Rob Tomlinson from eTapestry discussed strategies for nonprofit fundraising success using web and social media tools. He covered integrating an online approach, using social media like Facebook and video for fundraising, effective email fundraising, and team fundraising. Key points included making websites engaging, using social networks to attract traffic and donors, telling compelling stories through video, designing effective email campaigns, and capturing all donor data from team fundraising efforts.
Building AI-Driven Apps Using Semantic Kernel.pptx
Web Strategies For Fundraising Success
1. Web Strategies for
Fundraising Success
Rob Tomlinson
Account Executive, eTapestry Division of Blackbaud
5 November 2009
2. What is our history?
•Blackbaud - leading technology provider to nonprofit sector
since 1981
•eTapestry - first “Software as a Service” solution for nonprofits
(1999)
• 22k+ Blackbaud clients worldwide, 6k+ eTapestry clients
•Introduced eTapestry product to the Australasian market in Feb.
2009
3. Agenda
1. Integrating your Online Approach
2. Social Media for Fundraising
3. Utilising Email for the Ask
4. Effective Team Fundraising
4. The Rules
Still Apply
(It’s all about relationships…
not technology)
6. Web Site Optimisation
75% of donors will check your website before making a gift
whether it is Online/Offline
If Relationships are Built on Communications . . . Set yourself
up for success!
A Few Key Changes can Make a Huge Difference
Your website = tool for engagement
7. Keys to Building a Successful Web Site
1. Learn from your content
(Start with Google Analytics to see how many unique visitors you have, how they found you,
what they viewed, where they stayed the longest, and what content produced actions.)
2. Make your content easy to consume
(Always offer RSS feeds in addition to various subscribe options. Make sure they are easy to
find and use.)
3. Make your content ever changing
(Be brave enough to blog, show responses, share viewpoints, and utilise forums. New
information needs to be added daily or weekly by you and your community. Why do you
think millions go to Facebook or Twitter by the minute.)
4. Make your site easy to find
(Every NPO and those serving NPO’s should have a social web presence. Facebook, MySpace,
LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter and Flickr are your outposts linking back to the web site hub!)
8. Database = Fundraising Tool
• Only works if used daily by all
• Must be consistent/accurate
• Powerful Memory Supplement
• Technology makes it easy
9. On the Road
•Does your organisation
have multiple offices?
•Can you access your
organisational data from
anywhere?
•How do you track notes
from major gift visits or
events?
What needs do your organisation have for accessing your
development database?
10. They’re at your website, now what
do they do?
1. Can they engage?
2. Can they add content?
3. Can they give or volunteer?
Your goal – to get something from them!
11. Ecommerce & Online Giving
Important Functions of your Online Donation Page:
• Integrates directly into donor database
• Requires no additional manual entry
• Customisable
• Are your website and database integrated?
12. Keep it simple & Make
Integration a Focus
Constituent Website
Use Email
Gather Information
Database
Database
14. Do you have an Online/Social
Media Strategy?
Social Networks
E-mail
Campaigns
Google
Adwords
Media & PR
Banner Ads on
Integration with
Homepage, Blog
Direct Mail
and eNewsletter
15. Food for Thought….
Top 5 Most Visited
Websites in the
Australia:
– Facebook is #2
– YouTube is #3
– Twitter is #11
Source:
http://www.alexa.com/topsites/countries/AU
16. Which of the following types of social media does your charity
currently use?
2007
2008
100%
90%
79% 79%
80%
70%
57%
60%
50%
41% 36%
40% 34%
32% 33% 26% 30% 25%
30%
16%
20%
13% 11%
10%
0%
Video Social Blogging Podcasting Message/ Wikis Do Not Use
Blogging Networking Bulletin Any
Boards
17. • Attract more traffic to your website
• Videos can easily be posted on website or as a link
within an eBlast or eNewsletter
• FREE service to increase your visibility
• Growing in popularity and becoming more accepted
in the NP world as a method for reaching
constituents
18. Video is a
Magnet for
Your
Web Site!
“Most viral video
of all time!”
Could her story
be told in any
other manner
as strongly?
19. YouTube Takeaways…
• Identify a few constituents who would like to
share their story with others & record a few
different testimonials each year
• Integrate with your website and eNewsletter
blasts
• Get Creative!!
20. FACEBOOK
• What is Facebook??
– A FREE, online social networking site that connects people through online
communities
• Facebook started out as a service for university students but now almost
one third of its global audience is aged 35-49 years of age and almost
one quarter is over 50 years old.
