THE "CLICK" IN CLICKTIVISM

ONE CLICK THAT CAN SAVE THIS DOGS LIFE

Image Source: Wonderlane via Flickr

Online activism is an emerging form of involvement, comprised heavily of the millennial generation.

Image Source: Unsplash via Pixabay

Social media and clicktivism are

effective ways of highlighting the

importance of an issue and bringing

increased attention. [1]

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There is a negative stigmatism around clicktivism though.

Image Source: “Feed Us!” by Ed Yourdon via Flickr

Older generations view clicktivism as ineffective and a waste of time, compared to more traditional forms of activism. [2]

Image Source: “A rather ineffective gate” by Alan Murray-Rust via Wikimedia

The resentment originates from witnessing a lack in connection between the effort and presence online with actual change in the real world. [2]

Image Source: "Bahia Honda Rail Bridge 9460" by MrX via Wikipedia

So what can be done to change the direction of

clicktivism?

Image Source: “Railroad Wye Switch" by Noel Hankamer via Flickr

Image Source: Bohed via Pixabay

Recent social media campaigns with an attached financial component have been extremely successful in producing tangible results. [3]

The ALS Ice Bucket challenge brought an 800% donation increase over the same time period as the year before. [1]

Image Source: "John Maino performs the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge" by Chris Rand via Wikipedia

While Kony 2012 was quickly forgotten as there were not enough effective methods for getting supporters involved.

Image Source: “Invisible poster" by Daliophoto via Flickr

#GIVINGTUESDAY saw an 90% increase in donations between 2012 and 2013.  The median donation also rose by 40%. [4]Image Source: “Giving Tuesday UK” by Howard Lake via Flickr

Online donations in 2006 totaled $7 billion. Donations online grew to $22 billion in 2010. [5]

Image Source: Pollydot via Pixabay

Online giving increased by more than 10% each year between 2011 and 2013.  It is also the preferred method for first response giving. [6]

Image Source: U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Todd Frantom via Wikipedia

Direct financial donation is not the only type of transaction that donors can have online.

Image Source: “Transaction at the Market” by Christopher via Flickr

The UNICEF kid power program used popular fitness devices to allow 900 students to exchange their earned points for financial contributions from campaign sponsors.  The 900 students raised enough points to buy over 70,000 nourishment packets for malnourished children. [7] Image Source: "Samsung Galaxy Gear blank screen" by Kārlis

Dambrāns via Flickr

Facebook has made it even easier to donate to major charities by introducing donation buttons on the top of their Facebook pages. [8]

Image Source: "Facebook Like sign" by Kevin Krejci via Wikipedia

Making it convenient for potential activists to be able to engage quickly and easily will help boost donations.  In 2013, 65% of non-profit organizations required you to make 3 or more clicks to make a donation. [9]

Image Source: “25 years of apple mouse evolution" by Raneko via Flickr

Prominent donation links are not enough though.  Branded donation pages that match the organization bring in 30% larger gifts on average, compared to generic donation pages. [10]

Image Source: “Corporate branding done by Bridcorp" by Varun Sajeevan via Wikimedia

So what does a non-profit need to do in order to be successful through

clicktivism?

Image Source: “Taking Notes" by Daniel Foster via Flickr

• Incorporate tangible and specific involvement methods like a prominent donation button

• Personalize and display effort and interest in all parts of their online profile

• Stay true to the roots of clicktivism; the campaign should always bring awareness and be engaging

Image Source: “#checklist" by Ryan Trauman via Flickr

"The most successful non-profits are betting that digital giving is the way of the future and that millennials will lead the way." - Samantha Sharf [6]

Image Source: “#EndPoverty 2030 – Millennials take on the Challenge” by World Bank via Flickr

Image Source: “Blood donation saves lives, needs more promotion” by European Parliament via Flickr

References:

[1] Sharma, Ritu. 2014. "Stop Pouring Ice on Clicktivism." (Huffington Post).[2] Faw, Larissa. 2012. "Are Millennials Lazy Or Avant-Garde Social Activists?" Forbes. [3] Adhikari, Abhay. 2012. "How charities can use social media for digital campaigning." The Guardian.[4] McGrady, Vanessa. 2014. "#GivingTuesday: The Philanthropy Revolution Will Be Hashtagged." Forbes. [5] Marco Castillo, Ragan Petrie, Clarence Wardell. 2014. "Fundraising through online social networks: A field experiment on peer-to-peer solicitation." Journal of Public Economics. [6] Sharf, Samantha. 2014. "Charitable Giving Grew 4.9% In 2013 As Online Donations Picked Up." Forbes. [7] Stern, Caryl M. 2015. "In Praise of Clicktivism." Huffington Post. [8] Facebook. 2013. "Donate to Nonprofits Through Facebook." Facebook News Room. [9] MacLaughlin, Steve. 2014. "50 Fascinating Nonprofit Statistics." npENGAGE. [10] Network for Good. 2014. "Online Giving Continues to Grow for Charities Across the Country." Network for Good.