Guest Blog Post By Kristin Hess, Indiana Humanities

“I think the biggest problem in the world is lack of communication.” – Jerry Adams

As a communications coordinator for a small nonprofit, this is something I often find myself agreeing with.

It’s safe to say that most people don’t support organizations they don’t understand. So it’s worth remembering that if we aren’t communicating effectively with our audiences and peers, then we’re not supporting our causes as effectively as possible. Most development occurs because of everyday communication and building relationships, so focus on being strategic in the ordinary and let the extraordinary follow.

I’m not sure I can single-handedly solve the biggest problem in the world, but here are my top 10 tips for being a whiz-bang communicator (which must be some step in the right direction!):

1.  Use lots of pictures & few words.
I bet most readers will skim this post to glance at the pictures instead of clinging to my every word. Photos and graphics help provide context, attract attention and explain information in a new way. There’s a reason people say a photo is worth a thousand words. Take meaningful photos and explain information graphically whenever possible.

 2.  Don’t do all the heavy lifting alone.
Collaboration is key. Communicate with your peer organizations. Share. Work together. The synergy is amazing and opens the door to incredible new audiences. Be the best partner you can be and work together to support and communicate your missions. As a small, 5-person statewide organization, our team quickly expands through collaboration. Strategic partnerships allow you to reach more people and create more innovative programming and events.

 Visual of the corporate and community partners who came together to support and participate in recent program here at Indiana Humanities called Food for Thought.

3. Explain the basics again and again and again.
While you may be able to mutter your mission statement in your sleep, the same isn’t true for your audience. The more people remember, the more they share and feel connected. Don’t be afraid to reinforce your mission, programs or work in a variety of ways. Remember: everyone doesn’t learn the same way, and your message rarely sets in the first time.

 Here’s a preliminary sketch from a brainstorm on ways we could better explain/display our mission statement to make it more digestible and the final product (rack card). 

4.   Be the first follower.
This video is a riot and holds some deep truth. Sometimes supporting the work of others helps communicate the type of organization you are. Be a leader through following, supporting and collaborating in your own unique way. 

5.   Be specific- one thing at a time.
Keep it simple. Don’t list 10 programs to support in one sentence. Be clear. Be concise. One message at a time. Make it easy on people!

6.   Get personal.
Tell stories. Use quotes. Share photos. Quantitative information provides an awesome structure, but give your mission life with human voices and faces. It’s ok to highlight your audience, employees and board members- remind your audience that you’re composed of real people and not a faceless organization.

7.  Say it with a twist.
Try something new and give your communications tools a bit of a twist. What’s a tiny way you can tweak the norm to stand out? 

I love this video because it explains an organization’s work in a powerful way using text and music to evoke a unique emotional experience far from sputtering the typical “what we do” speech.

8. Is it elevator and Twitter friendly?
From elevator speeches to 140 characters, we value brevity. Be sure your talking points and messages match this. 

9. Think like a human. Communicate “with” not “to.”
Speak to your audience in a way that’s truly authentic. Communication means exchanging information, not lecturing or overwhelming your audience. Acknowledge your audience’s point of view. Have a discussion. Ask for their feedback. Speak to their concerns. Learn from them and make adjustments. Use their voices and input to describe yourself and create events and programs they desire.

10. Be yourself.
Blah, blah we’ve heard it a million times, but that’s because it’s true. Look at your strategic plan (and if you don’t have one, make one). Figure out how to support your vision, leadership and future. As nonprofits, we’re all created differently to fulfill a unique need, so be the best different you can be. 

Kristin Hess is a communications and program coordinator for Indiana Humanities, a small, statewide nonprofit that encourages Hoosiers to think, read and talk. 

One of the most popular blog posts Achieve has written was on some of our favorite donor landing pages. As these online giving continues to rise, these landing pages are becoming the central hub of any multi-channel fundraising campaigns. It is vital you get it right.

Every channel a potential donor uses may contain different messages, so when they arrive at the landing page, they should all be able to understand how their donation will make an impact and why it matters.

View the presentation below to see our donor page checklist and walk through an example of what makes a really great donor web page successful.

*To view the presentation larger click the button in the bottom right corner to enter full screen mode.

One of the best parts of my job, beyond working with some great clients, is traveling to speak about the latest trends in fundraising and millennial engagement.  After most presentations, individuals will come up to personally ask for advice. I love this one-on-one time with the the participants willing to wait in line just to get one burning question answered.

