Network for Good Learning Center

Mobile Study: Donors Impulsive, Social and Tech-Savvy

Caryn.Stein@networkforgood.org — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 11:07:12 -0500

A new study on mobile giving in response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake has loads of interesting insights for nonprofits seeking to understand mobile donors.

The research, from the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project and Harvard’s Berkman Center for the Internet & Society, in partnership with the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the mGive Foundation, shows 9% of people have texted a charitable donation from their phone. While that may seem like a low number, it actually represents a significant percentage when you consider mobile giving only started in 2008 - and in that first year, it yielded more donations that the first year of online giving.

So who are these donors?

Impulsive: Surveyed donors who gave in response to Haiti said it was a spur-of the-moment decision - and for most, it was their first time giving with their phone. Three quarters of these mobile donors (73%) contributed using their phones on the same day they heard about the campaign, and a similar number (76%) say that they typically make text message donations without conducting much in-depth research beforehand. Six in ten have not followed the ongoing reconstruction efforts closely after making their donation, and just 3% say they have followed these efforts “very closely”. Additionally, a sizable majority (80%) have not received additional follow-up communications from the organization that received their donation.
Social: Yet while their initial contribution often involved little deliberation, 43% of these donors encouraged their friends or family members to give to the campaign as well. Interestingly, of those who encouraged a friend or family member to donate, three quarters (75%) did so by talking with others in person—twice the number who sent a text message encouraging others to donate (34% did this) and more than three times the number who did so by posting on a social networking site (21%).
Tech-Savvy: Most of those surveyed (56%) have continued to give to more recent disaster relief efforts—such as the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan—using their mobile phones. They were far more likely than the norm to Tweet, access the web via their phone and own an e-reader. They also tended to be younger than typical donors.

The study underlines a wealth of recent research showing multi-channel outreach is the best approach. Mobile should be part of an integrated outreach plan. The mobile donors use a range of methods to give money, and when asked their favorite way, they prefer text messaging (favored by 25%) and online forms (24%) only slightly to mail (22%) and in-person donations (19%). Voice calling was the least preferred way of being contacted.

I also think the impulsive, social nature of these donors is reflective of much of individual giving.

So should you jump into mobile? I think text-to-give campaigns are great for large-scale humanitarian disasters that have captured widespread interest and for local events, when you have an opportunity to ask people to act in the moment. If you are hoping people will give on their phones but haven’t figured out how to create the impetus for an impulsive action, step back and solve for that challenge before anything else. Mobile, like all technology, doesn’t work on its own. You need a compelling appeal that reaches people at the right time.

For more on the study, go here.

Why Email? Reasons to Love Email Marketing

kleroux — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 09:54:41 -0400

With the right email marketing service, like EmailNow, you can create powerful, effective branded messages that get the results you want. You may have heard that "email is dead," but here are 5 reasons why you should be using email marketing to stay in touch with your audience:

Reason 1

Everybody's Doing It! 95% of all adults have at least one email address and 93% of those subscribe to at least one email marketing list. Email marketing is a very effective way to communicate because it is very available. It's the preferred method of communication between individuals and businesses in front of direct mail, social media and telemarketing.

Sign-up forms are essential to get started. Place sign-up forms on your website, blog, social media sites and personal email signature. With EmailNow, you can create an unlimited number of sign up forms which will allow you to have a custom form based on where the audience is. For example, ask for more information from those signing up on your website since anyone looking at your website is probably more interested in your cause and will not mind giving more information. On social media, however, just ask for limited information like first name and email address.

Reason 2

It is surprisingly personal. A personal marketing approach is an effective marketing approach. You can tailor your message to create personal messages that are successful.

It starts with your sign-up form. Have a plan before you create your form. Think through how you plan on using the data you collect, and only ask for data that you will use. If you don't plan on using a birthday, then don't ask for it.

You want to get away from email blasts that are sent to everyone whether they are casual supporters or big time donors, and send highly effective targeted messages. With EmailNow, you can segment your lists into different groups, like volunteers, board members, and donors.

