Has Social Media Come of Age for Nonprofits?

For nonprofits that have yet to log on to the social media bandwagon, try this Twitter search term: #get cracking.

Spring 2011 will probably go down as the moment when social media – that catch-all phrase that includes the almost-antique email right through the latest tweet – came of age. Surprisingly, its maturing didn’t occur at its birthplace, the United States, but rather thousands of miles away in the Middle East where a highly educated, globally aware, tech-savvy, and often jobless set of young adults in several countries relied on social media to stay connected to each other and vent over their governments’ failings and lack of opportunity.

Impressed by the flourishing of communication and the impact it was having on Middle Eastern nations journalists began calling it the Arab Spring – a rebirth of liberalism and tolerance in countries not known for embracing such tenets. Think of it as the Millenial generation’s Tiananem Square. (Where this current revolution ends up is still anyone’s guess)

It’s this sense of coming of age that should have all nonprofits readily embracing today’s rapidly maturing social media landscape. But recent data suggests that a lot of nonprofits haven’t gotten the message – at least not entirely. On one hand, a University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Center for Marketing Research study reports that 97 percent of nonprofits are currently using some form of social media, be it Facebook, blogs or Twitter posts. But on the other hand, nonprofit marketing consultant Jeremy Smith in his recent blog post for Social Media Optimization, says the opposite, referring to the imperfect union between social media and nonprofits as “the missed opportunity of the century.”

In a very real sense social media was what seeded the Arab Spring. As a powerful communication tool for social activists looking for ways to connect with large numbers of people – without the need to print fliers – sites like Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and individual blogs have proven their worth: millions of disenfranchised Arab youth joined digital hands and largely in peace, overthrew, or profoundly upset the ruling order of several authoritarian regimes.

Why?

Social media is too often used as if it were a traditional media technology with single messages being sent from a specific nonprofit and delivered en masse to a waiting audience. In short, there’s more to Facebook than simply “friending” someone or clicking “like” on what they write.

“We find that many of our nonprofit clients won’t engage fully in social media because; well, frankly they don’t know where to start and social media is all a bit overwhelming to the average nonprofit leader,” he writes.

Smith is not alone. A recent survey we conducted at The ThinkTank yielded similar findings. Lack of knowledge within the organization, followed by lack of resources were the top concerns for nonprofits, and the reasons for not integrating social media into their communications strategies.

The Web has grown up: Remember that the web has matured from being a static digital billboard into a multi-channel conversation – a consumer-customer relationship gigabytes more interactive than even a few years ago. Donors, data suggests, no longer seek a one-size-fits all message delivered from on high, but rather a message tailored specifically to them.There are a slew of commonsense tips out there to help nonprofits modernize their use of social media.

Here’s just a sampling from Jeremiah Owyang and Ekaterina Walter, two social media gurus, interviewed by Mashable earlier this summer.

• Work With What You Got: Sales and marketing employees may not at first know the ins and outs of Facebook or Twitter, but they have plenty of experience interacting with supporters via more traditional methods, email and the telephone. These skills are easily adaptable to social media once they get the hang of it. (Which leads naturally into the next bullet point)
• Seed Your Own Spring: Nonprofits should foster an environment conducive to learning about social media, even requiring social media training sessions or creating an internal social media newsletter. Joining the Social Media Business Council or the Word of Mouth Marketing Association well help your nonprofit join the conversation of other companies using social media, learning about what strategies work and don’t work.
• Trust Your Staff: Avoid social media consultants as they’re often too costly and do a poor job disseminating information throughout the company, delivering only to higher ups. But…..
• Don’t Fear Hiring: Once you’ve looked internally to fill social media talent, sometimes bringing on board someone with a specific social media skill set can help.

And finally, “Feeding the beast:” The expression that connotes the constant need to satisfy the web’s information appetite needs to be fed a good diet. In other words, don’t over post and make certain what you’re posting is relevant.

OK. So you’ve reorganized your social media business strategy. Now what? As the nonprofit executive or the person tasked with implementing a social media initiative, here are a few questions to ask yourself:

1. What does my organization want to get out of this initative, followed by what does my organization NEED to get out of this initiative?

2. Can we go it alone, or do we need external resources to at least develop a social media roadmap?

3. What does that roadmap look like 6 months, 12 months and 2 years from now?

4. How do we link our social media strategy to our giving strategy?

5. Will we remain committed to this? Social media is for life, not just for a few "likes."

Not only is social media for life, but its outlets are forever growing. While Facebook and Twitter are today’s social media buzz words, who’s to say something newer and better may not be right around the corner?