Many of these conversations start with an all too familiar opening…. “My organization is innovative because…” The organization then goes on to describe why they feel their services are unique and unlike any other nonprofit. This claim of innovation is becoming more and more common.  While some nonprofits may have truly unique program models and delivery approaches, often these claims start to sound the same.

Just now I did a quick online search and found 3 nonprofits with the following prominent statements on their website:

We are an innovative organization pairing youth with adult mentors throughout the city.

We are an innovative organization designed to help people to self-sufficiency.

We are an innovative nonprofit working in economically disadvantaged community to help people come together to solve social problems. 

The further I looked into each organization’s website, I started to read the same things over and over again. As I continue to come across these self-titled innovative organizations, I thought it was time to discuss what truly makes an organization innovative. 

Innovative Nonprofits Find Creative Solutions
Organizations are driven by leaders will to take risk and are at the forefront of new ideas to make their organization’s work better in the community.  Innovation doesn’t mean you create a process and come back to it 5 years later to see if you should still do it.  You continue to work on that process and make the way you deliver services better every day.   You are not satisfied with “it is what it is”.

They Are Not Afraid to Test New Concepts
Organizations that are not afraid to test a new concept with the thought that you may fail are innovative. They go into research and development with a true testing approach and ask themselves to push the envelope and actually deliver in order to determine if the current work should change.  Innovative fundraisers say, we will test text to give platforms and learn from the challenges or successes.  In essence, innovative organizations never say “I wish we would of…”

They Know to Pivot When Needed
Organizations that know something is off, don’t wait till next month’s board meeting to talk through it.  They pivot now in order to optimize results for the board when they meet.  They change when change is necessary and are not afraid to make the move in order to get a desired result.  Innovative nonprofits understand the changing dynamics of the current environment and know that today’s complex challenges require a more efficient and effective system to change.  Innovative organizations will never say “We need to hold on that idea till next month…”

Ultimately, Innovation Speaks for Itself
To me, innovation comes from others who tell their networks about an innovative organization they have encountered; not from those that self promote their practices as innovative. If you are truly innovative, you don’t need a statement telling us this. Your organization’s actions will speak for themselves and others will let you know because they have not seen anything else like it.

For more on innovation, read the following article on Fast Company about innovation in the DNA of companies and organizations: The DNA–People, Processes, And Philosophies–Of Innovative Companies

Share with us your thoughts on innovation in the comments or on Twitter with @achieve_consult.

Achieve had a great time meeting fundraisers from around the world at the annual Association of Fundraising Professionals Conference. What an inspiring group of people!

To read some of the highlights check out our collection of tweets from the conference including lives tweets from Charity Water founder Scott Harrison’s keynote. (Don’t have to be on twitter to enjoy!) AFP Tweet Recap

We also hosted a great tweet-up gathering social media and nonprofit lovers at Moose’s Down Under! Check out a recap of this fun night. 

Want to learn more about the session at AFP? Here is a recap from the Chronicle On Philanthropy with links to blogs about a wide variety of great sessions and speakers.

Did you attend AFP? What was your favorite part? Tell us in the comments or tweet @achieve_consult.

How to Connect to Your Audience Through Photos

People love photos. Nonprofits have the opportunity to instantly connect with their audience by posting photos to their website and facebook. Photos give you the chance to engage an individual and create an emotional connection with that person within milliseconds. Once the individual connects with the photo, it will then entice them to read the message that goes with it. However, not all photos are created equal. There is a reason that we recommend hiring a professional photographer for the important things- it will enhance your ability to engage your audience. Regardless, we also realize that nonprofits cannot always hire a professional photographer, especially considering how many events, fundraisers and projects a given nonprofit hosts throughout the year. So when you are given the challenge of playing photographer at your next fundraiser, keep these 4 simple tips in mind:

1)     Take a Close Up of a Face

One of the most fundamental rules of good advertising is that people are attracted to faces. More specifically, people are attracted to eyes. Studies have shown that consumers will look longer at an advertisement that has a face in it than one that does not. Think about your facebook posts and website content as mini-advertisements meant to bring attention to your organization. You already know that your nonprofit does incredible work that changes the lives of people everyday, but you need to convince your audience of that as well. Show them the face of the person that you helped today.

One example of a nonprofit that does a phenomenal job with featuring faces (even if they are not human faces) is the Humane Society of Indianapolis. Below is an example of one of their recent posts.

