Cambridge, UK, 31 October 2013 - A patient group has used the crowdfunding website Indiegogo to raise $120,000 to launch an international clinical trial to treat black bone disease, the first genet
Thursday 31 October 2013
5 Mobile Fundraising Apps for Do-Gooders and Nonprofits
Since the launch of the iPhone on June 29, 2007 many mobile fundraising apps have been released, but few have been successful. Some apps were based on good ideas, but ahead of their time and others simply weren’t good enough to keep users interested. Six years later the design and functionality of fundraising apps has improved significantly. Still in their infancy, it’s assured that mobile apps will play a dominant fundraising role in the future and nonprofits would be wise to download and study the next generation of fundraising apps listed below.
1. I Can Go Without
icangowithout.com
An app that encourages users to pledge to make lifestyle changes (such as giving up a cup a coffee each week) and then enables users to donate the money not spent to nonprofits.
2. HelpBridge
microsoft.com/helpbridge
An app that enables users to donate via text, send messages to emergency contacts, and browse volunteer opportunities during crisis situations.
3. Google One Today
google.com/onetoday
An app that enables users to donate $1 a day to their favorite nonprofits.
4. Check-in for Good
checkinforgood.com
An app that enables users to check-in to participating retail locations to generate micro-donations to nonprofits.
5. Charity Miles
charitymiles.org
An app that enables users to earn money for charity when they walk, run, or bike.
10 reasons why fundraisers need instant mobile access to their data
There are many reasons why all kinds of fundraisers need access to donor data at a moment's notice. Indeed, in many cases mobile access to information on donors is essential.
Cancer Research UK chooses JustGiving for a further two years
Cancer Research UK has confirmed that it will continue to use online giving service JustGiving as its preferred online fundraising partner for the enxt two years.
The Keys to a Great Nonprofit CEO/Board Relationship
It’s almost Halloween, so I guess it’s understandable that I have thoughts of costumes, fun and the land of make believe on my mind. So why not take that a next step, beyond the costumes and candy and straight to the superpowers I would have if, well, if this WERE make believe?
If I had a superpower of sorts, it would be the ability to wave a magic wand and, as Patrick Stewart would say on Star Trek: The Next Generation, “Make it so.”
Imagine how cool that would be — whether you’re a nonprofit CEO or a board member, and you were in the middle of a less-than-productive meeting where people weren’t seeing eye to eye. In addition to being cool, it would save a whole lot of time and angst. You know what I mean. You’ve been there…in that meeting where the board and the CEO aren’t on the same wavelength, and nothing ends up getting done.
So, given that I don’t have superpowers (please don’t tell my kids), that leaves us to take a much more practical approach — one that takes time and effort but is well worth it in the end. That approach is all about cultivating a good relationship between the CEO and the board, and there ARE some keys to success.
- Trust - At the core of any good relationship is the ability for the parties involved to trust each other. Trust is built from mutual respect, commitment and an understanding of each others’ roles.
- Time - Relationships take time, and you can’t expect the CEO and the board to get along and know each other well if they don’t spend time together, working and also simply kicking back and getting a sense of each other as people.
- Transparency - Nonprofits talk about this all the time when it comes to impact and results, but transparency is just as important between the CEO and the board, and vice versus, which leads us to…
- Communication - Although the other items on this list are important, without communication, nothing really matters. In the end, it’s what we share with each other, how we share it, how often — in stressful times and during celebrations alike — that help us build trust, grow understanding, and value each other.
So if you’re on a board or you work with a board, and you don’t have a magic wand, ask yourself some very basic questions. Do you trust your counterparts? Do you invest the time needed to have a good relationship? Are you transparent, or are you always expecting the other side to be that way? And, finally, do you invest in making sure you talk with, share with and generally engage in the conversation that builds the trust needed for a good working relationship?
If not, then make an early New Year’s resolution to open your ears more, spend a bit more time, and invest in a relationship that will pay dividends for you, for your colleagues and for all the people depending on the nonprofit’s service.
Do your P2P Communications Pass the Test?
