Network for Good Learning Center

Fitting Online Outreach into an Overall Fundraising Strategy

jstofer — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 19:46:40 -0400

Why Raise Funds Online?

The Impact: Online fundraising studies have repeatedly proven that engaging donors through multiple channels – online and off – yields the best results, with donors giving more, more often. If you’re only relying on offline channels, you’re missing an opportunity to significantly increase giving.
The Price: Adding online outreach to your fundraising strategy is a wise budgetary move. The highest marketing cost for most nonprofits is direct mail newsletters and appeals, so it’s frugal to move as much of your outreach online as possible. Email is vastly less expensive than offline outreach, and online donations are far more efficient than processing checks – plus the average online gift is triple the typical offline one!
Your Supporters: Today’s donors don’t want to be treated like walking wallets. They expect a convenient, personalized, conversational and interactive experience with your organization. Online giving enables you to make donating fast and easy for the growing number of people who prefer to donate online. Email lets you segment your donors according to their interests, send them timely communications, and allow them to participate in what they are reading by clicking and writing back. That’s a winning engagement formula.

How Do You Raise Funds Online?

Step 1: Get the tools.

Network for Good's DonateNow and EmailNow services can help you conduct effective online outreach and fundraising.

Step 2: Integrate internally.

Organize your fundraising team so people engaged in online outreach are closely coordinating with those conducting offline outreach so each campaign has both online and offline components.

Step 3: Organize for online success.

To conduct great online campaigns, you need an email list. Collect email addresses at events, in mailings and on your website. Put your website address on all your offline materials, with trackable URLs that help you tell which offline materials generate online visits.

Step 4: Plan donor-centric campaigns.

Your appeals should always be created from the donor perspective, complete with a compelling story, clear call to action and a consistent message and look-and-feel online and off.

Step 5: Reinforce, sandwich and supplement.

Your online and offline calls to action should refer to each other, and reinforce each other. Try sandwiching: sending an email, then a direct mail piece, and then an email, each supporting and supplementing the others.

Step 6: Monitor results.

Use the great reporting tools on DonateNow and EmailNow to monitor your results, compare the performance to offline appeals, thank donors, and keep supporters updated in the impacts of their gifts over time. Learn from what worked – and didn’t – and adjust accordingly.

$1 out, $29 in

On average, for every dollar nonprofits invest in Network for Good's online giving services, they receive more than twenty-five dollars from donors.

$800 million

To date, Network for Good has helped more than 100,000 nonprofits raise more than $800 million.

The Two Words You MUST Include in All Your Outreach

rhigman — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 16:59:18 -0400

Scammers love to trick you by pretending to be someone they're not. For instance, how many times has "Your Bank" attempted to get you to confirm or re-enter your personal information for their records? They're basically saying, "Haha, we're not real... Yoink*!" (*That's the sound of your information and identity being snatched.)

Now, put yourself in the shoes of someone new to your organization. She's never heard of you, and through the magic of marketing, search engine optimization or sheer luck, this newbie is navigating around your website. Will she think you're for real or just a scam?

Letting people know there are actual people on the other side of your website is one key to proving your legitimacy. Here are few tips to prove that people can contact you--a real, live person:

Include the two key words--"Contact Us." Are you asking for people to join your email list, make a donation or get involved without a way to reach you for more information? Don't let your potential supporter bounce from your website thinking, "What's the deal?"
Put "Contact Us" everywhere. Include a link on your homepage and all of your subpages, and make that link easy to find. Many websites put the links in the top navigation as well as the very bottom of the page--different web-users have different reading habits, and you try to satisfy as many as you can.
Less isn't always more. Sometimes more is more. Don't hesitate to give out as much information as you can: an email address (that someone at your organization actually checks and responds from), a physical address and a phone number.

Read more tips for creating an effective "Contact Us" page.

