Wired Causes

You are browsing the archives of 2011 August.

Your numerical data can tell stories, but can stories be data that leads to continuous improvement?   Do numbers only matter? There are lots of debates in the amazing world of measurement and learning. The only valid data is quantitative data Real time analysis is not useful because it is drive by analysis Make data-driven [...]

Security protection is one of the biggest technology concerns for libraries and nonprofits. During this webinar, Symantec representative Andrew Singer will discuss some of the threats facing your nonprofit or library, and the enterprise-level security you can deploy, such as Symantec’s Endpoint Protection, to help to better protect your organization.

This webinar is suited for nonprofits and public libraries in the United States concerned with information security at their organizations.

A new survey highlighted in the Chronicle of Philanthropy has some bad news: Two-thirds of donors said they will cut back on giving this fall due to economic woes.  A pathetic 17 percent of donors believed the economy is recovering, while 43 percent said it’s going to slide further down.  Only one in five donors said they’d consider giving to groups they’ve never before supported.

In an odd piece of happier, outlier data, 90% of online donors said they’ll keep giving and reported a more positive economic outlook.  I’m not sure what to make of that discrepancy, other than online donors are faring better in this economy.

So what does this gloomy news mean to us?

Don’t count your donors for granted.  You never should, but this year, you really can’t afford to treat them poorly.  This goes for companies too: Now’s the time to really care for your existing customers.

Nonprofit marketing folks: Are you doing a fabulous job thanking your existing donors?  Have you told them wonderful stories about the difference they are making?  Are they feeling a warm fuzzy about your cause?  If not, remedy that quickly!

Remember these tips on doing that well:

1. Give your donors happiness.  Donors want to feel good, especially right now.  They want a helper’s high.  They want to have an impact, make a difference and attain an emotional ROI.  You don’t give that to them with a desperate, doom and gloom message about your dire need.  Even if you’re feeling negative, there is no need to share that emotion unless there is a happy windup to your appeal.  Who can the donor save?  What can they make possible?  How can they be a superhuman life-changer for a small sum?  Tell them that.  It’s good stuff.  It’s motivating stuff.  It works.  DO NOT LOSE SIGHT OF THIS.  Times are tough and if you can make people feel good about themselves and what they’ve done, that’s worth a lot to them.

2. Show value.  People are pinching pennies and seeking value this year, whether in the aisles of Wal-Mart or when giving money.  You need to show you’re going to be a very trustworthy, efficient and effective steward of their money, and there’s no better way to do that than to be very concrete.  Where will the money go?  What dollars buy what change?  What good is going to result from a gift?  Answer these questions many times: when a donor gives, after they give, and next time you contact them for help.  Make it clear you’re tightening your belt and stretching every dollar - so donor dollars go further than ever.

3. Be flexible.  Not everyone can give as they have in more prosperous times.  So recognize that fact and give them flexibility in how they support you.  How can they volunteer their times or talents?  How can they assist you in spreading the word?  How about monthly giving – modest amounts deducted from their credit cards?  Make it easy for people to help, no matter how hard the times.

4. Be personal.  Do everything you can to personalize your messages.  Donors are going to be hit up for money left and right by desperate parties this year.  If you show you see them as a person and not a walking wallet, you stand a better chance of standing out.  Ask them about their interests so you can cater to them.

5. Do a great job with your online outreach - it seems perhaps donors there are in better shape.  And integrate that outreach with your offline efforts and messaging.

6. Be grateful.  Thank your donors for anything they can do to help - and do it often, sincerely and compellingly.  Tell them what they mean to your organization.

7. Learn.  If these things aren’t working at all, that tells you something.  One explanation is hard times, but that’s not the whole story.  If you can’t prove your relevance to donors or supporters, you have more than the anemic economy to blame.  You need to call up a few folks and find out why you’re failing to connect.  Or ask yourself if you are targeting the wrong audience.  Or question if you need to join forces with an organization better positioned for outreach.  Keep looking till you know why you’re failing – and then have the courage to fix the underlying problem.  The more you think instead of panic, the better off you will be.

The Ashoka Changemakers are running  “Citizen Media: A Global Innovation Competition”, in partnership with Global Voices and with the support of Google. The goal of the competition is to identify and amplify new ideas for media that catalyze participatory citizenship.

Citizen media is participatory media content production by private citizens who are not professional journalists. The concept includes citizens creating content for anything from blogs and podcasts to radio and print media. The means of producing citizen media are now more accessible than ever but political or economic situations still prevent far too many of the world’s citizens from participating in the free flow of information. The winning ideas from this citizen media competition will give voices to these people and connect them to the wider community.