For instance, Google+, which had its public launch last week, is an excellent social media service that offers new ways to get people in on the conversation – whatever that may be. The new service uses “circles” to keep people connected. Like the real life “circles of people” you interact with, digital circles can be friends, family, school alumni, work colleagues and many more. Rather than having a one-size-fits-all Facebook homepage describing who you are, each Google+ circle can offer a tailored message to specific groups, that way the conversation stays relevant to that group. In other words, Google+ helps to reduce the background noise and sensory over-stimulation that sites like Facebook are sometimes guilty of creating. The more social media outlets connect and link back to each other, the better chances nonprofits will have creating an online critical mass of supporters, volunteers and ideally, donors.

If it all still seems just a little bit daunting, take a page from the

nonprofit, charity: water. Founded in 2004 with the mission of bringing clean drinking water to people in developing nations, the company literally came of age during the Facebook Generation and today relies heavily on its social media presence. In one example, the company showcases its spinoff donation site where volunteers can create their own fundraising campaigns and collect donations. In 18 months donors can see GPS images and photos of the area they aided. Similar out-of-the-box ideas have helped charity: water’s financials more than stay afloat. In 2009, its number of unique donors jumped to 34,163 from 17,220 the year before, a 98 percent increase and donations reached $5.4 million, up from $4.3 million in the same time

frame.

But just when you thought social media was only for today’s youth, older nonprofits like the 130-year-old Red Cross are offering new online surprises. In addition to sites like Twitter and Facebook, the Red Cross, relying on the adage that a picture really is worth a thousand words, also provides a link to pictures posted on Flickr – the photo sharing website, which averages some 20 million unique visitors per month. Click on The Red Cross’s Flickr page now and you’ll see the latest images from the upstate New York flood from earlier this month. The images are personal: mailboxes with traces of mud on them - a sign of just how high the flood waters rose; a waterlogged pink teddy bear sitting on its side discarded next to a garbage can. Images like these stir emotions, and hopefully, inspire visitors to help make a difference in whatever way they can.

Social media business platforms and examples of using the new technology effectively are just the beginnings. As the nonprofit industry moves deeper into the social media revolution it’s imperative that charitable organizations not only embrace the tools of the new technology, but also use them in ways that are most effective.

Cause Marketing: Coming Of Age

At the still-young age of 35, cause marketing has matured into an important component of the business and nonprofit relationship. What started off as an experiment in 1976 (Cause marketing’s unofficial birth date) with a partnership between Marriott and March of Dimes has evolved over several decades to become a $1.7 billion life-support machine for nonprofits of all missions and sizes. Businesses seek out nonprofit organizations to support their CSR programs, while consumers say they increasingly care about the causes the companies they buy from support.

A win-win?

Yet of 96% of respondents in a new survey (conducted by communications company MSLGROUP) who say they identify with two or three causes, be it cancer prevention or fighting African hunger, or anything in between, only a little over one third of those individuals end up buying from companies linked to those issues.

That equation doesn’t stack up, so what’s going on?

Getting into bed with the right partner

Let’s start by looking at the relationship: It is absolutely critical for both entities to forge the right relationship, not just any relationship. In an extreme example for instance, imagine the public reaction if the American Cancer Society were found to be working alongside Big Tobacco to fight, let’s say, lung and esophageal cancer – two deadly forms of the disease strongly linked to cigarettes and other nicotine products? It would be a disaster for sure.

While a scenario like this is quite unlikely, many lower-level faux pas happen regularly –think Kentucky Fried Chicken and its partnership with Susan G. Komen for the Cure – leading to consumer skepticism and wariness over the legitimate altruism of profit-non-profit

partnerships. Just type the phrase “cause marketing fraud” into a Google search and you end up with 3.4 million hits. Feeling lucky? Try the phrase: “cause marketing bad decisions” and the hits jump to 27 million.

Wow, talk about a strategically bad decision.

Altruism goes beyond the marketing, it’s about “heartshare”

Beyond just doing your homework, a recent post on Selfishgiving.com offers another often-ignored tip: appeal to hearts, not heads. Statistics are great, the theory goes, but at the end of the day, trumping your emotional card may be the best way to win over consumer support. One in 10 women age 70 and over may develop cervical cancer, according to a new study, but if it’s your relative or loved one who is sick, the stats can go right out the window. Personalizing and individualizing your cause evokes empathy from a consumer.

These common sense tips can go a long way to ensure that cause marketing’s historic success will not be overshadowed by public skepticism or recent case-by-case blunders.

It’s hard enough in today’s business and giving climate without getting in to bed with the wrong partner.

