NetWorkResults

Assuring the Special in Special Events

2010-05-16T17:39:00.000-07:00

Not all nonprofits are in love with the concept of special event fundraising. For larger nonprofits with "significant" staff (including a fundraiser and a communications specialist) and a development committee that works from a well thought out plan, events can be pretty great revenue sources for your organization. All nonprofts, great and small, can make events work.
And it does start with a plan.

The event should fit the mission: it should be clear to participants what the money is for, how it's going to be used, and the NPO gratitude for hard work to raise $$ for mission.
There should be a mini-business plan with a timeline, job assignments, and a budget. Members of the event committee should know their assignments and commit to get them done to keep things moving along the agreed-to timeline.
If it's a run or walk or bicycle deal, building in a pledge component will leverage your $-raising capacity significantly. If you've got an event that's been going a few years, it's hard to convert it to pledges if it hasn't been. Time to think of a new event.
Expect to earn a few net dollars the first year, but realize that the best events grow because the committee is smart, it learns-by-doing, and is committed to continuous improvement: how are we going to make this better?

Events can be a great source of substantial net dollars for your nonprofit mission. In the 1980's, we (American Lung Association of NH) morphed a canoe event that raised $10,000 to a bike trek that raised $80,000 in the third year. How did it happen? The stars and moon were aligned: we were lucky we hired a great event planner, and we were first NPO out the gate in NH with a big time bicycle event. Over time, MS and others caught up with us.

Strike while the iron is hot! Interested in a conversation on how we could work together to make an event work for you? The conversation only costs a cup of coffee. s.p.99smith@gmail.com.

Catching the Boomer Wave

2010-04-26T03:25:00.000-07:00

I've written here about how nonprofit boards of directors can engage their networks to benefit the mission of their organization. And I've offered recommendations on how to put a system in place to convert donor prospects into donors, and the value of focusedcommunication with your donors and your prospects.
Today I want to zero in on trends you can apply to your approach to more effectively raise money to advance the mission near and dear to your heart.
in the Chronicle of Philanthropy (Vol. XXII, #10, April 8, 2010) Holly Hall writes about big demographic changes on the horizon that will impact how development staff and board members need to prepare for the wave of Baby Boomers who will reach age 65 in 2011. And that wave will only grow as the number of Americans 65+ will double in the next two decades. At the same time, the number of Americans in their 50's will decline. Generally, folks in their 50's are in the prime of disposable income capacity.
What can the nonprofit do to prepare for the Boomer wave to retirement?

Sharpen up the Database. Can leaders get useful reports on trends that respect individual donor confidentiality? Don't have a relational database? Search sources to recommend one for you. Start with Nonprofit Tech Network http://bitly/9kOFBA to learn about Open Source Donor Management Systems. Proprietary systems can be costly, but check them out, too. Without useful data to drive development decisions, you're guessing.
Add Tech Savvy People to Team. Every nonprofit needs a staff member and/or volunteer up-to-snuff on application of current technology. Thought leaders in development are saying the art of the schmooze is not enough in building donor relationships. Beyond managing the database, there's also potential in social media, particularly Facebook and Twitter.
Board Adopts a Development Plan. Outline a road map indicating where you need to go to successfully raise the $$ to deliver the mission. The map should include "how:" direct response, special events, annual campaign, major gifts. And "who:" role of development committee, role of board in giving and getting. And "what:" data that will be used in decision-making.

It's spring, and summer is just weeks away. If your pace slows down a bit in the summer months, this can be a good time to do some research on database options, and to begin outlining a development plan. Get ready for action in fall so when you're annual appeal gets underway (most often November-December in the nonprofit world) you've got your tools in place to elevate your approach to fundraising.

Need some help addressing these needs? I'm just a phone call or e-mail message away.

Steve Smith is Principal of It's The Results, a consulting company specializing in board development, strategic planning, fundraising. s.p.99smith@gmail.com. 781-334-4915.

Effective Fundraising Through Relationship Building

2010-04-09T16:12:00.000-07:00

"Asking someone you know for money in person is the most effective way to raise funds." Kim Klein, author of Fundraising for Social Change, 5th Ed., leads off her chapter on "Getting Comfortable with Asking for Money" with this sentence. Right on target. Ms. Klein captures the essence of fundraising effectiveness: Knowing the person you're asking is more than half the battle in raising money for a community benefit nonprofit organization.
Board members and other volunteers will frequently tell the executive director or development director that they just can't bring themselves to "make the ask." Why? I believe it's primarily due to fear of rejection. But it's also about concern with invading another person's pocket book. When it comes right down to it, "What right do I have to ask another person to fork over some cash?"
Well, friends, this is how we successfully advance the mission of a cause that's near and dear to us. If we don't ask, we likely won't get. It takes an ask, and there's no one better to ask than a person who knows the donor prospect.
And getting into that comfort zone starts right at home: at the board of directors. We need to get members of the board thinking about investing money to accompany the very generous contribution of time these individuals already are giving. And the person to ask one board member to give is another board member. One who knows the person to be asked. There's a relationship there. This connection makes the ask easier. It also makes the decision to give for the first time easier.
I experienced this situation first hand when I was executive director of the American Lung Association of New Hampshire. Until we launched our first major gift campaign, few of the twelve board members donated. There was not a sense of urgency, nor a sense of importance of investment. Leaders of the board, however, were clear about the need. They decided they wanted their colleagues on the board to get some training, to "get" the concepts of urgency and investment. That if those closest to the community benefit organization didn't feel the urgency of needed funds to advance the mission (in this case, to get No Butts About It into elementary classrooms) how would they sell others on this program's importance?
We recruited a volunteer, experienced in Republican party fundraising, to chair the Development Committee. I knew her well, as our paths crossed (even though our politics were different) in work we were doing on smoking prevention and clean air advocacy. And for the honor of leading our campaign, the chairperson made a lead gift of $5,000. That step by that friend of the Lung Association's mission made the campaign happen. And made the campaign a success.
Ken Burnett writes in Relationship Fundraising (Jossey-Bass, 2002) that the #1 essential to effective fundraising is grasping the concept that it's about "people giving to people." When we get the message, when the focus of the nonprofit mission becomes embedded in each individual on the board, and as board members grow more comfortable with bringing in money to make the mission that they believe in happen, the dollars come.
It's clear that these are simple concepts. As they say, "it's not rocket science." But: it's hard work nonetheless. Getting board members to buy in, and getting a nucleus of board members to work at asking after they have made their gift, the snowball becomes an avalanche. But over time.
Relationship Fundraising starts with two people. And it grows from there, if we thoughtfully invest in starting to roll that snowball down the hill. Soon, it gathers momentum. And before we know it, we have effective fundraising happening because the relationships we build make it happen.

