08:13, 3 November 2010
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There is a
FANTASTIC article about the realities of using online tools to mobilize people into action, using the elections in the USA yesterday compared to 2008 as an example.
This article examines why online tools played such a HUGE role in getting Democrats elected in 2008, but those same tools, those same networks, those same mailing lists, did NOT garner the same results for Democrats in 2010. As the article says, "Using social networks and online tools to mobilize people was effective only because this sense of euphoria already existed... Now that Obama's in office, he should be more concerned with creatively controlling the overall narrative rather than encouraging users to post buttons on people's Facebook walls.
I am
not trying to be political with this blog, not trying to endorse anyone or debunk anyone's political views; I'm sharing this article and blogging about it
to point out, once again, that
it takes good old-fashioned strategies for online tools, or any outreach tools, to be effective in mobilizing people into action and cultivating supporters. Regardless of your political views, use this as a learning moment, to realize the limits of Web 2.0.
This is a reality check regarding online communications and mobilizing supporters using online tools. Also see my blog about a similar article,
the revolution will not be tweeted: outsized enthusiasm for social media.
What I wish this article had focused on more was
how effective Web 2.0 tools are in promoting misinformation and negative speech, as that played a HUGE role in the elections yesterday, as well as in all political discussions in the USA (
one in five Americans, 18%, believe President Obama is a Muslim!). So I'll plug my web page,
How to Handle Online Criticism.
09:30, 25 October 2010
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I get contacted frequently by people who have a question about communications,
virtual volunteering,
working in Afghanistan,
working for the UN, and on and on. And I get a LOT of requests for my guide to
Basic Fund-Raising for Small NGOs/Civil Society in the Developing World.
Sometimes, the work that the requester is doing -- usually in a developing country -- really gets my attention. The person is doing something especially difficult, or something that
I'm interested in professionally or personally. So in addition to answering the question, I ask, "Do you have a
blog about your work? Or have any photos online about your work?" And most of the time, the answer is "No."
Sigh.
There are people out there that want to read about your work, that want to support it in some way, that want to tell their friends and colleagues about it. But we cannot unless you
share information online about it. A
web site is great, and you absolutely need one, but there also needs to be
frequently updated information available to those who want it. Even a once-a-month email newsletter people could sign up for!
You are probably already taking photos, already writing emails to supervisors, already writing donor reports about your work. Why not excerpt some of that as a blog entry? Or a Facebook status update?
The world wants to hear from you!
11:36, 8 October 2010
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International days, weeks, years and decades offer
excellent outreach opportunities for nonprofit organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), civil society organizations, charities, and others trying to improve our communities, our individual lives, and the environment. There is a commemorative day or week, as designated by the UN general assembly, for just about any subject you can think of, and on top of that, there are designated years and decades you may also be able to utilize for outreach efforts.
You can use these designations to tie in your organization's events and programs, through issuing press releases, writing op-ed pieces for local media, blogging on a related topic, offering yourself for interviews to radio and TV, or even holding a special event. If you mention these days, weeks, etc. on your blog and web site, you increase the chance of your organization coming to the attention of anyone doing a search online for information about these days, weeks, etc.
For a list of these UN days, weeks, years and decades, see either
this part of the UNESCO web site or
this page by the UN Association of Canada.
2010 is both the
International Year of Biodiversity and the
International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures (most years have more than one designation).
2011 has already been designated
2011 is also the International 10th anniversary of International Year of Volunteers (IYV+10), and the
United Nations Volunteers programme is
leading its promotion. There is already a
IYV+10 logo for you to use in your own materials that recognize this event. In addition, 2011 is also the
European Year of Volunteering 2011.
Individual countries and individual organizations also have their own designated days and weeks that may be different than other countries and agencies. For instance,
Girl Scouts of the USA and
Girl Guides all over the world celebrate
World Thinking Day on February 22-- why not also
any organization that believes "empowering girls will change our world"?
There is no one site to find all of these dates, because they are designated by all sorts of different organizations; it would be a great job for an online volunteer to help find dates for your organization to use!
08:47, 7 October 2010
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You have heard the frequently-stated idea that every nonprofit or NGO needs to diversify its revenue sources, and the more diversified a nonprofit's funding sources are, the better.
I've stated it. And I do mostly believe it.
But there are, indeed, exceptions to everything, including to this rule. And a
blog by Clara Miller at the Chronicle of Philanthropy talks about why it's not always the rule, and in a very hilarious way. It's something nonprofit managers, board members and all funders should read!
And the blog also reminds me of why I subscribe to the Chronicle's free online materials (wish I could afford to subscribe to the full version!), and encourage others to do so.
Go to the Chronicle's web site and create an account. Then go to the
newsletter subscription page and click on "Subscribe for Philanthropy Today." It will keep you informed of about what is really happening in the nonprofit world. Even if you are outside North America, you should most definitely subscribe. It's well written, it's accurate, it's provoking, and I make a point to read it within 24 hours after it arrives in my in-box!
