Category: technology

The Importance of Archiving Social Media Data and How to Do So

Mondays with Marissa, technology

CTRL+S. File -> Save. We all do it when working in Microsoft Word, writing an email, or creating a spreadsheet. When we do, the work we create is saved on our hard drives for later reference.

When writing a tweet or updating a Facebook status most of us just write, press “post” and send it out into cyberspace; leaving no local copy. At the moment, it might not seem like an important thing do, but archiving your non-profit organization’s social media data should be part of your social media plan.

Why, you ask?

Historical Record – Most social media messaging is based around marketing of some sort. In the nonprofit world, our marketing is based upon sharing news, cultivating donors, and attracting event attendees. Wouldn’t it be helpful to be able to search a record of these messages to see if you can pick up on any successful trends that are worth repeating?

For example, imagine last year you tweeted about your annual pancake breakfast on every Tuesday preceding the event. As a result, your event registration went up on the first Tuesday, but you didn’t see the same numbers on the following days. Couldn’t this data help you decide how you’d like to tweet this year? Will you tweet once a week? Only on Tuesdays?

Lawsuits – Social media updates can be used in a court of law. For instance, if one of your employees posts something that slanders another organization or if one of your employees is named in a suit outside of the organization, you might want a copy of your social media records for your protection.

Regulations and Compliance – You may apply for and be awarded a grant that involves a requirement that you use social media. Having a copy of your data demonstrates compliance and can be shared with the funder. Furthermore, if your agency needs to comply with laws such as HIPAA, having your own copy of social media data can prove compliance.

Perhaps, the simplest answer to this question can be found during a discussion about your agency’s document retention policy. In this policy, your board of directors most likely spells out which paper documents (e.g. personnel files, financial statements, meeting notes, etc) need to be kept and for how long. Why should it be any different for data your organization publishes on the internet?

Now, you may be thinking, “Marissa, how the heck do I do this?” Don’t worry, I have some tools to make the job a little easier.

Backupify – This is a paid service, but the back-up of social media is automatic. Backupify covers Gmail, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Flickr, and other Google apps such as Google Calendar and Google Docs.

ifttt.com – ifttt.com allows users to set up “if this – then that” tasks to create a custom data backup plan. For example, all tweets could be saved to Google Calendar for that the day they were originally posted. At the time of writing, iftt.com is free.

ThinkUp – ThinkUp is the most technical of the tools I’m suggesting, but it is the most robust out of the bunch.  ThinkUp is an application that needs to be installed on it’s own server before it can work. You can either talk to your IT department about installing it on your organization’s public server or you can install it for free using phpfog.com. ThinkUp not only archives your data, but it also analyzes it and tells you things that you might necessarily pick up otherwise. ThinkUp is even used by The White House to manage their social media data.

The current state of the web is in flux as the issue of an open or closed internet is debated more often. I suspect that the idea of archiving your agency’s social media data growing in importance. I have included a few more articles below for further reading on the subject to help you and your organization discuss how to do so.

Does your organization already have a plan to archive social media data? What tools do you use? Let’s talk more in comments!

Further Reading:
New York Times: Tools to Help Companies Manage Their Social Media
Mashable: 7 Ways to Rescue Your Curcial Social Media Data from Oblivion

Does your non-profit cell phone policy and apps violate clients’ privacy?

Mondays with Marissa, technology

Apps. There’s a ton of them. Need to track your most recent run? There’s an app for that. Want to keep track of your expenses? There’s an app for that. Need to go to the bathroom in the middle of the a movie and don’t want to miss out on any of the action? There’s an app for that.

We all know there are plenty of smart phone apps out there, but do we really understand what they do once they are downloaded onto your phone?

This past week, Facebook, Apple, Twitter, Yelp and fourteen other social media sites were listed in a lawsuit for distributing “privacy-invading” applications. According to a PC World article, these applications are accused of collecting user address book data and storing it on their servers without the user knowing.

This issue is at the top of many minds in the technology field as just last month, the popular social network Path issued a public apology after it was discovered the company used address book data to notify users when their friends had joined the network.

So what does this mean for your non-profit agency? Well, not much if your agency doesn’t allow staff members to use data based applications on their phones. I am guessing though, that nowadays that is a rarity.

