for $10, he could purchase a "pet" for WoW. The fee for the pets would go to the Make A Wish Foundation, and would just be added on to the monthly charges for the game.
It turns out that this promotion has made over $1.1 million for the Make A Wish Foundation. That's a whole lotta wishes! There's the stereotype of the WoW gamer that they are lazy Mountain Dew addicted nerds. This huge donation from the players of WoW disproves this theory, and I hope that the makers of WoW (and other similar games) can continue this momentum.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
PND - News - Small Fundraisers Add Up to Help for Haiti
This story is really interesting, and has a lot of merit! Just like my conversation with Jordan a few weeks ago, these smaller fundraisers may not raise a lot on their own, but together they add up to something much bigger than anyone had expected! The earthquake in Haiti touched so many that people really wanted to get out and do something. Some people feel that just donating isn't enough, they need to motivate others, to collect items, etc. By having their own small fundraisers, these advocates can feel like they have more of an impact and motivate their friends and family to give more.
Small Fundraisers Add Up to Help for Haiti
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Monday, February 15, 2010
Today, I met with Renee', who I met last week at the class. It was great! She is in a pretty similar situation, which makes me feel so much better! We got together and discussed what we have been doing, who we have been talking to and what we could do to help one another out. It felt great to speak with one another and to see what we have been doing. We came up with a couple of different people that each of us could speak with to hopefully get things moving a little bit better. Renee' also recommended that I get connected with the "Young Nonprofits Professional Network". I had no idea that this even existed, and I'm so glad that there are other people out there who are just like me and Renee'! Renee' and I have agreed to meet next week--this will be great. I have someone to be accountable to, and she has someone to be accountable to as well. super! She and I exchanged a couple of names of people to contact, and I think that this will be very helpful!
Thursday, February 11, 2010
The Community Building Class
I went to a class today on "Process of Community Problem Solving". I thought that this would be about building community between nonprofits with similar missions to work toward resolving issues or sharing resources. I was slightly mistaken, as most of the attendees were from public organizations or working with neighborhood organizations. Whoops. Despite my confusion, the class was actually pretty great. I learned a lot about the process in building these community groups and heard some success stories about how organizations (mostly government) have made change. The biggest lesson that I got from it was that a lot of change is about having the right people and the right resources at the right time (sounds a lot like Jim Collins!).
According to my friend Jordan, there is a new trend in nonprofits where smaller nonprofits are teaming their resources together and then voting on how to use the funds. I think that this is an amazing idea, and there are so many tiny nonprofit organizations that could make a big impact if they worked with others!
The information that I learned today was great, and I learned some very valuable skills that I will hopefully be able to use either to consult for some nonprofits or to help nonprofits become even more successful.
I also made a couple of contacts today--one girl who is in a similar situation that I am in! She moved here a few months ago and is looking for a job in nonprofits. We are going to get together at some point next week to work today.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Quick thoughts on "Good to Great"
Jim Collins has such great insight on how and why some businesses succeed and others don't. I read the full version, not the version that is geared specifically towards nonprofits, but there were still a ton of pointers that can be used for nonprofits. Especially because I have been reading so much on nonprofits and how they can use social media, I liked this quote "When used right, technology becomes an accelerator of momentum, not a creator of it" (p. 152). Some nonprofits think that starting a Facebook page or a Twitter account will translate into a spike in donations and a huge increase in cause awareness. Just as Collins said, an investment in social media may increase awareness and donations, but only as much as the NPO is willing to work on their supporting programs.
I have tons of other thoughts on this book, and I am working on a longer article incorporating some of this.
PS-if Malcolm Gladwell and Jim Collins ever got together to write, I think reading their book would make my head explode. In a good way.
Yesterday I met with another employee (Anthony) of a foundation who is in charge of managing prospects. I love going on these informational interviews since it gives me a more well rounded view of the nonprofit world and the different employee opportunities available. On the flip side though, every time I talk to someone new, I want to do their job. Perhaps it is because they are so passionate about what they do day to day or because I want/need a job so badly. I'm not sure, but after speaking with Anthony, I had a moment where I wanted to make a career of prospect management and analyze data and follow up with employees about how their contacts with potential major donors is going.
Anthony also gave me some really sound advice on what I can do with my resume to make it more nonprofit friendly. He suggested that I keep it to one page and that I remove the "Objective" portion of the resume. I agree with him about this, but I think there are two very different schools of though about this--some people insist that the objective should be on every resume, others think that it is just a waste of precious space.
what are your thoughts on the resume geared towards nonprofits? Does having an objective matter? How about the fact that I am "changing careers"? Does that warrant an objective?
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Yesterday
Yesterday, I went on an informational interview with a friend of a friend, Jordan, who works at a foundation. I have met with a few different people in development, but this informational interview was with someone in programs. It was interesting to get a different perspective on how the money is dispersed from a foundation and how grants are evaluated.
I am currently writing a grant proposal, and this was a great opportunity for me to get some solid advice on how to best write a grant that is most appealing to the grantor. I found out that the key to getting a grant is creating a program that is sustainable over time. Grantors want to make sure that they aren't giving a grant for a flash in the pan program. Foundations want to give funding to kickstart a program, but is up to the grantee to ensure that the program continues.
Jordan also mentioned that something that his particular foundation advocates is for smaller (community) NPOs to join forces with the others that have a similar mission. By doing this, these smaller NPOs can have a stronger impact. This is a trend that is happening throughout the nonprofit world. Nonprofits not only need to build community with their constituents, they need to build a strong network with others in their area and those with similar missions.
This was a super meeting and I am looking forward to the few that I have going on this week!
Friday, February 5, 2010
PepsiCo gets more Super Bowl buzz than Coke, even without ads | ajc.com
This is pretty amazing! A company (not just any company, PEPSI) has chosen to forego Super Bowl ads in favor of promoting the way that they are giving back to the community. Pepsi has asked consumers to vote on the nonprofits that will receive grants from Pepsi, and they have already seen their website traffic increase as a result of this initiative. So, rather than paying $3 million for 30 seconds of advertising, Pepsi will be helping out nonprofits in communities all over the country.
Will have an impact on advertising for the future? More and more companies may choose to go this route, rather than spending the money on traditional marketing and advertising. Pepsi seems to be the first major corporation to really jump on board with this "crowdsourcing" as a viable publicity alternative to television advertising.
This is great for nonprofits since more organizations may jump on board with this trend and give more grants to organizations. The nonprofits will have to increase their marketing efforts to make sure that they are gaining "fans" in cyberspace who are willing to vote for them. This is even more of a reason for the organizations to have a strong presence in social media and with their constituents online. Nonprofits may also want to ask the nominating foundation to collect information about the voters to determine key demographics to market to and possibly individuals to solicit for donations.
It will be interesting to see how Pepsi's decision will affect advertising for years to come!
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Thursday, February 4, 2010
50 Social Media Tactics for Nonprofits
This is a great presentation, and has some really solid ideas for how social media can be utilized by nonprofits to help promote their missions and reach out to constituents.
50 Social Media Tactics for Nonprofits
View more presentations from Chad Norman.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
..and so it begins....
My quest to move to DC, break into the nonprofit world, get a job that utilizes my MBA and makes me enough money to cover the loans for said MBA (and the undergrad degree). Not so hard, right? All I need to do is to gain some more experience in the nonprofit, create and maintain my own personal brand, and distinguish myself from all the local candidates in the worst economic recession in recent history.
I don't mean to sound negative at all, I want to break in to the nonprofit world. I am passionate about nonprofit organizations and their missions. I want to break into development so that I can help them achieve their missions and become very successful.
...and away we go!!!
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