Also, use the personalization tools in email to creative effective warm messages. Use names and specific individual information whenever possible.

You can also use what EmailNow calls "triggers." These are emails that work for you. You set them up once and they are automatically sent when someone takes an action that "triggers" it like welcome emails, birthday messages, end of the year asks, etc.

Reason 3

Save money by moving your marketing online. Commercial email returned $42.08 for every dollar spent on it in 2010. This is a really terrific ROI for a marketing tool. Internet search advertising returns $21.85. Direct mail returns $15.22.

And if accounting isn't your problem, think about this - time is money. With EmailNow's triggers, you can set up emails once and then not have to worry about them again. This will save you time.

Reason 4

Email and social media pair nicely. Social media is the new hot thing, but email and social media work very well together. Email continues to be the backbone for social media in so many ways. Most people still receive their social media updates and notices through email.

While email and social media activity are managed as two separate channels by half of all companies, this is a missed opportunity. 42% of social media users check their email at least 4 times a day. Your email and social media marketing should be integrated.

Reason 5

Quickly determine which messages resonate the most. You should be tracking your responses and testing content and subject lines to determine which emails work the best for your audience. Do you know not only how many people open your email, but your click-through rates? Do you know when people open your messages? EmailNow has a very easy to use response section that can answer these questions for you and help you measure your results. You can also see who shared your email on social networks, who has signed up and who has opted out.

To hear this entire webinar, including more information on EmailNow, please listen to the recording of this webinar.

If you have questions or comments about this topic, please join the conversation on The Network for Good.

Adapted by Kristina Leroux

Website Words to Live By

Caryn.Stein@networkforgood.org — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 14:36:36 -0500

Here are some of the most important takeaways from our Speed Consulting for Nonprofit Websites webinars, featuring Mark Rovner and Alia McKee SeaChange Strategies along with our own Katya Andresen.

Don’t leave your common sense at the door

Don’t make them have to think (the most important rule!)

Interaction with your organization's website should be easy and fulfilling

Visitors don't want to have to stop their search to figure out where to go

Think about the audience that will be visiting your site instead of the internal structure of your organization when planning your site

Home page real estate is important but be picky about what you put on your homepage

Make sure your home page meets your audience's needs

Your job is the be the advocate of the website visitor

Make a connection with your audience using a compelling photo that tells your story

Post photos of close-ups of people, not buildings

Don’t ask people to sign up, stay in touch with issues

Don’t be afraid to be yourself- be fearless and go for it when you’re talking to your core tribe

Don’t post anything just to make a colleague happy

Don’t post a photo a 10 year old can’t explain to you without reading the caption

Don’t be boring

Also visit:

More Websites that Rock

Check out the websites we reviewed during the webinar

Cause Marketing 101: 5 Tactics for Raising Money from Businesses

kleroux — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 16:54:45 -0400

Cause marketing is a partnership between a nonprofit and a for-profit for mutual profit. Partnership implies equal work and equal reward for both the nonprofit and the company. Cause marketing programs should be win-win situations for everyone. This isn't about companies giving you money. This is about companies working with you so they can derive some type of benefit out of it as well.

Cause marketing raises money and raises awareness because you are gaining access to your partner's most valuable asset - their customers.

Best Cause Marketing Tactics

1. Coin Canisters. In the right retail setting you can raise thousands and thousands of dollars. The right store is key to the success of these programs. The ideal place is a busy store where customers normally pay cash, but cannot tip employees. Places like coffee shops, convenient stores, department stores, and bakeries are great. The canisters need to be front and center and have ample security so they can't be stolen. This is a great first step in a cause marketing program as you can then build on this relationship for further outreach.

2. Pinups (paper icons). This is one of the cheapest strategies, but one of the most lucrative ways to raise money. They are cheap to print and easy to execute. Even though they are old school, they can be adapted to work with newer technology like mobile phones, QR codes, or location based technology. You want retailers who have lots of locations and foot traffic - grocery stores, department stores, and restaurants. The ask from the cashiers is critical though. If they won't ask for the donation, you won't get anything.

