Tips to Help You Succeed this #GivingTuesday

This article was originally published in the "Expert's Advice" section of massnonprofit news on 10/19.

#GivingTuesday 2017, set for Nov. 28, means that it's now time for your nonprofit to set goals and prepare the tactics that will position your organization for success on #GivingTuesday: And by success, I mean raising funds, building awareness, and enhancing your reputation.

Since it launched in 2012, #GivingTuesday has been celebrated in the United States on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving and the ensuing Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping events. #GivingTuesday is open to any official charity or for-profit business, school, religious, or community group interested in spearheading a project to benefit at least one registered charity or any type of 501(c) organization in the U.S.

Last year, #GivingTuesday campaigns raised $177 million, 58% more than the $112 million raised in 2015.

Because most Americans (62%) plan to donate more this holiday season over 2016, according to a PayPal study, #GivingTuesday can supercharge your end-of-year fundraising campaigns.

While some organizations have already started promoting their #GivingTuesday campaigns, a little “sweat equity” can get your organization on track for a successful campaign. Because #GivingTuesday is primarily an online fundraising initiative, direct your efforts to engage your online audiences: people on your email list and your social media followers.

The following three-phases will help you generate optimal results with minimal effort.

Phase I: Actions to take during the four weeks leading up to #GivingTuesday

• Set an Achievable Fundraising Goal based on your organization’s needs.
• Determine the Stories you will share in your #GivingTuesday campaign. Create an internal folder including relevant content (photos, videos, testimonials).
• Create Hashtags that reinforce your brand and highlight your #GivingTuesday goals.
• Create a Donation Form on your Homepage: Make the form prominent and easy to find on your homepage. Minimize fields on the form (keep it simple). Provide a range of suggested donation amounts (this can yield higher donations). Make the form easy to use for mobile users (on #GivingTuesday 2016, 45% of donations were made via mobile devices). Test the form before #GivingTuesday (mobile and desktop). Make the form live a week before #GivingTuesday (to coincide with your direct email campaign—see below)
• Draft and Schedule Direct emails: Prepare, finalize and schedule solicitation emails to be sent automatically a week before #GivingTuesday and 2X on November —morning and evening (peak social media engagement times). Connect the emails to the stories you’re sharing on your social media. Include link to donation form, hashtags, and relevant graphics
• Communicate Externally: Share your fundraising goal in advance with your Board, staff and current donors. Encourage them to donate immediately. Share your #GivingTuesday hashtags with your Board, staff and current donors
• Communicate Internally: Share with staff the fundraising goal, the communications tactics and timeline, and assign each a specific role. Staff should know: The stories your organization is sharing. Where to find relevant content. Who is operating which social media account. Who is responding to inquiries from curious donors

Phase II: Actions to take on #GivingTuesday

• Encourage staff, board members and donors to use their personal social media to promote your organization’s #GivingTuesday campaign.
• Stay active on social media throughout the day: Tweet to thank your latest donors, update followers on the amount raised, and share stories. Post photos on Facebook of donors (after you get their permission!) and share testimonials of why they donated.

Phase III: Actions to take during the four weeks following #GivingTuesday

• Follow Up with Donors: Thank new donors in a personal letter, in a list on your website, on social media, and in follow-up direct emails.
• Compile/Assess Results: Collect analytics on new donors, funds raised, website visitation, social media engagement, email open and conversion rates, incoming call volume, etc. Share analytics with stakeholders (using pie charts, bar graphs, etc.)
• Conduct Organizational “Post Mortem”: Analyze your campaign success to learn how to run more effective campaigns in the future (whether for #GivingTuesday or others), and pinpoint strategies that do/don’t work. Questions to consider:
  • Did you achieve your fundraising goal?
  • How many new donors did your organization get?
  • Which fundraising communications were most effective? (compare performance of image-based posts and text-based posts, different email subject lines, etc.)
  • Which social channels had the most engagement?
  • How many hours did staff and volunteers invest in the campaign? What was the return on your investment? Was it worth the effort?

Think about #GivingTuesday as you would other fundraising campaigns: It’s not just a 24-hour event. Rather, it’s an opportunity for you to tell the stories that define your organization, cultivate donors who are interested and moved by those stories, and build awareness of your organization’s mission, messages, programs, and priorities.

Please share your #GivingTuesday plans and campaigns in the comments!