Another example of a nonprofit that does a great job at featuring faces is the Indiana Blood Center. Giving blood is never a fun experience, but if you can see the face of the person you are giving blood to, you are able to personally connect with that individual.

2)     Take Action Shots

Nonprofits always have a plethora of events happening, whether it be a community fundraiser, building a structure, hosting a 5K or a five course dinner. A great way for people to visualize what you do is to show them through action shots. For example, if you are a community development organization, show the rebuilding of your most recent project by taking a new photo during each stage. A great way to keep your audience interested is by building a story through your photos over time. If you are a service-based organization, do a follow up story with a person that you had helped previously and include a photo of them playing with their kids or engaging in their favorite hobby.

The Broad Ripple Farmer’s Market is a good example of utilizing photos to its advantage. Not only do they take pictures of produce at the market, but they also include shots of people buying their favorite products. When you see tomatoes like that, who wouldn’t want to shop at the farmer’s market?

3)    Take a Close Up of an Interesting Object

Although connecting with your audience on a personal level is the most important things to remember, you also want to think about providing a diverse set of photos. Just like we were all taught to vary our sentences when writing a paper, the same concept is true for photography. A good rule of thumb is to take a broad shot of something and then pick out two or three details that you can zoom in a capture closer up.

Green Bean Delivery will make you pumped to receive your next produce bin when you see the fresh color of home grown green beans. In this case, Green Bean Delivery often uses photos from recipes that it is reposting to its facebook page. If you do not have a lot of photos of your own, link to outside articles that feature a great photo.

4)     Think About Color

People are attracted to color! You want your photos to stand out from the mass of information out there and one great way to do that is by choosing photos with rich beautiful colors.

People for Urban Progress does very well at featuring color. From their bright yellow stadium chairs, to their hip 317 t-shirts, there is no lack of visual interest in their promotional pieces. The image below shows a lovely progression of red to orange in the stadium chair colors and certainly catches your eye when you see it.

Always remember that the more you pay attention to the photos you are taking and the more you practice, the better you will become. Be intentional when you are taking pictures and try something new. The advantage today is that we digital cameras, which gives you the freedom to get a little trigger happy. A good rule of thumb is to keep an extra SIM card on hand so that you are sure not to run out of space on your data card.

Now go grab your camera and get shooting!

If you are heading up to Vancouver make sure to connect with us. Here’s where you can find the Achieve team:

AFP Marketplace
Stop by Booth 848 to say hi to Joanna Nixon and Justin Brady, learn all about Achieve and enter to win an Achieve Access subscription. We will be right next to the buffet, so you have no excuse not to! While you are there you can also learn about Campaign Builder for Facebook from the Achieve and Forte Interactive team. We will even help you set up your new timeline! Have you seen the AFP Vancouver Facebook app we created? Check it out!

#AFPMeet TweetUp
We are hosting the official #AFPMEET Tweetup with Forte Interactive on Sunday, April 1. Come mix and mingle with fellow nonprofit social media lovers from 5:30-7 p.m. at Moose’s Down Under, 830 Pender Street West – just a five-minute walk from the convention center. We will have appetizers and drinks!

Speaking Presentation: The Next Generation of Donors
Don’t miss Derrick Feldmann, Achieve CEO and AFP International Board Member speak about the Next Generation of Donors, Monday, April 2, 8-9:15 a.m. in room 205-207. The presentation will connect the 2011 Millennial Study research data with strategies for nonprofits to adapt to better reach this demographic. We will showcase best-practice examples from nonprofits excelling at reaching new donors and building a new approach to engaging the next generation.

Follow Us on Twitter
Of course make sure to follow @achieve_consult for our big takeaways from the speakers, workshops and events.  If you haven’t found us yet this is the best way to track us down!

If you are planning to travel to Vancouver for AFP leave us a note and let us know what you are most looking forward to!

Most of us moved our clocks forward this weekend for daylight savings time. Now while we are enjoying an extra hour of light, lets get inspired to spring forward our fundraising.  During the spring I enjoy working with nonprofits to use multi-channel campaigns to cultivate and grow their donor base, especially their email lists.

Email continues to grow as an important solicitation tool, especially for acquiring new donors online. The Blackbaud 2011 Multichannel Fundraising Report showed that all donor age groups from 25-64 were giving online first (view full infographic). Higher income donors were also more likely to give online. Even though direct mail giving may still be prominent in your organization, we have seen that an email series at the same time of a direct mail campaign increases direct mail donations by providing ongoing reminders and more opportunities to strengthen the case to donate.