Bottom line: It feels easy and safe to play Oz, but don't be afraid to come out from behind the curtain--let folks approach you. (By the way, you can reach us at fundraising123@networkforgood.org.)

How to Create a Nonprofit Editorial Calendar

Caryn.Stein@networkforgood.org — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 21:47:30 -0400

Creating an editorial calendar is an effective way to keep your organization’s newsletter, website, blog, and social media content fresh and current. Should you go with paper or something more high tech? Use whatever works best for you and your team: a wall calendar, Excel spreadsheet, Google Calendar, or even dedicated project management software. While it can contain loads of info, an editorial calendar at its most basic organizes the what, when, and who of your media outreach.

Here’s a quick primer on how to create an editorial calendar that’ll keep your team on track and your online presence fresh.

First: Answer What, When, and Who?

Create a broad outline of your organization’s content needs. This process includes answering “what, when, and who?”

WHAT types of media do you publish? Make a list of the different ways your nonprofit communicates with constituents. The options are endless, but here are a few ideas:

Website: Message from the executive director, volunteer opportunities, upcoming events.
Blog: Posts about recent events, fundraising campaigns, awards your nonprofit received, success stories, current issues affecting your cause.
Email: Newsletters, campaign updates, event invitations.
Facebook: Polls, success stories, links to blog posts or videos, contests, photos from the field, “volunteer of the week” profiles.
Twitter: Links to blog posts, event announcements, requests for volunteers.
YouTube: Videos from events, fieldwork, success stories.

WHEN is the deadline? Look at your “what” list and decide how often to update each item. Maybe you’ll revamp your homepage content once a month, publish a new blog post every Monday, send an email newsletter on the 15th of each month, post to Facebook every weekday morning, and so on.

WHO is the writer? Decide who on your team is responsible for creating and delivering each of the various pieces. Also, be sure to assign a team member or two to social media duties so someone is always available to interact with fans.

Next: Fill in the Blanks

Now that you have the basic framework of your nonprofit’s content needs, you can start filling your calendar with detailed information about each item, such as the specific topic of a blog post or Facebook update. A typical week might look something like this:

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Facebook:

Gina K, 10am.

Volunteer of the Week: Ellen Jones

Facebook:

Gina K., 10am.

Pic from dog adoption fair

Facebook:

Gina K., 10am.

Link to new YouTube video

Facebook:

Gina K., 10am.

Meet the Staff: Joe T.

Facebook:

Gina K., 10am.

Friday Fan Giveaway: Mug

Blog:

Ann S., noon.

Beagle Boogie gala recap (link on Twitter)

YouTube:

Joe T., EOD.

Ribbon cutting and tour of new kennels and dog run.

Homepage:

Joe T., 10am.

Update events sidebar, volunteer opportunities

Website:

Mary M., EOD.

Monthly message from executive director

Email NL (biweekly):

Ann S., 10am.

Dog adoption, Beagle Bingo event, request for supplies, link to donation page (post pdf on FB, link on Twitter)

This is, of course, a very basic editorial calendar, but it’s an easy place to begin. Yours could include more or fewer items, more or less detail, checkboxes to indicate approvals or stages of production, and so on. Expect your calendar to evolve as your needs change.

Big-Picture Benefits

Save your old calendars! Editorial calendars are great for more than just planning ahead. Over time, you’ll find them useful for reviewing what topics you’ve covered and when. This can help you avoid duplicating content or remind you to update your constituents on, say, a past event, contest, or campaign. You might also include data on published content like page views or click-through rates to see which pieces were most effective.

When it comes right down to it, an editorial calendar is just a super-organized to-do list that encourages engagement as your supporters keep coming back to your online channels to find out what’s new and exciting at your nonprofit.

Fundraising Takeaways

Your editorial calendar can be as simple or complex as you like, but it should at least answer the questions what, when, and who.
Organizing all the elements of your media outreach into one editorial calendar helps you keep content fresh and up to date. Readers will respond by coming back more often to see what’s new at your nonprofit.
Review your old editorial calendars to make sure you aren’t repeating content or that you’ve updated readers when necessary. They’re also useful for tracking which content was most successful.