• Non profits can use Facebook to:
– Connect
– Brand
– Share your story
– Fundraise
– Fan Pages, Group Pages, Causes, etc…
22. FACEBOOK Pages…
• Facebook Cause Page=Online Donation Tool (application) on FB
• Also a Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Page since anyone can start/create
a cause
TIPS:
Brand &
Link to your
Page
Provide
Clear FR
Goals
Give
Supporters
Updates on
your Progress
23. Social Networks: Hints for Success
• It is not FREE, resources are required
• Being present is not enough, engage
• Be authentic, otherwise you will be exposed fast
• Endorsements matter, think forwarded emails!
• Measure
• Have something to say, must be regular or it dies fast
Stephanie Miller, Email Insider, 2009
25. “Web Site Story Continued”
Charity: water
* 11 Employees
* 500,000 Followers
on Twitter
* 500 Donors Cover
all Admin Costs
* Donors can Locate
Their Well on Web
via Google Earth
26. “Web Site Story Continued”
Charity: water
* Raised $250,000
via Twitterfest
* Raised $965,000
via Sept. Birthdays
* Tons of Video
* Easy to Engage
* Giving is Joyous
* Infectious with
Youth/Boomers!
29. charity: water
1. Was the $250,000 raised via Twitter the key
fact?
2. Was the $975,000 raised from Sept. birthdays
the key fact?
3. Is the way they have harnessed web/video
technology the key?
4. How about how they show impact via Google
Earth?
Communicating daily w/ 500,000+ followers!
31. Why email?
• People are connected 24/7
• How can we be expected to communicate with so many people?
• How can we personalise our message?
• Online Donors are our most valuable
• Cumulative Value of donors who started giving in 2004
Online: $237 Offline: $86
32. Why Has Email Become So Important?
• People are busy…they want to
communicate/interact on their
own time
• Email is inexpensive…or at least it
seems that way
• Email provides virtually instant access
to friends and supporters
33. Today’s Supporter
• Reads email before snail mail
• More comfortable online
• Busy, satisfies interests on own schedule
• Expects information to be personalised
• Expects immediate feedback
• Demands information on progress/
stewardship
• Wants a way to share
experiences with others online
34. No Email List? No Problem…
• Whether you have some contacts or are starting from scratch,
anyone can grow a strong email list
• The three most important factors in effective email list-building
are:
– Where and how you acquire the addresses
– How you welcome each new subscriber
– How you manage the relationship after the opt-in
– Source: EmailLabs
35. Grow Your List Online
• Direct staff and other close
supporters (board, volunteers, etc.)
to include subscription
links in email signatures
• Use Search Engine Optimisation/
Marketing to increase traffic and
subscriptions
• Investigate alliances or partnerships with similar or
complementary organisations to reach common supporters
• Advertise your newsletter/services/cause through a 3rd party list
36. Grow Your List Offline
• Ask for email addresses at
every touch point
• Instruct staff to capture email
addresses over phone when
appropriate
• Include your website address
on all printed materials
• Offer an incentive to register (contest, raffle) to
collect emails
37. Now that I have permission…
• Hook them early, and keep them
engaged over time
• Optimise the welcome message
• Send follow up message within a
week (or less)
• After a few months of active email, survey lists to see if you are
meeting expectations
38. Real Life Example….
Dec 11:
Subject line:
Urgent Appeal: Your gift to
CRS is vitally important!
Straight Appeal
Static donation form
Raised $112k
Source: Laura Durington: CRS Social Media Presentation-
AFP Maryland
39. Dec 29:
Subject line:
Only 48 hours left to make
a tax-deductible gift!
Added “hotspot” text
Added video message from
our president (that plays
right on the donation
form)
Added a strong pull-quote
Raised $112k
40. Dec 31:
Subject line:
Final Deadline: Last
chance to make a
tax-deductible gift
New “hotspot” text
Kept video message
from our president
New pull quote
Raised $119k
Source: Laura Durington: CRS Social Media
Presentation-AFP Maryland
41. The Results…
• Was CRS’s most successful online fundraising
campaign to date (non-emergency).
• Three e-mail messages in this campaign (based
on a direct mail piece)
• Posts on social networking sites advertising
campaign
• Coordination with Google AdWords
This campaign raised $594k online.