Success at Succession Planning: Board Leadership

2010-03-27T07:55:00.000-07:00

Think Tanks are worry-warting over the next wave of nonprofit executives to take CEO positions when the current crop of Baby Boomers all retire. Worrying over this is not time or energy well spent. Board search committees will not have to look very far to find competent, capable leaders in the X and Y Generations. They are right there in front of our eyes. They may think differently, they definitely are coming from different experience, but they are bright, insightful, full of beans and ready to go when given the chance. I see a number of these younger folks in my graduate level marketing and fundraising classes at Northeastern University in Boston. I read the tweets and blogs of the X-ers and Y'ers on the Internet.
Look out world, here they come.
I am more concerned with what I see on boards of directors of these same nonprofits, worrying over executive succession. They have a leadership vacuum right on the board. They keep asking the same volunteer to serve "just one more year" (how much is too much?). There are things that can be done to remedy this situation. It takes some work. So lets look at some steps nonprofit boards can take to get folks moving up the leadership track to chair or preside over the board of directors.

Term limits. I recommend two or three three-year terms of service on a board. This creates a continuous rotation (with a set number of members rotating off each year) of members leaving, new members arriving. If the same group of guys (some boards still have some work to do on gender and race diversity) are sitting on the board for ten, twenty years, the nonprofit runs out of capable leaders prepared to take charge.
Leader orientation. The nonprofit CEO works with current board leadership to design an orientation for newly elected leaders, so they get the lay of the land. So they understand the parameters of leadership. So they are clear on the CEO role and how that is different fom the board chair role.
Active working committees. The finance, progam, development, marketing & communication committees (perhaps one or two more) have real work assignments from the board, meet regularly (but not too often), and stay in touch so agreed-to work gets done. The committees are great proving ground for up-and-comers. And they consist of some community members who are not on the board, grooming for membership down the road.

Staff and volunteer leaders can see leadership potential in new board members within the first six months, or year at most. These are people eager to take an assignment...well, willing if not really eager. They get their work done on time, they have thougtful comments at meetings, they don't try to take the nonprofit down a road it's not ready or capable to travel.

So. If you're finding yourself in a maze, wondering "where oh where will the next board chair be?" it's time to put some practices in place that'll get a smooth flow of energy moving through your organization.

In my experience as a nonprofit executive with the American Lung Association, and in my consulting work currently, I see clearly how these steps work advantageously. For more detailed references, some tools to help, feel free to contact me at s.p.99smith@gmail.com.

Attending to succession planning for the nonprofit board of directors is time and energy well spent.

Steve Smith is Principal of It's The Results, LLC. This practice focuses on board development, strategic planning, and fundraising.

2- 4- 6- 8: How We Gonna Communicate?

2010-03-19T12:14:00.000-07:00

I hope you've de-soggified from last weekend's torrential rains (particularly if you live and work in the mid-Atlantic States or New England). The sun has been good to us, we've mostly dried out. Some folks still don't have their power back, and some towns are still bailing out. I and my readers wish you all well. Hope you are finding help. Let us know if particular nonprofits stepped up in your community and deserve a special shout-out.
If you tweet on Twitter, give those great helping NPO's a #CharityTuesday hashtag. Regular contributors/followers on Twitter know about this, and look each week for a nonprofit to support based on tweets they receive. This is why every nonprofit should be working Twitter, Facebook, You Tube....various social media to extend out your network.
This week, I want to talk with you about the newsletter.
1. Use social media.
2. Communicate with a newsletter.
On a regular basis, let your followers know what's cooking at your nonprofit. How your primary customers are finding your service, employing your service, benefiting from your service. Some newsletter tips just for you, because you are special:

Publish regularly: monthly is good. Your volunteers, primary customers (those who use your service), donors like to know what's up. Most of those people feel a sense of relationship with you, with an employee, with a board member. They feel the connection. They appreciate your effort of staying in touch.
Highlight upcoming events. Your readers are interested in meetings, special speakers, special events. Repeat these each issue. Those who follow you, who make the link, will get the information on their calendars.
Print or e-mail? Use e-mail. Use Constant Contact: the newsletter is embedded in the message. No attachments to mess with. Nice graphic design, if you like. Some of your followers, perhaps donors and/or primary customers over age 60 prefer snail mail. Limit the amount of snail mail. It's a green thing (that carbon footprint thing).
Ask for letters, short articles. Print occasional pieces from your readers. Ask for photos. Link these to your website so folks can find back issues, point friends to your website to read their stories, see their photos.

While you're doing your newsletter thing, you're also building community in your nonprofit. Making the communication two-way, making the newsletter interactive, you're building your network, reaching new people.

Share your comments on this blog if you like. Or if you seek private contact, you can reach me directly at s.p.99smith@gmail.com, check my website www.itstheresults.com, tweet me @STEVENETWORK.

A Shot of Red Bull for the Board Meeting

2010-03-10T10:52:00.000-08:00

Here we are, counting down to the first day of spring, looking for that energy boost to get spring cleaning underway.
Coming out of our winter hibernation, it's a good idea to check in on the energy level for our board. Are meetings lacking some zip? Are our financial numbers not quite where we'd like to see them, but in need of some constructive attention?
It's tough. Rumor has it we're moving out of recession and recovery is just around the corner.
Right.
For the moment, we have some work to do, some tough decisions to make and, we're struggling to find the energy...to get all members of the board out, at the meeting, coming ready to engage in what can work for us to get us over the hump.
Cans of Red Bull probably aren't really what will do the trick.
But what the heck. Maybe have a few cans on the refreshment table to perk some interest, get a chuckle, maybe provoke a lecture on healthy diet from the board scold.
Here are some tips that can provoke a needed jolt:

Put a story on the agenda. Ask a person or volunteer who benefits from the service you provide, share a story about the value you deliver.
Shake up the line-up. Oral reports at the board meeting? Keep these at a minimum. But if there's one or two that will be requiring board action, ask the committee chair to designate a member on the board to give the report, or augment the report. Engage more members in the process of the meeting!
Sweeten Up the refreshments. Ask a member if they'd bake or pick up from a bakery a special treat for the members to enjoy. A bit of sugar can add energy. Something special can add a smile, share some appreciation.
Allow for some "Generative" time. Set aside a fifteen-to-thirty minute discussion time. No Roberts Rules. A conversation around something real happening in the community or the economy that'll be good for all to know, that impacts decisions, adds to the board's knowledge base. Get into the habit of asking different members of the board to come prepared to lead discussion time.
Did someone say fundraising? What can the board do to stimulate revenue? It can't always be about cutting expenses. There needs to be some creative, new effort by members to devise a way they can add to the treasury. Will someone step up, propose an idea with some forethought/planning, and solicit members to pitch in?

So, let's find some energy sources to stir things up a bit, leave members thinking as they head for the door following adjournment, "Now that was a good meeting!"

