Charity Chatter

It's NOT What They Say

It's What They DO

Besides death and taxes, one additional thing you can count on from people, is that we're really inconsistent and we don't often know what we want or like.  Allow me to explain... 

How often have you heard any of the following:

• I dislike negative political advertisements and/or will not vote for a candidate who uses them.
• I dislike shock advertisements.
• I am not influenced by advertising.
• I won't donate to organizations who send labels in the mail. 

In reality - people do respond to these things.  So while we may not like negative political advertising - we tend to vote the way they want us to.  We may not like shocking advertisements, but they get our attention and many people respond by giving, advocating and/or changing behaviours as a result of those ads. 

Sometimes, this happens because the person "saying" they don't like it, is not the person you are trying to reach.  However, they are often they the same person.  Their actions are simply inconsistent with their words.  They aren't dishonest.  They are simply... human.

Do as I say... not as I do.

People are so inconsistent - that we have a cliche' that acknowledges how inconsistent we are. When you read your survey's or conduct your focus groups - or when you're out talking with your donors... remember, that what they say they think, may not be consistent with how they act.

You must be considerate and respectful of what they say, but you must also accept and act in a manner that responds to what they do.   

Knowing what people do and inspiring them to "Do" in support of your charity, is your job.  Be aware that often there's a difference between "Say and Do" - and be prepared to negotiate the difference.

It's NOT What They Say

It's What They DO

Besides death and taxes, one additional thing you can count on from people, is that we're really inconsistent and we don't often know what we want or like.  Allow me to explain... 

How often have you heard any of the following:

• I dislike negative political advertisements and/or will not vote for a candidate who uses them.
• I dislike shock advertisements.
• I am not influenced by advertising.
• I won't donate to organizations who send labels in the mail. 

In reality - people do respond to these things.  So while we may not like negative political advertising - we tend to vote the way they want us to.  We may not like shocking advertisements, but they get our attention and many people respond by giving, advocating and/or changing behaviours as a result of those ads. 

Sometimes, this happens because the person "saying" they don't like it, is not the person you are trying to reach.  However, they are often they the same person.  Their actions are simply inconsistent with their words.  They aren't dishonest.  They are simply... human.

Do as I say... not as I do.

People are so inconsistent - that we have a cliche' that acknowledges how inconsistent we are. When you read your survey's or conduct your focus groups - or when you're out talking with your donors... remember, that what they say they think, may not be consistent with how they act.

You must be considerate and respectful of what they say, but you must also accept and act in a manner that responds to what they do.   

Knowing what people do and inspiring them to "Do" in support of your charity, is your job.  Be aware that often there's a difference between "Say and Do" - and be prepared to negotiate the difference.

Social Media Survey Fail

I recently received an email request from a hospital foundation asking me to do a survey and as I worked my way through it, I was shocked to discover that this great charity is surprisingly bad at social media. 

I should start by saying, I'm mostly impressed by this hospital and their foundation fundraising.  They do great work.  That's part of the reason I'm surprised by some glaring errors in their survey - which was delivered (and I assume crafted) via Ipsos.

I ignored the first email they sent. The subject line read: "Important Donor Survey - please share your opinion".  I was busy and couldn't be bothered (arsed for my UK friends).  The next reminder email said "iPad draw closes May 31".  WELL - if I can win an iPad, I may as well fill it out.  Plus, I'm always interested in seeing what other charities are up to with their surveys.

The survey progressed with a series of questions about what sectors I give to and which ones I prioritize.  I was very pleased to see animal welfare included in the options.  (Kudos on that one guys!)  Soon they began asking about how I give and why I give.  This is where I began to scratch my head.

They gave me many options, but not one question about social media, Twitter or Facebook.  I donated to Haiti, largely because of Twitter and I've made several donations via Facebook Causes. I've also donated to and for people that I've never met, but know via social media.  And yet - not a single option in any of their questions included social media answer options.  The closest was "via credit card online" or words to that effect. There were several areas where an answer of "social media" would've been relevant, but not one of them provided me with that option.

I'm surprised that a survey offering an iPad prize, wouldn't include questions about social media.

