Greetings!
Every time I turn around,
there's another blog post on the rising power of Twitter and Facebook. And more and more of my clients --
organizations that are already doing too much with too little -- are scrambling
to add these tactics to their repertoire. Now don't get me wrong -- I'm not against social media. What I am against is
an organization putting resources into social media when its website hasn't had new content since 2007 and the donation button is the size of my pinky nail.
This issue of Keep the Change will be a reality check for your website.
If your site isn't up to the
standards below then you're not meeting the needs of your donors. And, I guarantee you're losing money as a result.
So, stop tweeting, get off
Facebook, and fix your website.
End of
rant.
Until next time,
Tina Cincotti
Founder & Principal Consultant
P.S. The best book around on web usability is
Steve Krug's Don't Make Me Think. Don't
do your next site design without reading it.
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Is your website meeting your donor's
needs? (And foundations too)
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Did you know that 58% of donors
say they research an organization on the web before making a donation,
according to a survey by DonorTrends? So, if you weren't thinking
about whether your website is meeting the needs of your donors, I
suggest you start... and soon. Because you literally can't
afford not to think about it. Here are some recommendations
on how to improve the experience of donors, prospects and foundations who visit
your site.
Messaging
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Explain
yourself. Your home page must have a
compelling, jargon-free 2-second blurb that says who you are and what you
do. Anyone who reads it should
understand what you're all about right away.
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Get
emotional. If I go to your website and
don't feel anything, chances are you're not getting any money. Show me the work you're talking about. Give me pictures. Give me life-changing stories. Give me a reason to respond.
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Make
a strong case. Be sure to answer the
question, "Why should I give you my money?"
Regardless of how deserving you feel your organization is, you must make
the case for why you are worth supporting.
Navigation
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Make
it easy to find things. If people can't
find it fast, they aren't going to stick around.
Especially online. Clear
navigation is critical. Not sure if your
navigation is clear? Invite a few people
who don't know your organization well (if at all) and haven't been on your site
before to come in and play with it.
Ask them to find a few things on your site and watch where they go to look for
them. You'll learn a lot.
Building Trust
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Tell us where you spend the money you get from donations.
More and more, donors want to know how their contributions will be
used. Include expenditure pie charts
showing where the money goes. You should
also include links to your annual report, your 990s, and your audited financial
statements. Virtually no one wants
to look at things at this level of detail.
But it's the message you're sending that's important -- "We have nothing
to hide and we're happy to show our books to anyone who wants to see them."
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Show
that you're credible and legitimate. If you
have graphics from Charity Navigator or the Better Business Bureau, display
them prominently on your home page and your donate page. If you don't, then show off some other kind of
endorsement from someone outside your organization -- quotes of support or
testimonials from respected members of the community go a long way.
Content
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Name
names. List who's on your board and make
sure you keep it up to date. The same goes
for staff. Listing employees who no
longer work there doesn't send a good message.
And your staff list should also include phone numbers and email
addresses for each person.
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Put
your contact info on every page. The
name of your organization as well as the address, phone number, fax, and an
email address should be on the bottom of every page, not just on the contact
page.
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Keep
the site fresh and up to date. If you
list your events, newsletters, press coverage, etc, on your site, make sure your last post isn't from 2007. It's equally important to make sure older links
throughout your site are still active, so periodically test those as well.
Giving and More
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Have
a big, bold donate button above the fold. No one should
miss your "Donate" button. It should
appear on every page and stand out from the rest of the navigation.
Visitors should be able to find it in 2
seconds flat! Anytime someone is moved to
give, you want that button to be right there.
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Offer
safe, secure online giving. Be sure you
have encryption technology for donation processing. And display whatever logo or badge says it's
secure above the fold on your donation page.
It should be one of the first things visitors see.
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Give
an offline giving option. For people who
don't want to donate online, provide a form they can download and mail back to
you.
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Ask
for more than money. No one wants to
feel like you're just looking for their money.
Give opportunities to volunteer and be involved with your organization
beyond just making a donation.
Now, go look at your
website. How does it measure up?
BONUS: Websites to Admire If you want to see some sites that
do many of these things quite well, here are a few to look at. Now, nothing is perfect and neither are
these. But, they are damn fine
sites. You could do a lot worse than to have
a site that's as good as these.
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Free Webinars | The popular new Wednesday Webinar series now has two free sessions every week.
Check out the full summer schedule here.
And, if you want to get an email alert each week about that Wednesday's offerings, click here, enter your email address, and follow Constant Contact's overly complicated steps to sign up for my "Free
Trainings" list. |
Let's talk about direct mail...
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Resources to Help Nonprofits Maintain their Exempt Status
| To
help nonprofits maintain their tax exempt status, the IRS (Internal Revenue Service) provides
online tools and workshops.
They are
available by clicking here. |
Share the Wealth
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Follow me on Twitter @TinaFCC
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About Us
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Funding Change Training & Consulting
helps grassroots nonprofits raise more money from individual donors --
your most reliable and sustainable source of funding.
Our approach
focuses on building relationships and communicating with supporters --
not simply soliciting.
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