08:45, 29 September 2010
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If I need to communicate something nationally, internationally, or even within a particular profession, the Internet has made that
really easy to do.
If I need to communicate within a remote village in Afghanistan, traditional, non-Internet methods of "instant messaging" still work very well ("instant messaging has been around loooong before the Internet or cell phones).
But communicating within a few communities in rural Oregon? Now THERE'S a huge challenge. And I suspect it's a challenge for most small communities all over the USA.
The demise of local newspapers has made communicating in small regions and cities harder than ever in the USA. Take where I live right now:
- There are no radio stations focused on this community.
- There's no television station focused on this community.
- Most people here don't use Craigslist, at least not for community news.
- Most people here don't use Facebook, and those who do don't necessarily "friend" the same organizations or individuals.
How do organizations in my community get information out to everyone in the community? The most effective way is using large banners on the main thoroughfare of the city, and with little signs and banners put up all over town. Some organizations send out direct mail to every household or a mailing list. And both of these methods work -- but they require a hefty budget and enough staff to pull it off.
It's a bigger challenge than ever for community organizations and nonprofit organizations to get the word out about events, services and volunteer recruitment. It's a challenge made even harder if a local chapter of a nonprofit is prohibited by its state or national office from using sites like
VolunteerMatch for volunteer recruitment and
Idealist for event listings (because the state or national office insists on mega listings on these sites -- and as we all know,
mega listings do NOT work!).
I'm the volunteer communications coordinator with a chapter of a national organization that does not have the budget to put up banners around town regarding upcoming events nor to send direct mail to every household in the area. We're also prohibited from using sites like
VolunteerMatch and
Idealist for our chapter's specific needs. So how do I get the word out for this local chapter about events, resources and volunteer opportunities?
- I email all of the clubs, associations and nonprofits in the area I can find email addresses for, with details about the event or volunteer recruitment drive and ask them to share it with their members. Many clubs, associations and nonprofits in the area don't have web sites, and many who do don't post an email address, or the email address they have posted is no longer functioning, so I'm missing far more groups than I'm reaching.
- I email all of the communities of faith, secular societies, ethical societies and atheist associations I can find email addresses for with the same information. This leaves out all those who don't have available email address or anything online, however.
- I encourage members to post something in their Facebook updates about upcoming public events, with links to our web page (at least we're allowed to have that!).
- I email the two weekly newspapers that still serve this area.
Why not email grade schools? Because grade schools are so overwhelmed with such requests for information distribution that they have a blanket ban on such! But many schools do have open houses when they will allow nonprofits to put up a display -- if you have the budget to put a display together, and enough volunteers willing and available, it's a great way to reach parents and kids.
Last year, for Halloween, we gave labels to our members to wrap around the candy that they handed out, with basic information about the organization and how to get involved. If we can find a label and copier donor again, and a volunteer to make it happen, this might be an option we will pursue again this year.
Another idea: if your local high school, college or university has its own newspaper, consider sending such press releases or taking out an ad in such. Also, look for clubs and classes at area high schools, colleges and universities that might be good targets for your message.
How do you reach your
local community about events, services and volunteer recruitment, particularly if you serve a rural area in the USA?
Share here.
09:14, 28 September 2010
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I don't think
FaceBook is the greatest thing since sliced bread, but I do think it's an important part of a nonprofit or government or other mission-based organization's overall
box of outreach tools.
But so few nonprofits or governments -- or corporations, for that matter -- "get" FaceBook. For instance, many of them post endless pleas for donations as their status updates. Or post incredibly boring "events," like that the Executive Director is going to speak somewhere. Or that the new annual report is now available. Or launch
yet another contest. ZZzzzz.
Here are some organizations that "get" FaceBook, in my opinion:
- Kentucky State Parks - posts about upcoming special events at different parks, or special deals, like women-only retreats. Every post makes me want to go! I'm "friends" with a lot of state parks, and in comparison, all the others are oh-so-boring in what they share on FaceBook (if they share anything at all). Are you listening, Oregon?
- PeaceCorps - posts mostly about what PeaceCorps members are doing in the field and special recognition or events where members are honored. I imagine thousands of former PeaceCorps members, as well as current members, swell with pride with every post, being reminded of what a fantastic institution they are a part of, and are further energized to become advocates for PeaceCorps with friends and colleagues.
- U.S. Agency for International Development - USAID - posts about what USAID is doing and accomplishing in the developing world, and what new strategies they are about to incorporate. Every post says "We're active, we're focused on what people really need, and we're getting results." Your tax dollars at work!
- Women of Uganda Network - I've been a WOUGNET supporter for many years, so it's no surprise to me that their Facebook status updates would make me go "wow" so often. Every post is "here's another fabulous thing we've been up to to help women and girls access computer technology." Same for their Flickr account, for that matter. Ladies, I swear, I WILL get to Uganda soon!
- Mayhew International - This organization is based in England and is focused on humanely changing the stray dog and cat situation in a variety of countries, including in Afghanistan, by encouraging people to become responsible pet owners and by dispelling myths about stray animals. They don't post endless photos of animals in awful conditions; their posts give me hope that this is a battle that can actually be won, and dogs and cats can be valued and bring joy in any country, in any culture.