Another survey section asked about the mail they send me.  The truth is, I don't read their mail.  Unless it's from the government, I don't even open most of my mail.  I sometimes go more than a month without checking my mailbox. I wanted to respond that I don't read their (or anyone's) mail... but that wasn't an option.  Several areas of feedback assumed that the respondant reads their mail. Not a single option for "I toss your stuff in recycling without reading it".  One question asked how hard or easy their mail is to understand.  I have no clue... because I don't read your mail.  So I said it was hard to understand. What's really hard to understand is why I couldn't tell you that I don't read it.

I went to their website to get their Twitter name so I could give them some feedback, and when I looked at their feed , I realized they don't talk to people on Twitter, they just spam/broadcast messages. To make matters worse, nobody had bothered tweeting for 12 days.  They seem to use Facebook more frequently, but, they don't communicate there either - just more broadcast/spam.

I don't know if Ipsos or the hospital foundation  are to blame for these errors, but it seems to me that Ipsos should've known better.  If you're reading this unnamed hospital foundation - I hope you ask for (and receive) a big discount on the survey. I suspect you paid well for this survey... and I don't think you got your money's worth.

Good Goes, but Falls Short.

Save the Children, recently launched their Good Goes Campaign.  They've built an outstanding website campaign that really involves the donor in how their funds are helping to make a difference.  In many ways this is a stellar campaign, but in their social media efforts, they've fallen short.

The Good is Goin'on with the GoodGoes.org Website

• I'm greeted by the big eyes and bright faces of health care workers and the children they care for.  BAM!  I see who I'm helping... fantastic!
• When I click on different health care workers or children, I see where they are located on the map.  Again... BAM! I know who and where.  Wonderful!
• The "Our Progress" section on the first page is fantastic.  I see real change being accomplished.  Success... BIG BAM.  I give to make a difference and this lets me see it.
• If I click on the "Our Progress" Link, I get more details and learn about how I can help in an area that appeals me.  I'm shopping... for something I like and care about to support. AND... I get options!
• • I can sign up for updates to learn more.  
  • I can sign a petition.
  • I can share on various social networks.
  • I can support a health care worker for a predetermined amount - or I can give an amount I choose.
  • I can organize an event, people... whatever.  A great menu of ways for people to get involved and be engaged. 

There are so many great things I could say about this website and the way they've communicated their work and success.  I really like the pictures of their facebook supporters and the "Great Wall of Good".  The only change I might make to the website, would be to add a "Give/Donate" link along the very top menu, but that's fairly minor.

This team has done a great creative job of appealing to donors and really inviting the donor in to share in the work they do.   Kudo's for that.

Falling Short

Sadly, I can't give them top marks for the entire campaign.  They really fell short on their social media offering.  The minute you leave the website and go to their Twitter and Facebook accounts, all you find is key message spam.  There's no conversation, only 1 thank you on the Facebook page... and I"m not sure if it's an employee or volunteer who posted it - or just one of the page's followers.

I'm baffled that  created such an inspiring and engaging website and then allowed their social media to be so bereft of "socialness".

Don't Fail at the Finish Line

People love to be engaged and get involved online - but they don't engage with key messages spewed AT them.  They engage with people who talk with them.  They want to hear thank you.  They want to be acknowledged when they follow you or "like" you.  They want to know the person behind the program.

I feel like they got to the finish line and collapsed, just before crossing.

Hopefully the Good Goes team gets a real live fundraising, social media professional to run their social media, so we can enjoy watching their "Good Go to Great".

All in all a great, creative and thoughtful effort... but a real opportunity to inspire and interact with donors and supporters is lost, if they continue using social media as an outbound billboard.

Youth Don't Care? This One Does...

We hear a lot about why young people aren't your target audience. I disagree. They are and they should be.  This young lady cares and volunteers her time to raise funds for ALS.

 

Do you care enough to support her efforts?

 

At only 25, Kinga Njilas has been through more than many will in a lifetime.  She could've let life defeat her.  She could've tried to forget. She didn't.  She's fighting to raise awareness, hope and funds to end ALS - forever and for everyone. Will you help Kinga succeed?  

 

Kinga's Letter

Four years ago, my whole world came crashing down, when my Mom, Erika, was diagnosed with ALS.  

My Mom… the woman who protected me from monsters under the bed,  kissed my hurts all better and made everything ok – was dying.  There was nothing I could do to save her.  I felt lost, angry, useless and sad. I didn’t know what to do.

I quickly realized that now it was my turn to make Mom OK.  It was the hardest thing I’d ever had to do, but she needed me and my Dad, and it was up to us to make the best out of every day we had left.  And that’s exactly what we did.