When I read stories like this, I often think of non-profit organizations that deal with HIPAA on a daily basis. Many of the employees may have access to company smart phones that allow employees to check in on email while away from the office. Or what if the agency doesn’t supply cell phones and staff members use their personal cell phones to update the organization’s Facebook page?

Phones are so smart these days that . . .

  • information from the email the staff person replied to,
  • the new Facebook friend that was just confirmed, and
  • the phone call that was just made

might be added to the phone’s address book and sent to third-party servers without the user even being aware.

In the case of the HIPAA abiding non-profit (and even those who wish to protect board member and donor information), there could be a violation without anyone’s knowledge.

Even if your agency doesn’t need to protect the identity of their clients, do you really want address book information being shared without your knowledge? These days, with security breaches more rampant, you can’t take privacy seriously enough.

So what can we do?

Decide if your organization really needs to use cell phones. Yes, it is nice for staff members, but is it necessary? Can you get by without them? A radical idea, but it just might be the right one.

If you decide that cell phones are needed, consider providing them only for “necessary staff” instead of allowing staff to use their personal phones. I know this costs money, however; it ensures more control over the use of the phone on behalf of the agency.

Also, consider what type of phone is needed. Does the user really need all of the bells and whistles of an iPhone or can she be as productive with an older generation Android device?

In addition, regardless if phones are being provided by the agency or not; a clear and strict technology policy must be in place and understood by all employees.

If staff members are provided smart phones, what applications can they use? If it is decided that apps can be downloaded to agency phones, then make sure the person overseeing the policy reads up on the privacy policies of the allowed apps. Most of them can be found online in either the iTunes App Store or Google Play Store. Keep in mind that these policies can change.

Audit your agency’s technology. If your organization currently allows staff members to use their personal phones, there is not much you can do other than make them aware of the issue of apps and how they can compromise your clients’ privacy. However, on phones provided by your agency, see if any of these applications are already downloaded and check out their settings to see if any sharing options can be turned off. When in doubt, hard reset the phone and start all over.

I will be the first to admit that managing the technology of business is not easy. And these privacy concerns do not make it any easier. However, until applications stop sharing information, taking the time to address these issues now could mean avoiding a sticky legal situations later.

I’d love to hear how your organization manages cell phone usage for staff members. Do privacy issues concern you? Let’s continue this discussion in the comment section below!

Kony 2012: How Viral Video Messaging Can Make an Impact

Mondays with Marissa, resource development, technology

Last Wednesday, I woke up to see the same video posted countless times on Facebook and Twitter. It was a 30 minute documentary about the leader of the Lords Resistance Army, Joseph Kony, and what he has done to the people of Uganda. This seemed strange to me because I can’t think of the last time I discussed the situation in Uganda with many of my friends. What was it that suddenly got a large number of people interested in what is happening on the other side of the world? So, I watched the video.

Video is a powerful medium that can be used to raise awareness about your mission. But how do you make a video that people want to share?

Make it personal

KONY 2012 starts off, talking about the world and how “humanity’s greatest desire is to belong and connect”.

Who cannot identify with that? We are all human. We all want to belong. In fact, the reason why I watched the video in the first place was because I wanted to belong to the community of people that knew what this video was about.

The movie continues with a home video from the birth of the director’s son. How much more personal can a person get? We all were born and some of you are parents. Because of that, this clip does wonders for connecting the audience to the cause and once the audience is connected. They are instantly more interested in what comes next.

How can you achieve this in your video? Go straight to the source. Talk to the people who are impacted by your organization. Show your audience how you make a  difference in both your client’s life as well as for the community.

Make it special

There are a couple of key points in KONY 2012 where the narrator lets the audience know they are special. He states, “99% of the world doesn’t even know who Joseph Kony is”. He is letting you in on a secret; giving you information a lot of other people don’t have. People love to feel like they know something that someone else doesn’t. This works to the filmmaker’s advantage because a lot of people wanted to tell their secret after watching the video.

You might not have a mission that is as unique as stopping a Ugandan warlord, but you can define a unique problem that needs solving and tell people about it.

As a nonprofit staff person, it is easy to think that everyone knows about your mission and what you are trying to achieve because you personally live and breathe it every day. But what about those who don’t?

