June 16, 2009, HarvardBusiness.org — Online community and social media are hot areas for business these days, as companies recognize the Internet's potential to deepen customer relationships, share knowledge and strengthen teams. In the nonprofit sector, relationships have always been the key currency: the relationships with the members, donors and supporters that NGOs depend on for volunteer labor, financial support and advocacy muscle.
Social Media
Margelina, my long-lost Second Life avatar, has a friend! Her name is TinaLouise Serendipity. I created her because I couldn’t remember Margelina’s password. So they’re more like stepsisters and, actually, they have yet to meet.
There’s a lot of debate in the blogosphere and elsewhere these days regarding the efficacy of different fundraising and marketing channels. It goes something like this: “Is direct mail dying?” “Will social media kill e-mail?” “Will mobile rule the marketing roost?” “Should I tweet … or blog?”
The fundraising landscape is always changing and forcing nonprofits to work even harder to keep up with what’s hot in the market. Keeping track of new trends can be a full-time job in its own right, and knowing how to change development plans can be a daunting task. Achieving success in this ever-changing landscape can seem impossible, but it’s not.
Profiles, tweets, widgets, avatars, oh my! Social networking has created a wild new world. Given that newness, it’s easy for organizations to get caught up in the notion that they need to reinvent the wheel when it comes to engaging with constituents.
"It's just a new way to do old business."
So said Danielle Brigida, associate operations coordinator for the National Wildlife Federation, in the session "Using Social Networking to Build Affinity, Community and Brand" at Fund Raising Day in New York 2009 presented by the Association of Fundraising Professionals Greater New York Chapter in early June. In her session, Brigida discussed the need for nonprofits to clearly articulate a strategy for utilizing social-networking sites to enhance brand, build affinity and expand reach.
June 23, 2009, Bloomberg — When young Yale graduates need to hit up other alumni for charity, they tap the Old Boy and Girl Internetwork.
Used strategically, the Web offers myriad opportunities to raise funds from wealthy donors.
In the session "Taking Leadership Online: What's Hype and What Works in Online Fundraising" at Fund Raising Day in New York 2009 presented by the Association of Fundraising Professionals Greater New York Chapter in early June, presenters Nancy Haitch, deputy vice president of development for International Rescue Committee; Alia McKee Scott, principal at Sea Change Strategies; and Jono Smith, vice president of nonprofit marketing at Network for Good, discussed management strategies that trail-blazing organizations have followed in using the Internet to begin, sustain and enrich relationships with top donors, prospects and volunteers.
AUSTIN, Texas, June 23, 2009 — Charity Dynamics and FreeCause today announced a partnership that will provide nonprofit organizations with a unique and powerful social networking solution to drive greater constituent involvement and take special event fundraising to new levels.
June 16, 2009, Herald News — While your local doctor likely won’t be “tweeting” your diagnosis in an 140-character snippet anytime soon, SouthCoast Hospitals Group is among local entities to venture into the brave new world of social networking.