This January, my mother took her final breath.  I miss her so much that it hurts.  But I refuse to stop fighting for those who still have ALS, and those who will be diagnosed in the future.  We must end ALS, forever and for everyone.

Recently I qualified for the Mike & Ike’s contest for the “Canada’s Most Inspiring Young Leader”.   Winning this contest will help spread awareness about ALS – and provide a $2500 donation to ALS Canada to fund ALS research.

Please take a moment to vote for me, Kinga - and help put an end to this horrific disease.  I can’t do it without you.  I need your help to make sure that nobody else has to see the person they love most in the world, die slowly – right before their eyes.

If you will lend me your vote today, together we can change tomorrow.  Please take a moment to vote for me (Kinga), so we can help put an end ALS, once and for all.  All you have to do is:

1.   Click here to vote for Kinga.  http://www.mikeandike.ca/listen-up/ante-up

2.   Share the link with others via email, Facebook, Twitter or anywhere else and ask them to vote and spread the word.

Thank you SO very much!

PS – Please remember to share this link with your friends.  It is critical that we all ask others to vote and spread the word.  Let’s show the world what family and friends can accomplish when they care.

 

Redefining Community & Communitarians

According to The Seven Faces of Philanthropy,by Russ Prince & Karen Maru File, Communitarians are the largest segment of major gift donors. This is a group that, I think, requires a review to accommodate a  broader sense of community. 

"Communitarian's believe their good fortune is intertwined with their community, their philanthropy is directed toward community needs.  For Communitarians, doing good works in and for the places they live only makes sense."

What about a gift to SOFII?  It's clearly not local to me, but SOFII is part of (what I perceive to be) my community. It is highly effective. I benefit from SOFII's good works, and I certainly hope to enjoy a strong, long term relationship with SOFII?  I even received public recognition (for my very modest gift) from SOFII recently. This meets almost all of the Communitarian criteria, but it's not "where I live". Uh oh... I feel lost!

"Toto, I've a Feeling We're Not In Kansas Anymore."

I live in a beautiful and friendly area in Toronto.  But I don't feel a special connection with any organizations here.  I've never felt like a "community member" based on where I live. However, I do feel like I belong to a number of communities.  I identify with communities based on my interests, hobbies, shared values and a variety of other things. People in my communities, live all over the world. I've met some of them in person, but many I've never met.  There are many people, charities, and businesses that I care about, support, and consider part of my community.  They don't have to be local, to be an important part of my community. 

We're a community charity. We don't need social media.

Hey - you... Mr./Ms. "Community Charity"?  While you are visiting a few hundred people at the backyard BBQ in your neighbourhood or city, don't dismiss connecting with thousands (or hundreds of thousands) of potential new community members who would also love to know you.  Community isn't about where you live for everyone.  It's about who you know, identify with, care about, laugh with and communicate with regularly.   Your ability to impact a community, may not necessarily be something measured within the boundaries of a location or region.

Welcome!

There's a world full of community members out there, and they won't all live in the small geographic area that you typically call a community.   As communications evolve and the internet gives us the ability to connect and "commune" with people anywhere in the world, so too, has our perception of community.   Certainly some people will continue to define their community in terms of geography, but don't assume that's true for everyone, all the time. 

Put out a welcome mat and see who else might like to become a part of your community.

Question: If our sense of community is changing, is that all that changes? Is the Communitarian, simply redefining "where they live", but remaining otherwise unchanged? Or is this a new hybrid, with some other unique motivations and characteristics?

It's Not You... It's Me!

Recently I read this blog from the venerable Jeff Brooks.

In this blog, Jeff warns charities to "stay away!" from youth.  I'd love to know what data this wisdom is based on?  What detailed fundraising studies have been conducted on donors between the ages of 15 - 49?  How often were these studies repeated among various sectors, cultures, and different forms of fundraising?

When Jeff calls young people fickle, I have to wonder if that's true.

Corporate businesses are falling over themselves to "imprint" their brands on kids and youth.  Partly because they want them asking Mom and Dad for their product, but also because they know that they can generate brand loyalty from a young age and it will stick for a lifetime. 

These brands are spending millions and even billions of dollars trying to connect with youth.  They certainly aren't ignoring them.  Do you really think that those major corporate brands would throw away millions of dollars for nothing? 

