Chad Norman's Webby Things : Fundraising

6 Dogooding Webby Things Your Nonprofit Should Check Out

Chad Norman — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 14:19:00 GMT

The Internet, nonprofits, and cause-based action have been natural partners since day one, not unlike peanut butter and jelly...and, um, more jelly. So it's no surprise that the successes nonprofits have seen with social media are constantly being cited, something I observed at SXSW. This happens because social technology works, and new methods of interacting with supporters are emerging every week. Here are six great webby things that every dogooder should check out:

Act.ly
A tactful use of a petition can work wonders for a cause, and Act.ly is an easy way to integrate this activity into your Twitter strategy. Act.ly allows petitions to be created that target Twitter users (politicians, businesses, organizations, etc.). The platform provides a way for your supporters to sign the petition, send a tweet about the effort, see others that have joined the cause, and embed a badge on their own sites. Check out how the League of Conservation Voters is using the platform to urge Oprah to discuss President Obama's clean energy plan, and then integrating the petition into their home page. www.act.ly

Facebook Fan Box
Having a Facebook Fan page is a great way to engage supporters, and many organizations are integrating these pages into their overall communications strategy. The Facebook Fan Box is an embeddable widget you can place on your website, blog, and other web properties to integrate the Facebook experience. Visitors can use the Fan Box to become a fan, view status updates, see who is supporting your cause, and read what they are saying. The Lance Armstrong Foundation uses the widget to connect connect fans with Lance himself, and drive visitors to this valuable social channel. www.facebook.com

IdealistNews
Using social news sites like Digg, Yahoo Buzz, Mixx, and Reddit can bring new visitors to your cause, but only if your stories don't get lost in the vast pool of content. Idealist.org has partnered with Reddit to create IdealistNews, a nonprofit-focused social news platform. Once your organization's news stories and blog posts have been submitted, users have the opportunity to vote them up. The more votes, the more likely people are to hear your message. www.idealist.org

Actions for Facebook
For advocacy-based organizations, providing easy ways to communicate with politicians is critical to success. Grassroots Enterprises has released Actions for Facebook, and powerful online advocacy application for Facebook. The tool makes it easy to turn your fans into activists by helping them send letters to state and federal officials, find appropriate local activities, and invite friends to participate. Features like widgets, unique URLs, and data collection make it easy to integrate into your communication strategy. www.grassroots.com

eBay Giving Works
While this isn't exactly new, I like that eBay helps users create positive change with every purchase. eBay Giving Works allows buyers to find sellers that support good causes, give direct donations via PayPal, and enables sellers to donate proceeds to nonprofits. All you have to do is sign-up your org to participate in the program. www.ebay.com

Good.ly
If your organization is using Twitter, then you're probably familiar with URL shortening tools like bit.ly, ow.ly, and TinyURL.com. Good.ly has taken the short URL business into the nonprofit sector by generating donations from users. When purchases are made from Good.ly click-throughs, a portion of the referral fee goes to one of three featured charities. While this may not be a financial windfall for the nonprofits, it is still a great application of technology for social good. www.good.ly

I also want to give a shout out to a few other webby things I've been digging lately. Check out Geoff Livingston's List of Change for a dynamic list of the most popular nonprofit blogs. Socialbright is a great resource that can help your nonprofit use social media, as is Social by Social. And of course there is the Summer of Social Good, Mashable's push to promote dogooding through social media.

Power to Your Peeps! Why Real-time Fundraising with Twitter Works

Chad Norman — Tue, 26 May 2009 16:22:00 GMT

I dig speaking at nonprofit conferences and events, and one of my favorite topics to cover is the real-time use of social media. It's the perfect mix of emerging technologies, social media, communities, and the web - some of my favorite things.

The conversations inevitably get stymied around Twitter - which is no surprise, as every nonprofit is trying to figure out what the tool means for them. A channel for promoting your mission? A monitor for listening to chatter about your cause? A way to connect your org to your community? It's all of those things, but it's also something else: a real-time fundraising tool!

Raising money on Twitter is happening all the time. Beth Kanter stood on stage at Gnomedex and used Twitter to help raise $2,657 in 90 minutes. Last November, Tweetsgiving used Twitter to raise over $10,000 in 48 hours for a school in Tanzania. And just last month, I used Twitter to raise $350 in a couple hours to help send the NTEN staff out for a relaxing excursion. These examples show just some of the ways Twitter can enable real-time fundraising. Clearly it works...but why?