Helpful Resources May:

• #GivingTuesday planning resources
• #GivingTuesday trends
• CauseVox Learning Center

Nonprofits and Social Media: Five Mistakes to Avoid

Last week, Massnonprofit News featured my article (below) on their website and in their weekly enewsletter. According to the IRS Exempt Organizations Select Check, there are more than 25,000 active nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status and a Massachusetts mailing address. Massnonprofit News is the only website devoted exclusively to news and information about the Commonwealth's nonprofit sector. Thanks to Peter Lowy for accepting, editing and publishing this article, which I hope helped my peers in our nonprofit community.

The Massachusetts Nonprofit Network offers a cool interactive map that showcases the depth and reach of nonprofit organizations across the Commonwealth. The map demonstrates the size and diversity of the nonprofit sector; the interactive interface lets users explore organizations making a difference in their communities. Check it out!

How Nonprofits Can Use Social Media to Enhance Their Brand

Summary: Although most of the signs in social media adoption read Full Speed Ahead, nonprofit leaders in branding, marketing and communications should heed the ones that say Proceed with Caution.

With the world as a potential audience, nonprofits are rightly embracing social media to increase engagement with stakeholders, to shape and promote their respective brands, and to promote their missions, messages, and priorities, but rightly doesn’t always mean smartly.

You don’t own your social media. Your audience does. And your audience, potentially, is the world.

The world of social media gets bigger every day. With a market penetration of almost two billion active users, Facebook is king of the social media world--followed closely by WhatsApp, WeChat, and Instagram. In the U.S., Facebook reigns supreme: Not only is it the undisputed social media king, but its other platforms (Instagram and Facebook Messenger) are Queen (2nd) and Prince (3rd) in active users and engagement. (Source: Smart Insights)

Ten years ago, only 7% of the U.S. population used one or more social networking sites. That figure has now increased almost tenfold, to 65%. Of those Americans who use the Internet, a vast majority (76%) actively engage in social media (defined as accessing one or more social networking sites every day). (Source: Pew Research Center)

Whether you have 40 followers or 40,000, someone is always watching...especially people beyond your circle of followers. When it comes to social media, nonprofits must be circumspect about what, where, and when you post.

Although the direction of social media adoption is full speed ahead, nonprofit leaders in branding, marketing and communications should heed the signs that say Proceed with Caution.

In its recent report, “Social Media and the Workplace,” the Pew Research Center observed: “The rise of social media has added a new layer of job-related activity for many workers...In effect, social media has made the once solid boundary between work and leisure a lot more permeable.”

Given the increasingly permeable boundary between work and leisure, here are five mistakes that you should avoid when you use social media:

Mistake No. 1. Poor grammar and spelling:
Little erodes ur credibility fatser then poor grammer n spelling misteaks.

Tip: If no one else is around to proofread your post, read it aloud. This will give you more time to think about your post and reveal mistakes in grammar, spelling and clarity. If it’s hard to read, rewrite it.

Mistake No. 2. Inconsistencies in your social media profiles:
Inconsistencies in your social media profiles (how you describe your organization) are the quickest way to sow confusion among your target audiences. When you describe your organization differently across your social media platforms, you reap eroded messages and brand misalignment.

Tip: Audit your organizational descriptions at least twice a year--during the end of year holiday period and again on a slow mid-August afternoon. First, Google your organization. Second, review your privacy settings (social media sites often change their privacy settings, which can retroactively change your settings). Third, update your profiles so they highlight your achievements and successes. Finally, use social listening to protect your online image: regularly monitor what others post about you (including the photos in which they tag you) on their social media profiles.

Mistake No. 3. Maligning previous employees, partners, or supporters:
This seems obvious but people are still doing it.

Tip: “If you don’t have anything nice to post, don’t post anything.”

Mistake No. 4. Being indiscreet:
Social media isn’t therapy. When you use social media to share corporate drama (or worse, personal or family drama), your lack of discretion could concern stakeholders and negatively affect the important your organization’s work.

Tip: If your post prompts pause, ask a friend or colleague to peruse it. Gauge their reaction. If you get the raised eyebrow, the noncommittal “huh”, or the pregnant pause, reconsider your post.

Mistake No. 5. Having minimal or no social media presence:
Maybe you’re a Luddite. Maybe you think social media is a fad. Maybe you’ve been living under a rock. Whatever the case may be, you’re not buying the hype. If you’re not on social media, what are you hiding? People will ask this question when they search for—and don’t find—your organization.

Tip: You can opt out of most social media, but at the very least you must create and maintain a LinkedIn profile.

