when the jargon stops being shiny
13:50, 28 June 2010
.. Posted in Communication, Outreach and General Mngmt.. Link
The nonprofit used a special event via online social networking a year ago to raise thousands of dollars for the work they were doing in 2009. During a pre-determined week, volunteers posted about the nonprofit's work to their various online networks (Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, blogs, even old-fashioned email), with a link for their friends to click on, a link that helped others learn more, quickly, and encouraged them to donate. It had a contest feel to it, and it generated a great deal of publicity and brought in more money than the nonprofit ever dreamed.
The nonprofit did the same online event this year, in support of its latest project. During a pre-determined week, volunteers posted about the nonprofit's work to their various networks, with a link that helped them learn more and encouraged them to donate. It had a contest feel to it, and... it brought in a fraction of what the nonprofit brought in last year, and little news coverage at all.
I'm not going to name the nonprofit, not only because I don't want to embarrass them, but also, because I'm talking about more than one nonprofit: this story isn't about just one organization, it's about three that I can think of off the top of my head.
Ofcourse your nonprofit should have ways for people to make donations online. Ofcourse you nonprofit should be trying to generate excitement about its work using various traditional and innovative methods. Ofcourse your nonprofit should coordinate at least one special fundraising campaign each year using all the outreach tools available: the Internet, text messaging on cell phones and traditional methods like direct mail.
But as the shine wears off the newness of online social networking (or, as we used to call it back in the day, The Internet) and the buzz dies down about whatever new tech tool is hot and the recession continues, funds are going to be more difficult to attract by nonprofits via quick-and-easy ways. Don't be shocked that what works this year may not work next year, or that you don't get the same ROI that another nonprofit got for the same effort last year.
The basics of successful fund raising haven't changed: establishing credibility and cultivating funds takes time, effort and personal attention. Successful fund raising is about establishing relationships, demonstrating in a variety of obvious ways why your nonprofit or NGO is important and what it accomplishes, and being clear and exact about what the funds you raise will pay for. In other words, all those principles that you can find in books about fund raising from 25 years ago remain valid.
Also see
- Nonprofit Organizations and Online Social Networking: Advice and Commentary
Evaluating Online Activities: Online Action Should Create & Support Offline Action
