Nonprofits and the Social Web
Beth Kanter, Beth’s Blog Connecting Up, Australia

Beth Kanter, Nonprofit Technology Trainer
Photo by Steve Goodman

Beth’s Blog Profiles & Presence
Communities RSS Powered Fundraising Sharing photos, bookmarks, videos, and more Conversations network

I first heard about ConnectingUp
in 2005….

What I’m going to talk
about … A story about socially networked fundraising Patterns of Success Just One Tool

Nonprofits and the Social Web:
Patterns of Success

The Cute Dog Theory

A Remix of the Cute
Cat Theory

Web2.0: to share cute cat
photos

Wait a second … looking
at nonprofits that have successfully Adopted social media .. There are a lot of dog lovers …..

So, I asked these nonprofits
professionals, what do you need to think about to be successful on the social web?

Assess Audience Online Social Activities

Digital Natives

Where on the social web
will I find my audience? How do they use the social web? What are they talking about? Who are they? What do they want?

Discuss/set objectives first

Not a monologue

Listening

Conversation

Even difficult ones …

The audience wants a voice

Transparency

Source: Alan Levine – CogDog
Blog Web 1.0

Web 2.0

Staff Roles

“ I was a Facebook
junkie before I was hired!”

Define a box Define a
Box

It takes time

Participant Content Creator Community Manager
You get out what you put in … Source: Nina Simon, Museum2.0

Start small, reiterate over and
over

<ul><li>Yes </li></ul><ul><li>Youtube Video Contest </li></ul><ul><li>#
of list members & video views // time spent = good </li></ul><ul><li>Our first UGC contest </li></ul><ul><li>Good, original content </li></ul><ul><li>Developed free TV PSA </li></ul><ul><li>Positive, active commenting on social networks </li></ul><ul><li>Caught attention of higher ups </li></ul><ul><li>Conveyed a powerful message to America </li></ul><ul><li>Microsoft Facebook Challenge </li></ul><ul><li>Payoff ($50k) // time spent = good </li></ul><ul><li>Recognition from contest win </li></ul><ul><li>Strong feedback and willingness from participants </li></ul><ul><li>New “Facebook responders” segment of email file </li></ul>Was it worth it? <ul><li>No </li></ul><ul><li>Wendy’s Flickr Photo Petition </li></ul><ul><li>Time spent // number of entries = bad </li></ul><ul><li>Numerous technical problems </li></ul><ul><li>Uploading process took too much time (email) </li></ul><ul><li>Campaign was too narrow </li></ul><ul><li>High volume of problem feedback </li></ul><ul><li>Case Foundation Facebook Challenge </li></ul><ul><li>Time spent // number of participants = bad </li></ul><ul><li>Raised $3k but no contest recognition </li></ul><ul><li>Wasted opportunity to message new Facebook responders </li></ul><ul><li>High volume of negative feedback – people didn’t understand </li></ul>However.. We learned from both campaigns!

Here’s some advice from Wendy
Harmon, Red Cross Blogger

<ul><li>A project that won’t take
much time and relates to org goals. </li></ul><ul><li>Write down your successes. </li></ul><ul><li>Write down your challenges. </li></ul><ul><li>Ask the people you want to connect with whether they think your outreach and listening is valuable. </li></ul><ul><li>Watch other nonprofits and copy and remix for your next project. </li></ul><ul><li>Rinse, repeat. </li></ul>

Success Patterns Assess Audience Objectives
Policy and Education Time investment Staff Roles Experiment

Social Presence: Twitter I just
twittered that I’m playing my guitar right now!

Is there any value to
knowing what your friends are doing right now?

Twitter is not dumb …
if you follow smart people!

How to be efficient …

Nonprofits

October, 2007

A Story …

Contest Opens: December 13, 2007
3:00 PM

December 13, 2007 3:01 PM

I opened my Kimono

Strategy Make It Personal Theory
Example ….

“ The message is not
about the charity. It’s about why the messenger cares.” Katya Andresen, Network For Good

Will it scale?

Involvement Participator Type Ladder of
Engagement Personal Fundraiser does the Network Weaving Happy Bystanders Create Solicit Money Share Listen Spreaders Donors Evangelists Instigators

Strategy: Stories

Strategy Three R’s of Network
Weaving

Relationship Building

Rewards

Reciprocity

Stories and Network Weaving …

Strategy Fun, Humor, Easy, Urgency,
Competitive Spirit, and Passion!

What’s more fun than a
birthday party?

Where did they get all
those embarrassing photos?

125 people donated 142 birthday
wishes 180 views on “see me naked” photo

But my birthday was Jan.
11 th and we had 20 more days to go …

57 donors Energizing Burst

How To Ask for Donations
on Twitter

Offline/Online

24 hours before the contest
ends We’re in 1 st Place

WooT! WooT!

Chan Piseth Thank You

Lessons Learned

<ul><li>Open the Kimono </li></ul><ul><li>Make it
personal </li></ul><ul><li>Use the Ladder of Engagement </li></ul><ul><li>Stories </li></ul><ul><li>The Three R’s of Network Weaving </li></ul><ul><li>Fun, Humor, Easy, Urgency, and Competitive Spirit </li></ul><ul><li>Say thank you in creative ways </li></ul><ul><li>AND …… </li></ul>Strategy

And get your dogs in
a row …..

Thank you! Beth Kanter [email_address]
Beth’s Blog http://beth.typepad.com @kanter on Twitter