Increased social media use in our professional and personal communications opens windows for stakeholders to discover more about us in a few keystrokes. You can protect your nonprofit’s brand by using social media to diligently control the details you want to keep private and regularly broadcasting your successes.

Bruce Mendelsohn is The Hired Pen, a digital marketing and social media consultant who helps nonprofit organizations and business leaders tell the stories that make their organizations stand out. Follow him on Twitter@brm90, email him at bruce.mendelsohn90@gmail.com or call 508-873-6324.

United Airlines Redefines "Bumping", Setting New Low Bar for Customer Service

Dear United Airlines,

Given your recent public relations and social media fiascos (see: Code, Dress; and Removal, Forcible), please consider the following three points:

1) ICYMI, smart phones are everywhere. People (including your dwindling customer base) use these devices to record audio and video, which they often share on this phenomenon called "social media." (You might have heard of Facebook? Twitter? YouTube?)

2) Passenger proximity predisposes patrons to complain about everything. Unless it's First Class or Business Class, customers are crammed into your planes like so many sardines in a can. Passenger comfort is directly proportional to passenger complaints: The more comfortable you can make your passengers, the less likely they are to complain.

3) The public doesn't want to hear your dress code rules or your "selection" procedures. Outrage has its own momentum; it's like an avalanche. Viral is as bad online as it is in confined spaces like planes. When your lawyers respond to public outrage, you've lost the battle for the publics' hearts and minds. And asses.

The good news is, you forcibly removed a passenger while the plane was on the ground and not in the air. The bad news is, everyone saw it. Good luck explaining this boneheaded move. #boycottunitedairlines #FlyAnyoneElse #BoycottUnited #Flight3411

MORE:
- Sue'em! Sue'em all!
- Postjacking medals:
Bronze Medal: Mike Merriman
Silver Medal: Dean T. Carson, CPA
Gold Medal: Think Progress

Guest Columnist Sarah Lockwood Shares "Three Ways to Celebrate St. Patrick's Day"

Being Irish, my friend Sarah Lockwood has a lot to say about her ancestry and traditions. She doesn't love the drinking associated with St. Patrick's Day, and asked me if I'd feature her article on Three Ways to Celebrate St. Patrick's Day. Being married to a half-Irish lass myself, I of course said aye. Enjoy!

* * *

The first thought generally associated with St. Paddy’s Day is chug-til-you drop drinking. While that may be a good time for the masses, some people want to celebrate "the luck of the Irish" sans alcohol.

Whether you are underage, in addiction recovery, or a parent looking for more family-based activities, here are some fun, unconventional ways to celebrate St. Patrick’s day.

Host a Sober St. Patrick’s Day Event

Sober St. Patrick’s Day is a nonprofit organization that offers family-focused events to celebrate the Irish holiday. It was created by television producer William Spencer Reilly, who almost lost a family member to addiction in 2004. Their motto is to “reclaim the true spirit of the day” and honor Irish heritage, rather than using St. Paddy’s day as an excuse to get drunk.

These events are gaining popularity as they have been celebrated in NYC, Dublin, Philadelphia and Richmond, VA. Typically an event consists of entertainment from world class musicians, singers and dancers. If this event has yet to be hosted in your city, no worries! The committee members of Sober St. Patrick’s Day welcome organizations and individuals to host these events worldwide. For a nominal licensing fee, you will be granted permission to use the Sober St. Patrick’s Day name. Visit the organization’s website to plan an event in your city.

Host an Irish-themed dinner party

Why not use St. Patrick’s Day to learn and cook a few new recipes? Have fun and dig into the tradition of the Irish by eating Irish food--which is much more than corned beef and cabbage. 

In Ireland, they enjoy dinners served with roasted potatoes, peas, carrots and gravy. Apple tart made from scratch with local apples and homemade pastry is a great end to a fabulous dinner. A quick online search yields plenty of results for dishes you can make to celebrate the holiday in a way more traditional to the Irish.

After you and your guests have indulged in a hearty meal, burn off a few calories by playing a few St.Patrick’s Day-themed games like pin the tale on the leprechaun, or have a dance-off while listening to a few Irish Folk tunes.

Read Irish myths and legends

Storytelling is a rich tradition in Ireland, and many stories are compiled into book form. The Druids and Celts believed ferociously in the power of magic; many of those beliefs spread to the legends that are told today. Cozy up with your loved ones and embark on a fun-filled storytelling journey. There are even tales for the kids.

