Social Media As A Fundraising Tool Webinar Training 5.6.09

Emily Davis, MNMPresident, EDA Consulting15861 Paseo Del SurSan Diego, CA 92127www.edaconsulting.orgwww.edaconsultingcafe.blogspot.com

Social Media as a Fundraising Tool5/11/2009

EDA Consulting LLCMay11, 2009

Web 2.0

Blogosphere

Facebook

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Digg

Bebo

IM

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LinkedIn

Social NetworkingPodcasts

Texting

You Tube

Websites/CSM

RSS Feeds

Listservs

Ning

Twitter

Wikis

Email

E-Newsletters

Mashups

Ringtone

Advocacy

My Space

5/11/2009 Social Media as a Fundraising Tool

OverviewIntroductionsYour nameOrganizationExperience with social media


What is Web 2.0?“The term refers to a group of popular

technologies that survived that dot-com bust, so-called 2.0 because they pick up from the previous generation of technologies invented during the last wave of Internet innovation (circa 1993-2001)…it describes not only a set of popular Internet technologies but also the phenomenon of a group of people who believe that we are entering a new era.”

- Ben Rigby, Mobilizing Generation 2.0

Social Media as a Fundraising Tool5/11/2009

Fears about using social mediaThat’s for younger people. I’m too oldI don’t have time to learn.It’s too complicated. I’m not tech savvy.Not sure what to DO with it.Our current fundraising strategies work just

fine.Our donors don’t know what “it” is or how to

use “it.”Don’t want my personal information out on

the web.


“This is not the first time that nonprofit organizations and fundraisers have had to adapt to new technologies. The radio, television, newspapers, telephones, fax machine, and direct mail have all affected how we raise money. Some of the new methods that have evolved are more successful than others, and not all of them have been used with equal success by all nonprofits.”

- Ted Hart and Michael Johnston in Fundraising on the Internet


Fundraising BasicsBuild trust and relationshipsBuild community supportCommunicate message with supportersCommunicate message quickly and

effectivelyBranding and marketingCultivate current and prospective donorsUse multiple strategies to target various

donor levels


Benefits to social mediaBuild networks and communityBuild relationships and trust – at a distanceBuild donor base and gather emailsTell your story – Put a face and a personality

to your organizationShare information and resources quicklyPromote brand and causeTransparency


Building Community

“Many nonprofits (particularly the smaller ones) lack the resources to communicate effectively. The Internet offers the opportunity to cost-effectively build a community of supporters.”

-ePhilanthropyFoundation.org


Benefits to social media con’t…Social and professional networkingProspectingGet feedbackPromote causes and connections – viral

marketingCost effective and greenCross city, state, and national boundariesOpen the door to collaboration opportunities


People give to peopleSocial media outlets allow organizations to

share their successes and let prospective donors and supporters move into the “inner circle.”

Building trust at a distance is a way to personally connect to other individuals without boundaries.

Use stories to help build connections and investment.


Cons to using social mediaSome loss of controlTime investmentNew communication structureIdeas and opinions that are shared may

change over timeGetting staff/board investment in new

technologyTransparency


Goals and planning to use social mediaSet goals & strategy for successCreate a calendar for messagingObtain board, staff, and volunteer buy-in and

participationParticipate in personal use of social mediaHave fun!


A few words about websites(CMS)CMS = Content Management SystemIt’s rare to see orgs without websites nowWebsite is the foundation for communication

with the interested partiesOrgs should drive content and be able to

manage it easilyImportant to use best practices in website

development with other online toolsGreat place to hold all social media info


What is it?Why is it useful?How do you set it up and blog?Best practices Examples


Why blog?

“Starting an organizational blog is one of the fastest routes for telling the story of…your cause, demonstrating expertise in your field, and engaging supporters in conversation.”

- Ben Rigby, Mobilizing Generation 2.0


Stats…12 million Americans blog and over half of

Americans read blogs.Blog readers are 11% more likely than the

average internet user to have incomes greater than $75,000.