Tara Hunt calls it Whuffie. Chris Brogan calls it the Trust Economy. I call it the Deep Network. Real-time fundraising works because of social capital...because we tend to trust the people in our network. When an org sends an email, the open rate can be low - but when a person sends an email to friends, the open rate is 90%! This is because of trust, and works the same way with Twitter or any other people-based network. When we build up large, diverse networks consisting of supporters, friends, and peers, we are creating a bank of trust to draw upon when needed. When it comes time to ask your network for something, they will not need the time to interpret your motivation - because they know you and your org. And some will be ready to act...right then!

So use Twitter for listening, communicating, and promoting, but don't overlook the platform as a vehicle for real-time action. Build your network around mutual trust, a sense of community, and personal attention. If you've taken the time to cultivate a trusting, loyal, and engaged following, you should be able to turn that social capital into financial capital - and in a hurry if need be. After all, when you're among friends, it's never hard to ask!

Hey, Your Org Was Just Named Nonprofit of the Year!

Chad Norman — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 18:50:00 GMT

What if all of your organization's wishes came true - instantly, overnight, in a flash, or maybe even granted via genie? That would certainly change things. Million dollar gifts, an unending supply of volunteers, loads of Whuffie - it could happen, right?

Check out what a scenario like that might look like with this customizable video report from Nonprofit Network News. Just enter your org's name, your name, and hit customize. Hilarity ensues.

» Customize Video

And while I'm a huge fan of magical impromptu windfalls, it probably isn't the best strategy to wait around for this to happen. Like Santa Clause, The Great Pumpkin, and possibly Big Foot, genies are technically fiction. (Though, if you're an actual genie reading this blog post, feeeeeeel free to stop by my house and prove me wrong. I only need one wish!)

If you want to do something today to help your nonprofit thrive, all of us Blackbaudian's are here to help. We've featured some resources on our nonprofit wishlist page. You can also read our blogs, check out an event, chat us up on Twitter, or download some white papers. Be sure to check out our Internet Solutions team blog at www.NetWitsThinkTank.com, or visit Blackbaud Labs for the latest in nonprofit tech.

Lets stop wishing and start doing - together!

How Much Are Your Webby Things Worth?

Chad Norman — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 11:29:00 GMT

The cost of keeping your cause on the web, whether it's online fundraising, social networking, or raising awareness, is hard to quantify. It's even harder to determine wheather these efforts are actually helping your organization, or just wasting valuable time. Blackbaud wants to help you find out!

Today is your last chance to participate in the "What is the monetary value of being online?" survey, which is part of the State of the Nonprofit Industry (SONI) program. Not only will you be helping the nonprofit industry, but you'll be entered to win one of three $100 Visa gift cards. You'll also receive a copy of the final report, and that's it - because not only will your information be kept confidential, it won't be used for sales purposes. The SONI team really just wants to help us all understand the value of being online!

Take the Internet value survey - What is the monetary value of being online?

The survey ends today at 5:00 p.m. ET, and the results will be released very soon. In the mean time, be sure to check out these other studies:

Online Giving Smackdown :: A Very Special Baudcast

Chad Norman — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 19:18:00 GMT

When Target Analytics released its 2008 donorCentrics Internet Giving Benchmarking Analysis, the sector responded with keen interest. The study is packed with insightful nuggets, but one trend is capturing everyone's attention (including The New York Times): First time online donors are often migrating to other channels, like direct mail. Yikes!

Will online giving, with it's higher average gift and youthful appeal, prove not to be the silver bullet everyone thought? The blogosphere and Twitter lit up looking for an answer, but I really liked this post on The Agitator: is online fundraising Too Important for Techies?

We decided to dig into the issue on episode 24 of The Baudcast (iTunes | direct), so key players were invited on the show for an epic online giving battle (or at least a lively conversation). Joining me was Roger Craver (founder of The Agitator and Craver, Mathews, Smith & Company), Hildy Gottlieb (president of The Community Driven Institute and author of The Pollyanna Principles), and Rob Harris (co-author of the 2008 donorCentrics Internet Giving Benchmarking report). I had a great Blackbaud crew on hand as well: Steve MacLaughlin, Allison Van Diest, and Melanie Mathos.