3. Purchase triggered donations. This tactic has the company donate part or all of the proceeds of a sale to your cause. There is no cost to the consumer, and is a less intrusive way to get people to give. It's very customer friendly. They are buying products but also feeling good about it. However, these are usually geared towards causes that are already well known in the community.

4. Shopping Days. This tactic allows you to tap into a local shopping or business district. Ask these businesses to support your cause either through coin canisters, pinups or purchase triggered donations, but do it all on the same day or weekend. This masses your forces and turns your program into an event.

5. Facebook Likes. This is a digital option for those with great online presence. For every like, comment, or new twitter followers, etc, you receive a donation from the company. This can create new opportunities for you partner and being online builds your credibility.

Finding partners for your cause marketing program.

Start with those companies you already have a relationship with. Then go to your contacts - they know about you, but don't support you yet - like vendors. Then you have outside prospects.

Getting Partners.

Your program should be free. The real money in cause marketing is not in the company - it's in their consumers (with the exception of the Facebook "Likes" programs).

Don't give them an excuse to say no - you will need to offer to do a lot of work. Invite the company to see firsthand what you are doing in the community - take it beyond the money they are raising for you. Finally, be flexible and helpful.

Growing Your Program.

Educate your partner about the program and all the different things they will gain from it. Establish what's important to them -morale, sales. Once you have partners, work their circles and reach out to other companies.

Partnering with businesses is about philanthrotunity. Cause marketing is just a set of tools to accomplish your goals. Any sized nonprofit can take advantage of the real opportunities that are presented when you find the right business to partner with.

To hear this entire webinar, including great examples of real world cause marketing programs, please listen to the recording of this webinar.

If you have questions or comments about this topic, please join the conversation on cause marketing on The Network for Good.

Adapted by Kristina Leroux

Transform Your Organization with Pro Bono Technology Resources – The Community Corps Product Spotlight

kleroux — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 15:48:05 -0400

IT is consistently cited at the #1 functional challenge for nonprofits. Many organizations see technology as more of a luxury item, but in today's digital world, having technological know-how is necessary for any organization to operate efficiently and effectively.

NPower is a national nonprofit whose mission is to help thousands of other nonprofits improve their IT and communities they serve. We provide hands-on technology service, tools and training to nonprofits and IT training to underserved young adults throughout the U.S.

Our new program, The Community Corps, is dedicated to connecting IT pro bono consultants to nonprofits. Our goal is to deliver enormous value to resource-constrained nonprofits.

Technology is a powerful tool when used well, but for too many nonprofits, technology is a source of never-ending confusion and frustration. 40% of the country's nonprofits have no IT staff or support. A whopping 88% of nonprofits surveyed say they have inadequate IT support. A lot of organizations simply don't have the budget or resources.

This is where The Community Corps come in. We match nonprofits with IT volunteers and have created a powerful community of nonprofits, corporations and skilled professionals who share a passion for using technology to make a difference in people's lives. We are more specialized than other volunteer matching sites as we focus only on IT. We also service nonprofits from all over the country and most of our pro bono experts come from our corporate partners such as Cisco, Accenture and American Express.

How does it work?

IT professionals who want to volunteer create a profile detailing their skills and qualifications and what they are passionate about. We screen all volunteers, take their skill set, and then match it to a nonprofit that needs help.

Nonprofits join the Community Corps by registering on our website. Registration is free, but you will need an EIN number to create a profile. Once you have created a profile, start a project. Don't know what exactly you need or how to verbalize your request? We have created project scopes for you to choose from. Project Categories such as communications, social media, tech advisor, and data migration are listed. You will also have the ability to create custom projects.

After your project is posted, we connect you with the top 3 volunteers for your project based on their skills set and preferences. You won't have to sift through 100's of volunteers wondering if they can do the job or not. Pick a volunteer you want to work with and you're ready!

It's easy and free! Get started with The Community Corps.

For more information about Community Corps and a full demo on how to use Community Corps to find IT volunteers, check out the full recording of this webinar.

Have a question we didn't get to answer during the live call? Continue the conversation on The Network for Good.