- Humane Society of Henderson County (Kentucky) - Here's an incredible success story, an organization that a few years ago was being attacked by PETA and the public for its horrific conditions and practices, and now, is an organization that welcomes the public and volunteers into the organization and is a model for other animal shelters. And their Facebook use is part of that amazing turnaround.
What do all these FaceBook users have in common?
Their status updates are so compelling that I want to read them! They are using FaceBook to micro-blog about "wow" things. And I feel like there is a caring human writing their posts, not a cold PR person trying to manipulate me. I feel like they are my "friend."
What happens when these organizations post to FaceBook?
People respond: They click "like". They post glowing comments. They repost to their own status on FaceBook. They blog about it. They tell their friends. My guess is that these organizations see greater attendance at events, greater numbers of volunteers signing up to help, and probably an increase in donations -
tangible results that make online activities worth doing.
09:21, 2 September 2010
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DonorsChoose.org is a web site where K-12 teachers in the USA can post what they need in their classrooms, needs for which they cannot get funding for through traditional government funding means. A classroom request on
DonorsChoose.org could be $100 to cover pencil sharpeners or several hundred dollars for a digital camera to replace one that still used floppy disks or a computer with wireless access for a portable classroom. It could be for an art cart, new printers, or licensing rights to a software program the teacher knew worked for kids. Anyone can go through the site and choose a project to fund. Contributors can pay for part or all of a project, or focus giving on a specific school or subject area.
Recently, someone called DonorsChoose and asked how much it would cost to fund every California teacher's wish list posted on the web site. A day later, the caller, Hilda Yao, executive director of the Claire Giannini Fund, mailed a check of more than $1.3 million to cover the entire California wish list, 2,233 projects in all, with an extra $100,000 tossed in to help pay for other teacher needs across the country.
(You can read the full story at the
San Francisco Chronicle web site)
I'm sure there are a lot of California teachers kicking themselves right now for not posting a request to
DonorsChoose.org.
I'm not posting this to convince you that there is a super sugar daddy/mamma donor out there that will emerge out of the blue to fund your nonprofit or NGO or project, that you can get full funding just by posting on the right place on the Internet. Because there is no super sugar daddy/mamma donor out there for
most nonprofits, NGOs or projects. What happened regarding California is the exception, not the rule.
I'm posting this blog to convince you to
always have at least your most important funding needs well defined and in writing on your web site, to always be able to express such to anyone who asks, and to openly refer to this need in conversations (online and off) and meetings, as appropriate.
Never just say, "We need money" or "We're short on funds." What
exactly do you need money for? Training for staff? Additional staff members with a particular area of expertise? A new facility? A copy machine? And how would training, additional staff, a new facility, a copy machine, or whatever it is you say you need, help your organization serve more clients, provide more services, or have greater impact towards your mission? What are the consequences of
not having the training, the additional staff, the different facility or that copy machine now?
Here are two examples of well-written explanations of how funds will be used:
Donations will be used to pay for the shipping of donated books from all over the world, for our library that serves disabled-children and their families; and to pay the salaries of our two-person staff, made up of two professionals in child-development.
OR
Donations will be used to pay the duty fees and transportation costs of five computers and networking equipment being donated to our organization by Acme Computer company, as well as to pay a local person to connect the computers to the Internet; all of this will allow us to provide Internet access to local women and children as part of our various community education activities.
Here is an example of a poorly-written explanation:
If we do not receive donations, our doors will close!! We need funding immediately, or we must turn children away!! WE URGENTLY NEED ASSISTANCE!!
Yes, I've received that last one. More than once.
For more tips, if you are working in or for a community in a transitional or developing country, see
Basic Fund-Raising for Small NGOs/Civil Society in the Developing World.
13:02, 30 August 2010
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Last week, I edited a presentation for an Afghan colleague in Afghanistan regarding how her program monitors and evaluates its projects. She had written what she thought those that would view the presentation wanted to hear:
perfection. In her report, monitoring and evaluation worked like a textbook definition of such at her organization.
I could say that this is a mistake by someone still oh-so-new to public administration, project management, reporting and evaluation. But the reality is that I see this mistake made by experienced nonprofit/NGO managers all the time. Their philosophy for reporting, monitoring and evaluation is this: don't talk about what isn't working, don't talk about problems, and don't talk about challenges that the program, project or organization is facing, because any of that means
failure. Most staff members at nonprofits, NGOs and government agencies are
reluctant to report information they feel reflects negatively on their or their organization's performance, or to even talk about it internally.
Don't fear reporting or discussing bad news with donors or the public, or acknowledging and talking about them internally.