Local Women’s Nonprofit Dress for Success Miami Welcomes Dyan Cannon at Lunch With A Legend Event On September 24, 2011

Hollywood’s golden age returns to Miami, as Dress for Success Miami welcomes actress and filmmaker Dyan Cannon to the Lunch With A Legend Event at Gotham Steak, Fontainebleau Hotel on September 24, 2011, at 11:30am. Dyan will meet with fans and present attendees with a signed copy of her new book Dear Cary, a narrative that “tells the story of her topsy-turvy relationship with Hollywood legend Cary Grant.”

While the event may focus on the glamour of Hollywood, its purpose is to raise funds for Dress for Success Miami, a nonprofit organization that empowers at-risk women with professional training and clothing to aid in securing employment.

Dress for Success Miami, which has been helping Miami's disadvantaged women since 1994, is dedicated to improving the lives of these women by helping them become economically self-sufficient and thrive in work and in life.

While known for providing business attire to women, Dress for Success Miami focuses on teaching lifelong skills - recognizing that finding work is only one step in a woman's journey towards economic independence. Remaining employed and building a rewarding career are essential if a woman is to become and stay self-sufficient. Dress for Success Miami has provided services to more than 30,000 women in Miami-Dade County.

“We are excited to welcome Dyan to Miami and honored that she has chosen to support our initiatives at Dress for Success Miami while promoting her book,” says Sonia Jacobson, Founder and Executive Director of Dress for Success Miami.

Tickets are available for the luncheon for $95.00. The lunch event gives fans an intimate experience with the actress and an opportunity to learn more about the Hollywood romance of Dyan and Cary while supporting a worthy cause. Exclusive sponsor of the event is Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines.

To learn more about the Lunch with A Legend event, or to purchase VIP tickets, please visit www.dfsmiami.org. For more information about Dress for Success Miami, to schedule an interview or media attendance please contact Vanessa Horwell at vanessa@thinkinkpr.com or Amanda Williams at awilliams@thinkinkpr.com or (305) 749 -5342 ext. 238.

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About Dress for Success WorldWide

Dress for Success is an international not-for-profit organization that promotes the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life. Since starting operations in 1997, Dress for Success has expanded to more than 110 cities in the U.S., Australia, Canada, Ireland, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, the UK and the West Indies. To date, Dress for Success has helped more than 600,000 women work toward self-sufficiency. Dress for Success Miami is the local affiliate and is a part of Suited For Success.

10 Years Later: A Look At The Impact of 9/11 On Nonprofits And Giving

As most of the country spent yesterday, September 11, remembering and reflecting on the day of immense tragedy that took place 10 years ago, we also recounted that day, and how its events changed the course of our lives, businesses, outlook and, well, the world.

If you think about it, the period of 2001 to 2011 could go down in history as the “decade of disasters.”

Beginning with 9/11, threats of WMD, two (many will argue unnecessary) wars, a deep and still lingering recession bookended with a spate of natural disasters both at home and in every corner of the globe, and not least an extremely noxious political climate that threatens to divide the country: It's hardly surprising that society's capacity to empathize and to give often to charitable causes has diminished.

It's The Economy Stupid

Of course, it's important to remember the first victims of the “disaster decade,” even if a myriad of other events have shared the spotlight since, but a still-weak economy remains a sewer-sized drain on America's almost empty wallets and has undoubtedly affected the bottom line of every nonprofit organization.

Data released last year (the most recent figures we have available) revealed that charitable giving dropped by a hefty 11 percent compared to 2009. At that time, nearly two-thirds of those surveyed in a Harris Interactive poll said they would be giving less than they were 12 months ago.

Worse still, the number of respondents who said they would be giving nothing as of last September doubled to 12 percent.

In the year since that report, the private sector has added a million new jobs (1.6 million from September '10 to August '11; 1.7 million from August '10 to August '11 - both figures seasonally adjusted from US Department of Labor: Bureau of Labor Statistics).

That may sound encouraging, but when you consider that at the height of the 2008 recession, American payrolls were contracting by some 800,000 jobs per month, it’s clear there is a very long way to go - in terms of job creation and rebuilding a society of Americans who have the capacity to give.

Today, some 14 million of our friends, families, and strangers remain out of work and the jobless predicament remains dire.

Perhaps we should look close to home and at our own neighbors to reignite our sense of empathy? Perhaps we should re-start our giving mindset by helping our fellow Americans - those 14 million who are jobless and in many cases homeless. Their lives, after all, could have been ours. Perhaps 9/11 should be renamed Our National Day of Service, where Americans help fellow Americans - in any way they can.

Because charity begins right at home - around the corner, up the stairs, or across the street. Perhaps then we can start to look outward again and start helping those organizations that rely on us to support their worthwhile causes and those in need.

Join us on I will to make your commitment to helping others in any way you can.