Maybe youth aren't as fickle as Jeff portrays them to be.  Maybe charities are just really bad at communicating and connecting with youth? 

Clearly older people are going to have more disposable income.  I'm not suggesting that anyone stop their existing fundraising with that demographic.  However, I think one of the reason's we do that well, is because most of the people who run charities are - well - old farts.  And old farts are good at communicating with other old farts.  We understand older demographics.  We've studied this demographic inside out and backwards.  We're comfortable with the older demographic and we're too damned lazy and risk averse to try and figure out how to do better with other demographics.

Sixty-ish Syndrome

Lets face it, folks.  Most of the leaders in the charitable sector today are men (and to a lesser degree women) who are approaching 60, or who have already passed it.  How well can they communicate or even identify with today's youth?  How many of you talk to younger people like they're your kid or your grandkid? Seriously, do you think you're going to get a good response from that?  Young people can smell condescension a mile away. 

It may be that youth are fickle, not because it's who they are, but because we suck at connecting and communicating with them.  It's not them... It's us! 

I know that charities have a hard time investing in the future and are under pressure to produce results today.  But is your job to focus only on today, with no regard for the future?  As the boomer generation dies off, there will be FAR fewer older people around to raise money from and far more competition for their support.  Is that how you want to position your charity for the future? 

So I challenge you all to ask yourselves: Is it them, or is it us?

And just because... Here's one of my favourite Seinfeld moments:

How to Raise 50K+ Today

Go Home! 

Really... send everyone home and close your office.

Unless you physically deliver programs from your office, you probably don't need an office.  How much does your organization pay for its office?  I'd guess that Toronto office space for a small to medium sized charity costs 2K+ every month.

If you haven't heard the term "Cloud Computing", you will soon.  Cloud computing enables you and your staff to accomplish every office function you need from the web.  By combining things like GoogleDocs, Salesforce CRM, online bookkeepingsoftware, online donations, and just about everything else you need.  Your entire organization can do everything it needs to do from anywhere in the world. 

I realize this is a huge shift for many people and that it's not an ideal solution for everyone, but there are many organizations who could easily do this today (or when their lease is up).  Start looking into Cloud Computing.  Think about how you and your staff work.  Are you focusing on outcomes or hours in the office? Working from home is a more viable option than ever before. How wasteful is the money spent on your office? 

There are very few things that require people to be in an office - and at a minimum, you can reduce the number of people you need in the office by half and reduce the size of your office. 

I'm going to start looking at the charities I support.  As I look around at various organizations, I have to ask why they are spending large sums of money on office space.  If they have less than 15 staff (a number I admit is arbitrary) and aren't delivering programs of some kind from that location (i.e. feeding people, sheltering people, laboratory research, patient care etc.), I am going to rethink my support for that organization.  I encourage others to do the same.  If organizations won't innovate on their own - maybe it's time donors started insisting on it.

Innovate or die.

For more on this here's a great podcast from Ami Dar from idealist.org on creating a culture of technology adoption.

Be Willing to Be Better

Flex your Mission Muscles!

We hear a lot these days about "mission drift".  I'm not sure we should worry about mission drift.  I wonder, if that's the wrong focus.  I am not convinced that donors and volunteers are inspired by mission.  I suspect, they are inspired by a great vision. 

It suspect many people are more inspired by your vision, than they are your mission.

Instead of assessing how an activity supports your mission, perhaps you should be asking whether or not your mission is still the most relevant and effective way to achieve your vision?

Drift or Progress?

We live in a world of change and we work in an industry that is much too risk averse for its own good.  Consider the fact that maybe you're not drifting at all?  Maybe you're actually moving closer to what really matters. Perhaps your strict adherence to mission is now hampering your ability to achieve your vision?  Perhaps new and better ways to achieve your vision are available to you today?  Perhaps your supporters have changed?  Perhaps your mission is losing relevance?  Some questions to consider:

• Is your mission limiting or enhancing our ability to achieve your vision?
• Is your mission flexible enough to allow us to make the good progress toward achieving your vision?
• Is your mission focused enough to ensure we are effective?
• Is your mission the product of inertia and emotional attachment? Or is it a vital and progressive path to success?
• When was the last time you evaluated your mission?

In some cases, you should change and evolve as time goes on.  Rigid adherence to an ineffective mission may be at the root of some of your most challenging issues. Be brave! Be open and be prepared to change.  Ask hard questions.  Invite feedback from people outside of your board and staff. You may discover that your mission is holding you back.

