The document discusses the increasing importance of social media tools in enhancing fundraising success for special events, presented by Mark Davis from Blackbaud. It highlights research findings showing that social media users raised significantly more funds and that platforms like Facebook and Twitter effectively engage participants compared to traditional email fundraising. The presentation also emphasizes best practices for utilizing these tools to recruit and engage volunteers, along with insights from case studies like the American Heart Association.

1. Making Special Events More Successful with
Social Media Tools
Presented to AFP Massachusetts Chapter Brown Bag
May 19, 2010
Mark Davis, Director of Enterprise Internet Solutions
Blackbaud
Derek Drockelman, Strategic Account Manager
Blackbaud

2. Session Agenda
 Social Media and Event Fundraising Trends
 Research Project and White Paper
 Summary of Research Findings
 Best Practices
 Case Study: American Heart Association
Mark Davis | Page #2 © 2010 Blackbaud

3. Email as the Historic Driver of Online Growth
Estimated Annual US-Based Online Event Fundraising
$1,000,000,000
$750,000,000
$500,000,000
$250,000,000
$-
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Online fundraising represents about 30% of the overall event fundraising
Compared to 5% for the overall giving (Source: Giving USA 2008)
Mark Davis | Page #3 © 2010 Blackbaud

4. People Spend More Time on Social Networking Sites than Email
Source: Nielsen/NetRatings Report March 2009
Mark Davis | Page #4 © 2010 Blackbaud

5. Why Bother with Facebook?
Facebook Statistics1 Email vs. Facebook Fundraising Myth?
• Over 400 million active • 27 Average Emails • Fundraising not
users • 130 Average Facebook successful on Facebook3
• 2/3 outside of college Friends1 • Fundraising Success in
• Fastest growing Events
demographic is 35 years
and older
Sources:
1. Facebook.com Statistics
2. Nielsen/NetRatings Report March 2009
3. Washington Post, April 22, 2009
Mark Davis | Page #5 © 2010 Blackbaud

6. The Promise of Social Media
 Facebook
 Twitter
Source: Google Trends
Mark Davis | Page #6 © 2010 Blackbaud

7. Research Project Outline
 Charity Dynamics / Blackbaud Partnership
 1,750 Events in 2009 and 1,000,000 participants
 Project Objective
To investigate the impact that social networking sites like
Facebook, Youtube and Twitter have on fundraising efforts
enabled by Sphere® Events™.
 Research Methodology
Staff Interviews
Data Analysis
Participant Surveys
Website Canvassing
 Download White Paper at: http://www.blackbaud.com/rwr
Mark Davis | Page #7 © 2010 Blackbaud

8. Social Networking / Friends Asking Friends
Friends
Social Asking
Friends
Networking
Participants
•Update activities •Active
•Speak up for causes •Community leaders
•Express opinions •Proud of your organization
•Influence others •Emotional stories
•Reach friends & family
Mark Davis | Page #8 © 2010 Blackbaud

9. Research Questions
 Are Facebook and Twitter effective solicitation tools for participants?
 Does using a YouTube video impact a participant’s fundraising success?
 How does email fundraising compare with Social-Media fundraising?
 Who is using these tools?
 What are the best techniques to make sure they are adopted?
Mark Davis | Page #9 © 2010 Blackbaud

10. SUMMARY OF RESEARCH FINDINGS
Mark Davis | Page #10 © 2010 Blackbaud

11. Email vs. Facebook Feed vs. Tweet
Mark Davis | Page #11 © 2010 Blackbaud

12. Social Media Impact on Returning Participants
Social Media Tools
Incentivized
Annual Increase in Participant Fundraising Goals and Returning
Donations from 2008 to 2009 Participants
$300.00
$256.72
$250.00 $225.90
$200.00
Returning
$150.00 Participants Using
$100.00 $70.55 Twitter Increased
$50.00
Fundraising Goal 4X
$22.97
$0.00
Fundraising Goal Total Online Donations
Twitter Users No Social Media Increase Fundraising
Goals Matched by
Increase Fundraising
Totals
Mark Davis | Page #12 © 2010 Blackbaud

13. Facebook - Boundless Fundraising Results
Avg. Participant Raises 15 to 40% More
with Boundless Fundraising Application
75% of Boundless Fundraising-Driven
Donations are from New Donors
Mark Davis | Page #13 © 2010 Blackbaud

14. Profile of Participants Using Social Media
 Top Fundraisers  Slackers
Use all tools available Will make a couple of clicks to
Email use easy social media
HQ Updates Will not send email, upload a
picture
Video
Go from $0 to low dollar
Social Media
fundraiser
Blogging
The “Coolness Factor”
Offline
Mark Davis | Page #14 © 2010 Blackbaud

15. Profile of Participants Using Social Media
 The more connected to the organization, the more likely to use all available tools
including social media
Team captains
Top fundraisers
Volunteers
Higher participation levels (Runner vs Walker, the longer the distance)
Mark Davis | Page #15 © 2010 Blackbaud

16. Used by Most Successful Fundraisers
$1,400 Social Media Users
Fundraising Goal / Donations
$1,200 Set the Highest
$1,000
Goals
$800
$600
$400 Social Media Users
$200 Come Closer to
$- Reaching their Goals
Social Media Users
Are Your Top
Supporters
Average Goal Average Donations
Mark Davis | Page #16 © 2010 Blackbaud