The competition is looking for ideas that

• Give voice to underserved, vulnerable populations, introducing them to media creation and distribution 
• Equip journalists and publishers with tools or channels to report important news that otherwise gets missed 
• Advance free speech and privacy protections 
• Address the financial sustainability of quality news 
• Help people better navigate information and ascertain content reliability and authenticity 

The competition is open to anyone working to improve the communication or access to news and information. There are four US $5,000 cash prizes to be won. The best entries will also be considered for an Ashoka Fellowship, which includes a three-year living stipend, international recognition, and access to their network of social entrepreneurs.

Ashoka is an organization working towards creating a world where everyone is a Changemaker - a social entrepreneur with innovative and practical ideas for solving the most difficult and pressing social challenges. Changemakers is Ashoka’s global online community for empowering Changemakers through inspiration, mentoring, and collaboration.

If you are some one who is working on revolutionizing citizen media - online, in print or on the radio - create a profile and enter. You will find written and video instructions for how to enter, and  tips for making your entry stand out. Hurry, the deadline for submissions is September 15.

I grew up in a small town by the New Jersey shore in a house a block from the Atlantic Ocean that my elderly parents still live in today.       With Hurricane threatening a direct hit and potential devastating damage,  emergency officials called for a mandatory evacuation — something that hasn’t happened in [...]

Are you considering a partnership with a company or nonprofit?

Consider these tips for a happy healthy partnership.

1. FIT: Partner around mutual benefits or you won’t be partnering at all.  Partnerships should yield clear wins for each partner and most important, a shared or complementary customer base.

2. SUITABILITY: In thinking about partners, instead of asking who is like us, ask who wins when we win.  Don’t rule out potential partners who have different motivations for wanting the same success.  We don’t need to share a mission to have a suitable fit. 

3. SHARED AGENDA: Look for partners with a compatible agenda with respect to our audience and the potential for both parties to gain philanthropic fulfillment, financial benefits, enhanced image or expertise, access to new markets or marketing resources, greater efficiency, new products or services, competitive advantage or increased employee morale.

4. REALITY: Know that no partnership is perfect.  The bottom line is to go into the partnership with open eyes, more positives than negatives, and a plan for compensating for weaknesses within the alliance.  Shared, realistic expectations and a common vision for the degree of collaboration can go a long way to establishing and preserving a successful partnership.

5. COMMITMENT: Inevitably, the partnership will change over time, and one partner may perceive diminishing value.  Effective partnerships require a consistent balance between the value each party derives from the relationship.  Over time, it may be necessary to create new ideas and benefits if commitment is flagging on one side. 

Are you considering a partnership with a company or nonprofit?

Consider these tips for a happy healthy partnership.

1. FIT: Partner around mutual benefits or you won’t be partnering at all.  Partnerships should yield clear wins for each partner and most important, a shared or complementary customer base.

2. SUITABILITY: In thinking about partners, instead of asking who is like us, ask wins when we win.  Don’t rule out potential partners who have different motivations for wanting the same success.  We don’t need to share a mission to have a suitable fit. 

3. SHARED AGENDA: Look for partners with a compatible agenda with respect to our audience and the potential for both parties to gain philanthropic fulfillment, financial benefits, enhanced image or expertise, access to new markets or marketing resources, greater efficiency, new products or services, competitive advantage or increased employee morale.

4. REALITY: Know that no partnership is perfect.  The bottom line is to go into the partnership with open eyes, more positives than negatives, and a plan for compensating for weaknesses within the alliance.  Shared, realistic expectations and a common vision for the degree of collaboration can go a long way to establishing and preserving a successful partnership.

5. COMMITMENT: Inevitably, the partnership will change over time, and one partner may perceive diminishing value.  Effective partnerships require a consistent balance between the value each party derives from the relationship.  Over time, it may be necessary to create new ideas and benefits if commitment is flagging on one side. 
nonprofit partnership

I’m taking a break from the office today to work on my writing.  This experience has me thinking about storytelling. 

Here are two of my favorite quotes about stories—featured in Daniel Pink’s fascinating book, A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future.

“Although businesspeople are often suspicious of stories… the fact is that statistics are used to tell lies and damned lies, while accounting reports are often BS in a ball gown… If a businessperson understands that his or her own mind naturally wants to frame experience in a story, the key to moving the audience is not to resist this impulse but to embrace it.”—Robert McKee

“Scratch the surface in a typical boardroom and we’re all just cavemen with briefcases, hungry for a wise person to tell us stories.”—Alan Kay

In one interaction today, make your “punchline” a story and see what a difference it makes.  All you need is a protagonist and a challenge.  You’ll get everyone’s attention.