With Peer to Peer Bootcamp right around the corner it is the perfect time to assess your fundraising's current performance to see where there is an opportunity to improve. Let's start with your communications. Undoubtedly you have a lot to say to your participants and little by little your messages are getting longer each week. You are probably sneaking in another call to action during each round of editing. You say you are going to start testing emails on a regular basis but when it comes time to execute you just don't have time. It's okay, we have all been there, but it is time to stop making excuses and get serious about getting your communications in shape. Healthy communications = an increase in fundraising performance.
Today's Exercise:
Randomly select one communication from your most recent P2P campaign and complete the following assessment by stating a simple yes or no for each question.
1. Did you personalize any part of the message with the participant's profile information, other than the participant's name?
2. Did you provide them with a status report on their fundraising performance?
3. Did you encourage them to share their fundraising efforts on their social networks (providing a social share button doesn't count)
4. Did you perform an A/B test of your message?
5. Last but not least, did you ask them to fundraise?
If you answered no to any of the questions above you are in need of bootcamp!
Peer-to-Peer Boot Camp is back and this year, we're seriously raising the bar on fundraising! Over the course of two weeks, our boot camp instructors will help you bulk up the number of participants at your fundraising events, increase your reps with improved participant retention, powerlift by turning participants into fundraisers, and hit a personal record for funds raised for your organization.
During our first week of Peer-to-Peer Boot Camp, you'll get warmed up with three thought-leadership sessions where industry experts will challenge you to think creatively and strategically about your fundraising events. In the second week of boot camp, we'll kick it into high gear as you learn how to use technology and tools to reach your fundraising goals without breaking a sweat.
Learn more about the top five things every peer-to-peer fundraising communication should have in it and much more at Blackbaud's Peer To Peer Fundraising Bootcamp November 5-13.
Wednesday 30 October 2013
How to Hack Facebook Interests Lists for Content Marketing
One of the biggest challenges nonprofits have is finding content that will resonate with their community.
A little know, but powerful way to curate content is with Facebook Interests lists. Interest Lists, if you don’t know, are lists of pages (or people) that Facebook users can create and access from their sidebar (shown below).
Using Interest Lists will help you track and share good content for your Facebook Page, and all your marketing channels.
Below are four steps for using Facebook Interest Lists to curate high-quality content:
1. Use graph search to find relevant pages
Before you go ahead and start creating Interest Lists, ask this question: What pages do my fans actually like? This is where Facebook Graph Search comes in handy.
Below are six Facebook Graph search strings you can use right now (watch this video tutorial on using Graph Search).
- Pages liked by people who like [your page]
- Pages liked by women who like [your page]
- Pages liked by men who like [your page]
- Fans of [your page] and [another page]
- Restaurants in [your city] visited by people who like [your page]
- Pages like by people who live in [your city] and like [your page]
2. Use Facebook Insights to prioritize your searches
If you’re busy, like most people, you’ll want to just stick with the three most important searches.
Hop over to your Page Insights. Pay specific attention to the people who engage with your content (shown below).
Are women the majority of your engaged fans? What are the top places they live in? Answering these questions will help you prioritize the Graph Searches mentioned in step one.
3. Create Interest Lists of Pages liked by your Facebook Fans
Once you know the pages that your fans, create an Interest List.
- Go to this Page on Facebook to create your list (facebook.com/addlist)
- Click the “Create Interest” button at the top of this page.
- In the pop-up window add one of the Pages from your search, and click “Next”.
- Name your list after your Graph Search criteria and make it private (shown below).
4. Share content from these pages
Once you create your Interest Lists, get to know the Pages. Make time to regularly scan your lists for engaging content.
When you find a post with higher than average engagement – AND is relevant to your audience – share it on your page (shown below).
Unfortunately you can’t schedule shares so you’ll have to share these posts when your fans on Facebook.
Quick tip: To keep this approach top of mind, add it as a task to your content calendar.
Go beyond Facebook
Don’t limit this curated content to Facebook.