Sometimes mission drift isn't a lack of focus; it's a necessary and natural movement towards a more appropriate focus.  Be willing to be better.

Convergence - Beyond Technology

On January 6th I asked if your charity was ready to get mobile.  Shortly afterwards... Haiti. Now the statistics are coming in and we're learning. 

According to this report (from www.theagitator.net) , GenX and GenY are quite enthusiastic about donating via "text to give".  Now we have more information from Nielsen shared via Mitch Joel at Six Pixels of Separation.   The people who are using mobile and connecting to social networking through their mobile technology... are 35 - 55 and 55% of them are women.

There's More to Mobile

Text to give campaigns are wonderful, but they won't provide Haiti-like results for everyone.  Don't assume that mobile starts and ends with "text to give".  It doesn't!  Mobilizing your supporters goes well beyond texting.

Develop an iPhone, Android and Blackberry app that offers some valuable content. Make sure you're including content that is mobile friendly on your Facebook page, have some fun with Foursquare, and work with corporate friends to build partnerships.

All of these areas intertwine, interact and intersect. Communications tools and platforms are converging at an amazing pace. If you haven't already, it's time for your organization to do the same.

Communications Convergence

Charities must change their internal structures to become more responsive and strategic. The future is now.  Like it or not, communication and technology are inextricably linked and that's one thing that isn't likely to change.  

Too many charities treat "communications" like a separate entity.  Successful fundraising goes hand in hand with well planned, well executed, and integrated communications.  Your social networking person must be capable of being your:

• communications person
• fundraising person
• PR person 
• crisis management person
• community builder
• public awareness person
• advocacy person
• marketing expert
• data analysis expert
• strategic advisor
• content & programmatic advisor

GenX isn't getting any younger. GenY may not even know you exist, if you don't engage them online and via mobile technologies.  They are smart, savvy and you're competing with Iran, Michael Jackson and Haiti, for their attention. You better be good and your organizational infrastructure should make it seamless for these people to deal with you.  

A sturdy infrastructure can provide stability - or it can collapse when the world around it begins to change.  The world is changing fast... will your infrastructure provide stability or will it crash around you?

What is "Awareness" For?

A Goal or a Vehicle?

In the nonprofit world, public awareness is considered to be an important function of the charity.  I think it is important - but not in and of itself.  I don't view "awareness" as a goal.  I view awareness as a vehicle to help achieve a goal.

I am aware of many things, but that awareness makes no difference in my life or anyone else's.  I am aware of the horrific wars in the Congo that have resulted in more than 6 million deaths.  But I haven't done anything about it.  I am aware that the Burrowing Owl is endangered.  But I don't do anything about that either. 

Many, many organizations have done an outstanding job of making me aware.  But precious few have inspired me to do anything about the things they made me aware of. What is the point of being aware, if it results in nothing more than awareness?

Clearly, public awareness serves many important purposes, but only if it results in some sort of action (or prevents an action).  Here are some examples that come to mind:

• Prevention, protection, safety, services: Helping people prevent an illness or an accident, dietary information to make you healthy, exercise promotion etc. There are lots of great things people can do, or avoid doing to make their lives or someone else's life better.
• Advocacy, Social change: Pretty self explanatory... organizations often benefit from public awareness that causes governments to make changes or causes people to change the way they think about an issue or a cause and therefore make someone's life better. (i.e. discrimination, abuse etc.)
• Raising funds & attracting volunteers: People can't give or help if they don't know about you, and care about you (a lot!).  A higher profile can also help to attract corporate support, if the awareness campaign can offer significant quantifiable measurements to prove to the sponsor that it has value.

These are all useful and important functions of "awareness".  However, I often hear people touting the importance of awareness as if the goal begins and ends at making people aware. 

But, but... We still raised awareness! 

So if we remove the outcomes I've itemized above - what is the point of awareness?  If people don't "do" (or stop doing) something with their new-found awareness, why does it matter that they are aware?  Why do people often say things like "Yes, but it also spread awareness", as if that awareness has value when the act they were hoping to inspire didn't occur and nobody can point to something that resulted from that awareness?

Is there some kind of intrinsic value to the fact that I know about the Congo and the Burrowing Owl and do nothing about it?  If so, I'd love to know what that value is, because I am at a loss to identify it.