Being upfront about problems and challenges:
- shows the public, including donors, transparency, accountability and good governance
- puts you in control of the reporting: you are defining the message and not leaving it to someone else to discover and report in their own way
- could lead to additional funding
- creates a staff culture of openness and respect -- which leads to a further culture of loyalty and trust
That doesn't mean reporting every single problem on your blog. It doesn't mean violating your organization's confidentiality policies. But it does mean reporting and/or discussing things that are
significantly interfering with your project, program or organization successes, such as:
- Conflict / disagreements
- Misunderstandings
- Negative publicity / perceptions
- Lack of funds / funding gaps
- Policy changes that have negatively affected program delivery in some way
- Procurement challenges
- Transportation problems
- Facility problems / challenges
- Cultural practices that adversely affect clients or the issue being addressed
- Bureaucracy
- Security issues
- Corruption (bribes, falsifying reports, etc.)
Don't just name the problem or challenge, but also how you are addressing each, or what you need to address each (training? additional staff? a new facility? -- don't just say
funding).
Reward openness by staff to discuss problems and challenges; acknowledge it and address it, don't punish or discipline for truthfulness, no matter how much it hurts!
Also see:
22:07, 17 August 2010
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The entire conversation about the
Death of the World Wide Web is happening on the Seemingly Quite Alive World Wide Web.
Sigh.
13:44, 17 August 2010
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It's all the rage now -- sending a text message to all your friends/ cell phones, or via your status message on your
Facebook account, or via your
Twitter account, saying where you are:
"Jayne just entered the Starbuck's in Canby."
Some people do it manually, and some people have their smart phones configured with a certain application so that their location is sent out automatically if they enter a restaurant or store that is also using the same application.
Most of the time, I don't care that one of my friends has just entered some store or restaurant somewhere, per their automatically-generated Facebook status.
That said, this
texting-your-location trend is something that your nonprofit can leverage. How?
- At the start of your volunteer recognition event, display a message on an overhead projector and ask all attendees to take out their cell phones or smart phones and to text it or tweet it right at that moment to everyone in their contact list, their followers or via their status update to their contacts. The message could be I am at the recognition event for volunteers of such-and-such organization. Great time! And then ask everyone to then turn their phones OFF!
- As a volunteer starts his or her first shift staffing a table at a public event, ask them to send out the message Come to such-and-such event @ number street address & look for me @ the such-and-such booth! Stop by & say hi!
- Ask attendees at your opening night for the season at your nonprofit theater to send the message I'm @ opening night of such-and-such at name-of-theater. Call xxx-xxx-xxxx for tix. On with the show! And then ask everyone to then turn their phones OFF!
- Ask students attending a class your nonprofit is providing to text a message at the start or at the end of the class. Learning/learned to do such-and-such at name-of-organization. It's fun/tough/exciting/challenging/interesting!
- After the volunteer firefighters finish putting away the equipment after a particularly intense or large emergency response, encourage them to send a message, as appropriate, to their network, such as, Just finished response to factory fire in such-&-such-area. More than xx volunteers responded. Photos soon @ Flickr.
Remember that messages need to be 120 characters or less, to meet the standards of all cell phones (yes, some phones accept longer messages, but believe it or not, some people
don't have smart phones!).
These messages get a personalized, informal message out to your supporters' own networks -- their friends, neighbors, colleagues. These messages from your supporters shows how active your organization is and further builds awareness about your activities. These messages can generate interest among new volunteers and new audiences, attract larger numbers of attendees to an event, and augment your other outreach efforts.
However, don't abuse this. Most volunteers, audience members, clients, etc., don't want to send lots of messages on behalf of your organization to their network, and their network doesn't want to be overwhelmed with such messages. And sending such a message should always be entirely voluntarily on the part of those you are encouraging to send this message; never make sending such a message mandatory for volunteers, for instance.
If you encourage your volunteers, event attendees, etc. to text-their-location at the start, during or at the end of an event, track the results: do you see an increase in the number of phone calls or emails to your organization regarding volunteering? An increase in phone calls requesting more information? More attendees to an event? Ask your volunteers and other supporters as well what kind of responses they get per a message they have sent out to their network.
See more tips regarding
Microblogging and Nonprofits
15:31, 9 August 2010
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In the last week, I've attended two events by motorcycle manufacturers, and
there was so much -- SO MUCH -- that nonprofits could learn from how these motorcycle events were handled.
One event was a women's-only event by Harley Davidson. It's called a
Garage Party. I went to the one in Gladstone, Oregon. These events are held at dealerships all over the USA.
The
other event was by Triumph in Canby, Oregon. They had about 20 motorcycles you could sign up to ride, on group rides every 30 minutes. The Triumph truck travels all over the USA to bring these events to cities all over.
What I learned from these events that's applicable to nonprofits:
- There were notices in local newspapers about these events, but the Internet also played a huge role in marketing these events, specifically viral marketing. I found out about both events because different people posted the details to online communities I'm a part of. Two of our friends went because we posted about one of the events ourselves on an online group. Text-only messages are easy to forward, and were essential in getting the word out to so many people so quickly about these events.