What specific part of your mission do you want them to focus on in order to become more interested in your organization? What don’t they already know?

Make it urgent (and give directions)

KONY 2012 is titled KONY 2012 for a reason. The organization behind the film, Invisible Children, wants Joseph Kony arrested by the end of this year. That’s not a lot of time. They want you to get involved now. Invisible Children has organized an action day in April of 2012, which creates even more urgency for your involvement. The film gives the audience four specific actions they can take to get involved now — one of which is very simply is to share the video.

People want to help. You just have to tell them how they can. In my exerperience, people are more willing to do something if they are given clear and easy instruction (e.g. “share this video”)

One more observation . . . KONY 2012 is 30 minutes long. At the time of writing this post, it has received over 71 million views on YouTube. This is incredible since most videos that go viral are under four minutes long. Take the time to tell your story to build your community. If you connect with your audience, they’ll be sure to stick around. More importantly, they will want to share it with others.

Hopefully, you find my observations about KONY 2012 helpful as your non-profit investigates online video as a way to extend your social media messaging.  You might also want to check out YouTube’s Nonprofit Program.

Do you currently use videos in your social media messaging? If so, is it more for an awareness campaign or as a direct call for donations? What methods do you find to be the most successful? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

Five things nonprofits should know about Facebook’s Timeline layout

Mondays with Marissa, technology

Facebook. What started out as a way for college students to find out more about their friends, has turned into one of the most powerful social media sites ever.

This week, Facebook introduced some new tools for managing your agency’s Facebook page. Let’s take a look at 5 things you need to know about “Timeline for Pages“:

1. Choose a powerful Cover Image. The new Timeline layout allows organizations to highlight their mission through a captivating photo at the top of the page. You will still have a profile photo that will be seen elsewhere on the site, but now the cover photo is a way to feature your latest event or mission in action. You can even create cover photos that supporters can download and use as their own cover photo on their personal Facebook page.

2. Tell Your Story. Facebook allows you to now fill in important dates in the history of your organization by using the new “milestones” update. This is a great way to expand your “about” section and bring it into the Timeline. Consider sharing when your organization was founded, when it reached a great fundraising goal, when your agency won an award, etc. Another approach might be to share important milestones in the history of your mission.  For example, if there was important legislation passed that the impacted your organization, this could be noted on your timeline.

3. Messages. Facebook users can now message you directly. The person does not need to “like” your page to be able to communicate with you behind the Facebook timeline. This is important to note because it is yet another place for a staff member to check regularly.

4. Goodbye landing pages. In the past, users used to be able to set up a static page that would welcome users to their page. This page would disappear if the user “liked” the page giving further access to content. With the new timeline layout, this is no longer possible. Facebook is turning the focus to direct contact with users, so content needs to be engaging in order to entice a first time visitor to your page.

5. Pinning is not just for pinterest. With each story you post onto your timeline, you have the option to highlight it “above the fold” on your page. Click the pencil icon that appears when you hover over the top right-hand corner of a story. Doing so brings up a box where you can choose to pin your story to the top. This is different from highlighting a story which stretches the story across the entire page.

These are just a few of the changes that will occur with your agency’s Facebook page once the conversion over to “Timeline” is complete. As of March 30th, all Facebook pages will be transitioned to timeline. If you want to preview how your page will look after the conversation, click the notice at the top of your Facebook page when you log in. You can preview the page until March 30th or until you publish it to the public.

Along with the layout changes, Facebook is making changes to the marketing side of your agency’s page as well. You can read up on those changes in this TechCrunch Article.

The new Timeline feature changes the focus of yoru Facebook page to sharing stories. How are you planning to tell the story of your non-profit organization using Facebook’s new tools? Let’s brainstorm in the comments below!

And the Oscar goes to . . . Take Two

Fundraising, technology

Yesterday, we talked about how donors are like a Hollywood movie and act as a mirror for your non-profit organization (e.g. reflecting what you’re about, who supports you, what messages resonate and which ones don’t, etc). If didn’t get a chance to read that post, click here and check it out. Today, I want to extend this conversation and talk about the power of testimonials and using video to capture them.