17. Participants are Becoming Multi-channel Fundraisers
25 Social Media is not
Average Donations per Participant
21.9
20.6
19.5
Replacing Email
20 Fundraising
16.3
14.7
15
12.5
10
7.2
5 3.4 3.8 Greater Social Media
Use Yields Great
0
Overall Email Use
Social Media Users
are your Strongest
Online
Communicators
Mark Davis | Page #17 © 2010 Blackbaud

18. Profile of Donors Giving Online
 Email Prospects  Social Networking Prospects
Immediate family Immediate family
Close friends Extended family
Co-workers Close friends
Friends of friends
College and high school
classmates
Co-workers
Past co-workers
Business networking contacts
Mark Davis | Page #18 © 2010 Blackbaud

19. Conversion Rates and Impressions
 Lower Conversion Rates Offset by Higher Impressions
30.00% 70,000 65,000
25% 60,000
25.00%
50,000
20.00%
40,000 35,000
15.00%
30,000
10.00%
20,000 14,000
5.00% 10,000
0.26% 0.27%
0.00% -
Facebook Twitter Email Facebook Twitter Email
(Feedraiser) (Feedraiser)
Conversion Rate Estimated Impressions
Note: Assumes 500 Participants Using Solicitation Tools
Mark Davis | Page #19 © 2010 Blackbaud

20. Average Gift Expectations
$70.00 45
44.44
$57.53 $59.50 45
$60.00 $55.53
Average Online Gift Amount
44
$49.58
Average Donor Age
$50.00 44
$40.00 43
42.49
43 42.15
$30.00 42
41.55
$20.00 42
41
$10.00
41
$- 40
Boundless FeedRaiser Twitter Non-Social Boundless FeedRaiser Twitter Non-Social
Fundraising Media Fundraising Media
Less
Connection
Expect Lower Less Impactful Younger, Newer
between
Gift Sizes Appeal Donors
Participant and
Donor
Mark Davis | Page #20 © 2010 Blackbaud

21. How Participants Find These Tools
Mark Davis | Page #21 © 2010 Blackbaud

22. Example: Alzheimer's Memory Walk
 Provide Social Media Tool-kit
Tip Sheets, Facebook Join Links, Badges
Mark Davis | Page #22 © 2010 Blackbaud

23. YouTube and Personalized Videos
Not enough data yet to draw
conclusions
Make appeal more interactive
with higher conversions
Arthritis Foundation’s 2009
Jingle Bell Run increased
revenue by 20%
Mark Davis | Page #23 © 2010 Blackbaud

24. Marketing Best Practices – Make Your Participants Aware
 Highlight in recruiting and phone calls
 Promote use in HQ and participant engagement emails
 Urge team captains to promote to their teams
 Promote through own social media sites (e.g., event Tweet-ups)
 Social Media participant contests (e.g., best YouTube video)
Mark Davis | Page #24 © 2010 Blackbaud

25. CASE STUDY:
AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION
START! HEART WALK PROGRAM
Mark Davis | Page #25 © 2010 Blackbaud

26. Using Social Media to Expand Online Fundraising
 Objectives:
Increase Volunteer Recruitment
Increase Volunteer Engagement
Define and Expand the Visual Image of Start! Impact
 Phases/Timeline:
2009 – Phase 1 – Explore Opportunities in Structured Way
2010 – Phase 2 – Increase breadth of strategies and introduce metrics for ROI
Mark Davis | Page #26 © 2010 Blackbaud

27. Blackbaud Sphere® Events™ – Social Media Toolkit
Social
T F Y Media
Toolkit
Integrated Social Included with All
Released in
Media Personal Blackbaud
June 2009
Solicitation Tools Sphere Events
Mark Davis | Page #27 © 2010 Blackbaud

28. Start! Heart Walk Social Media Strategies
Social Media Tool-kit
Local Division Fan Page
and Event
Mission-based Widgets
Boundless Fundraising™
Application
Mark Davis | Page #28 © 2010 Blackbaud

29. Boundless Fundraising Strategy
 Coach Participants to use Facebook and Twitter
Team Captains received Flash Drives with Key Messaging
Instructions on Start! Heart Walk Dallas Homepage
Customer Service offered M-F 8:00 am- 5:00 pm
Staff Conducted Weekly Conference Calls
Mark Davis | Page #29 © 2010 Blackbaud

30. Dallas Heart Walk Results
Criteria Dallas Results National Projections
Social Media Users 1,500 250,000
New Revenue $220,000 $2.4M
 91% of Dallas Social Media donors were NEW
 Additional Success Factors
Increased paths of cultivation
Breadth of engagement of our volunteers
Building entrepreneurial / innovative spirit of our staff
Mark Davis | Page #30 © 2010 Blackbaud

31. Start! Heart Walk 2010 Social Media Objectives
Advocate
Double % of Increase Increase Use of Advocate
Online Activity from Personalization Boundless Multi-channel
Income from My HQ to of My HQ with
YouTube Fundraising Fundraising
Social Media Facebook
Videos and (esp. Twitter)
Channels and Twitter
FeedRaiser
Mark Davis | Page #31 © 2010 Blackbaud

32. Key Take-Aways
 Social Media Tools Provide Greater Reach with Lower Conversions
 New Channels Bringing in New Donors
 Participants are Becoming More Demanding Fundraisers
 Keep Eyes and Ears Open for Emerging Trends
Anybody Recognize this Social Networking Website?
Mark Davis | Page #32 © 2010 Blackbaud

33. Mark Davis – mark.davis@blackbaud.com
Thanks!
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Mark Davis | Page #33 © 2010 Blackbaud