An Act of Inspiration

2010-03-02T12:59:00.000-08:00

I don't know where you were Super Bowl Sunday about 9:00 when CBS Sunday Morning came on. It's among my two or three appointment TV times. On that Sunday, I was blown away by a segment entitled, "Selling Your Home for Charity." Yes, you read that right. The Selwen family of Atlanta, Georgia sold their home and donated $800,000 of the proceeds to charity.
Hannah is the daughter in this family, and she couldn't reconcile seeing homeless, hungry people around her while living in the lap of luxury. So, she got the ball in motion.
Americans are generous. On average, we give 2.2% of what we earn to charities of our choice, including our church, synagogue, mosque...wherever you may go to worship. In 2008, our charity accounted for $307 billion (Giving USA, 2009).
The Selwen family has written a book, "The Power of Half." They took half the proceeds from the sale of their home and donated it to the Hunger Project; specifically, to build a mill in a town in Ghana. They used the other half to buy a home for themselves a few blocks away from where they once lived that occupies about half the footprint of their first home. In their book, they describe how the came to this act that goes beyond our understanding of "generosity." A twist on the saying, "build it, and they will come."
This Act of Inspiration came from a personal experience. Hannah Selwen had a philanthropic urge, and recruited her family to act on it. I wonder if there was some deep-seated sense for doing the right thing that drove her to act.
Stories like the Selwen's are good to hear.
I advocate nonprofits I work with to find their stories. How the program services they provide have changed peoples' lives for the better. How, if they could do a bit more, they could reach and serve a few more people. So the mission and the services provided can tap into the philanthropic spirit that lies within each of us. Well, at least 75% of us.
Henry David Thoreau said, "What is the use of a house if you haven't got a tolerable planet to put it on?" Indeed.
In the same segment, CBS also interviewed Willie Mae Dorsey, a checkout clerk at an Atlanta supermarket. Willie Mae told CBS she makes $25,000 a year and gives 10% of what she makes to charity.
Willie Mae is an inspiration.
We have lots of inspiring stories. Find them. Tell them. They bring out the best in people. They give people good reason to want to join you in making a difference in the lives of people you serve.
Use this link to see the CBS Sunday Morning segment: http://bit.ly/bx1eHd.
To check out my consulting practice: www.itstheresults.com.
To follow me on Twitter: @STEVENETWORK.
e-mail: s.p.99smith@gmail.com

Getting Past the Annoying and On to the Work

2010-02-23T18:57:00.000-08:00

Oh My God. What is more annoying than a board meeting when a member, with all good intentions, wants the group to consider this fabulous new idea that'll raise lots of money that no one ever heard of before? Or the person with the idea that they learned from another nonprofit that's so sweet, it's raising thousands of dollars and all we need to do is hire this event company to stage this great thing? That everyone else is doing and killing? Hello! Maybe the market is super-saturated with this event (a walk in the spring, an auction in the fall, a donate-your-car deal).
If the same person is continuously bringing the flavor-of-the-month event to the table for all to ooh and ah over, can we channel some of that energy constructively in an activity the board has already agreed it wants to do?
Don't get me wrong.
Sometimes, Mr or Ms Energizer Bunny may be bringing a good idea for consideration. But before we launch a new event (here we are in February, and Ms Bunny wants us all to "turn-to" and put on a great walk in May! Sure!) can we see a business plan? A budget? How many volunteers it'll take to get this off the ground? A time table? For Pete's sake!
You may recall my post (#15 Feb 9) Sometimes You Gotta Tack to Stay the Course. Yes. There are on occasion excellent ideas that come to us. So we want a systematic way to sort out the wheat from the chaf and put our energies where our strengths lie.
Some thoughts to keep in mind when it's $-raising we need to do, but we don't seem to be able to focus:

There should be a development committee with people possessing skill in marketing, communication, sales, heck maybe someone who brings some real fundraising experience to the table.
If we can't attract the muscle to build a development committee, seek short-term commitment to a work group that will review fundraising ideas, form a plan for the board.
In board orientation, and in the annual skill update for all board members, review the strategic role of the board and the way ideas come to the board, and how decisions are made.
The chair of the board gets some skill -building before taking the reins. Check your State nonprofit association or community foundation for low-cost workshops for board leaders.
Find the right experienced board member who can informally take the Energizer Bunny under his/her wing and help the wayward soul get religion on how to be a good board member.

There are numerous experienced, skilled consultants out there who can help you Get Past the Annoying. You can check www.nonprofitconsultantsnetwork.org for Greater Boston Consultants, you can check NH Nonprofit Association www.nhnonprofits.org and check their directory, you can contact Executive Service Corps - NH www.nonprofit-consultants.org. All good resources. I'm affiliated with all of these (of course they're good!). Board leaders should consider the value of investing in the development of the board, just as the board must consider investing in the development of its CEO and staff.

If we aren't investing, committing to continuous improvement, the fruit will wither on the vine.

Steve Smith, Principal, It's The Results, LLC. website: www.itstheresults.com. Twitter: @STEVENETWORK.

Charity Begins at Home

2010-02-17T07:36:00.000-08:00

A simple statement, "Charity begins at home" can take on many meanings in various contexts. I believe most of us will agree that taking care of one's own self is a good idea. It doesn't necessarily mean at the expense of our neighbors.
It's interesting that different sources attribute the phrase to different authors. Trivia-Library.com claims it belongs to Sir Thomas Browne, a noted British writer, in 1642. Wikipedia gives attribution to John Wycliffe who in 1380 said, "Charity should begin at himself." Sure. Whatever.
Nonprofit leaders should think about the Charity Begins at Home sentiment. It likely has some impact right now in the USA when millions are still unemployed, and where a substantial % of the unemployed are in the lowest 20% of income. Yet, in spite of high unemployment Americans stepped up and donated tens, hundreds of millions of dollars, many in $10 text messages, in response to the Haiti earthquake. We appreciate the American spirit: so many, even in times of personal deprivation,get beyond "Charity Begins at Home" and find a way to pitch in. This says much about the character of the people who are our neighbors, friends, family. We take sharing seriously. We recall biblical stories about the poor family who welcomed the stranger and shared their meager meal. We relate.
So, in the midst of this, why is it that so many members of boards of directors of nonprofit organizations have a hard time reaching for their checkbook or credit card when they are asked to support the very nonprofit they are part of? I find in my board development work, that when we broach the subject of board giving, and it's not settled practice, it's a thorny issue to address. But when we do, the majority buy in and make the gift.
In a sense, if a person serves on the board s/he is "family." And if we are family, get the concept that Charity Begins at Home. Over half of all boards have a policy about member giving. And I dare say that most give gladly. Some say, "give 'til it hurts." On a recent CBS Sunday Morning segment on giving, a United Way executive said "give 'til it feels good." Sure. But do give.
When leaders of the nonprofit, or public benefit organization, go calling on a prospective donor to ask for support all the askers must have made their gift first. Because donor prospects will frequently ask, "Did you make your gift yet? Great! Can you tell me how much? Should I match your gift?"
So herein lies another layer of meaning to "Charity begins at home."
The board is the hub of the organization. And as we build relationships with folks who occupy the "spokes" territory, and as we ask these friends to join us in financially supporting our mission and our cause, it's important that we the board are giving, too.