By implementing a Spring Forward Campaign, by the end-of-year your organization will be in position to maximize individual donations. Think of it as planting the seeds for the rest of the year.

Spring Forward Campaign Ideas:

1. Create a give-away contest to acquire emails from social media followers. Finding a great prize helps provide incentive, but remember to create messaging with benefits for joining your email list. Check out this cool Facebook App we created for National 4-H using Campaign Builder. 
2. Send a postcard to past and lapsed donors thanking them again for their support and letting them know about an upcoming event or new project you are launching. This is also a great opportunity to let donors know how you are putting their dollars to work. Ask for updated contact information and to join the email list.
3. Create opportunities for people to sign-up for your email list at events. Don’t just passively set out a list for sign-ups, actively ask people as they arrive and remind of the benefits of learning more. Remember your supporters often invite guests who might not know much about your organization – this is the perfect time to make a personal introduction and get them on your subscriber list.

Once you have built a great email list, make sure you create a welcome series of 3-4 messages that tells more about the organization and provides calls to action that get the subscribers more engaged.

Do you have any successful strategies for building your email list? Share in the comments. 

Earlier this month, the Pew Internet and American Life Project released their findings on the effect of Facebook “Power Users”.  The researchers analyzed 269 Facebook users and their activity over the course of one month.  In that month of analysis, it was discovered that 20-30% of the survey sample represented “Power Users” – users who sent friend requests, added content, and liked content of their friends at much higher rates than the rest of the sample.  The heart of the research details one important finding: because of these power users, “there is a consistent pattern” that Facebook users receive more from these individuals than they give to others.  This means that users will get more friend requests, be “liked” more than to “like”, and receive more messages than they send.  In addition, it was even discovered that more users comment on a friends post/update than they update their own statuses.

What does this mean for nonprofit organizations?  Here are three applications.

Work harder to use conversational engagement on Facebook
Organizations need to spend more time developing conversational content through Facebook rather than typical blast message approaches.  If we know that users are more willing to comment than update their own status, we should be prepared to create conversational updates that focus more on pulling the user to comment rather than inform.

Draw in users with comments to create better feedback mechanisms
Organizations should be spending more time working to engage users within the content.  Organizations should be searching for Facebook user content and comment/provide feedback on conversations relevant to the issue of the cause.  This will help to encourage more commenting and Facebook interaction among the community.

Understand “Power Users” and their effect on your cause
The study also discovered that the more friends a user had, their activity within Facebook increased.  These “Power Users” increased commenting, posting, liking, and other forms of engagement within their network.  As an organization, you should determine the effect of the “Power User” on your cause.  Although their actions within Facebook has increased, it does not necessarily mean their influence has climbed to new heights.  This would mean that some “Power Users” may not be influencers.  This is evident in the main finding that these “Power Users” are driving activity but users are not reciprocating at the same rate.  Therefore, nonprofits must understand “Power Users” in their network and whether or not activity will generate action, awareness, and/or conversation on the organization’s behalf.

Ultimately, organizations have to remind themselves of the conversational power of Facebook.  It is a medium of conversation and engagement.  As an organization, is the reach or virility important, or the engagement of the community in your conversations?

To download the full report, visit pewinternet.org/Reports/2012/Facebook-users.aspx

By now you know the importance of your organization having a lively social media presence. Ultimately, however we know that social media is most powerful when individuals share messages on behalf of organizations. For Gen X and Y sharing comes natural – after all we grew up with Elmo and Big Bird insisting upon it. Now is the time for nonprofits to start encouraging supporters to become ambassadors for you by creating and sharing messages and images about your cause.

Here are 3 steps to get social media enthusiasts to share:

Step 1. Create a Strategy

Recently, a re-election campaign office in Florida for President Obama posted this visual explaining how their staff and volunteers could use each social media channel (Facebook, Twitter, Google+, etc.) for different purposes.

As more and more new social media channels arise, it’s important to have this level of clarity on the purpose of each and not to just use every channel the same way. While many organizations have given thought to what channels they want have a presence on, Obama’s campaign is a great example of taking it a step farther and strategically thinking through how supporters can have a presence on different channels for you.

2. Ask Supporters To Help

In our Millennial Donor & Engagement Research, we repeatedly hear from young volunteers that they are more than willing to help nonprofits, but often aren’t asked to. It’s time to start asking. Here are two easy ideas.