With a little planning on your part, you can start a new St. Patrick’s Day tradition that's a part of your family tradition for years to come.

Photo By Pixabay

Savvy Service Organizations, Not Rhetoric, Will "Make America Great Again"

America's contentious election has us on edge, uncertain about what comes next. One widely acknowledged result of the election acrimony is a palpable post-election sense of "disconnectedness" Americans feel from our elected officials, from our communities, from our neighbors and even from our families.

The divisiveness of our election has many Americans feeling unmoored and adrift; lacking a map, we face an opaque future.

We can solve this feeling of disconnectedness. This post suggests that service--to each other, to our communities, and to our country--can be a compass that helps us navigate these tumultuous times.

Service can reconnect us to our communities, our neighbors, and our families. Leading the way could be civic and social organizations who are present in and already serving our communities. Many of us are familiar with their names and brands: The United Way, Salvation Army, YMCA/YWCA, Goodwill Industries International, American Red Cross, Boys & Girls Clubs of America. With their strong reputations and rich tradition of engaging citizens in service, these organizations can--and should--play vital roles in filling what I call the "affiliation vacuum."

President-elect Trump's simple message to "Make America Great Again" tapped America's historical aspirations for greatness. But when asked what greatness means, many Americans cite what greatness is not than what greatness is.

Our nation's greatness is rooted not in words, but deeds. The cornerstone of our great deeds has been laid through service.

For all America's faults and flaws, we are a nation founded by, and grounded in, service. Service connects us to each other, to our communities and to our country. Service transcends race, creed, color, socioeconomic status, geographic location, sexual orientation, political affiliation. Rich, poor, North, South, Black, White, Gay, Trans, Questioning: Each of can, and many of us do, serve. Those who serve inspire us. Joining them, service unites us. Our service strengthens us.

Since the mid-20th century, coinciding with the establishment and expansion of Lyndon Johnson's Great Society, we have grown more reliant--some say dependent--on the government than on each other and our communities.

There's certainly some truth to the saying, the nine words you least want to hear in a sentence are: "We're from the government and we're here to help."

As the government has become more active in "helping us", we have become less active in helping each other. We're less about "giving" and more about "getting", less about helping each other than helping ourselves, less about "serving" and more about "being served." Viewed from that lens, it is painfully obvious why service organizations are competing more aggressively in an increasingly resource constrained environment.

The "affiliation vacuum" is a hole that smart, nimble and innovative service organizations and institutions can fill, leveraging their traditional emphasis on engaging and uniting people to serve others... and responding with specific programs to help us feel more connected to our communities and neighbors.

These organizations and institutions are the architects of rebuilding trust in each other. By providing us tangible opportunities--beyond writing checks--to help others, we can volunteer in these organizations to heal and strengthen our communities.

Robert Ingersoll reflected that "we rise by lifting others." Service that inspires, connects and unites us generates uplifting results and authentic relationships that will help us rise above the current uncertainty.

By involving, influencing and inspiring diverse audiences in the communities they already serve, organizations like The United Way, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, will fill a need among our citizens to feel valued, important, wanted and interconnected.

I too wish for America to be great again, That's why I'm volunteering to serve others in organizations that reflect my personal passions. I encourage readers to do the same. 

Because rhetoric won't "make America great again". Service will.

Proposing a New Ad Campaign for the U.S. Army: Highlighting Benefits of Service & Veterans' Contributions to Society

The U.S. Army spends roughly $200 million a year in advertising: The lucrative account is held by Interpublic Group of Companies' McCann Worldgroup, which has been the lead ad agency on the account since 2005. McCann introduced the successful "Army Strong" campaign in 2006, replacing the well-trod and indelible campaign, "Be All You Can Be."

As a U.S. Army Veteran, and based on 20+ years in marketing, communications and advertising, I'd like to offer some free advice for the personnel in the Army's Marketing and Research Group.

I propose a new campaign that represents the ideals upon which the United States Army was founded, that explains to the American public--specifically to the target audience the Army is trying to recruit--the long-term benefits and impacts of serving our country.

Almost every veteran you meet (Army, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard) has at least one story of how they've applied in their civilian life the professional, personal, leadership and ethical skills they developed in service to our country. These lessons extend from the classroom to the boardroom and beyond.

In fact, according to a Korn/Ferry International report, "Military Experience and CEOs: Is There a Link?":

1. Military officers are well-represented among the ranks of CEOs. Chief executives who served as officers constitute over 8 percent of all CEOs in the S&P 500, which is far above the average percentage of the entire U.S. male population who served in the military (3%).