For example, if you find an engaging video you think will perform well on Facebook, embed the video in a blog post. Or posted it on Twitter. The point here is that your Facebook fans reflect your audience across all channels, not just Facebook.
Have you used Interest Lists in this way?
Video interview with Darron Mark of instaGiv – Part 1
Charity Digital News recently caught up with instaGiv's Darron Mark to talk about the latest developments in mobile charitable donations.
How can charities generate income from technology hardware assets?
Reseach is underway to find out how charities, social enterprises and voluntary organisations can generate income and deliver impact from their technology hardware assets, such as their telecommuni
CLIC Sargent moves from spreadsheets to personalised dashboards with Logi Analytics
CLIC Sargent, the cancer charity for children and young people, has selected Logi Analytics to help it manage and monitor the charity's work at both corporate and directorate level.
Tuesday 29 October 2013
#GivingTuesday is December 3rd: Are you ready?
I can’t wait for #GivingTuesday! Seriously, December 3rd can’t come soon enough.
As a professional who focuses on corporate social responsibility, philanthropy and all forms of giving every day, #GivingTuesday is becoming a favorite holiday that’s, well, not exactly a holiday (but should be).
As a member of the core team of advisors for @GivingTuesday, the movement launched in 2012 to celebrate an opening day of the giving season, I’m admittedly biased. But it’s such a great concept and one that’s truly open to everyone, so you kind of can’t blame me, right?
For those just getting to the party, #GivingTuesday is a movement anyone — individuals, organization, businesses, communities — can get involved with to show engagement with giving. We each get to decide what it means to us. And December 3rd isn’t just a random date. It follows immediately on the heels of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and after two days devoted to consumerism, well, we could all use a little good giving karma.
On Tuesday, I was thrilled to host a #GivingTuesday webinar that was the first of three focusing on how nonprofits can make the most of the movement in their year-end fundraising, as a part of an overall plan (not just as a single day). Henry Timms, the interim executive director of the 92nd Street Y and a founder of #GivingTuesday, joined us to explain the movement and share how nonprofits were marking the day (more than 3,000 organizations have gotten involved so far). Then Marla Barr, program manager for the San Deigo Zoo Global Wildlife Conservancy, shared secrets from her #GivingTuesday playbook, which included a variety of ways they are making hay with the day.
- Onsite – the zoo is thanking its “troops,” using a specially creafted wildlife sticker that will be worn by 1,500 staff, 1,250 volunteers and the 5,000 day guest and members.
- Direct Mail – following a monthly donor event in November, the zoo will mail a special thank-you letter with the wildlife sticker, leveraging the movement as a piece of its efforts.
- Online – the zoo is launching a dedicated #GivingTuesday/ Wildlife Conservancy page, including its popular PANDA CAM, which allows online visitors to see what the bears are up to.
- Social Media – plans include using Facebook, Twitter and Pinterist…and you’ll just have to tune in to the zoo to see what they do!
As for the money side of things, the zoo is going to be offering a special, one-day wish list of small-ticket items donors can “purchase,” with 100% of all donations benefiting global conservation. Plus they’re using the day to kick off their end-of-year online campaign.
Blogging about the webinar really doesn’t do Henry or Marla justice in terms of all the advice they shared, so if you want to hear everything, click here and register for the 10/22 event. Once you do that, the recording will appear. While you’re there, check out the remaining two webinars in the series, which are sure to offer your nonprofit more guidance on how to celebrate the day and make the most of the excitement as a part of your year-end push for donations.
And if you’re eager for more, tune into the recording of Tony Martingetti’s Nonprofit Radio where Anastasia Dellaccio (of the UN Foundation) and I talk about #GivingTuesday and why each of our organizations is involved.
Chameleon and Charles Russell present – Fund Raisin’
On 5th December charities are invited to Chameleon and Charles Russell's Fund Raisin event. If you head up fundraising, digital, marketing or ... read more
iNotForProfit partners with OVCN to boost volunteering through mobile apps
iNotForProfit, an emerging leader in smartphone app creation for the charitable sector, has announced that it would be providing mobile apps to the Ontario Volunteer Centre Network (OVCN).