How likely are your volunteers, clients and financial supporters likely to forward your organization's events via email to family and friends, or to put info about it in their Facebook or MySpace status updates? They are not going to do it for every event, but they will for the ones that feel special to them, that really speak to their heart or that they think others will find fun or especially interesting. Also, do you reach out to specific online communities to market an event? In fact, have you ever considered reaching out specifically to motorcycle communities as event attendees?
- Both events were very well attended. The Triumph event had the attendance organizers were hoping for but not really expecting, because of the economy and because of the somewhat remote location. The Harley event attendance in Gladstone far exceeded expectations. I think this excellent attendance at both events came not only from good marketing, but also, because of how people are thinking right now: with the beating we're all taking in this economy, people are revisiting their priorities and lifestyles, and not just cutting back financially, but also thinking about how they are going to live. Riding a motorcycle is surprisingly affordable, not to mention the sense of control it gives you, a sense of control a lot of people feel they don't have now in other aspects of their life. These events spoke to people's hearts and, maybe, even their fears.
How might volunteering at your organization or experiencing your organization's program in an event give someone a sense of stability, control, escape or fun? Could you create a one-day volunteering or program event that could invite new people into your organization with the sole purpose of getting as many people into your organization as possible and getting them in one-on-one conversations with volunteers, particularly in a fun, shared activity?
- The garage party was focused on a specific group: women. Harley knows that, to sell motorcycles in this economy, it's got to create more motorcycle riders. And one of the best target audiences is women. So they have created an event that could not be more female friendly: it's staffed entirely by women (all male staff leave), because new women riders tend to be very self-conscious and self-depreciating, and there's nothing like watching a woman smaller than you pick up an 800 pound bike (362.87 kilos) and then tell you, "YOU can do this." There's great food, short demonstration stations, gift bags, and free t-shirts with I am not a back rest on the back.
What could have made the Garage event better? More hands-on activities, and more interactions with actual women riders (see next bullet). And a lesson for the Triumph demo rides: have at least one woman Triumph rider (even more would be better) out talking to the women at these events, whether they look like they ride their own or not, and recruit more women motorcyclists to attend these events by posting about them on local online communities for women motorcyclists.
How could your nonprofit create an event that's targeted at a specific under-represented group? Are there people who are intimidated to come to your events currently, who would need to be catered to specifically in order to attend? What could you do to make an event more welcoming to a specific group that is currently under-represented among your volunteers, clients or supporters?
- The Triumph event was staffed primarily by VOLUNTEERS. Yes, a for-profit company was using volunteers! Because they were "free"? Nope. It was for all the right reasons: Because an event attendee talking to a volunteer -- someone who owns at least one of the motorcycles in the line up, and owned at least one other probably at some point, who can speak passionately about the product, who wants you to get to have the experience they have been having, and who won't get any commission from a sale and doesn't rely on this activity for their financial livelihood -- is in such contrast to talking to a salesperson or paid staff person. The volunteers got to spend two days talking about something they love, a free t-shirt, supper each night, and the opportunity to ride any motorcycle not booked for a ride. The few paid staff there stayed in the background, there to fill in blanks and maybe, must maybe, to make a sale, but volunteers were the official spokespeople.
Do you value your organization's volunteers as unique, important spokespeople on behalf of your organization? Do you encourage them to talk and blog about their experience? Do you have a speaker's bureau of volunteers available to go onsite and talk to a group about your organization? Do you give volunteers a role at all or most public events? And have you ever considered reaching out specifically to motorcycle communities to recruit volunteers?
A LOT to think about!
Oh, and
here's my current dream motorcycle, a Triumph Scrambler.
.
07:44, 4 August 2010
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In July, while attending a two-day media seminar in Lisbon, Portugal organized by the
UN Department of Public Information (DPI),
Kiyo Akasaka, Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information, told
UN Radio that new media has helped to foster understanding in the Middle East, spotlighting the role of
Facebook,
Twitter and other tools in furthering dialogue. These tools, he said, could create a “conducive environment” for peace in the region. Mr. Akasaka said it is "very interesting" that Israeli and Palestinian military officials are exchanging information about the current situation, as well as their daily lives, through new media. He also voiced hope that it would help to reduce stereotypes creating fear and uncertainty about the future in the Middle East by boosting communication. See this
UN News Centre press release for more info.
I'm not questioning that it isn't true that Israeli and Palestinian military officials are exchanging information via the latest Internet tools, as Mr. Akasaka has said. And maybe what he's seeing is creating meaningful, constructive dialogue. But is he aware that
so-called new media has helped to foster MISunderstanding about a range of issues, that it's helped create very hostile environments, reinforced stereotypes and helped create fear and anger? New media has made it easier than ever to spread misinformation and generate, and escalate, hostility.
There are plenty of people talking about how online social media (
Facebook,
Twitter,
blogs,
YouTube, etc.) can be used for
good. And it's true, it can be -- I've seen it myself. But we also need to be aware that
online social media is used for not-so-good:
- micro-blogs, tweets, texts and other technology spread misinformation about Haiti and elsewhere.
- urban legends aren't just annoying - they can promote hatred among people of different faiths.