Web Writing for Nonprofits: 4 Do’s and Don’ts

Caryn.Stein@networkforgood.org — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 21:23:47 -0400

Writing effective content for your nonprofit website, blog or email newsletter requires a different strategy than writing for print. With so much tempting stuff on the Internet, you have just a few seconds to draw readers in, and then only a few minutes—if you’re lucky!—to hold their interest. It’s imperative to shape your content to maximize that brief time, which means getting straight to the point, organizing articles to fit how we read on the Web, and writing clear, keyword-rich headlines.

Here are some do’s and don’ts for crafting great online content for your nonprofit website.

DO Organize Stories for Scannability

It helps to know how people read online so you can organize your pages for maximum readability. Eye-tracking studies show that readers scan text first to see if the article is relevant to them. They typically skim the top of the page—skipping the parts that require scrolling to reach—plus any headings, images, and bold-faced terms. Effective Web pages are easy to scan quickly and pick out the main points. Put your most important information at the beginning of your article. Expand on that info with eye-grabbing elements like bold-faced subheads, captioned images, and bulleted lists.

DON’T Bury the Lead

Readers tend to skip the parts “below the fold,” as it were. You want to frontload articles with your most important points. The intro isn’t the place for long-winded dramatic anecdotes leading up to the true purpose of your story. Get straight to the point!

Bonus tip: Be sure to include SEO-friendly keywords in your first few sentences. These are words readers are likely to use when searching for pages like yours.

DO Break Up Big Blocks of Text

The mere sight of long paragraphs can overwhelm time-strapped readers. Reread your Web pages as if for the first time, or ask a fresh-eyed coworker to check them out. Shorten or delete extra phrases and unnecessary sentences. Break long paragraphs into shorter ones. Even better: Extract key points into bulleted or numbered lists.

Bonus tip: Short paragraphs are best, but don’t go overboard by breaking them into single sentences. Also, try to keep articles to a max of between 500 and 600 words.

DON’T Get Too Cute with Headlines

A good headline makes the subject of your story obvious. Headlines that are riddles, obtuse puns, or other cute wordplay will send readers elsewhere and make your content difficult to find in a Google search. Crafting compelling headlines for Web pages and blog posts is similar to writing effective email subject lines:

Answer the question, “What’s this article about?” Be clear about what readers will find in your article. Include search engine-friendly keywords.
Make it irresistible. Readers love headlines that promise quick lists (“3 Tips for Conserving Water”), how-to articles (“How to Keep Your Schools Safe”), and do’s and don’ts (like this piece!).
Keep it short. Headlines under 50 characters are best; 30 to 40 characters are ideal. Follow these simple tips when writing email newsletters, Web pages, blog posts, and other online content and you’re likely to experience higher traffic and perhaps even greater engagement and giving from your supporters.

Fundraising Takeaways

Effective Web content mirrors how we read online, with the most important information at the beginning and text in easily scanned bite-sized chunks.
Include compelling captioned photos and transform big paragraphs into bulleted lists to make your pages even more readable.
Readers can’t resist articles with short, clear headlines that promise fun content like lists or how-tos.

Four Tactics for Amazing Nonprofit Stories

Caryn.Stein@networkforgood.org — Wed, 22 May 2013 10:39:55 -0400

Founded by Katya Andresen and Mark Rovner, Characters Magazine is on a mission to showcase amazing stories of and by those seeking to make the world a better place. Each month the magazine will feature stories from the nonprofit sector.

Stories are older than written language. Stories have started wars and built civilizations. They renew and sustain our faith traditions. They teach us what it means to be a good person.