The conversation was GREAT to say the least, as both Roger and Hildy blew us away with their understanding of multi-channel integrated campaigns. Steve posted some quotes from the show over on Connections, and we were all live tweeting comments during the call. Near the end of the conversation, I asked the panel what nonprofits could do tomorrow to better integrate and support online fundraising efforts...here are the responses:

Have a strategy that goes beyond fundraising. A good strategy should start with what your organization wants to accomplish, who you want to reach, and where those people are - then decide on the channels and tools.
Find other organizations that are doing multi-channel communications well, and copy them.
Listen carefully to what people are saying on blogs and social networking sites. Then use these feedback mechanisms to solicit information from your audience. Testing should used online as much as it is with direct mail - because it works.
Invest in good copy. Not just a good writer, but looking at your audience and what drives them. Then craft a message based on that.
Use your online channel to improve stewardship and increase the value of your donors.
Leadership is needed at an organization to break down the silos between the direct mail, email, and phone-a-thon teams. An integrated campaign is a successful campaign.

There you have it. Hear the rest on The Baudcast: (iTunes | direct)

Beth Kanter and the Real-Time Social Web Make Fundraising History

Chad Norman — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 14:50:00 GMT

On Friday evening, I watched something amazing unfold online - all while trying to get my kids into the bath and get their rooms ready for bed. Saying things like, "Hang on guys, I'm trying to copy and paste some of these tweets!" had little effect, but I couldn't help it. This was exciting, powerful, historical - This was Beth Kanter at Gnomedex!

For me, it all started with a simple tweet from Robert Scoble providing a link to a Ustream.TV feed of Beth's presentation. Click, and I was watching Beth rocking the Gnomedex 8.0 crowd with her tales from the front lines of the nonprofit social web. She was discussing her fundraising efforts in 2006 and 2007 that were geared towards sending a Cambodian woman to college, and then it happened.

Her challenge was simple: Can this room of highly connected gnomedexers get 250 people to donate $10 by the end of the conference?

She tweeted this challenge to the masses, and a few attendees kicked things off by donating onstage. That's when the real-time social web flexed its muscles, and the tweets, retweets, and donations began flying around the Twitterverse.

At the conclusion of the 90-minute presentation, $2,657 had been collected from 112 online donors (not to mention the $902 in cash given onsite). The goal had been to reach $2,500 by the end of the conference, and the real-time social web had done that (and then some) in 90 minutes. Hello world, meet the future!

We already knew the social web could get things done, but Beth's successful experiment demonstrated that it can be used to get things done RIGHT NOW. A well connected online community can make things happen when called to action, and nonprofits are in a great position to harness this power for social change. Combined with an engaged online community, real-time technologies like Twitter, Ustream.tv, and smart phones can be used as an immediate system for change.

I'm glad Beth is our nonprofit tech ambassador, and that she continues to inspire anyone who will listen. I'm glad that Scoble, Chris Brogan, Danny Sullivan, Chris Pirillo and the rest of the tech elite helped bring so much mainstream attention to this cause. I'm glad nonprofits can use this as an example of how emerging technology is changing fundraising forever.

In the time it took me to bathe my boys and put them to bed, a young student named Leng Sopharath was given the life-changing gift of education. That 90 minutes of furious tweeting, texting, and giving will ensure her housing, tuition, and medical bills are paid as she continues her college journey.

Is this a one-time thing that can only happen when well-connected geeks decide to make a difference, or can this be repeated by other nonprofits? I'm not sure, but I can't wait to find out. In the mean time, I'll be sure to read Because a Little Bug Went Ka-choo to my boys a few more times, and remind them that the butterfly effect actually has wings.

Is Your iPod Hungry? Feed it The Baudcast!

Chad Norman — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 13:10:00 GMT

I don't know about you, but my iPod has an insatiable appetite for new podcasts. Not a 12,000-calorie Michael Phelps-sized appetite, but it certainly appreciates being fed useful podcasts rather than old Led Zeppelin records. OK, it likes the old Zeppelin records too...

There are bunch of nonprofit podcasts out there to feed your mind and save your commute. I subscribe to Nonprofit Jungle: Guide to Smart Communications, Nonprofit Management & Fundraising, and the CPNS-QUT-Nonprofit Podcast. Sometimes nonprofit podcasts come in other shapes and sizes, like Marc Pitman's Ask Without Fear! Radio Show. It's live the first time, but after that you can download and take each episode with you wherever you go.