Adapted by Kristina Leroux

Planning and Executing Your Next Big Event

kleroux — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 09:53:04 -0400

Events are a great way to cultivate support and attract new donors. But great events take a lot of planning, financial support and hard work. Before securing that banquet hall or scheduling those tee times, you need to ask yourself a few questions.

Should you even have an event? As much fun as events can be, you want to have a clear idea of what the end result should be.
Who is my audience? Is this for existing supporters or are you trying to reach new ones? Maybe your event is for clients. You need to know who your target audience is before you start planning the event itself.
What do I want them to do? Have a clear call to action for attendees.
Is an event the best solution? Events can be time consuming and expensive so make sure it is the best way to reach your goal. If your goal is only to raise awareness, you may want to think twice.

Now that you have those questions answered and know an event is the right way to go, here are 6 Steps for a Successful Event

1. Set a Goal that Makes Sense.

Set ONE goal and focus on that goal only. It needs to be a goal that is measurable.

Also, you must have a budget and stick to that budget! Your budget needs to line up with your ticket price so if it is a lavish event, the ticket price needs to be higher. Do you know how much your attendees are willing to pay? Be sure they are willing to pay that much for a ticket before you decide.

2. Choose the Right Type of Event.

Your event needs to align with:

Your audience or demographic
Your brand and mission
Your goal
Your budget
Your available time
Your expertise
Your staff and volunteers

Make sure you have a community base already in place. The bigger event is not always the one to do first. Timing is everything and you may need to do a few smaller events so people can get to know you before throwing that huge gala.

3. Secure Corporate Sponsors.

You need to define your value so you can clearly communicate why your organization is a good fit. How does your mission align with that sponsor's goals? Do they have employees already supporting your cause? How many people in the community have benefited from your organization?

Talk about the size of your audience that will be reached and the demographics of that audience. Tell them how they will be featured and promoted at the event.

Have different packages and sponsorship levels to attract small "mom and pop" type sponsors as well as the big brands. Securing a sponsor starts with relationship and dialogue. Do not limit yourself on what you can offer the sponsor in a package. Ask them what is important to them and build a package around that. They may want less than you think.

4. Design a Dynamic Experience for Your Supporters

Here are some "best practices" for planning an event:

Invite the right people.
Pay attention to your invitation. It needs to be compelling and relate back to your cause. Create a sense of urgency with early bird pricing, etc.
Go green! Only send paper to those that need it and sell tickets online.
Try to solicit additional donations from both attendees and non-attendees. Give them the option to donate beyond the ticket price either way.
Let your ticket buyers spread the word - let them easily share the event with Facebook buttons or tweets.
Thank your supporters immediately.

Do something a little different than your ordinary chicken dinners. Encourage "out of the box" ideas, but try to also educate your supporters also. Instead or your normal cocktail hour, create an "educational gallery people can look at the showcase great photos and compelling stories about what you are doing.

5. Promote the Heck out of Your Event.

Establish a communications plan. Use your website, social media, email and print. Have corporate sponsors promote the event as well with a widget for their website. Invite people to be champions for you. Find those supporters who are the most passionate about your cause and ask them to promote the event on their social media accounts.

6. Assess What Worked and What Didn't, Plan for Next Time and Keep up Your Relationships.

After the event go over whether you stuck to your budget. Did your promotions attract attendees? Did more people sign up online or offline? Did you receive new donors? Were your corporate sponsorships successful? Analyze the results of these questions and assess what worked and what didn't. After the event, make sure you thank your supporters and cultivate new donors.

If you are looking to host an event, but still aren't quite sure how to pull it off, consider using Network for Good's EventsNow service powered by givezooks! EventsNow allows you to create a customized event page, sell tickets and corporate sponsorships, and ask for donations from those who can't attend. It also lets you send and track emails and will automatically send thank you emails as well as emails your supporters can use for tax purposes.

For more ideas, advice and examples on hosting a great event, check out the recording from the webinar: http://web.networkforgood.org/nonprofit-911-080911-recording-

Or download a copy of our freee-book, The Next Big Event.

If you have questions about how you can have the most successful event ever, join the conversation on our online community.

