Monthly Archives: May 2012

Crowd-sourcing Cause for Change

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Derrick Feldmann, Achieve CEO and Kari Dunn Saratovsky, KDS Strategies have partnered together to write a book and need your help! Read on to see how you could be part of their book Cause for Change: The Why and How of Nonprofit Millennial Engagement.

Ever wanted to be published in a book?

For the past six months we have been on a journey eating, breathing, reading and writing everything, Millennial. You know, that 20-33 year old segment of our population that’s roughly 80 million in size and tends to be the topic d’jour for those in sales, marketing, and just about any industry that’s thinking about the future. The nonprofit sector is no different as CEO’s and executives are coming together to build “Next Gen” strategies within their organizations, and are doing what they can to crack the code of Millennial engagement.

After writing nine solid chapters on the subject we were able to convince our publisher to let us go out on a limb and crowdsource the final chapter of our book, Cause for Change: The Why and How of Nonprofit Millennial Engagement. That’s where you come in. It’s not that we’re tired of writing (well, maybe a little) or out of words (rarely a problem if you know us well) – but really, it’s about capturing the voices that are shaping and influencing the social change space, many of which we have yet to uncover. We think we’ve done a pretty good job weaving together stories with new research, articles and personal experiences that help showcase how Millennials – our peers – are driving much of the change within nonprofit institutions and beyond. However, the story can only be complete if we ensure that others are able to collectively influence it – and that’s where the collaborative nature of Millennials kicks-in.

Whether you are a Millennial yourself or you are managing Millennials, or you’re simply fascinated or dumbfounded by the generation, we’d like to hear from you. How are Millennials influencing structures in your organizations? Has your senior leadership bought-in to the fact that they need to adapt in order to attract the next generation? Are you changing your communications approaches and outreach efforts to appeal to younger constituents? Have you given up on institutions altogether and started your own venture?

We hope you’ll take a few minutes to submit your stories, strategies and sage advice via comments, quotes, blog posts on your own sites (which we’ll link to on our Facebook page) or by sending an email to causeforchangebook@gmail.com.  Let’s get this book finished together!

A Cautionary Tale for Nonprofits (Via My Dad’s iPad)

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In a few weeks we will be releasing the 2012 Millennial Impact report and unsurprisingly my generations love of Facebook and smartphones plays a big role in the report. While I can’t wait for nonprofits to take advantage of the research and suggestions in the report for connecting with Millennials, I must write a note of caution to all.

Technology is not just for us young’ins. Don’t believe me – maybe you will believe my dad.

My dad is in his early 60s, recently retired and has more free time than ever before. He also has more disposable income than ever before now that his two children are all grown up. As a result he is increasingly charitable to a variety of causes.

If my dad sounds like the kinda guy your nonprofit might like to get to know – there is something you should know before you pick up the phone and give him a call. He loves his iPad so much he got carpel-tunnel from using it. 

My dad has always been tech savy. We had Macs way before they were cool. He could be an anomaly, but my less tech sophisticated mother also loves the iPad. Without trying to sound like an iPad sales person, that is exactly what makes the device so great. It’s techy enough for a pro like my dad, and simple enough for someone like my mom who just wants to easily browse news and keep connected with family.

So if you think having a highly visual and easily navigated website up-to-speed with the latest trends is only for Millennials, guess again. Professionals like my parents have been using the Internet for 2 decades now, just like me. They get it. My mom used to shop in the J.C. Penny Catalog. I haven’t seen one in years now that they have Amazon. Admittedly, my parents may have been a little slower on the mobile side, but they are catching up quick. And should I mention they have more money to spend to keep up with the latest gadgets than me?

The world is changing and if your nonprofit doesn’t want to lose my parents as your donors you better catch up. It might be time to cut that direct mail budget in half and invest more highly in technology tolls that bring donors to your cause. I can guarantee you J.C. Penny no longer still relies on that phone-book sized catalog. Maybe it’s too soon for some organizations to invest in a tablet specific strategy, but it is necessary and easy enough to make sure your website has a flexible design that looks great across all devices.

The Internet now makes it easier than ever to find new causes to support. If you can’t keep up with the changing times, people like my parents will find an organization that can. 

A few resources to help you begin rethinking your online presence:

If you know of any nonprofits using tablet devices well please share in the comments!

 

How Infographics Can Help Your Nonprofit

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As nonprofits, it can be challenging to present your organization’s goals in a clear and easily-understandable way. In today’s world, people will not take the time to read a large body of text, but rather want to get the information they need in mere seconds. This can be an obstacle for many organizations, especially when the organization is making an incredible impact, but it does not know how to visually articulate its vision to those around it.

One way to get your organization’s message across quickly is to use infographics to illustrate who you are and how you impact your constituents. The following three examples show a few of the ways that Achieve has helped create clear and compelling infographics to promote local nonprofits.

Showing an Organization’s Process

The first example is Immigrant Welcome Center, an organization that helps immigrants transition to life in Indianapolis and build a supportive community in their new home. The text on the left is where we started from and we took that information to create the document on the right. In this case, it was particularly helpful to visually show the process that an immigrant goes through when Immigrant Welcome Center is first introduced to them. Instead of merely listing the steps a person might take, we created a graph that walks through the initial steps a client takes as well as show the on-going relationship that Immigrant Welcome Center has with the client. In addition, we took the various statistics surrounding the immigrant community and used relevant visuals to build awareness around the issues immigrants face.

Showing an Organization’s Services

Little Red Door Cancer Agency has many different services that impact the lives of those with cancer in central Indiana. Just like many organizations, it can be difficult to explain all of the different ways that the organization is helping its client base. Achieve strategically sifted through Little Red Door’s services and grouped each channel in an easily-understandable way. The chart below explains not only the different ways that Little Red Door can help an individual client, but also shows how many clients the organization touched in 2011 through those channels.

Showing an Organization’s Impact

Hoosier Environmental Council is the largest state-wide environmental organization and impacts the community by improving land, water and air all over Indiana. In this case, Achieve took an existing graphic that was used to illustrate what Hoosier Environmental Council is doing in each county and tweaked it to be more clear and engaging. In many cases, keeping the information and visuals as simple as possible will help the reader more quickly understand the message. By using larger titles and pairing the impact in each county with the appropriate icon, readers can understand the basic information without reading the entire paragraph.

Designing infographs is all about understanding the way that that eye travels across the page and knowing what elements will grab the person’s attention first. It is a combination of psychology and art to effectively connect with a person through visuals. These are just a few ways that Achieve helps its clients connect with its constituents and there will surely be more to come in the future!

 

10 Steps to Solve the Biggest Problem in the World

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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. 

The Anatomy of a Good Donor Landing Page

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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.