If you watched the Academy Awards on Sunday, then you may have noticed the myriad of “testimonials” sprinkled through out the television production. There were short little snippets showing Brad Pitt or George Clooney or Angelina Jolie or Sandra Bullock, and they were talking about their love of making movies. While watching those testimonials, here were some of the things I noticed:

  • Their words seemed “powerful” and captured my attention. They caused me to reflect upon why I love movies.
  • There was a sense of honesty in their words. It felt like they were bearing their souls.
  • I felt a connection to that person. It was almost an intimate conversation you have with a friend or family member.

That was my experience . . . I’m not sure if you felt the same thing. Did you feel it or was I drinking too much wine?

This experience got me thinking . . . why can’t non-profit organizations do the same thing? Interview donors on video. Ask them to recount the first time they were asked to donate to your organization? Why did they do it? Why do they continue doing it? What about your mission inspires them?

Sure, I can hear many of you already mumbling about costs and time, but does this need to be something really expensive or time-consuming? I own a flip camera and tripod. Microsoft MovieMaker isn’t that hard to use. Hasn’t technology come far enough where almost anyone can produce something like this without it looking like a train wreck? I think so. Don’t believe me? Then go spend a little time on YouTube. Sure, some of it is crap, but some of it isn’t all that bad either.

As I contemplated all of these thoughts yesterday, the most amazing thing happened. It was almost like the blogosphere gods were listening to my thoughts because one of my favorite bloggers — Jeff Brooks at Future Fundraising Now — posted his blog titled “How to make nonprofit videos that people share” and it landed in my email inbox. WOW!

Jeff shares 10 tips on how non-profits can produce great videos. I urge you to read Jeff’s post, and then circle back here to DonorDreams blog and share your thoughts and experiences using the comment box below. Has your agency done a similar project? What were the results? Were the time and money obstacles too high to overcome? What are the obstacles keeping you from doing something like this? Please remember that we can all learn from each other.

Here’s to your health!

Erik Anderson
Founder & President, The Healthy Non-Profit LLC
www.thehealthynonprofit.com
erik@thehealthynonprofit.com
http://twitter.com/#!/eanderson847
http://www.facebook.com/eanderson847
http://www.linkedin.com/in/erikanderson847

To Pin or Not to Pin. Is Pinterest Right for Your Non-Profit?

Fundraising, Mondays with Marissa, technology, Uncategorized

There’s a new kid on the crowded social media block, and she’s turning heads. By coming in ahead of YouTube, Reddit, Google+, LinkedIn and MySpace in website referral traffic at the start of this month – Pinterest has certainly arrived.

But just because it’s popular, is it right for your non-profit agency? Let’s find out.

What is Pinterest?

Pinterest is the cyberspace equivalent to the cork bulletin board hanging on the wall in your office.

Upon signing into Pinterest, you will see a collection of photos that other “pinners” (people who you’ve chosen to follow) have pinned to their boards. You can “repin” a photo, adding it to one of your boards. When a user clicks on one of the photos in a pin, they are directed to the website from where the image originated. For example, if you see a photo of the most delicious chocolate cake you’ve ever seen and would like to make it for an upcoming party, you can repin the image of chocolate cake to your “Party All the Time” board so you can refer back to it later. Additionally, original content can be added to a board by clicking the “pin it” bookmarklet.

Currently the pins that seem to be the most popular include recipes, outfit collections and Do-It-Yourself (DIY) projects. However, businesses are getting involved. Recently, it has been observed that Pinterest is driving web traffic to retail sites.

The majority of users on Pinterest are females between the ages of 25 and 44. On all other social media sites, the average user is a male between the ages of 18 and 24. An older demographic usually means there is more disposable income available even in these hard economic times – which is good for retail.

If the for-profit world can benefit from Pinterest and see an increase in traffic, why not the non-profit world? After all, the more people who visit your website, the more potential donors or volunteers you can reach. Right?

Concerns

Let’s start with the fact that Pinterest has only been around for 6 months. While it seems that Pinterest’s momentum could take it far, I wouldn’t blame you if you took a wait-and-see approach.

Much like Google+ when it first started, Pinterest is currently an “invite-only” community, which is a double-edged sword regarding your reach.  However, with 10.4 million registered users, chances are you’re already connected to an active pinner. Of course, even if you can’t identify a pinner in your social network, you can request an account directly from the site.