How hospice fundraisers use social media
The Access Group has published the results of its survey into how UK hospice fundraisers use social and digital tools for fundraising.
Interview with Kevin Dale, Weather Lottery PLC's COO
4 Lessons from Psychology to Turn Your Members into Donors
Guest post by Laura Beussman, Blackbaud's Sr. Product Marketing Manager for Arts and Cultural Solutions. Laura's experience working at and serving on the board of multiple arts organizations around the country shape her insights into the nonprofit community. For more insights, follow her on Twitter @laurabeussman.
In 1933, the Swiss government began building nuclear power plants and found themselves faced with a difficult decision – where should they dump the nuclear waste? They identified two locations but were afraid of the local townspeople's response. They went directly to the Swiss citizens, hypothetically asking a sampling what their response would be if their community was identified by the government as the best location to dump radioactive waste.
Believing it was for the common good of Switzerland, 50.8% of those asked agreed they would accept the government's plan.
In an effort to increase that percentage, the researchers then asked the Swiss people the same question, but this time offered 5000 francs (about $2175) per person per year as compensation to dump the waste in their community.
The percentage of people who would accept the arrangement FELL BY HALF to 24.6%.
Confused, the researchers upped the compensation, to $4350, and then to $6525, but the townspeople didn't budge.
Why? Shouldn't financial compensation have encouraged the locals to agree to the deal?
It actually does just the opposite. Our brains process philanthropic motivation and financial motivation separately. The townspeople agreed to take on the risk of nuclear waste when they were motivated to help the greater good. When financial motivation took over, however, $2000 or even $6000 just wasn’t enough to compensate the risks associated with having radioactive waste in their backyard.
The same goes for donors. While it can be tempting to try and validate a gift with a tangible item in exchange, this can actually undermine the motivations of the donor.
The easiest place to look for new donors is among your member base. Current members understand your value and enjoy your work. However, members could have either philanthropic motivation or financial motivation. Memberships, thanks to well thought out member benefits, generally make financial sense. That's much more difficult with donations, where it gets extremely expensive to come up with benefit levels that will entice a financially motivated individual.
So how do you convert your current financially motivated members into donors that are philanthropically motivated to help your organization achieve its mission?
Here are 4 ways to use human psychology to convert your members to donors.
1. Tell Your Story :
You need to set off the right motivation in your member's brain. Let them know how they're helping the community and how they can do it even more in the future. Explain how your programs are benefiting society and include pictures and stories of educational or community events your organization puts on. You can do this in your campaign mailings, on your website, social media, and even on signs in your building.
2. Listen:
Take advantage of every opportunity to learn more about your members. You should know which exhibits they're attending, what merchandise they're buying and how often they're visiting. All these little tidbits help you understand your members and what their interests are, which is priceless information when it comes time to asking for a gift.
3. Segment :
Use all the great information you learned from listening: segment your members and tailor your asks for gifts.Do they come exclusively to family friendly events? Include them on a campaign for your educational programming.Do they come to events in the evening? Invite them to your annual gala.Not putting a member in for every campaign will prevent you from overwhelming them. Including them on campaigns that speak to their individual interests will strengthen your relationship with them and make it more likely that you jump start their philanthropic motivators.
4. Thank and Reinforce:
We all know how important it is to thank our donors. You should also use that opportunity to reinforce your organization's story and the philanthropic motivation behind it. Remind them how their gift makes a difference. Let them know how successful the campaign was thanks to people like them and details into what you were able to accomplish because of it.
With a strong member base, you already have a group of people that enjoy your work and understand your mission. Some of them are ready to increase their level of support for your organization through donations; they just need you to listen to them and connect the dots for them as to how their gift will benefit the community in ways that matter to them. Don't assume, like the Swiss government did, that tangible benefits are the only way to entice donations.
What other ways are you and your organization using to turn your members into donors?
Let's continue the conversation in the comments below or on twitter @laurabeussman.
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