Monthly Archive for November, 2007Page 2 of 2

Who’s standards are yours?

Published
by
amysampleward
on November 8, 2007
in Uncategorized and issues
. 0 Comments

I’m here at the blogworld & new media expo and just participated in the breakout session on blogging ethics. There was some lively conversation between panel members and audience members about experiences and thoughts on the ethics field for bloggers, mostly asking questions and not answering them.

Should bloggers align with journalists and the standards they (are supposed to) adhere to in order to gain the reputation that journalists have in the media and news realm? I think it can be a slippery slope in trying to answer questions like this one definitely for bloggers because the sphere covers such dynamic areas and niches that can’t be grouped together.

One of the greatest features of blogs is the ability for citizens to be journalists, organizations to have a voice, and people interested in similar things to connect. Blogging has opened up the communications avenues for nonprofits, especially small grassroots organizations, to garner supporters that are outside of the physical service area or who can help the organization grow and succeed who may have never found the group.

All right, so let’s really get to the nonprofit issue here: what standards should nonprofits have when using new media tools, like blogs?

Many nonprofits have the self-identified standard of working for the good and not for the man. The answer to the standards/ethics questions is pretty much summed up in that. Nonprofits, in blog posts, videos, and social networking profiles should always keep the community they are serving in mind. Is that community proud to be served by your organization by the way it is represented online? Are the issues you raise in posts, news you write about, and stories you relate to the world at large representative of the mission of the community and the community served (and often featured in that material)?

When creating your new media plan for your nonprofit organization, answers to those questions are important to consider. AND, if you are ever scrounging for material for a blog entry or video story for compelling new funders and supporters, staying true to your mission is an easy and ethical source for material!

Nonprofits using Nintendo Wii? At least as an example!

Published
by
amysampleward
on November 7, 2007
in fundraising
. 0 Comments

As we enter the “giving season” and marketers are ramping up their online presence in social networking sites and new media tools such as videos, user feedback forums, and the like, nonprofits should start leveraging the tools available to consumers of social change and garner holiday gifts as well.

Nonprofits can learn from for-profits this time of year. We see companies such as Nintendo, taking advantage of many engagement tools for those interested in the Wii gaming system. What did Nintendo do and how can nonprofits do the same thing?

1. Video: There are few media forms as compelling and engaging as video. On Nintendo’s Wii website (www.wii.nintendo.com), visitors can watch videos on how to use the system and see others playing games.

Nonprofits can post short videos on blogs, news sections of their sites, and on YouTube (OR, on their own YouTube for Nonprofits page). Posting videos online lets a wider audience hear your story, learn about your services and spread your message throughout their networks without you needing to know each viewer or their friends.

2. Blog: Blogging is a terrific way for organizations—for or nonprofit—to communicate with their audience of supporters, interested citizens, news media, and potential consumers (whether of a product, a service, or even of information). Nintendo used a blog an its website months before the Wii system was even available to purchase to keep visitors up-to-date on product news and developments.

Nonprofits should incorporate a blog into the website in order to create a space for visitors to find out news, information about events, and stories about services. Creating a blog and allowing visitors to subscribe via RSS means the potential to drive in more visitors to the website and more supporters of the organization. Even if nonprofits have a blog already, this is the perfect time of year to create a “ways to give this season” blog that is either within the existing blog or an additional one. Post stories about volunteers, ideas for contributing to the organization, and even profile people or communities your organization is helping this season. Many people want to give in other ways than writing a check, so keep them updated on other ways they can help you out!

3. Forums: Providing an avenue for users to connect with each other about your organization, service or product helps to create content that other visitors find useful and trusted. Nintendo included discussion forms on the Wii website months prior to the product release which helped build buzz about the system and allowed potential users to connect online, asking questions and sharing opinions.

Nonprofits don’t need to feel overwhelmed by the prospect of building out a discussion feature to their websites; instead, make sure the website includes feedback areas, like on a blog, so that visitors can read what others have to say. Ask questions in your blog about what people are doing this holiday season to engage with local nonprofits, or other specific questions based on the subject of the blog entry. Even though it is somewhat static, an easy way to facilitate conversation between visitors to your site.

Lesson learned: For-profit organizations are engaging with audiences and creating a buzz around products for the holidays. Nonprofits should be doing the same thing and “gifts” of volunteer time, financial support, and even potential future partners in the field.

Keys to campaign applications

Published
by
amysampleward
on November 6, 2007
in fundraising
. 0 Comments

Beth just posted a great piece on Fight Hunger’s campaign to Click to Feed Child. The campaign in Facebook, takes the user to a page where clicking on sponsors donates $.19. This is similar to the long-standing fundraising sites for The Breast Cancer Site, the Rainforest Site, and others.

The three most likable aspects of the campaign, as Beth lists them, are also the aspects that make the campaign successful regardless of the organization’s size, location, service area.

1. “It’s easy and makes me feel good. I don’t have to donate, but the simple act of clicking contributes.” Make sure that the campaign doesn’t require donation of money from every participant: People could raise awareness of your campaign through their networks, donate time/volunteer skills, contribute stories of their own experiences that support your services or fundraising topic, etc.

2. “It takes me to the web site and there are plenty of opportunities for me to opt into getting in their lists.” Direct people back into your site and provide plenty of options for continued giving/participation in the campaign (opportunities to take part in the other options that they hadn’t yet done), staying in the loop with a newsletter sign up, and other media tools like blogs and videos to view, especially ones that focus on the campaign or campaign issue.

3. “It seems like an excellent way to leverage a network you’ve built up in Facebook.” Put campaigns out in the places where people can find them and take action without you directly asking them to, like Facebook. One of the greatest aspects of social media tools is that it can save organizations a great deal of time: Create the campaign/message once, put it out into social networks, and then let individuals, groups, and networks pick it up from there. If you already have a presence in a social networking space, like Facebook, and you create a campaign, then you already have a base of people who will likely be willing to donate themselves or spread the word for you to their networks.

You do not need to be a large organization to take advantage of these tools. Even small grassroots nonprofits could and should be participating in social media, especially when it comes to fundraising. Some would even argue that it is most important for the smaller organizations as they are already behind when it comes to internal capacity, awareness, and resources.

The main lesson: Get your cause out there where others can do the fundraising for you!

Nonprofits on the honor roll or dropping out?

Published
by
amysampleward
on November 2, 2007
in issues
. 0 Comments

I remember when I was in school, if students complained about being bored in class the teacher would respond that a class can only move as quickly as its slowest student.  (I’m ignoring the fact that I went to school in the boonies of Oregon with very limited resources and staff, at least for sake of argument here.)

Is this the same concept at work in the nonprofit sector with new media?  Yes, there are terrific examples out there of nonprofits making videos to tell their stories for them, enabling their websites to become go-to news and information portals, producing messages/causes that get picked up by individuals all around the world to fundraise for them.  BUT, many of the nonprofits that I work with are still struggling with the idea that a website is not a parking lot of information that only needs updating maybe once a year.

Is the struggle facing the nonprofit tech community the one of getting everyone up to a certain competency, or to move as fast as the most gifted and see where we can go?

Maybe it’s the day job calling, but I feel a lot of responsibility to get down to basics with those that will more rapidly be left behind, than push the limits with the few straight A kids in the class.

What do you think?