HOW FUNDRAISERS CAN GET MORE
OUT OF LINKED IN
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To get the full benefit of LinkedIn for reaching prospective donors and board members, fundraisers need to be able to count on all of the people in their network, Anthony Pisapia told participants here at the Nonprofit Technology Conference. Sometimes that means turning down invitations to connect-an idea that doesn't come easily for fundraisers.
"I always say, 'Would I pick up the phone and call these people?'" said Mr. Pisapia, director of development and programs at Tech Impact, a charity in Philadelphia that provides technology help to other nonprofits. "Set a high bar for interaction."
The social network has a wealth of information for fundraisers conducting research on potential donors, he told conference participants.
"LinkedIn is big data," said Mr. Pisapia. "It's a giant collaborative database with contact info-who you know, what you do, what you like-and it's all sitting out there for us as nonprofits to take advantage of."
The information on prospective donors' profiles and the people they're connected to gives fundraisers valuable clues on how best to appeal to them, he says: "It lets you understand the world in which they live."
Fundraisers can also use the social network to determine who in the organization's orbit can introduce them to a potential donor or board member.
While LinkedIn has an automated way to ask for an introduction through the site, Mr. Pisapia, says it's more effective to ask your contact for the introduction offline: "You can do it within LinkedIn, but it gets icky and strange."
Groups Are Key
But it's not enough for individuals at a charity, such as the head fundraiser or chief executive, to be active on LinkedIn, Mr. Pisapia warned.
"Your executive director leaves, and they take all of those connections with them," he said. "So you have to think about how you're capturing those contacts, how you can continue to communicate with them."
Mr. Pisapia recommends that nonprofits set up LinkedIn groups that supporters can participate in and organization profiles, called "company pages" on the site, that they can follow. Organizations can set up as many groups as they like and make them either public or private.
Groups are a great way to spur discussion, he said. Plus the information that LinkedIn provides on where group members live and work can offer insights on how to reach out to donors. For example, he said, a fundraiser from Villanova University could look at a breakdown of the people in its alumni group for ideas on how to get them more involved with the university.
"Maybe I should set up some kind of alumni activity for people who work at PricewaterhouseCoopers, maybe an administrative affinity group, an engineering group," said Mr. Pisapia. "You can start to really look at and get information on these folks about where they're working and think about how you could leverage that for an event."
Mr. Pisapia also writes recommendations on LinkedIn for his organization's trustees and members of its chief information officer advisory board as a way to recognize their service.
"Your board members are very proud of their association with your organization," he told conference participants. "This makes them feel very good. It's a giant bear hug online."
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THE FIVE KEYS TO SUCCESSFULLY RAISING MONEY ON SOCIAL MEDIA
The Five Keys to Successfully Raising Money on Social Medi
Social networks like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+ can be extremely helpful in your non-profit's efforts to raise money online. In our new class Mastering Online Fundraising, we spend a lot of time focused on using social networks the right way to raise money and build your online profile. Today, let's take a look at the five keys to making sure that your social networking activity successfully helps generate new gifts for your organization:
#1 - Be Active
You have to maintain an active presence on each site you are targeting, or else you won't be successful. This means, at the very minimum, that you visit each site at least three times per week and post or tweet or link to a new item. Ideally, you will be on each of the social networks you are targeting once per day, every day, Monday through Friday.
#2 - Be Personal
The best way to connect with people on social networking sites is to be personal, not "corporate." Have the person who handles the social networks for your non-profit post his or her picture, tell their name, and post in the first person. If you post and interact as an anonymous corporate-like entity, you will find people will engage with you far less online.
#3 - Have a Goal (Don't Just "Connect for the Sake of Connecting")
Far too many self-appointed social media "gurus" will tell you that you should be active on social networks just to "have a presence." "Connect for the sake of connection," they will tell you. "Listen, learn, be there."
Hogwash.
You're too busy to be doing work (and it is work, when done right) for the sake of "connecting." Have a goal for your social networking time. Do you want to raise money? Find new volunteers? Build buzz for your organization? All of these are respectable goals. Go into your social networking work with a goal in the back of your mind and then work towards completing that goal successfully.
#4 - Link to Your Site Often
This is one of the most important lessons you can learn about using social media successfully: link to your own site often. Send out stories and articles from your own website often. Get people to follow you back to your website, sign-up for your e-newsletter, and donate to your organization. One out of every three things you post should be a link back to some compelling content on your own site.
#5 - Become an Authority
One great way to help you connect with new people is to be seen as an authority in your non-profit's area of expertise. If you run a soup kitchen and notice that there is an ongoing conversation about homelessness, jump in. Point people back to that paper your organization released on the causes of homelessness, and offer to answer any questions people may have.
Be seen as an authority by joining the conversation on the social networks you are targeting, and more people will follow you and connect with you and with your organization.
originally published by The Fundraising Authority in their May 1, 2013 e-mail
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ANIMAL SHELTER FUNDRAISING
12425 WEST BELL ROAD
SUITE 117
SURPRISE AZ 85378
Surprise is a suburb located 25 miles outside of Phoenix
623.975.1234
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Putting Tools in Your Toolbox
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It's hard for me to believe that I have spent my entire adult life as a fundraiser. Actually, it's all I have ever known since I graduated from college back in the middle ages (or at least it seems as if it's been so long ago that it was the middle ages!) I've seen the fundraising "landscape" change over that time. The Internet and social media have been the two biggest game changers. As a fundraiser, you have to constantly stay on top of the "latest and greatest" thing, yet at the same time learn how to do two things: (1) differentiate those things with staying power, and (2) concentrate on those things that are worthy of your investment of time and energy because they have an ROI.