2. CEOs with military experience have longer tenures as CEO than those without. The average tenure of a CEO with military experience is over seven years, while a CEO without military experience averaged under five.

3. CEOs with a military background are more likely to deliver strong performance. The Korn/Ferry study found that companies led by military veterans as CEOs delivered higher average returns than the S&P 500 index over one, three, five, and ten-year horizons.

The report emphasizes: "Without exception, the CEOs interviewed emphasize that the military offers an early opportunity to acquire hands-on leadership experience that cannot be found in the corporate world or at a similarly early stage in people’s careers."

The unique leadership training young Americans receive in the military is manifested not just in the Boardroom, but also every day. It's no exaggeration to suggest that the strongest case to serve in the U.S. Army for any period of time is found in today's headlines. Here's a sample of The Army Values in action:

… Veterans at Home, on a Mission of Compassion…

… Vet Saves Woman's Life En Route to Be Honored For His Service…

… Army Vet Helps Develop Life-Saving Device for Treating Battlefield Wounds…

… Army Ranger Helps After Boston Marathon Bombings…

And my favorite:

… Former Army Officer Helped Victims…

The Army's new ad flight, 'Defy Expectations,' "seeks to motivate prospects to take a deeper look into the Army," said James Ortiz, director of marketing, Army Marketing and Research Group. "By challenging current preconceived notions, we want prospects to pause, seek out our online platforms or an Army recruiter, and really consider the Army for what it is--a unique life-changing career and education opportunity and an incredible foundation for success today and tomorrow."

From personal experience--through developing emerging leaders in the Gordon Engineering Leadership Program at MIT, and from my decisive actions at the 2013 Boston Marathon--I know that the skills to which I was exposed, and which I developed, in the U.S. Army, helped to form the citizen I have become.

Ask other veterans and they'll say something similar. Even if they didn't remain in their respective military branch, the character, strength, fortitude, and commitment to contributing to our nation during their service remained--remains--within them.

The Army Marketing and Research Group is spending millions when the elegant solution may well be to convey a simple message: "You Might Not Stay in the Army, but the Army Stays in You."

A Final Mariden Update

OK, friends, here is one final Mariden USA update. After this, I promise I will extricate my teeth from this tasty flesh and move on to other topics.

Recall from my previous post that my friend Mark Friese in the DC area had a similar encounter with the unscrupulous Mariden folks--he actually went on his trip to Spain but--like our experience--that wasn't the end of his troubles with Mariden. Here's Mark's tale of woe.

First I want to thank you. Your contacts helped me talk to many other people that have had to deal with the poor management of Mariden. I did strong arm them to get me tickets at the last second. I had to visit Augustine at his home and leave messages on Nina’s door. As with some others when we arrived in Spain no arrangements for hotels had been made. In fact the hotel they first sent me to had dealt with Mariden in the past but wanted nothing to do with them in the future. After calling our guide I was directed to another hotel that was supposed to be paid for. The reservations had been made but no payment sent to the travel guide. He said that he could not help me until Nina approved the expenditure. Nina had evidently made some kind of side deal with the rest of our group coming from a different location. They had to pay for travel because she did not have the money and she would cover the hotel, meals and excursions, unbelievable! They bailed at the last moment. I never found out what happened.

In my international email correspondence with Nina to get my hotels and guide paid for she told me she was mad at the other group for bailing on her and that she had to pay all kinds of penalty payments (THAT sounds familiar). Payment was finally made by Nina and our guide proceeded with our tour. Having just two clients rather that 13 it was abbreviated. He did not travel with us, go on tours or dinners with us (except once). I would imagine that he was expecting a big group and the equivalent big tip rate of 7 euros a day( 1,000 euros in total), instead he just had us.

I thought you would enjoy the story. Hopefully Mariden is done. There were murmurs from Augustine of bankruptcy. I know they are being sued in Virginia by the other families that we were originally suppose to travel with. I have been asked to testify. Because of you I had at least ten conversations with others that have been treated poorly by Mariden. Many are willing to write letters or perhaps testify. I applaud you for your persistence and continuing to get the word out to others. Many of these trips were paid for with hard earned sweat by the kids that were supposed to attend. The entire situation is just sad.

So you see, friends, online reviews work. Social media connects us in ways never before possible, and forces companies to be accountable to their customers. Those that aren't... perish. And that's for the better, for all consumers.