Blog readers make more purchases online.Blog readers spend 6% more online than the

average Internet user.Mobilizing Generation 2.0,

2008


Why is a blog useful?Gives a face and a voice to a campaign.Great communications and community-

building strategy.Make a personal connection with your

stakeholdersShare opinions and personalize the mission.Organizational history onlineInternal, organizational communications


How to set up a blogFree blogging software:

Blogspot (Google), TypePad, Yahoo, WordPressMore at mobilizingyouth.org/blog_software

Blogging for DummiesSet it up through an organization’s websiteClarify your goals and objectivesSelect layout, logo, etc.Blidget = blog widget


Best practicesBlog on a consistent basis and planAsk questions and encourage feedbackGet everyone in organization to participateTrack participation: FeedburnerStrategically and frequently use keywords

that are connected to your organizationNetwork within the blogging communityLet go of some control


MicrobloggingJust another way to share information and

communicateMore branding and marketingShorter posts: 140 characters or lessFollow people – encourages them to follow

you.Connect to Facebook profile – Ping SMS settingsTwitterFox, TweetDeck, TweetGenius, etc.


“Blogging can deepen your staff members’ expertise in a subject, help you test ideas before they become set in stone (or before you’ve invested time and resources), and enable more authentic conversation with constituents.”

- Beth Kanter, Mobilizing Generation 2.0


Questions?


What is it?Why is it useful?How do you set it up and use it?Best practicesExamples


What is Facebook“The connections between every single person

in the world intertwine, interplay, and interlock to form the social graph…The power of the social graph refers to how information travels quickly and reliably among folks.”

- Carolyn Abram & Leah Perlman, Facebook for Dummies


Facebook usesBuild a network of “Friends” easilyRecruit people to your “Group” “Page” or

“Cause”Share links and ideas quicklyRaise $$: low cost, friend-to-friendPromote cause and campaigns to folks who

might not otherwise access it – pledges, goals, and matching donations

Create and sign petitions


Set up and featuresMust have a personal profile to set up a Group

or Cause.Update your profile with as much information

as possible.Updates and notificationsBirthdays, People You May KnowDiscussion Boards/Walls/Email/News

Feeds/EventsIM


Facebook CausesStarted in June 2008 by co-founder of

FacebookMost used application on Facebook with 27

million unique visits.“Microphilanthropy”Corporate Partnerships – use current

corporate connections to partner with a nonprofits through FB Cause.


Facebook CausesNeed to show 501c3 status (Cause)Admins can invite “friends” and make that

visible on their profile.Fundraising GoalsAction Centers help people track pledges,

matches, amounts donated and raised.Pledges – Recruits & fundsShare links, news, discussions


Cause Best PracticesTake time exploring what motivates

engagementAsk for specific actions; encourage

participationMake communications short and exciting

(think like you are on Twitter)Post links to articles, resources, and video Get people going to your websiteConsider using advertisements


Facebook Groups & PagesSimilar to Causes, but no fundraising aspectCan create membership restrictionsCommunicate discussions, links, pictures,

videos and eventsInvite friends on and off Facebook (must have

a FB profile)Groups – eventsPages – Fans


LinkedInGreat for recruitersCan’t just create a profile and ignore it –

nothing will magically happen.Place your resume and professional

informationGreat place for recommendationsCreate discussion topicsNeed personal account to create a group

account


NingNeed personal profile to join a social networkStill gaining momentum“Allows you to create a customized social

network in a matter of minutes.” (Rigby, 2008)

Like Facebook for your own community.


Questions?


EvaluationOrganizational investmentNext StepsResources


Social networking evaluationSet goals:

Number of friends in group/cause and on mailing list

VolunteersRecord/note how many people:

Donate moneySend linksRecruit other friendsPromote on their profile, blog, website

Cost: Care2 ROI calculator


Selling social mediaBuild into current plansHave personal experience using itJust like any other fundraising toolAsk knowledgeable staff to partner with staff

new to web 2.0 toolsEase fears and build confidenceStart slowly: blogging and social networkingEveryone can participate


Next stepsStart at homeWhat, if anything, do you think will be useful

for you and your clients?What concerns do you have?Can you think of one client who might use a

new social media tool and how?Look for volunteers and other board or staff

members who can help you.


Beth Kanter on Social Media“Web 2.0 social media tools offer many

possibilities for nonprofits to raise awareness of their work, connect with younger donors, raise money, find volunteers, and achieve other tangible benefits. There are challenges, of course, but these can be mitigated with low-risk forms of experimentation and learning in order to reap powerful rewards.” (Rigby, 2008)


Questions?


THANK YOU!For questions or more information…Emily Davis, MNMPresident and Lead ConsultantEDA Consulting15861 Paseo Del SurSan Diego, CA [email protected] www.edaconsulting.orgwww.edaconsultingcafe.blogspot.com


Social Media As A Fundraising Tool Webinar Training 5.6.09

Technology

Transcript of Social Media As A Fundraising Tool Webinar Training 5.6.09