Sometimes You Gotta Tack to Stay the Course

2010-02-09T08:49:00.000-08:00

A real challenge for executive directors and their nonprofit boards is to find the balance between rigidly sticking to business and chasing after "opportunities" advocated by a persistent advocate. Seeking the "flex zone" in between is part of the art of nonprofit success.
Yes, we have a strategic plan and an annual budget and work plan, but...should we remain resolute and stick to the plan no matter what?
Well, it depends.
When the right opportunity comes knocking, the nonprofit should be flexible enough to open the door, check it out, and decide if this is just a distraction or if it's something that can add value to our mission work.
A good sailor will tack her course when the wind shifts.
On the other hand, the nonprofit doesn't want to go chasing after every "opportunity" that comes its way.
It's this kind of thinking that separates the effective from the defective.
It brings to mind the "Generative Thinking" concept described by Chait, Ryan & Taylor in Governance as Leadership (Wiley, 2005), presented in Power Point at The Boston Foundation a few years ago http://bit.ly/c1rh38. Boards that take time to have conversations, drawing on change in their community as well as broader societal change, prepare themselves to make knowledge-based decisions and less prone to be distracted by the inconsequential.
In my work with boards of directors through It's The Results, LLC, the first objective usually is to get the board's work more focused. Focused on the mission. Focused on the customer. Focused on the market they're working in.
But. Once the board and the staff leadership team are in sharper focus, the value of "flexibility" needs to be applied. By applying the intelligence of the group to the work (board: strategic, staff: operational) and bringing in market forces that are at play and are worthy of consideration, leadership will know when to stay the course, when to tack to improve direction to the desired goal.
Of course there are no guarantees. The leaders may make mistakes. No. The leaders will make mistakes. The idea is not to make the same mistakes over and over again. Bring sound data and informed discussion to the table and the liklihood of success will improve. Markedly. And you can take that to the bank. Just be careful which bank.

Work It! Making Our Case In A Disaster Relief Environment

2010-02-01T17:13:00.000-08:00

In recent weeks, I've been writing here about basic elements of fundraising: the annual appeal, follow-up to the appeal, and thanking donors. These are basics for nonprofit organizations building a revenue base. The base on which the donor pyramid is constructed.
Today, I want to write about the world outside your niche: the environment in which we live, work, recreate. Your nonprofit...your public benefit organization...is not an island unto itself. And the people who volunteer for you, donate to you, advocate for you likely have two to five other nonprofits they care ardently about. And, sometimes circumstance draws these supporters' attention to bigger picture issues: witness the January 19, 2010 5:00 PM 7.0 level earthquake that struck Haiti, causing devastating death and damage to Port au Prince, dislocating and maiming and "orphaning" millions.
There are many fine public benefit organizations that have been in Haiti doing God's work (will you allow me that reference?): World Vision, Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders, Partners in Health, UNICEF. Lots of fine people doing hard work for the people of Haiti. And now hundreds of millions of dollars, including $25 million via texting to Red Cross at Michelle Obama's recommendation, have piled up as have millions of tons of supplies at the Port au Prince airport.
I read Katya Andersen's nonprofit marketing blog http://aCalDE and learned that the tidal wave of support is starting to slow down, as the data from Network For Good clearly shows. What we learn, too, in these horrendous natural disasters (like Hurricane Katrina) that Americans get in a giving frame of mind, and don't limit their support to the current crisis. Actually, natural disasters seem to stimulate the propensity to give to causes beyond the crisis-helpers.
Sometimes board members, seeing all this attention to disasters, come to the conclusion that the nonprofit with a mission unrelated to the disaster should tone down the appeal. Maybe forgo the event or appeal or campaign because of "donor fatigue." My experience tells me otherwise. And Terry Axelrod, founder of Benevon (www.benevon.com) has advised a nonprofit I was associated with back at the time of 9/11 that we should proceed with our fundraising campaigns and special events. I would classify 9/11 as an unnatural disaster. The destruction of the World Trade Center was a different situation, obviously, than Katrina or the Haiti quake. But what we learned was that in trying times, people look for a ray of hope...something to support in the community or in a broader arena that will do good. There is a need, a drive to bond with a group or organization that's delivering something of value to people.
So, all this is to say: Work It! Keep telling your story, communicate with your supporters including volunteers, donors, stakeholders so they know what you are doing to deliver hope. To do good.
Noah Cooper wrote recently in Connection Cafe (http://bit.ly/8TdF6v) how advocacy groups used their networks, including social media, to influence the Obama administration to give temporary protected status to Haitians, whose immigration status might be not kosher, a break. Mr. Cooper (Convio) cited that as an example of how public benefit organizations with a humanitarian mission can use social media to make a difference. Some will argue that helping illegals is bad policy. Perhaps they're right. But right now, sending thousands more people to Haiti who will need vs deliver services would make zero sense.
My message to you is, keep telling your story: ask for support of all kinds: donations, volunteers, advocates for your cause. Engage and channel the energy for public good. Even in their personal malaise, a significant pool of people are looking to do their part to make the world better. Help them connect with you. There is room in people's hearts and wallets for your mission, if you help them make the connection. Sitting in silence, riding out the current financial storm, won't get you where you need to go.

How Many Ways Do I Thank Thee? Let Me Count the Ways

2010-01-25T13:08:00.000-08:00

Last time we met, I wrote about the art and craft of follow-up: things to keep in mind after a year-end appeal, following up with donors who "lapsed:" who did not give as yet to the fall-winter campaign.
Today, lets consider how we thank our donors. What's good protocol to follow to express our appreciation for financial support of our nonprofit organization's mission?
All donors should be thanked. I recommend that you use a post card for donors who contributed modest amounts via mail. If your budget allows, have an attractive card designed with some color and original art work that will get your donor's attention.
Donors in the $50+ or $100+ range should get a hand-written note. I recommend that the CEO sign these notes, which can be -pre-addressed if there are lots; hand-written is definitely preferred. Most folks, especially those in the baby-boomer cohort or older, appreciate the thought, the personal nature of such a note. Good thing to do.
Those who gave on line might receive an e-mail thank-you note. If you can, have something nicely designed so it's attention getting. Also, it should be sent from the CEO or a board leader, and not in a group mailing, but individual. You can do this in an economical (time) way by having all recipients appear in the "bcc" field.
Larger gifts ($100+, $250+, $1,000+ depending on how you define it at your organization) should receive a written note and a call. This can be a good way to engage your board of directors in the fundraising process. Some may be reluctant to ask. I hope they would not be reluctant to thank. A telephone thank-you at work during the day, at home in the evening can be very much appreciated. I hope you keep track in your database of the preference of your donors as to how they prefer to hear from you. Please do this in a manner consistent with your donor's wishes. This can be part of your relationship-building plan: a way to learn something about your donor. Whoever thanks the donor, should listen for cues: is someone sick at home? Are they indicating difficult financial times? Is the donor telling you something about why he or she loves and supports your mission? Are they leaving on vacation? Have a child coming home for college break? Listen for this information. It's not helpful to pry. It will be very helpful to you when you're working on a major gift campaign to know things about your donors should they volunteer it.
And don't be surprised if you're invited over for a visit. Friendliness invites friendliness. Your tone on the phone, your interest if personal information is offered are generally appreciated, particularly by older donors.
Do you have special techniques you use in thanking your donors? Please tell us. We all appreciate good ideas, things that can become best practice.
If I can be of service in planning, organizing your next fundraising effort, please let me know.
My company is It's The Results, LLC, based in Lynnfield, MA.
You can reach me via e-mail at s..99smith@gmail.com. Or by phone: 781-334-4915.
And I welcome new folks to follow on Twitter: @STEVENETWORK.
Facebook can be useful, cluttered with what appear to be stickers (are we back in elementary school?), but I haven't given up on it. How about you?
Steven P Smith, Principal, It's The Results, LLC