Here at Blackbaud, we're filled to the brim with amazing employees and customers that have served the sector for years. We use our flagship podcast, The Baudcast, as a means of capturing this thought leadership and delivering it to the world. Every two weeks, The Baudcast brings together a panel of experts to discuss recent news, trends, and happenings in the nonprofit space. It's a fun show that I'm proud to produce, host, and edit. If you haven't checked it out yet, it's available for download at Blackbaud.com or the Itunes Music Store.

Here is a rundown of the last four episodes:

The Baudcast, Episode 13
A fundraising-focused show featuring direct mail, list trading, data modeling, personalized touches, planned giving, attracting millennial donors, social networking, 2008 Conference for Nonprofits, NetWits Live @Portland, The United Way, and more. Participants include Chad Norman, Melanie Milonas, Jamie Holaday, Marc Pitman, and Ken Meifert (National Baseball Hall of Fame).
The Baudcast, Episode 12
This episode's panel discusses Blackbaud NetCommunity 5.5, efficiency through integration, multi-channel messaging, BBNC API, BBNC Idea Bank, social networking, Blackbaud Delivers, NetWits Live @Portland, Socialthing, VoteTheBay.org, and more. Participants include Chad Norman, Steve MacLaughlin, Melanie Milonas, Garrett Keating (United States Naval Academy Alumni Association and Foundation), and Michael Sola (Chesapeake Bay Foundation).
The Baudcast, Episode 11
A lively discussion on the Target Index of National Fundraising Q1 2008 findings, CAN-SPAM rule changes, the NTEN We Are Media project, PCI compliance, eTapestry in Spanish, the Kintera acquisition, the iPhone 3G, and more. Participants include Chad Norman, Steve MacLaughlin, Melanie Milonas, Jamie Holaday, and Chris Harris..
The Baudcast, Episode 10
This episode's panel discusses the 2008 Giving USA data, generation Y working at nonprofits, the 2008 Blackbaud Higher Ed Forum, Firefox 3.0, BBNC Idea Bank, Blackbaud Interviews podcast, Reward Your Passion grants, Blackbaud customer fan video, and more. Participants include Chad Norman, Steve MacLaughlin, Melanie Milonas, and Jamie Holaday.

We're already setup for a ripping good time discussing social networking on episode 14 next week - I'm looking forward to it. I often send out tweets asking for questions while we are taping (follow me on Twitter), so be on the lookout. I also hope to begin broadcasting the show live on Stickam this fall.

So, keep your iPod happy and healthy by downloading some nonprofit podcasts today!

6 Degrees of Fundraising

Chad Norman — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 21:16:00 GMT

We talk a lot about nonprofits using the social web to attract and engage donors, but the concepts trend more towards awareness than action. Using MySpace or YouTube to deliver your message to a broad audience is one thing - getting them to act is another. That’s where SixDegrees.org, AOL Instant Messenger, and Network for Good come in. Someone had the brilliant idea to put these three ingredients into a giant Web 2.0 blender in the hopes of producing a tasty, social fundraising smoothie – and it looks like they have succeeded. With Kevin Bacon as the natural pitchman, 6Degrees.org is asking donors to choose a nonprofit, then get 6 friends to give to the same organization. Network for Good is covering the online donations, while AOL's MySpace equivalent AIM Pages handles the social aspect. The idea is to use a social network to form impromptu giving circles...got it? No? Here, I'll let Mr. Bacon tell it like it is:

All you have to do is use the AIM for Good module on this page. Simply pick the charity that you would like to rally support for, enter up to six e-mail addresses of your buddies and family members, and write them a note asking for their support. The e-mail that they’ll receive will give them the opportunity to give, right there, to the charity you’ve selected. All transactions will be private and secure. Another way you can help is by making your own AIM Page, which can include the AIM for Good module on it too. So, when your buddies stop by your page, they’ll be reminded to get the word out and rally support with their friends and families.

While I love the concept, the whole things feels a little thrown together. When you read about it, or hear Kevin talk about it, it's not crystal clear who is involved and exactly what you are supposed to do. With some tighter integration and better defined user paths, I can see this program really taking off. Cheers to everyone involved!