• Create a landing page explaining some of the things supporters can share. We love how ASPCA asks supporters to use Facebook to help animals on their Get Involved page.
• Consider creating volunteer positions such Social Media Ambassador, Blog Contributor, or Pinterest Curator to encourage enthusiastic posters. This opportunity will allow them to take ownership and responsibility of the task giving extra incentive to do it well.

3. Make Great Sharable Content

Continue posting great content on your own Facebook and Twitter pages for your supporters to share. American Red Cross is one of the best at providing a great mix of content. Here are 5 examples:

1. Fun Facts

2. Links to Informative Blog Posts

3. Questions That Encourage Commenting 

4. Volunteer Thank You’s and Shout Outs!

5. Great Images

With visual sites like Pinterest on the rise and photos taking on a larger role on Facebook, creating sharable images will be just as important. Look for a blog post on this topic soon with some great examples and ideas to get you started.

Remember – sharing isn’t just for kids anymore!

By Kari Saratovsky, Guest Blogger, KDS Strategies

Having grown up in a society where “never talk to strangers” was ingrained into the heads of Millennials from a very early age, it may be surprising to learn that today Millennials aren’t just talking to strangers, they are relying on their opinions even more than those of their friends, family and colleagues. This comes into play when making decisions about purchasing everything from cars and electronics to vacations and even insurance plans.

As companies and institutions try and make sense of a generation with 80 Million voices and a collective buying power of $200 Billion, a new study is making it’s way into boardrooms and advertising agencies across the country. And there are many reasons that nonprofits may also want to take note.

Bazaarvoice, in partnership with The Center for Generational Kinetics and Kelton Research, recently released survey findings which indicate that over 30% of Millenials will not make a big ticket purchase without first checking on what others had to say about it. What’s more, through User Generated Content (UGC), the study found that 51% of Millennials say that consumer opinions of complete strangers found on a company’s website carry more weight than what their friends and family have to say.

If the study is true and Millennials have become seemingly dependent upon the opinions of others before making key buying decisions, could the same hold true when making decisions about affiliation and support of nonprofits? From the study, we see that Millennials want to interact with brands and companies and expect that those companies will provide more options to share their opinions.  In return, Millennials say they will be more likely to participate. So, if we can make the broad assumption that donors and organizational supporters will increasingly rely on referrals and guidance from friends, family and of course complete strangers now and in the future, then what do nonprofits need to do in order to not only allow for this to happen, but also encourage it?

Direct communications and particularly cold calls and direct mail solicitations by nonprofits will have far less of an impact than they have in the past. Rather than focusing on traditional engagement techniques, its time for organizations to relinquish some of their control. Millennials don’t want organizations to simply use social media to push out their messages, but instead they expect the give-and-take that makes social media such a dynamic means for communication.

Here are a few techniques for organizations to consider as they experiment and expand opportunities for User Generated Content on their own websites:

1. Add user generated content to your homepage and anywhere else your services are featured. This could be as simple as inviting donors to leave a public comment after they make a donation, or sending a link to volunteers after a service project so they can share their experiences with their friends and with the world. You can also use sites like Great Nonprofits, which offers a badge you can place on your homepage letting visitors see and submit reviews of your nonprofit directly through your website.

2. Ask people to respond. Don’t just make the opportunity available to individuals but go to the extra effort of inviting them to contribute. The response rate of Millennials in particular goes up dramatically when you ask them to respond, but you have to make it easy for them. If Millennials can’t find an easy way to take action, you’re going to lose them and they probably won’t come back. So incorporate UGC in a lot of different ways.

3. It’s not enough to have it and invite response — you need to respond yourself. This is a generation that expects quick recognition and an understanding that their voice has been heard.  Respond even if you don’t have an answer, it shows that you value them and it helps build trust that is so important to Millennials.

As supporters look for new ways to create, rate and control their experiences with nonprofits, what are other ways in which organizations can make it easy for them to do so? Share with us in the comments.

Kari Saratovsky has spent her career working in both the government and nonprofit sectors building strategic alliances, directing programs and facilitating national efforts that advance social change. KDS Strategies provides solutions to national and local organizations with a focus on innovative program design, strategic communications, social media strategy development, all with a unique understanding of next generation engagement. Prior to establishing KDS Strategies, Kari served as Vice President of Social Innovation at the Case Foundation.

Learn More About KDS Strategies