Follow-up: Best Fundraising Practice

2010-01-16T07:21:00.000-08:00

I hope your 2010 is off to a good start.

Did your holiday season annual appeal do well? Was your 2009 campaign better than 2008? It's not to soon to start looking at the numbers, comparing your results for the past three years. Hopefully, your results are in a database and you can track particular donors, their response each year, and maybe even trends by age, sex other demographics. This is good information to have...and maybe you have someone on your staff who loves to analyze numbers who will look for trends and bring that information to the team to discuss and figure what the trend is telling you. Don't have such a geek on your team? Call me!
Database or no database, it's time to follow-up with non-responders. Count on the fact that some of your donors may have overlooked you back in November and December when they were swamped with appeals from every nonprofit in kingdom come. But please don't be discouraged! Following up on your year-end appeal is one of the best things you can do to generate additional income.
As you prepare this appeal to donors you haven't heard from, remember these tips:

Remind them about your mission, and what your nonprofit is doing right now to serve the mission
Thank them for their past support
In a short paragraph, tell your donors about a recipient, or a member, or a subscriber to put a face on the value of your service

In your follow up, please do not make your nonprofit the focus. Shine the spotlight on your clients, the people who benefit from your purpose in life. Generally speaking, donors don't respond well to "help! we just had our worst deficit!!" nor to "we'll have to lay off staff". Even in bad times, donors hear this variety of message as "do I want to support a failing organization?"

So...get cracking on that follow up. And if you're ahead of the game and your appeal is already out the door, that's great! Please write a note below, telling us how you do your follow up and the return you get. We'd like to learn from your experience!

Thanks for your attention. If I can be of any help in advising you on your fundraising approach, I'm just an e-mail or phone call away!

Steve Smith, Principal, It's The Results, LLC. s.p.99smith@gmail.com. 781-334-4915.

All Aboard!

2010-01-05T12:06:00.000-08:00

OK all you executive directors, board officers, volunteers who care and have a passion for the mission: It's 2010! Happy New Year! Have you made your New Year's resolutions? One of your resolutions should be: full steam ahead, we're bringing new energy to our board of directors.
Huh?
I think you know exactly what I mean. The board meetings have become dull. Or, they have become painful recitations about declining revenue and cutbacks in program service to our customers. (Do you prefer "clients"? Fine. You have my permission to call them "clients.")
You may be struggling to get a quorum to attend. And a reason for that may likely be that discussion is about the inconsequential, not the strategic.
Let's get some pep into the work of the board!
Here are some quick tips to keep in mind. Bring them to your next board meeting and have some open discussion (ixne on the Robers Rules for this):

We have a job description for board members that's up-to-date and reflects where we want to go in the next three to five years
Our strategic plan is updated, and our board agendas and discussion tie in to our articulated goals
Our governance or nominating committee is tracking attendance and participation of our board, and has candidates-in-waiting to fill vacant slots when terms are over or non-producers rotate off
Our senior staff and governance volunteers have learning opportunities for our board coordinated with our meeting schedule that brings us up-to-date on marketing and networking concepts that we can practice that expands the reach of our mission

If you're getting the kind of energetic and effective performance nonprofit organizations need to advance the mission, the board is in synergy with your work. That's great, and more power to you. Integrating activities that help ratchet performance up a notch or two is what the doctor ordered.

I welcome your comments: particularly, what you and your board are doing to get some energy in the tank to advance your mission.

You can follow my microblogs on Twitter @STEVENETWORK.

You can contact me to discuss how I can help you with a board development, strategic planning, or fundraising project. I'm good, and the price is right. s.p.99smith@gmail.com.

Check out my website www.itstheresults.com.

Welcome to the Age of the Builder

2009-12-29T07:28:00.000-08:00

In a recent issue of the Harvard Business Review, Umair Haque wrote The Builder's Manifesto. He writes that we needed Leaders in the 20th Century: people who forged people and resources, like Jack Welch at General Electric. Jack made his shareholders a lot of money in his time, and organized and acquired a lot of businesses. Jack and GE defined success in the 1980's and 1990's. There was a certain cult of personality around him. At the same time, Jack developed leaders who went on to run many other companies when they reached the top of their career ladder at GE.
What's so different about the 21st century? In some respects, it's still too soon to know. We're only one decade in. But we have seen with the collapse of major banks and financial institutions that brought us to the edge of a Great Depression that a new kind of model for leadership is required. What were the leadership qualities that undermined Citibank, Merrill Lynch, JP Morgan Chase, BankAmerica?
You can read more about the Builder's Manifesto at http://bit.ly/62rTQV.
Today, with a wave of senior nonprofit leaders preparing to retire after multi-decade careers, we need to find Builders to transform our organizations. It will be a mistake to recruit clones of the 20th century prototype to carry the banner of our 21st century mission, vision, goals.
How will we identify the Builders of the 21st century to replace the Leaders of the 20th?
Here are three comparitive pointers from Umair Haque:

The boss drives group members; the leader coaches them. The Builder learns from them.
The boss inspires fear; the leader inspires enthusiasm. The Builder is inspired — by changing the world.
The boss assigns the task, the leader sets the pace. The Builder sees the outcome.

Whether we're searching for our 21st century CEO, or members of our community to serve on our board, I think it's useful to keep the concept discussed by Umair Haque in mind. This is not a blueprint. It's another way of thinking to apply to our process of building effective nonprofit organizations.