And this is where I see so many animal welfare groups get tripped up. In their effort to stay relevant, they latch on to everyone of the latest social media trends and as a result they exert a lot of energy "staying busy" but not really generating any return on investment. This is especially true of many smaller to medium sized groups. It's better to concentrate and learn a few of the social media powerhouses like Linkedin and Facebook, than to spread yourself thin trying to do learn and do everything like Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Tagged, Ning, Meetup, Multiply, the list goes on and on.....
In an effort to steer you in the right direction, today's issue features an article about using Linkedin for fundraising, and an article about your website - two places that are important for you to master in your fundraising efforts for your organization.
 -Tim Crum |
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10 TIPS TO IMPROVE
YOUR NONPROFIT WEBSITE
From telling your story to encouraging donations, your nonprofit website is an important asset for online fundraising. Make sure it's working hard for your cause by auditing your home page, prominently featuring your donate button and using compelling images.
Here are just a few tips on making your website more effective:
1. Make your site social media friendly. Include social sharing links on every page of your nonprofit website. Encourage video and photo sharing, link to your social media profiles, and make it easy for bloggers and social networkers to embed your videos and feature your images on their sites and profiles. This will attract new traffic sources, retain visitors, and build community around your cause.
2. Put your most compelling content front and center.
If you have video or photos showing the work you do, use them! Strong imagery can help you build connections in a way that is not possible with words alone.
3. Look at your website from the visitor's perspective. If you were a first-time visitor to your website, would you understand the mission of your organization? Are the actions you want a visitor to take clear? Is the navigation easy to understand? Surveys are a great way to gauge your site's usability and keep it dynamic in a universe that is always changing. Sites like Survey Monkey allow you to set up a survey that is simple and inexpensive.
4. Email sign-up should be one of the most prominent items, and the easiest action for a visitor to take.
If you don't have an email newsletter, you should. You can build your list and strengthen relationships by maintaining regular and meaningful contact with people who have already shown an interest in what you do. It's also easier to collect emails if you provide interesting content in return.
5. Think about the home page description of your organization.
If you only had ten words to describe yourselves, what would those words be? Make sure the words you use on your site are accurate and descriptive. It also helps if those words mirror the keywords and phrases people are likely to use searching for you or your issues.
6. Prominently feature your 'Donate Now' button.
Visitors shouldn't have to think about ways to engage with you - you need to show them how you want them to engage. Putting a Donate button on your site doesn't guarantee anyone will use it. But if you make a compelling case for your work, you should make it easy for visitors to support you.
7. Don't hide your address and phone number.
Even in this high tech world, we still know that the best way to build a relationship is showing people that you're real. Phone numbers and addresses build trust and a sense of accessibility and is often the one piece of content people are looking for when they go to your site.
8. Three clicks and you're out.
Make sure everything you might want a visitor to do on your site is no more than three clicks away. Research indicates that you lose 40% of visitors with each click.
9. Build and test your search function.
A search function and site map is a quick and easy way to help users get to their destination as quickly as possible. Tools such as Google Analytics will tell you if users are finding what they need on your site.
10. Connect to your blog.
An organization's blog is an effective way to share your latest news and online engagement. Think of your blog as your website's little buddy. Only start a blog if you have something to say and are ready to make a commitment. If you aren't sure, try guest blogging for someone who already writes on similar topics. A blog also helps raise your ratings with search engines. (Read See3 blogs here.)
This article is written by Michael Hoffman (May 7, 2013) and appear on the Network for Goods website.
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WELCOMING
OUR NEWEST
CLIENT-PARTNER
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Animal Shelter Fundraising would like to welcome its newest client-partner - the Lincoln County Animal Shelter (LCAS). LCAS is located in one of the most popular visitor destinations on the Oregon Coast with miles of beach and coastline. Named for President Abraham Lincoln, Lincoln County was created by the Oregon Legislature in 1893. The Lincoln County Animal Shelter's mission is to provide a safe haven for our community's animals by protecting animal welfare and public safety; rescuing, reuniting, rehabilitating and rehoming animals in need; and promoting responsible pet guardianship through licensing and sharing information.
WELCOME ! |
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THINKING OF BUILDING A NEW ANIMAL SHELTER?
In this video shot in Flower Mount, Texas, Tim Crum discusses what a building planning study is and reasons for having one conducted.
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 | | Tim Crum of Animal Shelter Fundraising discusses a building planning study |
SUMMER SPECIAL !
A building planning study conducted by Animal Shelter Fundraising normally costs $5,000, but this summer (June-July-August) we'll actually give you the building planning study for just $999 when you hire us to conduct your fundraising feasibility study. For more details, contact Tim Crum direct at 623.975.1234 or send him an e-mail.
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