Source: Laura Durington: CRS Social Media Presentation-AFP Maryland
42. A Few Email Design & Usage Tips
1. Keep truly important items above the fold
2. Ask subscribers to add your from address to their address
book
3. Host images on your web site rather than embedding them
4. Links to resources and to special landing pages on your web
site are powerful (Especially “tell a friend” functions)
5. Develop your own writing style that readers will learn
to love (people adore stories, so tell many . . . )
43. Designing for Mobile Devices email (html)
• Mobile readers are more likely to scan your
email rather than reading
• Include compelling call to action in the first 15-
25 characters of your subject line
• Avoid “top heavy” images in the design
• Use “alt-tags” on images
• In addition to testing email browsers, test
messages in handheld devices
45. Team Fundraising
•Give your volunteers and
members the opportunity to
JOIN you in fundraising for
the mission.
•Capture the information of
everyone who donates for
future solicitation.
46. Team Fundraising
•Almost $2million was raised
through Team Fundraising for
City 2 Surf in 2009
•Did you raise any of this?
•Did you capture the data of
all donors into your
database?
47. Team Fundraising
•Doesn’t have to be a big
event!
•Doesn’t even have to be an
event!
•Give yourself the ability to
respond to important events
within your organisation’s
community!
48. Team Fundraising
•What type of transaction
fees are you paying?
•Does the data collected
follow the same integration
principles discussed before?
•Are you giving yourself the
best opportunity to maximise
the lifetime value of each
contributor?
49. Team Fundraising by the Numbers
• Each volunteer sends an average of 40 emails.
• Almost all volunteers meet their fundraising goals.
• The average online donation through team fundraising is $57.
Source: Kintera
50. Team Fundraising
• Capture all THREE levels of Fundraiser Donations: Participants, Teams, Donors
• Report on Team Success, Individual Success, and overall Fundraiser Success
• Begin harvesting relationship with constituents that donate/participate for the first time.
51. What Now?
1. Take a look in the mirror
How do you stack up?
- Integration
- Social Media
- E-mail/Communications
- Team Fundraising
52. What Now?
2. Plan
Make it a priority
- Set Aside Time for Review
- Add to Board Agenda
- Seek Professional Assistance
(Most companies will help you do this at NO COST!)
53. What Now?
3. Continuous Evaluation
Must be Measurable
- Website Hits
- Fundraising
- Donor Retention
- Communications
- Cost vs. Results
- Social Media “Friends”
54. What Now?
4. Have Fun!!!
- Try New Things
- Get Creative
- Share your passion for your
mission!
55. What Now?
1. How do we stack up?
2. Written Plan
3. Continuous Evaluation of Tools/Technology
4. Have FUN
56. Resources
• Getting Started with Facebook
• Beth Kanter Blog – How Nonprofits Can Use Social Media
• Jay Love Blog – CEO eTapestry --- Jay Love Twitter Page
• Blackbaud – Raising Money During Challenging Times
• Getting Started with Google Analytics
• LotusJump – Website Marketing Made Easy
• eTapestry Home Page
• Contact eTapestry for Guidance
58. Thanks!
Rob Tomlinson
Rob.Tomlinson@eTapestry.com.au
(02) 8986 6018
Twitter.com/eTapRob
Notas del editor
If you build a website, will anyone come?Having a website is first priorityKey steps to building/maintaining a successful website
segue: H
Now they are the creators of content
Use customer as testimonial (if they are using eCom)
To audience: Does anyone have a strategy when it comes to online/social media?
Perception of Social Media has changed – everyone is using it!You cannot ignore the potential outreach(Google is #1)(Yahoo #2)
Provides a strong avenue for your organization to broadcast testimonials and describe how you are serving the community
PhenomenonTo audience: Who HASN’T heard of Susan Boyle?
Guy was a nightclub director – over indulging in the lifestyle and one day decided to found an organization “Charity: Water” which allows donors to sponsor wells in 3rd world countries
Started the org on a Social Network platformUsed the same tools they were using as a nightclub
Give donors the ability to see tangible results (Google Earth)
Masters of communicating with supporters
Interactive Tweeting on website – the reach was amazing/innovative
Done with a limited staff size
Catholic Relief Services
A week later, they changed the Subject Line (gave sense of urgency)Added hotspot text (taking end-user back to online giving page)Added emotional video appeal (Only a link to the video – on Youtube)Raised $112K
Continuously changing content of the letterMulti-channel communications (Facebook – “keep an eye out for our e-mail”)
Coming back to the viral concept
Coming back to the viral concept
Coming back to the viral concept
Coming back to the viral concept
Something tangible – a plan of attack you can take home and use