A Choice Donors Can Believe In

2009-12-21T16:07:00.000-08:00

How often have you seen a letter or e-mail from a nonprofit/community benefit organization giving you multiple choices of what you can support? I've seen lots of them, and early on in my career, I probably wrote lots of them, too.
Intutively, it makes sense, no? Give the prospect or donor lots of options to support. They'll gravitate to one, right? They'll pick their favorite from the list and write their check to support that program or service.
Unfortunately, that's not the way it works, according to principles of direct response research. Fact is, if you give most donors a laundry list of services, they won't be able to focus. In most instances, these donors or prospects will get confused by all the options. And when confusion sets in, the prospective donor will frequently opt out.
Barry Schwartz wrote Paradox of Choice for the Freakonomics column of the NY Times. @jhusson tweeted about this recently. The link: http://bit.ly/6k3SN5. The bottom line: too many choices discourages choice. The research shows, if you give a small number of options to consumers, this can work in your favor; if you give a wide array of choices, headache and decision-avoidance will follow. In my view: less is more.
So, when you're making your pitch for a donation, keep this in mind:

Keep it simple and make the pitch direct and uncomplicated
Limit the number of choices you're asking the donor to support
If you're suggesting a gift amount and the donor has a history with you, indicate last year's gift as an option, and offer graduated increments upwards...with a ____ at the end
Connect the appeal with people receiving your service
A story about a person receiving the service is the best approach

By the way. A tip of the hat to Jim Husson, Senior Vice President of University Advancement at Boston College, for posting this on Twitter. Jim has a solid perspective on what makes donation work.

Oh. And the more you practice, the more you look at what "the competition" is doing, the more you meet colleagues in this business and share ideas, the more effective you'll be. And your board will love you!

Should Our NPO Get Into Social Media?

2009-12-09T16:58:00.000-08:00

Twitter (the 140-character micro-blog) and Facebook (the cool communication tool loved by the Millenials) are two social media platforms that nonprofit (community benefit) organizations are playing with, applying, checking out. I recommend you get into the act.
Yes, you run the risk of getting hooked...addicted to the wealth of people, blogs, ideas out there on the internet. The cool thing is that Twitter helps you find interesting stuff quickly, and Facebook helps provide a low-cost platform to communicate if you have lots of volunteers, members, special event participants, clients who are comfortable being "out there."
And today, the Gen X and Gen Y folks particularly ave very comfortable being out there.
I'm a pre-boomer, so I'm a bit out of my element, using all these tools.
But when I jumped into Twitter last spring, I was hooked. I now follow over 700 people and organizations, and have 750 following me. And I'm just getting started! I use the new Twitter list feature to help me organize folks: Social Media Mavens, Nonprofit Gurus, Boston, Food, Travel, Nonprofit Orgs are just a few of the groups. This helps me focus in when I visit Twitter for one or two 45-minute sessions each day to see what folks are saying, send a few Direct Messages when the spirit moves, and post ideas that I'm working with...interesting things I'm reading.
I follow @johnhaydon, a social web strategist. He comments on and finds interesting social media users. He gets way over my head when he advises webmasters and other techies on things like Facebook Connect. Social Media Developers get a lot from John.
Also like to read @afine...Allison Fine...who describes herself as a "social media guide. She finds links to stuff NPO leaders like to know.
@gatesfoundation is always interesting. They are the biggest foundation out there. I'm interested in knowing what they're interested in.
@nonprofitorgs is a great Twitter micro-blogger. They have 236,000 followers! They recently blogged on 'how to raise social media ROI" at http://bit.ly/8mFgzH.
There is so much to learn out there, and so little time.
I met Joanna Rothman at the Mass Nonprofit Net conference last month. She's the Volunteer and Marketing Manager at WGBH and is using Facebook to keep her volunteer crew communicating. She'll be speaking at the Nonprofit Consultants Network (Boston) March 26 panel I'll chair on social media.
Please feel free to contact me for more neat folks to follow. I like to learn by example. And there are some great people out there helping make the case why the answer is YES: Your Nonprofit should Get Into Social Media!

Steve Smith
Principal
It's The Results, LLC
Board Development. Strategic Planning. Fundraising

Help Your Supporters Get in the Spirit!

2009-12-01T16:07:00.000-08:00

Donors like the idea of making Hope possible.

If you've been procrastinating about sending your annual holiday appeal to supporters and friends, take some time to craft a request that communicates the ways you extend Hope to your clients. And get that request out by December 11.

Thanksgiving is behind us, and people across the USA have lots on their minds. Tonight, they will hear from their President about the necessity of more troops to Afghanistan. President Obama will have to search long and hard for support from politicians. But I'll bet when the polls are taken in the following days, most Americans will be behind our commander-in-chief. I look forward to listening to him tonight. And learning where he sees Hope for the Afghan people, to overcome the theocratic tendencies alive and well in their country that had them tied in knots when the Taliban were in charge. Not to mention the ascendency of al Queda and the threat they pose to peace-loving people everywhere. Right here.

Our President will gain public support to the extent he can share a vision of Hope for people in Afghanistan. And then the extent we agree (or not) with how this connects with our Homeland Security.

Asking people for money when they have economic hardship and fear of international dis-ease, seems counter-intuitive. Actually, No. Asking for financial support right now is exactly the right thing to do.

Because we all need Hope. We can't buy it. We know we can't go to the store and purchase something that'll provide Hope. But most of us have the idea that whatever we have, we are fortunate. And that right near us are other folks who are unfortunate: they've lost their homes, they're dealing with a crippling disease, they've lost a job, they've been reduced in their hours.
Yet, in spite of it all, it's true that most of us know deep down that there are others who struggle more than we do.

We want to help.

And this is where you come in. You will help your supporters get in the spirit.

Your holiday appeal should be off to homes via regular mail or e-mail or Twitter or Facebook by December 11. Whatever way(s) work best for you.

But remember: you are asking for support of the mission. For support of the people who benefit from your mission. You are not asking donors to help the nonprofit as an end in itself.

Communicate Hope, and you will shine a path through you to those you serve.

Happiest of holidays to each of you.

And thank you for making life better. At home. Abroad.

I count your efforts among my blessings.

Creating Change from Spare Change

2009-11-18T05:49:00.000-08:00

The various social media (Twitter, Facebook, Linked In, blogs, more) offer lots of ways to build out communications for community benefit (aka nonprofit) organizations. Remember when your group got started? Maybe it's been around too long for current leaders (staff, board) to remember, but at some point there was something missing in the community. So, this is the USA, and we love to get together to right the wrong or forge the missing link or put on the show. So, we form a nonprofit and apply for tax exempt 501(c)(3) status.
And as our group grows, raising some money, making new friends, fighting the good fight, parameters take hold (federal/state/local law, by-laws, accounting standards, ethics, etc) and calcification sets in.
Of course, we need to play like good boys and girls and obey laws.
But we need to figure out how to keep that innovative, revolutionary spark kindled that was there at the outset. How can we overcome the needs of the bureaucracy to keep things as they are and get those creative juices flowing so we might achieve the impossible?
Here are a few things to keep some forward motion:

Commit to reaching out to bring new voices and ideas coming in.
Activate the commitment by using Twitter, Facebook, blogging.
Keep the rules of the road in mind, but loosen up the reins so there's a free flow if ideas.