For me, practicing the craft of storytelling is among the most rewarding and humbling parts of my work. Storytelling tests every writer’s mettle. It requires courage and a willingness to expose one’s self in public. And it can always be better. If we want to change the world for the better and further our good causes, we must embrace the power of storytelling and become comfortable speaking in story to attract, inspire and move people to action. We operate in a world in which we trust our heads too much and our hearts too little. Story is the language of heart, it's a language that is well worth mastering.

The stories featured in Characters run the gamut from a clever -- and heartbreaking -- story told in the form of tweets, to a short play about a successful and powerful woman looking for love. The stories share two qualities: they are all terrific and they are written by people who have made a career of trying to make the world a better place.

Inspired to use the power of storytelling to gain support for your cause? Try these tips for crafting amazing stories for your nonprofit:

Provide focus: Don’t try to tell everything that’s ever happened. Focus on one succinct story to allow your readers to really connect with the experience you’re trying to relate.
Be visual: Compelling photos instantly draw readers into your story. Select an image that sparks emotion and grabs your attention. Photos of people or animals looking directly at the camera almost always work best.
Incorporate reality: Use real details to tell your story. Quotes, sights, sounds and events help make your story more tangible and give readers something to grab onto.
Get personal: Just as you focus on one story, focus your attention on one person. Tap into that human emotion to let readers form a bond with your characters.

10 Tips for Writing Your Nonprofit Story

Mon, 19 Nov 2007 16:05:40 -0500

We've said it before: stories are powerful tools for nonprofit communicators. That said, a story will fall flat if it is not written or presented well. Follow these simple guidelines for finding and writing a story that is not only engaging, but also improves how your message is presented to the world.

Identify the good story. Not every event at your nonprofit is a story. A story shouldn't be about everything your nonprofit is doing. Look for a single, compelling focus, and if possible, a strong peg such as a trend, a news hook, an upcoming event, or an amazing human interest story about one of your employees or the people you are helping.

Stay focused. Keep the point of your story in mind as you collect facts and conduct interviews so that you don't clutter your story with unnecessary information.

Don't try to get fancy with your writing. Use clear, straightforward language, and tell your story in a logical sequence. If you are writing something technical, find a way to translate it into more accessible language. How would you explain it to your mother? A stranger?

Find great anecdotes to illustrate your story. Don't expect the anecdotes - particularly ones that tap into emotions - to come within five minutes of interviewing people involved in your story. Take the time to really talk with them while probing for the best details. These anecdotes bring the story to life and often provide a good introduction or conclusion for your story.

Ask detailed questions in your interview. If you're telling a story about helping a family who can't afford groceries, ask what is in the refrigerator, or what their typical breakfast is. Use those details to make your reader hear, feel, see, taste and smell what you are writing about.

Don't take a "kitchen sink" approach. Be concise. Include a few well-placed and powerful anecdotes or quotes instead of cramming in every detail. Pick and choose what best conveys your message and the emotion of the story.

Tell your readers why they should care. A reader has to be emotionally invested in a story to be compelled to act. How does your subject affect them and the world around them?

Answer the question: Why now? Give your story a sense of urgency and make it timely. Stories that feel "old" are of no interest to the media or potential readers.

Make your story part of a larger picture. Is the problem you are writing about regional -- such as a drought? Then make it part of a national problem, and let readers know that severe droughts are becoming more common in other areas of the country.

Proofread. Better yet, have someone else proofread your story before publishing it. Make sure to catch any errors while checking to make sure the story makes sense. Does it have a clear beginning, middle and end? Are the facts correct? Does it answer the questions that it raises? Is any information missing?

Social Media Storytelling for Nonprofits

Caryn.Stein@networkforgood.org — Mon, 06 May 2013 15:15:21 -0400

Pairing your nonprofit storytelling with social media is a smart tactic for engaging supporters and inspiring them to take action. When coupled with a compelling story and an integrated marketing plan, social media is an easy way to promote stories about your cause. Here's why it works:

It's dynamic: Social media makes it easy to combine text, photos, video and interactive elements to tell a richer story than just words alone.