- during the swine flu panic in the USA a while back, we saw Twitter's power to misinform.
- rumors still affect polio eradication campaigns, and "new media" has made it possible to spread this misinformation faster than ever.
- there was rampant misinformation flying around via text messaging during the terrorist attacks in Mubai, which adversely affected the ability of government officials to respond.
- so-called "new" media has helped spread misinformation to derail government health initiatives here in the USA.
- look at any story on YahooNews US, such as any stories relating to the attempts to build a new mosque near where the World Trade Center once stood. Look at the comments below the story, and prepare to have your jaw drop and the misinformation, stereotypes and hatred being spread there. Notice how many of the messages use the same phrasing - instantly borrowed and forwarded from other almost-instant-messages. I don't see any education, or anything social, at all going on in that branch of online social media.
We absolutely need to look for and celebrate examples where Internet tools do as Mr. Akasaka wants them to do, but
we also MUST realize that these instant mass communications tools have made it easier than ever to misinform and create ill-will, even to encourage violence, among a huge group of people, and we need to always be ready to counter negative rumors and myths that now can be spread oh-so-quickly.
Also see:
- How to Handle Online Criticism. How a nonprofit or government organization handles online criticism is going to speak volumes about that agency, for weeks, months, and maybe even years to come. There's no way to avoid criticism, but there are ways to address criticism that can actually help an organization to be perceived as even more trustworthy and worth supporting -- and the Internet can help.
- Amy Gahran posted Responsible Tweeting: Mumbai Provides Teachable Moment that includes four excellent tips for people who want to micro-blog the news as it happens. It emphasizes checking sources and correcting information that you have found out is incorrect, and cautions journalists to remember that everything you read on the Internet or your cell phone isn't necessarily true (how sad that they even have to be reminded...)
09:02, 29 July 2010
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I get
really annoyed by calls by people from corporations for nonprofits to act more like the for-profit sector. I've always thought it should be the other way around:
nonprofits have a LOT to teach the corporate world.
For instance, a new study shows that
large nonprofits outpace businesses and other types of organizations in adopting social media, according to the
Society for New Communications Research. The study, by the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth and Financial Institute, a Seattle research firm, found that 97 percent of the biggest U.S. charities use social media, a higher rate than comparable businesses and academic institutions. Ninety-three percent of the surveyed nonprofit groups maintain a Facebook profile, 87 percent use Twitter, and 65 percent have blogs
(thanks for the heads-up about this from The Chronicle of Philanthropy).
It's a shame that nonprofits don't have the financial luxury of for-profits to issue white papers and hold conferences touting their innovative or successful business models. And you won't find corporations funding such activities, per their ongoing aversion to funding "administrative" functions at nonprofits rather than "direct service." A shame, because corporations could learn so much from nonprofits that would improve their resources management, staff support and community outreach.
ON ANOTHER SUBJECT: if you haven't yet, please
complete this oh-so-short survey! It's just nine questions! I'm trying to find out how people are coming to this blog or subscribing to my
Tech4Impact email newsletter, so I really need to hear from you.
08:03, 13 July 2010
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Getting the word out effectively online about your organization takes way more than just
updating your FaceBook status or other online social networking site.
Effective online marketing involves:
- thinking about each of the specific communities or audiences you want to reach
- planning and acting strategically and dynamically
- using a variety of online tools frequently and regularly -- not just the tools that are getting talked about in the press, but also traditional online tools like email
- thinking about how online communications can be used to get the word out via traditional communications (newspapers, television, club newsletters, communities of faith, etc.)
- involving all staff in online strategies and activities (not just one department, not just the IT staff, not just the marketing staff, etc.)
- measuring outcomes (not just outputs), and
- being ready to make changes and continually evolve your approach
For online outreach to be effective, efforts have to be fully supported by
all staff, from top to bottom (or the other way around).
What does effective online outreach look like? At minimum, it takes... all the things I've listed on
my newly updated web page regarding effective online outreach! The page also includes suggestions for advanced activities. These aren't suggestions that work in theory; they are practices I have used and that have
really worked, as well as practices I've seen work again and again at other organizations.
Happy Bastille Day, and Happy Birthday, Harrison Ford.
06:49, 12 July 2010
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So-called "
online social media" is great, and your nonprofit should definitely be using
some of the many tools out there for outreach and interaction with current and potential clients, volunteers, donors, staff and partners.
But don't forget email! And don't forget your web site!
Sure, I use so-called "
online social media":
However,
subscriptions to my email newsletter, Tech4Impact, are growing steadily, faster than subscribers to all of the aforementioned OSN tools, and have been for the last year, after being flat for most of the four years before that. In addition,
I get far more visits to my web site per a notice in my email newsletter than I do for posts to any of my OSN activities.
I
almost abandoned my email newsletter a few years ago, caught up in the hype of "new media" and worried about my flat subscription numbers; my subscribers almost rebelled!
They demanded I keep my email newsletter, and I am SO glad I listened to them and not all the social media pundits out there!
Your nonprofit needs to have a
text-based email newsletter!