Identify allies on the board of directors who are open to the new. Who know change is the green energy source that helps attract the resources you need to make the mission a reality. Without energy, the mission is dead in the water.

Jordan Viator, writing for Connection Cafe (http://bit.ly/43TChi), quotes Seth Godin, a bright light on social media:

“Take a look at the top 100 twitter users in terms of followers. Remember, this is a free tool, one that people use to focus attention and galvanize action. What? None of them are non-profits. Not one as far as I can tell. Is the work you're doing not important enough to follow, or is it (and I'm betting it is) paralysis in decision making in the face of change? Is there too much bureaucracy or too much fear to tell a compelling story in a transparent way? …..Where are the big charities, the urgent charities, the famous charities that face such timely needs and are in a hurry to make change? Very few of them have bothered to show up in a big way. The problem is same as the twitter resistance: The internet represents a change. It's easy to buy more stamps and do more direct mail, scary to use a new technique…Please don't tell me it's about a lack of resources. The opportunities online are basically free, and if you don't have a ton of volunteers happy to help you, then you're not working on something important enough. The only reason not to turn this over to hordes of crowds eager to help you is that it means giving up total control and bureaucracy. Which is scary because it leads to change.”

So, what do you think? Is this ringing a bell for you?

If You Got the Money, Honey, I Got the Time

2009-11-10T19:12:00.000-08:00

Nothing vexes nonprofit boards more than fundraising. It's a never-ending battle, to generate the revenue to get the mission done. Why is this the case? How come there is so much frustration over raising bucks?
True, we're in some challenging times. Supposedly, we're emerging from what may be the worst recession since the Great Depression. And we're learning, daily, that unemployment continues to rise and new job creation lags behind a recovery. How can we deal with this misery and get some energy to raise the money we need to do the work that needs to get done?
Here are just a few tips that come from my days as a fundaising executive with the American Lung Association, including three-time Gold Award winner (in New Hampshire) for fundraising achievement:

Tell our story. In our holiday appeal, in our newsletter, on our website let's tell our story about what we're doing for our clients. Be sure to make the appeal focused on those we serve, not "poor us." When we whine about hard times it sounds like we want the $$ for the organization, not for those we benefit with our service. Keep it simple, and ask.
Check out our website. Have information (more stories!) that make the site attractive for return visits both for our clients and our supporters (donors!). Use Flash Player and have video, changing it weekly so there's fresh new material to bring people back. Post a weekly blog with fresh material on what's up with the benefit you bring to the community. Is it easy to donate? Are you using PayPal or credit cards?
Re-tool event to raise more $$. Events raising under $10,000 should be evaluated for their capacity to raise significant $$. Your development committee needs to formulate a plan that'll get you step-by-step to the goal you need to reach. All folks connected to you need to engage their networks to help somehow raise appropriate amounts that'll get you where you need to go. A sound plan well executed will go a long way to getting you there!

There are lots of folks out there looking for organizations like yours doing good work in your community who they want to support. Times may be tight, but particulary at the holiday season most people will find a way to help their community at the same time they do their best to make Christmas merry for family and those nearest and dearest.

It's do-able!

The Board Role in Marketing: The Plan and Its Execution

2009-11-02T10:03:00.000-08:00

Nonprofit boards of directors can learn and become very helpful in applying principles of marketing to advance the mission of the nonprofit they pledge to support.
The concept of "marketing" is in transition as people gain comfort and experience employing social media (blogs, Twitter, Facebook LinkedIn, YouTube, and more). Fortunately, marketing is not rocket science: it's built on some pretty common sense concepts.
When I write or talk or consult about marketing, I'm thinking about this:
A set of strategies designed to influence behavior of target audiences by preparing beneficial exchanges that will build a relationship between the individual and the organization (Alan Andreasen, Strategic Marketing).
I advise noprofit organizations to formulate a marketing plan that coincides with the strategic plan. And I advise that the strategic plan be rooted in the primary customer(s) of the nonprofit: the people you serve whether you're prividing education, health care, or a direct human service; or, if you're an arts organization running a community theater or any creative arts program. When your nonprofit organization is clear on whom you serve (primary customer) and the thing or service you deliver that has value to that customer, and you can measure the impact you're having, your nonprofit has taken the basic steps in executing a marketing plan.
The Marketing Plan addresses components of the marketing mix and how your nonprofit will apply it. The marketing mix includes Product, Placement, Price, Promotion. If we're lucky, we have a Marketing and Communication Committee among whose members are professionals who know how to apply the mix to bring maximum benefit to te primary customers, bring recognition and supporting customers (donors!) to the nonprofit, and advise the nonprofit on how to measure results in a low-cost way.
A tool I like to use when training boards in their governance role in marketing is Gary Stern's booklet, Champions With a Cause: The Nonprofit Board Member's Role in Marketing (First Nonprofit Education Foundation). Among other things, Gary points out that the board needs to

Root all marketing decisions in the mission
Develop Governance policies that guide marketing
Use care and diligence in developing the nonprofit brand
Develop clear marketing roles for board members, collectively and individually

Developing this Marketing Plan will help keep everyone strategically focused and mission focused.

Board members are not always fond of having to do this kind of work. If you have one or two members with professional marketing or communication experience, they can create and reinforce the kind of message you're reading in this blog. Enlist these volunteers to help lead the effort and coax the kind of behavior out of the board that will put your nonprofit on the map in your community. It's a challenge to get the energy together to move the board in this direction. Think of these words of Eleanor Roosevelt as you embark on this effort: Do what you feel in your heart is right, for you'll be critized anyway. Better to take the "damned if I do" approach. "Damned if I don't" is the road to nowhere.

Steve Smith is Principal of It's The Results, LLC, a consulting company focused on board development, strategic planning, fundransing. Learn more at www.itstheresults.com. Follow Steve on Twitter @STEVENETWORK. E-mail: s.p.99smith@gmail.com.