It puts stories front and center: For many, social media is part of a daily routine. Sharing your stories through social channels helps your stay top of mind with supporters.

It's easy to consume: By breaking your stories into snackable sizes -- just right for social media -- your readers can engage with your message quickly, from anywhere they happen to be.

It provides instant feedback: Unlike other channels, social media is optimized for real-time interaction. Get insight on what resonates with your supporters by offering a variety of stories and formats.

It's shareable: Stories that amaze or inspire are irresistibly shareable. Take advantage of the fact that social tools are built to allow people to interact and share. Let your social media fans help you spread the word and attract new supporters.

Now that you're ready to go social, how should you package your stories to really stand out? Think outside the box when presenting your stories via social media. Here are a few creative ways to frame your content:

• Invite your supporters on a journey. Take readers on a journey to your field sites, local outreach events and through video, photos and up-to-the-minute updates. Use a combination of formats to really capture the full experience.

• Curate an exclusive exhibit. Have a collection of artifacts, illustrations or thank you notes from constituents? Show them off and let them speak for you.

• Make them part of the action. Share a play-by-play of live events or behind the scenes activities with a virtual "back stage pass".

• Create a serial drama. Never underestimate the power of a cliffhanger -- tell your story in installments over several days or weeks. Use hashtags, photo albums and landing pages to link the pieces together.

10 Tips to Improve Your Nonprofit Website

rhigman — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 15:34:47 -0500

Here are just a few tips on making your website more effective:

1. Make your site social media friendly.
Include social sharing links on every page of your nonprofit website. Encourage video and photo sharing, link to your social media profiles, and make it easy for bloggers and social networkers to embed your videos and feature your images on their sites and profiles. This will attract new traffic sources, retain visitors, and build community around your cause.

2. Put your most compelling content front and center.
If you have video or photos showing the work you do, use them! Strong imagery can help you build connections in a way that is not possible with words alone.

3. Look at your website from the visitor's perspective.
If you were a first-time visitor to your website, would you understand the mission of your organization? Are the actions you want a visitor to take clear? Is the navigation easy to understand? Surveys are a great way to gauge your site's usability and keep it dynamic in a universe that is always changing. Sites like Survey Monkey allow you to set up a survey that is simple and inexpensive.

4. Email sign-up should be one of the most prominent items, and the easiest action for a visitor to take.
If you don't have an email newsletter, you should. You can build your list and strengthen relationships by maintaining regular and meaningful contact with people who have already shown an interest in what you do. It's also easier to collect emails if you provide interesting content in return.

5. Think about the home page description of your organization.
If you only had ten words to describe yourselves, what would those words be? Make sure the words you use on your site are accurate and descriptive. It also helps if those words mirror the keywords and phrases people are likely to use searching for you or your issues.

6. Prominently feature your 'Donate Now' button.
Visitors shouldn't have to think about ways to engage with you - you need to show them how you want them to engage. Putting a Donate button on your site doesn't guarantee anyone will use it. But if you make a compelling case for your work, you should make it easy for visitors to support you.

7. Don't hide your address and phone number.
Even in this high tech world, we still know that the best way to build a relationship is showing people that you're real. Phone numbers and addresses build trust and a sense of accessibility and is often the one piece of content people are looking for when they go to your site.

8. Three clicks and you're out.
Make sure everything you might want a visitor to do on your site is no more than three clicks away. Research indicates that you lose 40% of visitors with each click.

9. Build and test your search function.
A search function and site map is a quick and easy way to help users get to their destination as quickly as possible. Tools such as Google Analytics will tell you if users are finding what they need on your site.

10. Connect to your blog.
An organization's blog is an effective way to share your latest news and online engagement. Think of your blog as your website's little buddy. Only start a blog if you have something to say and are ready to make a commitment. If you aren't sure, try guest blogging for someone who already writes on similar topics. A blog also helps raise your ratings with search engines. (Read See3 blogs here.)