A text-based email newsletter (as opposed to something that's attached to an email, usually as a PDF file)
is simple, it's quick to send and read, and it can be easily forwarded by subscribers to their own network of colleagues (new readers!), regardless of what email reader they use.
It can be read anytime -- you don't have to be sitting at your computer when it arrives in order to experience it.
For many individuals, an email newsletter is still the best or preferred choice for receiving online communications. And while everyone still does NOT have a
Facebook profile,
most everyone has email (I know you're shocked, but it's true; at my workshops, often half of attendees don't have a Facebook account, but there
might be one person -- if there is anyone -- who doesn't have email).
My newsletter
Tech4Impact features at least one "tech tip" for nonprofits and lists the titles of all my blogs for the previous four weeks. It points to updates on my web site and notes my upcoming speaking engagements.
Some people subscribe to to the email newsletter because they don't like using social networking tools (or don't like using them for work).
Some people subscribe to it AND subscribe to one of my OSN profiles, to ensure they get my information (that something important doesn't get lost in their information overload). It's proven as essential as any of the the so-called OSN tools out there in getting my message out!
Why do I keep saying "so-called" for "
online social media"? Because the reality is that the Internet is, and ALWAYS has been,
online networking! ALWAYS!
On a related note: how am I able to have time use
all those OSN tools, in addition to my email newsletter? Here's my trick that I've shared in
my workshops, and am now sharing here:
most of my updates across all these platforms are the same message. Usually, the message is to drive people to my latest blog entry or an update on my web site.
I need only about five minutes a day to use all of the online social networking tools I have profiles on (except for my blog, which takes much more time). Yes, that means if you are subscribing to every one of my online networks, you are getting the same message again and again. The reality is that only a tiny group of people subscribe to
everything; the rest choose just ONE way to follow you via OSN (via FaceBook, via Twitter, whatever).
The reality is that there there are not only a myriad of ways to communicate with current and potential clients, volunteers, donors, staff and partners, and individuals each have preferred ways of receiving information. That means that if your nonprofit wants to reach a range of people -- not just one particular demographic -- you have to have a blended approach to online outreach. More on
how to achieve that blended approach.
08:56, 29 June 2010
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In the course of going through and scanning
photos and postcards from my grandfather's time in the US Army in WWII, I found
a small pamphlet, about the size of a photo, that was designed to fit in the pocket or a wallet of a soldier. I had a good laugh over it; it's the Army's effort to
teach the basics of project management in about 300 words to all soldiers. My grandfather must have found it amusing too; he wrote at the top, "If you are in the field you need this ha ha."
It opens with "The Commanding General desires that each officer and enlisted man in this Corps learn and carry out the following procedure in training as in war". Can you imagine someone in a crisis situation saying, "Wait! Wait! Stop shooting! I've got to check my field guidelines."
And yet, there's something beautifully simplistic about it, something that gets right to the heart of managing people and getting something done. "To help me THINK
rapidly,
clearly and
logically under stress, each situation presented to me will be thought out about as follows:" And then it offers 10 steps to manage the situation, in two parts, with a final recommendation regarding the importance of timely reporting. Isn't that what the essence of successful project management is?
So, my grandfather learned project management in the US Army. I learned it in two high-stress, deadline driven environments: first newspapers, then theater. No book I've read or class I've taken has been as good as the training I got from newspapers or theater in learning how to break down a project or objective quickly into tasks to be completed, with realistic timelines, by a team of people, how to keep up-to-date on what each team member is doing, how to quickly address problems as they arise, and how to meet that final deadline.
Wikipedia has a very descent page
listing project management software. I've been fiddling about with
OpenProj, but I haven't liked it as much as the project management database I created myself on an old version of
Filemaker Pro, which I lost when I had to
upgrade my computer and operating system. If you use a project management software that can be used on a Mac operating system (and is cross-platform),
talk about it here.
13:50, 28 June 2010
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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
08:44, 24 June 2010
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The Internet is made of people. People matter. This includes you. Stop trying to sell everything about yourself to everyone. Don’t just hammer away and repeat and talk at people -— talk TO people. It’s organic. Make stuff for the Internet that matters to you, even if it seems stupid. Do it because it’s good and feels important. Put up more cat pictures. Make more songs. Show your doodles. Give things away and take things that are free. Look at what other people are doing, not to compete, imitate, or compare . . . but because you enjoy looking at the things other people make. Don’t shove yourself into that tiny, airless box called a brand -— tiny, airless boxes are for trinkets and dead people.
Blogher blogger
Maureen Johnson has written the above
manifesto in response to all the people screeching that the Internet IS ALL ABOUT BRANDING. “Get your message and repeat it OVER AND OVER. Just keep saying your message OVER AND OVER in the same way. Just tweet it and put it out on Facebook OVER AND OVER.” Yucky. No one wants that!
Go
read Maureen's excellent blog on how this manifesto came to be and let's get back to what the Internet was originally all about -- connecting people, not computers, and sharing and discussing ideas, not just selling stuff.