Another recent concern raised by some is the issue of copyright laws. For example, the photos on Pinterest are usually the property of someone else. So, make sure you are properly pinning by linking to a website or giving credit where credit is due. You can read more about this debate here.

Should your non-profit agency jump on the Pinterest bandwagon?

In my humble opinion, the simple answer is yes, at least in one of the following ways:

  • Claim your name. Whenever a new social media site comes along I make sure I sign up for it before another Marissa Garza can claim the username or space on that site. Do I use every site I sign up for? No, but the important thing is that I am in control of it if I choose to participate.
  • Become an expert. Pinterest allows you to curate resources into different boards. Remember that each pin has a website associated with it. Websites come up in search results. So, if a person is conducting a search on non-profits with your type of mission, and you have an entire board set-up with ideas focused on your mission and agency’s services, then Google might just point that person to your Pinterest account.
  • See what people are saying. If you visit pinterest.com/source/website, you can see if people have pinned things from your website. You can then connect with users on the site by either commenting on one of their pins or following their boards.
  • Yet another way to fundraise. Last week Erik talked about how non-profits can incorporate selling into their fundraising plans. John Haydon recently blogged on a number of different ideas on how non-profits can use Pinterest. One example included adding a “$” symbol in the description of a pin, which results in it automatically being included in the “gifts” section of the site.

That being said, I know that time is limited for many non-profit staff. Joining and cultivating a community on Pinterest takes dedicated time. As with any social media site, make sure you have integrated this site into your written ePhilanthropy and online fundraising plan (e.g. who is going to make posts, how often posts will occur, etc).

While Pinterest may be a great resource with lots of potential, it might not be the right time to implement involvement. If you can’t fully commit to being involved in Pinterest at this time, but feel like you would have an audience there, make sure that you add a “Pin It” button to your website. If you can’t pin things yourself, you might as well take advantage of Pinterest’s popularity and make it easy for visitors to your website to pin things for you. (Note: you may have to create an account to do so.)

What do you think? Will Pinterest be a part of your social media strategy? I’d love to hear from you in the comments!

Further Reading:
42 Creative Pinterest Ideas for Nonprofits
Nice Uses of Pinterest for Nonprofits
Example of a Pinterest Users Non-Profits/Charities/Social Causes board

The next generation of non-profits and the Sell-Sell-Sell trend

Fundraising, technology

On Tuesday, I blogged about the idea of non-profit organizations looking in some non-traditional places to generate revenue such as “selling things” through unrelated business income efforts. Of course, I see non-profits also looking at “related” business income opportunities. Regardless, we’ll be talking about this topic for the remainder of this week.

Today, we’re going beyond the traditional thrift store and looking at some new high-tech ways that some non-profits are trying to “sell things” to generate income for their mission.

eBay: The Virtual Thrift Shop
Opening a thrift store involves a ton of considerations:

  • Writing a business plan
  • Securing a location
  • Hiring and training staff
  • Promoting your store and building a customer base
  • Promoting your store to in-kind donors
  • Inventory

The list goes on and on, which is why many non-profit executives quickly put this revenue generating idea on the back shelf.  However, in this new digital world, eBay is appealing to those non-profits who are intrigued by earned business revenue opportunities through the creation of their “eBay Giving Works” program.

This program allows you to list “things” on eBay with all of the proceeds coming back to your charity. If you don’t have staff to manage this, apparently there is an option to involve an eBay Trading Assistant (of course, I suggest recruiting volunteers to help). Some traditional non-profits, who still like the idea of having a physical space for their thrift store, are integrating this program into their operations by becoming an eBay consignment store.

The Imaginary Thrift Shop
The American Red Cross tried something that I thought somewhat different. Who needs to sell stuff, when you can sell imaginary stuff? This last holiday season they asked their donors to utilize their Holiday Giving catalog featuring “symbolic gifts”. So, donors could go online, log into the gift catalog, select a symbolic gift (e.g. comfort kit or phone card for US service members fighting overseas), and the Red Cross would send a holiday card to whoever you specify with a note indicating that a donation (e.g tribute gift) had been made in that persons honor by you.