Learn more about see3's strategy services.

Three Reasons Why Your Nonprofit Message is Failing

Caryn.Stein@networkforgood.org — Mon, 06 May 2013 11:56:19 -0400

If your organization's messaging isn’t getting through or your nonprofit marketing campaign isn’t making a difference, it is probably due to one (or all) of these three reasons.

1. Falsely assuming that information results in action.

It’s tempting to assume that if people have information, they will act on it. But sadly, information doesn’t equal action. We know it’s healthy to exercise every day - but that doesn’t mean we’re going to do it. Inertia is a strong force. Good causes are forever in conflict with the status quo and business as usual. We can’t just lay out information. We need to create a compelling reason for taking action that beats doing nothing. In marketing terms, we need to improve our reward and lower our price.

2. Forgetting that we’re not the audience.

The messages that appeal to us aren’t the ones that necessarily resonate with others. Every assumption should be suspect until we understand our audiences’ mindsets. When we assume our audience thinks the way we do, we are at odds with the principles of marketing. We must think like the people we want to reach if we want to succeed.

3. Treating marketing as an afterthought.

Marketing and communications are often tacked on to a good causes’s efforts at the last minute. In treating nonprofit marketing as an afterthought, we deprive ourselves of the great benefits that marketing can bring to all our work. A marketing mindset throughout every dimension of our cause can help us design more effective projects, better meet the needs of people we want to help, win us more donations and support, and motivate people to act.

How to Make Your Mission More Compelling

Caryn.Stein@networkforgood.org — Mon, 06 May 2013 10:08:30 -0400

Many nonprofits have trouble making their missions relatable and exciting to potential supporters. I often get questions like this one from Deirdre:

"As an organization with a mission that is a bit more abstract than, say, feeding hungry children or saving whales, we often struggle to make our work concrete. How can organizations dedicated to civic engagement or research create an inspiring story?"

Whatever your issue area, these three tips will make your cause clear and compelling.

1. Describe your mission as a destination.

Don’t talk about your process or philosophy. Talk about your outcomes.

Let me give you an example. Dan and Chip Heath, authors of Switch and Decisive, provide a great example from a breast care clinic as envisioned by Laura Esserman. She could have described her mission in ways that focused on the building or the philosophy. For example: “We are going to revolutionize the way breast cancer is treated and create a prototype of the next-generation breast cancer clinic.” Another poor choice: "We are going to reposition radiology as an internal, rather than external, wing of the clinic, and we will reconfigure our space to make that possible." These all fall into the customary trap of talking about HOW your approach your work rather than WHAT the end result will be. (They also make the mistake of having no people in the description of their cause, but that’s the second point below.) What would be better? The Heaths nail it: "A clinic with everything under one roof—a woman could come in for a mammogram in the morning and, if the test discovered a growth, she could leave with a treatment plan the same day." You can see the destination clear as day.

2. Give your mission a pulse.

You have to talk about what you do in a way that makes clear its effect on people or animals. If you don’t have a heartbeat to your message, no one will care about your cause. Suppose you are advocating for quality schools. Don’t get so lost in descriptions of quality education and advocacy techniques that you forget to talk about kids! This is one of the most common mistakes I see. Always answer the question, "at the end of the day, whose life is better for what we do?" I like how Jumpstart talks about their work in early childhood education. They put it this way: "Working toward the day every child in America enters kindergarten prepared to succeed."

3. Speak in story.

Last, make sure you are describing what you do through story, not just facts and jargon. Stories make a cause relatable, tangible and touching. Remember, a good story has a passionate storyteller (you), clear stakes and a tale of transformation at its core. The NRDC, an organization focused largely on process and the work of lawyers and scientists, does an amazing job with storytelling all over its home page. There are heroes with a heartbeat to show every dimension of their work in stories.