Why Mobile Matters for Fundraisers

• Get started: get informed about mobile, take the pulse of the organization and educate everyone as you investigate.
• Identify goals: income, list size, downloads, conversion, e-mail opens, phone calls, brand awareness, buzz, etc.
• Make the case: drop stats wisely — number of handsets nationwide, number of text messages daily; show cool stuff — videos, text to a big screen, put it in their hands; get traction — cross-cutting relevance, early adopters and enthusiasts. “Find a way you can solve multiple problems, and find people that care about it,” Orkin said.
• Build the plan: include tutorial material, align with organization’s goals, address internal and external communications, provide realistic timelines, check with IT and legal first!
• Launch the campaign.

“People get enamored by that shiny thing and often you get it in the app store,” Orkin said. “To build a program, you have to be systematic, not chase after every shiny thing.”