Are you still having a hard time wrapping your mind about the idea of “virtual gifts”? LOL It took me a little while, too. Here is how the Red Cross explains the concept:

“Gifts purchased through the Red Cross 2011 Holiday Giving Catalog are tax-deductible contributions to the overall Red Cross mission. Items are symbolic of the work of the Red Cross, not a donation to a specific project or item.”

I have no idea how successful this campaign was for the Red Cross. I’ve tried contacting to a few friends who work for the Red Cross, but they’re apparently too busy saving the world. Oh well . . . if you think this re-invented online dutch auction sounds intriguing, then contact your local Red Cross chapter and do some benchmarking work.

The Reverse Thrift Shop
My friend Cathy Malkani came over to my house earlier this week. She is the fundraising professional at Hebron House in Waukesha, WI. She is trying to end homelessness in southeastern Wisconsin. During her visit, I learned all about amazon.com’s non-profit wish list program. Apparently, your non-profit can create a wish list of “things it needs” that can be found on the amazon.com website. People buy these items and amazon.com ships it directly to your agency.

We all know there are donors who for a variety of reasons don’t like to make cash contributions to non-profit organizations. In my experience, these are the people who end up donating canned goods to their local food pantry. They are also the folks who passionately clean their closets and donate to non-profit thrift stores. Well, amazon.com just made giving stuff a little easier with this program.

Donors don’t just decide spontaneously to go to amazon.com to buy stuff for you. Cathy is promoting this program on her website, in the signature block of her email, and probably in her newsletter.

I know that this program doesn’t align well with the idea of non-profits “selling stuff” to generate revenue, but this example still involves “stuff” and it is budget relieving. Isn’t it?

Well, I hope you found some of this interesting and inspirational today. While the “thrift store” trend and entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in the non-profit sector, you can see there are new ideas spinning off of this trend thanks to technology.

Is your non-profit using any of the programs mentioned in today’s blog post? If so, please scroll down and use the comment box to tell us about your experience.

Here’s to your health!

Erik Anderson
Founder & President, The Healthy Non-Profit LLC
www.thehealthynonprofit.com
erik@thehealthynonprofit.com
http://twitter.com/#!/eanderson847
http://www.facebook.com/eanderson847
http://www.linkedin.com/in/erikanderson847

Lessons Learned from The Susan G. Komen Foundation’s Use of Social Media

Fundraising, Mondays with Marissa, technology

How important is social media to non-profits? Ask the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation.

Last week, the popular breast cancer awareness group announced that it would no longer provide grants to Planned Parenthood. In the past, the Susan G Komen Foundation provided funding to Planned Parenthood to provide mammogram screenings for those in need. Due to a change in policy, based on an investigation into where donor dollars were making the largest impact, these grants would no longer be funded. With in hours of this announcement, Facebook and Twitter were alive with posts from people voicing their opinion on the matter. Within 72 hours the decision was reversed.

Let’s not focus on the politics at hand, but moreover, what can we learn from this situation?

1. Never underestimate the power of the web. We are living in an age that has seen governments overthrown due to the organization efforts of people on Twitter. These days, information travels faster than the speed of sound. How are you using this to your advantage? Does your organization have an active presence on social media networks or is it more haphazard? People use social media every single day. Facebook, alone has over 800 million users and is projected to hit over a billion in August of this year. These are all people who can hear about the mission of your agency, but they can’t hear about it if you aren’t talking. Make sure that the message that is being published on social media sites on behalf of your organization is being controlled and constantly monitored to ensure that the message is clear and fosters a sense of community.

2. We are all connected. Do employees and volunteers understand how their activities on the web impact the mission of your agency? For example, what if an employee, let’s call him Sam, has your organization listed as their place of work and he comes home from a hard day and vents his frustration on Facebook. The next day, a donor, Jane, is looking for a new organization to donate her hard-earned dollars to, does a google search and finds your organization. On the side of your website there is a Facebook link. Jane clicks it only to find that her friend — Sam — works and your organization and is connected. Upon clicking on Sam’s profile, Jane sees what he has to say and thinks twice about making that donation. If your organization does not have a clear social media policy for employees, this situation could very likely happen.