Boards Need Focus, Boards Need Information

2009-10-26T13:56:00.000-07:00

Nonprofit boards of directors work best when they're focused like a laser on the mission. Whether it's health, education, human service, arts....each nonprofit board needs to be clear on direction in order to achieve maximum effectiveness.
If it's clear to us that we're seeking a cure to a dreaded disease, or that we're getting butts in the seats of our community theater, or that we're out to reduce drug or alcohol addiction to a defined population, or that we want to get more kids interested in reading...once we all affirm what we're going for it becomes easier to make the next level of decisions on strategies to get our goals accomplished.
Board of director meetings that spend their time deciding things that are operational are not making best use of their time. Staff leaders and board leaders need to work collaboratively to assure that meetings are strategically focused, that debate is leading to decisions that are best made at the board level, and that we have ways to measure how we're progressing in getting to the goals we plan to achieve.
Boards whose members are clear about where they are going, are more willing to engage their resources, their networks, to get the mission accomplished. And this is what the customer or client needs to know is happening. That the leadership is working hard on their behalf to help them recover from an illness, experience quality programming in their venue, know they are getting great education making the tuition and time a worthwhile investment.
At the same time there is clarity around mission focus, staff and volunteers with marketing in their job descriptions should be tuned in to advances in social media. There are lots of great, bright communications stars available on the web through blogs, websites, Facebook, Twitter to check out and learn from. Recently, I read Jill Ward's article Social Media, Integrated Marketing, and a Morning Out of the Office posted on Connection Cafe: http://bit.ly/1WA1Aa. Jill attended the Mass Comm Week program at Texas State University, and cited the speakers (including David Neff, Director of Web, Film, and Interactive at American Cancer Society) who shared their wisdom. Witnessing and hearing how some of the best in nonprofit management are doing helps stimulate thinking of all nonprofit leaders on how to apply social media to the NPO marketing mix.
Barak Obama was recently at Texas A&M speaking at the Points of Light Foundation which recognizes excellence in volunteers, started in the Bush 41 administration. President Obama was promoting United We Serve, established to grow the volunteer base in the USA. He called for a "public service mindset": http://bit.ly/3G8AWa.
Each nonprofit serious about growth, and applying the latest in marketing, technology, and social media to advancing its mission should be following these sources of leading edge thinking. So much to learn and so little time.
As I work with nonprofit organizations in New England, I find that the boards who are in sharpest focus, and who have a good diverse mix of skill and experience on board, are usually in the best position to benefit from the resources at all our fingertips.
Check out my previous posts for other links to helpful information that can get to where you want to go. Let me know how I can help you pick and choose from all these great options, and advise on educating and building your board of directors.

Shrinking the Wide World of Internet

2009-10-17T11:41:00.000-07:00

Last time, I wrote about the value of networks and how to more effectively engage them for your nonprofit organization (http://bit.ly/2ByZB). This time, I'll cover some resources to help you get your staff and volunteers focused on expanding the reach of your mission to folks that'll be most helpful to you.
A good place to start is Wild Apricot: the blog that introduces nonprofit webmasters and Internet junkies to stuff that'll help you "do more with less." Recently, the blog covered Twitter Lists: a way to organize folks you're following (I'm following 550 people) into custom lists, so you can get right to their tweets instead of scanning hours of postings. It's coming soon to all Twitter users...stand by if you don't see it as an option on your Twitter sidebar.
Social Net Daily is a useful blog. Recently (http://ow.ly/uOo5) Glen Gilmore wrote about generational differences in the workplace as well as among our supporters. We need to understand the variations in values and interests between and among generations if we expect to attract and "donor-fy" broader audiences. If only "build it, and they will come" were true.
And if you're going to open up the gates to social media like Twitter, Facebook and the rest, you likely want to set policies on how these media will be used at work. http://j.mp/2BUet features an article on "social media governance." I'm comfortable with open usage. There may be some who'll abuse the priviledge, but there are so many more benefits (in my little mind) than drawbacks. But staff leaders are accountable to a board of directors. And some of these folks are pretty conservative and see social media as a waste more than a plus. We have to respect where our volunteer leaders are and not get too far ahead of them.
Mashable is another trusted blog: maybe one of the biggest in the business. I follow @mashable on Twitter. Nearly always something useful, creative to say. Check out the Social Media Guide: http://j.mp/22oejX.
In my view, there'll be opportunities for the taking. The more we all play with these social media toys, the more we'll learn and, I believe, open ourselves to fundraising potential otherwise not accessible to us. Go for it!
And share your thoughts with my readers.
Thanks.

Engaging Networks for Results

2009-10-14T07:48:00.000-07:00

With financial resources increasingly scarce, nonprofit organizations should utilize their other precious asset—their networks—to strengthen their ability to deliver on their mission today and prepare for growth after the recession.The goodwill, future financial support, and contacts developed by networking during this stormy financial period will be the silver lining to emerge when the clouds of recession inevitably lift.Networking is the art of identifying, cultivating, and engaging friends of your organization. These friendships ultimately may yield monetary support, sources of non-financial support, and ambassadors who can, in turn, cultivate more friends. Now is the time to identify these potential friends, hone your messaging, and plan how to best deliver those messages. By getting your staff, board of directors, and other volunteers ready for brighter days, you’ll build your capacity to thrive when recovery comes.The best place to start is a meeting of the board of directors, who must constantly stay mindful of their critical role as emissaries for the organization to which they have committed. They know the mission, they know the goals, they know the good that the organization brings to the community. How do they communicate this value? How do they spread the good news with people they work with, play with, pray with?
Start with a conversation. Take some time at a staff meeting and the next board meeting to talk about reaching out to friends to share your mission. There may be members who are doing this now. Identify them before the next meeting. Ask them to share their techniques with the group. Use their experiences to kick off the discussion. Listen for the ideas that have been most successful. Share a summary of the results with all who can benefit from these experiences.
Continue the conversation. Be sure to put the discussion on the agenda for subsequent meetings. Find out in advance who is trying the new techniques. Ask one or two of the new practitioners to report on what they’re doing.
Engage communications experts to share advice. Do you have a director of communications on your staff? If not, does one of your board members or volunteers have communication expertise? Strategize with this person about your approach to engaging networks. Incorporate messages that are consistent with your brand so your staff and volunteers are talking about your work in a unified and consistent way.
Twitter? Facebook? Blogs? Is someone on your team familiar with social media and willing to show others how to effectively use these tools? It’s likely that this person will be younger than most of the team. If so, this is an excellent opportunity to let an up-and-comer show their stuff. An effective plan for social media can engage people you otherwise might miss who will support your mission once they learn what the organization is about.
What’s your story? Nonprofit organizations have numerous stories about your clients’ great experience with your services. Incorporate telling of stories as part of “conversation time.” A program staff person or a volunteer probably has more than one such story to share. Let your group hear a story or two each time you meet, and encourage your board, staff, and volunteers to retell these stories when they are out engaging their networks.
Begin at the beginning. Gary Stern, a marketing expert based in Portland, Maine, encourages nonprofits to be sure that their mission and clients are in the forefront of their thinking, planning, and doing. “Begin at the beginning” is his first admonition in his pamphlet, “Ten Things Every Board Member Should Know.” In your networking, you want your conversation and stories to be about the people you serve. That way, potential supporters and volunteers will be more eager to join your cause when they realize that it’s more about the people you serve than it is about your organization.
There is a reservoir of good will out there, ready to hear about the good you do. And every day, your volunteers and staff talk with many people who will want to help bring the “good” you deliver to more people. Your organization’s job is to forge links through staff, board, and volunteer networks so you can grow the circle of friends and supporters. When you take the time to apply creative approaches to communication through networks, you engage and energize people for your mission. It takes commitment and work, but it will put your organization in the strongest possible position when the economy inevitably begins to grow.