Nonprofits: quit listening to the corporate world and, instead, do what YOU do best: get people excited about and supportive of your cause, on a
personal level. The Internet most definitely can help you do this, but
forget the branding and get back to connecting with people.
And check out
how cute my dog is.
17:17, 9 June 2010
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A March 2010
article (registration required) in
Workplace.com highlights a study in the
Journal of Contemporary Ethnography regarding workplace gossip --
how rumors among employees about a company can dilute authority, can poison workplace congeniality and contribute to staff turnover, all of which can cause harm an organization without ever becoming public (external to the organization).
The study is focused on paid employees, but, ofcourse, its findings are important to nonprofits and volunteers as well. The study's author, sociologist Tim Hallett, calls such gossip "reputational warfare," and says that once a bad reputation has been solidified, justified or not, it usually sticks -- often with negative consequences for the entire organization.
A small fear, an unanswered question or an observation by someone uninformed about a situation can turn into something much larger and very negative -- and even go public. Employees and staff will always talk internally about how things are going at an organization, what they think the future holds, what obstacles they see facing the country, etc. Don't try to stop those conversations, but do work to make sure they are fact-based and within the bounds of your confidentiality policies, and work continually to create a culture where employees and staff share their fears, questions and suppositions early with supervisors, without fear of retribution for merely expressing a fear or asking a question.
Gossip tends to crop up when there are voids in communication. Therefore, address fears, questions and suppositions quickly and regularly by filling the void with information -- about possible office relocation, promotions, layoffs, firings, conflicts with funders or partners, etc. If a situation must be kept confidential and can't be shared with employees and volunteers -- for instance, the reasons why a staff person was fired -- then explain
why such information is kept confidential, in such a way that employees realize that you will honor their personnel issues, positive or negative, in a confidential manner as well. If the information could be damaging to the organization if released too early, then say so, explicitly. If you should have released the information sooner internally, apologize to staff and talk about what you will be doing to ensure that information is not withheld again -- or ask them how they would have liked the situation to have been handled.
If you don't want to commit anything or everything to writing, such as in a company-wide memo, then meet individually with staff and volunteers, have the executive director or a senior manager address individual department meetings, and have all-staff meetings. Give employees multiple opportunities to ask questions and voice concerns about rumors that they have heard.
In short,
you must create a culture of faith and trust among your paid staff and volunteers in each other and in the organizational leadership in order to prevent damaging gossip. It's much easier to create and sustain such a culture than it is to try to overcome "reputational warfare."
Also see
For Nonprofit Organizations: How to Handle Online Criticism.
06:51, 7 June 2010
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I read and respond to
LinkedIn's Answers > Nonprofits section every now and again, and this question was asked recently:
How can a small non-profit organization get media attention?
Here was my answer, assuming the small non-profit has no money to pay for any marketing or advertising activities:
- Email and fax the local traditional media (newspapers, radio, TV) regularly regarding what your organization is doing. This can be in the form of a traditional press release or just a few paragraphs with key details and a URL for more information.
- Email and fax local television stations the night before or the morning of something that is happening at your organization that would look great on video (something with smiles and lots of movement, something with lots of color, etc.) and make a nice 20 second piece on the evening news.
- Know every local radio station public affairs/news talk program there is in your area and pitch someone from your organization to talk on that program about some relevant social issue or something in the news.
- Email and fax statements in conjunction with national and international days, national days and nation whatever weeks. You can see a list of International Days and Weeks as designated by the United Nations.
- Call reporters who do a story that you think your organization would have been great to be interviewed for and let them know you are available in the future.
- Consider writing an editorial or opinion piece in conjunction with some local or national event and how it relates to the work your nonprofit does.
- Invite the press to your public events, or to observe your organization undertaking activities in support of its mission
- Do a training for paid staff and volunteers on how to talk about the organization. Do followup orientations to make sure the messages are up-to-date.
- Return every call from a any press person or blogger within minutes, not hours, days or weeks, and get them the information they need as quickly as possible
- Encourage volunteers to blog about their experience with your organization on their online profiles on LinkedIn, FaceBook, MySpace, Change.org, etc.
- Make sure you are publishing interesting, timely information regularly to your web site, your blog, your FaceBook page, your MySpace page, etc.
Also see
Ofcourse, while these activities don't have a budget line, they do have costs, in terms of time. These activities take a LOT of time. They cannot be done with just a few clicks online.
Like fund raising, press relations is an ongoing cultivation process.
Your organization's strategy for press coverage needs to go beyond trying to land one big story; you want the press to know that you are THE organization to contact whenever they are doing a story on a subject that relates to your organization's work, and that you are a reliable source for information and stories. Therefore, don't think that every press release is going to result in press coverage -- it's not. But sustaining regular press contacts will build recognition of your organization among reporters, and the result will be ongoing payoffs down the road. As coverage for your organization is generated, you won't just be reaching new audiences -- you will also be reaching current volunteers, supporters (including donors) and clients, reminding them of what your organization is doing and what they have chosen to be a part of.