Adapted by Kristina Leroux

How to Adapt When Everything Around You is Changing- A Nonprofit Organization Survival Guide

kleroux — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 10:46:36 -0400

When I was writing my book, Shift and Reset, I wanted to shake people up a little bit. I didn't want to just encourage you or point you in the right direction when looking for solutions, but I wanted to make you feel uncomfortable and look at things in different ways than we're used to. I want to shift your thinking, press the reset button and start over with the way you communicate.

If you're like most nonprofits, you're doing all the things you've always done to build your organization like building email lists and fundraising. But we can't do the same things the way we've always done, because what we are doing isn't working anymore!

The things we expect and ask for, the way we communicate and engage - it's all changing. Millions of dollars are being raised for causes, but the problems continue and the number of people affected is going up. The old ways of thinking and old ways of operating aren't getting the results we want because everything is changing.

Phones change everything. People are mobile now. We've been un-tethered. Our expectations of how we communicate have changed. We are now truly socialized and can respond in real time.
iPads change everything. Now you can have your entire information experience in your hand.
Facebook changes everything. Our perception of brands and issues is formed by those social interactions.
HBO Go changes everything. Like with Tivo and Hulu, you don't have to be present to do something. You can get what you want on the terms that you set.
Nike Changes everything. They raised the standard for YouTube content with their Write the Future campaign. People expect more from content now.
Real life changes everything. Events like 9/11 affect the way we look at the world and engage with others.

Information moves faster. We're more connected. We know we have better choices and more options, so our expectations are higher. The connections we make to the issues and events that shape our world are being transformed.

Everything must change. We cannot operate knowing that things are changing but also knowing that we aren't making a difference.

You must change the way you think. Re-imagine how you operate. The passion we know people have must be re-focused and re-directed. The ways we measure success must be re-assessed. The ways we promote big ideas must be re-envisioned.

Stop giving gifts (and stop asking for them too). Stop focusing on dollars. Nonprofits need to know how to harness and convert technology, media, and community into long-term sustainable support. We have plenty of tools, cash, and attention. What we don't have are real solutions to the challenges that our society is facing, and deep, system-wide understanding among the organizations.

Stop creating new organizations. There are way too many nonprofit organizations. But organizations don't solve problems. People do. The more organizations we create the more we siphon people away and divide resources.

Stop (over) Using Social Media. It's not about the tools. It's about being social. Help people communicate with each other and tackle problems and work for solutions. They have potential as tools to engage and mobilize differently, but they are just tools. Don't waste the time you should be spending being social trying to figure out how to use all these tools.

Stop creating case studies (or listening to them). When we are looking at ways to solve problems, we shouldn't look at what someone else is done and emulate it.

If we can think differently - others around us will begin to also and that's when we will see the change we want. Don't settle for what you've always been doing knowing it's not working like it used to. Shift and reset.

For more insight on how we can change the way we think, please watch the recording from this webinar.

If you have questions or would like to make a comment about this subject, please join the conversation at The Network for Good Online Community.

Adapted by Kristina Leroux

Why "I'm Sorry" is So Powerful

aschwalm — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 17:31:45 -0400

I’ve had a lot of chances to practice apologizing, because I’ve made so many mistakes in my life.

What’s been so interesting to me is that when I’ve made mistakes at work and publicly expressed remorse, I have found people are full of grace, compassion and forgiveness. I’ve concluded that to err is human and to apologize is human, too. To sweep a wrong under the rug or to issue an inauthentic half-sorry is artificial—and people get angry over that kind of refusal to acknowledge error.

There really is no downside to apology—in fact, there are upsides.

Roger Dooley’s wonderful neuromarketing blog has a fun story about apology and its power. Dooley cites Dan Ariely’s work, which shares this study:

The setup involved “hiring” coffee shop customers to perform a simple task for $5, and then (apparently accidentally) overpaying them. Some subjects were subjected to rude behavior by the experimenter, who appeared to take an unimportant cell phone call in the middle of explaining the task. The subjects who experienced the rude behavior were much more likely to pocket the overpayment.

