Wired Causes

You are browsing the archives of 2009 July.

Video: How philanthropic is ‘The Philanthropist’

Advice on how charities should use online social networks

Kevin Gilnack workes for the Providers Council Yesterday I did one of the Chronicle’s Live Chat Discussions that was billed as “How Can Charities Figure out How Much Time and Money To Invest in Social Media.” The transcript is here….

Gates foundation responds to criticism of its India grants

California lawmakers look to grant makers to fill gaps in social-service spending

The Need for the 4Cs Social Media Framework Over the last year, I have had to explain how social media works to diplomats, defense officials, and academics and students focused on fields as diverse as international affairs, management and sociology….

Credit: mcadamskerry, Flickr.

I love shoes.  Especially this particular pair.  (If you really like this blog, feel free to send me some in size 9.) 

But I’m afraid we approach marketing like shoes.  And that’s not a good thing.  Bear with me, I’ll explain.

Here’s how things work too often: You devise a strategic plan.  You determine the tactics to achieve it.  And at the end, you say you’ll market your mission.  This process is like wearing sackcloth and then putting on some fancy shoes and calling it a smashing outfit.  It doesn’t work.  In treating marketing as a decorative and disconnected afterthought, we deprive ourselves of the great benefits that marketing thinking can bring to the entire spectrum of our work.  A marketing mindset can help us design more effective projects, better meet the needs of people we want to help, win us more resources and support and motivate people to act.  Failing to incorporate marketing into the earliest stages of our work often means we’re left to market a product or idea that is so far removed from our audiences’ interests and reality that no amount of sales savvy can get people to buy.  Marketing dollars should be a part of every grant proposal and budget.  If money is a problem, find a corporate sponsor or pro bono help.  Stretch dollars by targeting audiences and reaching them in open-minded moments.  Skimping on marketing means we will end up skimping on impact.

Think of nonprofit marketing not as your shiny shoes but rather your own spine.  It should be part of your organization, central to your being and essential for holding everything up.  It’s not an optional body part.  It runs through everything.

This morning I participated in one of the Chronicle’s Live Chat Discussions that was billed as “How Can Charities Figure out How Much Time and Money To Invest in Social Media.” The transcript is here. I logged in 30 minutes…

Why all charities have a stake in the immigration debate

On June 25, 2009, I announced on my blog that I was five days away from a cross-country move and knew it would disrupt my routine, including my blogging routine. I didn’t want the stress of writing posts or the…