Convio

These Days "DM" Means Direct Message, Not Direct Mail

Submitted by Kari Dunn Saratovsky on Mon, 12/07/2009 - 15:51
Plastic money

Last week, I had the pleasure of participating in Allison Fine’s monthly Social Good podcast for the Chronicle of Philanthropy.  Together with Tom Watson, we discussed how organizations large and small are raising dollars and awareness through online fundraising contests. There’s certainly no shortage of these contests as we’ve seen in recent months, but as the end of 2009 fast approaches, contests aren’t the only way that organizations are raising money online.  We know that a little creativity in reaching and keeping new donors has never been more important.

As the Nonprofit Times suggested to organizations last week, “it might be time to check to see if your online donation page is working because more than 111 million people plan to use the Web to give to nonprofits this holiday season.”  This according to a new report by Convio, that estimates more than $4 billion in donations will be made online this year, up about $1 billion from last year’s holiday giving season.
 
While the survey found that charity Web sites are the biggest influence on online consumers' decision to give (44 percent), it’s not just your online donation page you should make sure is up to snuff, because today’s donors will be looking for your Twitter handle, your Facebook fan page, or they may simply stumble upon you via Google.  As John Haydon pointed out in a post today, you need to think of Facebook, Twitter and Google as your organization’s new homepage. After all, nearly 25 percent of respondents to the Convio survey said that what family and friends say on social media platforms and in personal e-mails influences their decisions on which charities to support. 
 
I admit to being on a bit of soap box these days as I talk about the need for nonprofits to focus on cultivating the next generation of donors, my peers the Millennials.  While we may not all have the financial means to give in a significant way today, there are two things that should not be overlooked: the collective power of our individual smaller donations, and our high expectations for a seamless experience when donating online or via mobile devices. It’s safe to say that we’ll be reaching for our laptops to donate to causes we care about much more quickly than we could ever find our checkbook and a postage stamp.
 
With this in mind, I turned to the data to see who was giving online and expected to see more of a discrepancy when it came to the breakdown by age (with Gen X and Gen Y leading the way).  Perhaps it’s time to get off of the Millennial soap box, because on average about 60% of people across the board are giving online. Of the survey respondents, 66 percent of Younger Boomers, categorized as ages 44 to 53, said they would donate online this holiday season, followed by 65 percent of Generation X respondents, ages 30 to 43; 64 percent of Generation Y, ages 18 to 29; 60 percent of Seniors, ages 65 and older; and, 59 percent of Older Boomers, ages 54 to 64.
 
It’s clear there is still no silver bullet for fundraising. Charities must promote their causes across all channels and simply putting up a website, or having a presence on a social network site, is not enough.  As Tom Watson was quick to point out in last weeks podcast, “organizations that do the best, fear the least – they let people do their own fundraising.” So, how can your organization use this holiday season to appeal to new donors online? This post started with a focus on how to reach Millennials donors, but these traits can be applied broadly to attract any donor who is among the 60 percent following this generation’s lead in going online for their end-of-year giving.
  • Make an emotional connection, but make sure you do so in an authentic way
  • Place a premium on involving peers and friends – remember, Millennials trust their social networks above anyone else and can see right through gimmicks and marketing ploys
  • Try to go where they are, and do more than just ask for money. It can be as simple as follow us on Twitter, or share this link on facebook.
  • Don’t expect a second chance to make a first impression, if they don’t give the first time, you may lose them forever
  • Treat them (and all donors) with respect, and be quick to thank them for their support – yes, they expect that immediate recognition
  • Don’t forget why you’re asking. If you can’t tell your story in a clear and compelling way, one of the 1.1 Million other nonprofits competing for their attention can
 
 
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Convio Report Shows Nonprofits on Right Track Even in Down Economy

Submitted by Kari Dunn Saratovsky on Wed, 03/25/2009 - 12:52
MSH: Train Tracks

Perhaps the results of a recently released study by CRM software provider Convio shouldn’t come as a complete surprise – afterall, nonprofits are keeping up with the best of them as they work to navigate the rapidly evolving world of social media. Based on the findings of this years Convio Online Marketing Nonprofit Benchmark Index Study perhaps we can officially say that all of the friending, poking and pinging is paying off.

This year's report analyzed data from nearly six hundred nonprofits who are part of the convio network, and represent millions of online interactions and transactions. The study shows a few key areas of online success including: monthly Web site traffic (up 20 percent), number of email contacts (up 28 percent), and an increase in online fundraising even in a down economy.
 
You can download the full report on Convio's site, but I think it's important to note that special attention was paid to the fourth quarter of 2008 when the economic climate worsened. Overall nonprofits experienced a three percent growth in online revenue in the fourth quarter of 2008 rather than a decrease as many expected. But, this growth, compared to the 18 percent growth for the whole year, indicates that the economy did have a significant impact on online fundraising during that period.
 
The conclusions drawn suggest a continued importance being placed on online outreach and further support just how important emerging technologies will be for successful advocacy efforts in the future. 
 
What steps is your organization taking to stay on the right track when it comes to leveraging social media? Are your fundraising trends similar to what the study finds? Anyone willing to make predictions on what we might see in this report a year from now?
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