3. The most important lesson for non-profits that can be taken away from last week’s news, is that transparency is the best policy. I know that Erik has stressed this before on the DonorDreams blog, and I can’t help but echo it again. The Susan G. Komen Foundation made a very difficult decision that they knew would probably anger some supporters. Where they made a mistake was in the messaging. They allowed people to make the issue a political one because they didn’t share all of the details behind why that action was necessary. Susan G. Komen Foundation had a number of resources at their disposal to share information and defuse the situation after the announcement was made. If they had reacted to their critics in real-time through social media as opposed to reacting through a produced video a day or so later, they might have controlled the situation a little better. How do you use social media to announce changes to your agency?

This hiccup in the timeline of The Susan G. Komen Foundation will sure come to the minds of future donors. However, what I find most interesting is to see how if they will embrace social media to help control the conversation and move the public forward.

In my upcoming “Mondays with Marissa” posts, I plan to focus on one social media site a month and how you can cultivate a community of supporters through it. To best serve our readers, I have created a quick survey to see what sites are being used and how. Please take a few moments to share your thoughts, by clicking on this link. Thank you!!

How Google’s Recent Changes Affect You and Your Non-Profit Organization

Fundraising, Mondays with Marissa, technology

Google. The little search engine that could – has changed search, yet again.

This month, Google made significant changes to how they deliver search results and the Terms of Service attached to each of their products. Today we’re going to take a look at what you need to know about these changes and how they affect your agency’s presence on the web.

Search + Your World
Google became popular because it was able to develop an algorithm that would deliver relevant search results to the user. Over the years, Google has improved on its formula and has become the most recognizable search engine in the world. The cyber-world has changed a bit during this time as it has become social. Today, people are using Twitter, Facebook and other social media sites to access information on topics before heading to Google. Why? They trust their already established social network. Recognizing that curated search results are popular, Google adapted it’s algorithm and introduced Search + Your World.

This new system has 3 features:

  • Provides Personal Results – Now when you search for “fundraising ideas” on Google, the first set of results that you see will be anything that may have been shared with you from your social network. This includes photos, blog posts, videos, ect.
  • Profiles in Search Results – Google+ is Google’s social network. With the new changes, if you search for a topic such as “photography,” the Google+ profiles of photographers may show up at the top of your search.
  • People and Pages – Again, directing the user to Google+, search results will now offer up profiles of people or pages related to your search topic.

A few things to keep in mind:

  • Facebook and twitter results are not included in search results.
  • If you have a Google account, your own media (photos, blog posts, videos, etc) will show up in your results. Also, they will show up in the results of anyone Google thinks you might know.
  • You can opt-out. On the Google search results page, in the upper right hand corner, there are two new icons: a person and a globe. If you click on the globe, you will see search results without the new “+ Your World” filter.

What does this mean for your non-profit organization?

Seeing as this change has happened only recently, it is hard to see how it is affecting organizations when it comes to where they show up in search results. However, as we all know, social media is becoming increasingly important to having new donors find you on the internet. One scenario came to mind. Say a donor, volunteer or staff member talks about their experience with your agency on their personal blog. That post could show up in a friend of the writer’s search results before your official site.

The curation of search results will continue with both Twitter and Facebook trying to step into the ring.  Now more than ever, it is important for your agency to have a controlled and active online presence to ensure that the information you want to show up first, does. Test it out. Google your organization and see if this new way of search has made an impact.

Google’s New Terms of Service (or One Google To Rule Them All)
If you’re anything like me, I live my life in Google. I use Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Docs, Google+, YouTube, Zaggat, Google Maps and Android, pretty much everyday. Currently, each of these services has it’s own Terms of Service (TOS) outlining how Google will use my personal information. That will change on March 1, 2012 when all Google products will operate under one TOS. Google claims this will enhance results across their products and improve how products work together.

However . . .

People concerned with privacy are worried about how their information is going to be shared on the internet. For example, say a person uses Gmail for personal correspondence and is trying out stand-up comedy on YouTube under an alias. After March 1st, the person’s real name will be associated with the YouTube account – easy for anyone to find. It should be noted however, that Yahoo! and Microsoft already have similar practices.

Again, what does this mean for your non-profit agency?