Ariely then tweaked the experiment by repeating it but having the experimenter add a simple apology, stating, “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have taken that call.” The apology completely offset the effects of the rude behavior. The subjects who experienced the rude behavior but then got the apology were just as likely to return the overpayment as the control group.

The neuromarketing takeaway is that apologies really do work. Of course, “sorry” may not completely negate the effects of major failures or even repeated small ones. But Ariely’s work does show that for one aggravating incident, an apology is the perfect remedy. So, don’t let your miscue slide – suck it up, and apologize!

If you’ve messed up, tell your boss or colleagues or donors that you are truly sorry. They might think more highly of you—even though you made a mistake.

4 Ideas for Expanding Your Email Horizons

aschwalm — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 10:32:11 -0400

Our friends at the Emma Blog, have pulled together a few of their favorite ideas into a field guide to email adventure. Some are side routes to explore, others are full-on, pack-a-lot-of-granola expeditions. Either way, you’ll find all kinds of ways to expand your email horizons.

Launch a Welcome Note

Someone says hi to you. How lovely. Now wait three weeks and say hi back.

Wait, that’s no good.

But you’re committing the email equivalent of that faux pas if you’re not greeting new subscribers with a welcome message. It’s a great way to build on someone’s initial interest, right when they’re interested. An Experian study shows welcome autoresponders boast a 14% click-through rate compared to the 4% industry average. Best of all, it happens automatically with Emma’s trigger email feature.

If you’ve never set up a triggered welcome email, why not make it your summer goal to launch one? Craft new content with new subscribers in mind, or just add a special greeting to the top of your latest newsletter.

Explore Surveys

There’s a wide world of customer insight out there, and you’ve got an easy way to uncover it with Emma’s survey feature. Surveys are free in your Emma account, which is nice, and their results show you priceless feedback to improve pretty much anything, including events, products, customer satisfaction and your latest email newsletter.

Of course, the real adventure begins when you learn what your customers think. Or when you decide to steal the Declaration of Independence. (Use of Nicolas Cage voice is optional there.)

Discover Your Inactive Members

Legendary outdoorsman Teddy Roosevelt spoke of three uncharted frontiers: our galaxy, the ocean depths and your email database.

Which is our historically dubious way of suggesting it’s time to discover who’s not looking at your emails. Inactive subscribers are an important segment with all kinds of opportunity. Craft a special offer for them, and they’ll remember why they first signed up for your list. Send your next campaign with a daring subject line, and get their attention again. Or dare to remove them altogether, and you may save money.

Dare to Redesign Your Newsletter

Your industry, your goals and your customers’ needs have evolved over the last few years. Has your email newsletter kept up? If not, it may be time to embark on a redesign.

A redesigned newsletter engages readers who may have become accustomed to the same look week after week. But more importantly, the process of thinking through your new design helps you consider what your readers want and improves the overall strategy of your content. In other words, your email won’t just look better; it’ll also be better.

Keep it simple by changing your font selections or image styles. Choose a new layout or work with one of our designers for a fresh template. Or reinvent it from the ground up. Just don’t go all Gaga on us and insist your email be paraded around in a egg pod. It’s an open rate, people, not a hatch rate.

What Your Donors Aren't Telling You

aschwalm — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 13:28:17 -0400

What exactly are your donors thinking? Have you ever thought about the millions of thoughts running through their heads when faced with the opportunity to donate? Are they thinking certain things and just not telling you?

1. They’re unhappy. Customer experience guru John Goodman shared this jarring fact with me this week: there are two industries in which people are often unhappy with service but don’t complain much: health care and nonprofits.

Just because you’re not hearing disappointment doesn’t mean your donors are pleased with you.

2. They’ll vote with their feet. The number one reason donors stop supporting a charity is the way they were treated by the charity: a lack of gratitude, no clear understanding of the difference they made, endless solicitations.

3. They want you to do better. They want to be acknowledged, involved and informed. Treat them better—it’s the single best thing you can do as a fundraiser. Keep the donor you have and you won’t have to worry so much about finding new converts. A little gratitude goes a long way.