Focus on Your People, People!

If I had a nickel for every "does our organization really need to have a Facebook page?" conversation I had in 2009, I'd have roughly $346.15 (which I'd donate to your organization, of course, if you asked me nicely). In 2010, however, the conversation shifted. Folks begrudgingly set up their nonprofits' Facebook pages, Twitter streams or other social-media tools and started asking, "How do you use this to raise money?" Consultants like me traveled all over the place talking about relationship building, community, storytelling and other feel-good concepts to explain where social media and fundraising connect.

But if you ask me, fundraisers (myself included) have been spending too much time focusing on the tools and too little time thinking about the in-house skills needed to make the most of them. A recent study by the Nonprofit Technology Network (NTEN) showed that the majority of nonprofits don't have online communications or community managers. So this year, I propose we shift the conversation again and start focusing more on the skills fundraisers need to build relationships with donors in today's fast-paced, digital world.

For example, the type of office culture that best supports today's fundraiser encourages transparent, fluid, fast communications between departments. How can you tweet that success story if you don't hear about it until three weeks later and can't confirm the facts easily? Good communications are the backbone of successful fundraising, and everyone at your nonprofit, regardless of job title, must help support 
your efforts.

Ask these questions at your next staff or managers meeting to get a conversation started about what you need — besides the tools themselves — to make your fundraising efforts successful this year and beyond.

Have we budgeted adequately for 
the staff we'll need to fundraise online?

Printing used to be a significant budget line item back in the days when your organization produced annual reports and other publications. But as the need to print things has been reduced or even eliminated by websites and e-mails, most organizations have failed to shift that money into the line item for staffing.

It might be free to set up a Twitter account or a Facebook page, but the staff you need to keep the content on your website fresh, monitor blogs, post relevant information regularly and engage in conversations online isn't cheap. Even low- or midlevel hires need terrific technology, writing and people skills. No matter what your organization's operating budget, if you have a mission that requires proactive communicating you need at least a part-time staff member (if not one or more full-time people) henceforth. Budget for that, please. NTEN's IT Staffing and Spending Report can give you give you a sense of what other organizations are spending for staff in these roles.

Are we listening, participating in larger conversations and then sharing with the right people?

The years of broadcast communications are over. Sure, you can still put out press releases, print and distribute brochures, and the like. But to remain relevant, you also have to read blogs; comment on them; and monitor the online conversations that your donors, peers and other key stakeholders participate in.

But all that listening and chatting is only as good as what you do with it.

Lots of organizations delegate online communications to a junior, junior, junior staff person who's got no mechanism for reporting "up," so her online efforts become like the proverbial tree falling in the forest: It seems to matter, but is anyone really listening?

Finding a blog that's relevant to your work, getting your executive director to comment meaningfully and 
then sending the link to a donor who might find 
the conversation meaningful require some degree of organizational clout. If you leave it to the junior person, at least give her a megaphone and a big 
stick — perhaps by giving her talking time in weekly staff meetings.

Connecting your programs staff, executive team and board members to the conversations that are happening around your issues helps create a culture of transparency and exchange in your organization. As a fundraiser, you can facilitate those connections and invite your donors to join them, too.

Does leadership really understand online 
fundraising?

You really can't imagine what it feels like to ride a bicycle unless you can ride a bicycle. Facebook, Twitter, Google Analytics, even My Emma are just like that, too. If your executive director has an outside PR firm tweeting on her behalf, there's a problem. Ask your executive director or other leaders to personally use key tools or services for at least three months to connect with friends, explore hobbies and get the lay of the land before you go live.

Another great way to educate your senior staff about technology and its role in fundraising is to join the Nonprofit Technology Network and attend its annual conference, which is March 17-19 in Washington, D.C., this year. It's truly a mind-opener for fundraisers who are trying to figure out what the next best practices are, how to get started and what their peers are up to. I look forward to seeing you and meeting your executive director there! FS

Sarah Durham is founder and principal at Big Duck. Reach her via e-mail at sarah@bigducknyc.com or via Twitter at @BigDuckSarah.