If you are currently using any Google service on behalf of your agency, it is important that you are aware of how your information will be combined. I suggest creating separate personal and professional accounts before March 1, 2012 to make sure that the separation is clear to Google.

Also, if your organization already uses Google products, I would review what services are being used with your account. This can be done by logging into Google Dashboard.

Finally, if you decide that Google products are not the best fit for your organization, you can always export your data and delete your Google account.

What do you think about the changes Google has made? Do you see them as a help or hinderance to your organization? I’d love to discuss this with you, but you need to start the conversation using the comment box below!  😉

It’s Hip to Be Square: Accepting Donations From Your Phone

Fundraising, Mondays with Marissa, resource development, technology

The other day, I received an email from the non-profit where my mom works about the auction items that would be available at their annual special event. Having worked behind the scenes at similar events in the past, one thing came to mind — payment processing. In my experience, the task requires a lot of attention to detail in order to make sure things run smoothly.

This reminded me about a podcast I listened to that mentioned how stores are now able to process payments right from their smart phones using a service called Square. Square provides a free card reader that can be attached to any IOS or Android device (through the headphone jack) to process payments from anywhere. Think about how this flexibility could revolutionize a special event or even the everyday business of a non-profit. Let’s take a look and if it’s the right fit for your organization.

The Pros:

  • Free Card Reader – I mean, free is good for anyone, even better if you work for a non-profit. Not only is the adapter free, but the app associated with it is free as well.
  • Familiar Format – Most people have a smart device of some sort and are used to using apps everyday. This prior knowledge can come in handy when it comes to training people to use Square. Furthermore, this familiarity can expand the pool of people who could use a Square card reader to accept donations.
  • Next Day Direct Deposit – It won’t take long to see those donations show up in the linked bank account. Money is only good, when it’s available, right? Most times after an event, it can take a few days of coordination to get credit card payments, checks and cash in order to take it to the bank. Using Square at least cuts out some of that process.
  • Secure – Square constantly monitors what is happening across it’s network to look for signs of fraud. Also, Square makes sure that all information in encrypted.
  • All Major Cards are Accepted – No need to limit payments only to Visa and Master Card. Amex and Discover are welcome here, too.
  • Data can be Exported – Accurate financial documents are important to the running of any business. Square allows you to have access to that data and you can run your own reports.
  • Allows for Multiple Users – Each device can be linked to one account so that there can be multiple people at an event. Also, if staff or volunteers have a Square reader and their phone with them out in the community while talking about your mission, a donation by a newly inspired donor can be taken right away without any waiting.
  • Receipts – can be emailed to donors or printed on site when using an iPad.
  • No signature needed for payments under $25 – In a day an age where people are donating (albeit in smaller amounts), this feature speeds up the donation process.

The Cons:

  • Not everyone has a smart device – sad, but true. Even in 2012.
  • 2.75% Transaction Fee – if a $100 donation is collected, your organization will only receive $97.25 after Square collects it’s fee. Granted, you are still receiving most of the money. The fee is collected per transaction and is the same no matter which card is used to process the transaction.
  • Customer/Donor information is not saved – while this is for the privacy of the customer, most non-profits see this information as essential for their donor database records. One suggestion to overcome this is to give each person a unique number that is attached to their name and contact information. Each transaction made with Square can be edited before it is processed so that this number can be attached.
  • No Offline Payments – If your event is somewhere with no cell phone data coverage or wifi available, you will have move to your Plan B option because payments cannot be collected and uploaded later.
  • One Time Payments Only – if you had a donor that wanted to donate $10 a month, this could not be accomplished with Square.

I must admit . . . I am in favor of using Square for the collection of donations (besides, it’s hip to be square) . . . but in the interest of full disclosure, I should admit that I have never used the system myself nor do I have any affiliation with Square. Truth be told, I just wanted to share the system with you because I’ve seen other non-profits struggle with credit card processing (which is never a pretty sight especially at an event with donors rushing to checkout and get home) and I thought this might work for you.

Incorporating technology can make the donation experience easier and more streamlined for the donor. After all, if the donation process is easy and enjoyable, I suspect donors will be more likely will donate again! Right?

Is Square a solution you might be interested in? What has your organization done to streamline its onsite payment procedures?  Please share your thoughts using the comment section below!