A blog is an opportunity not only to change static into dynamic, but also discover and share voices from your organization. But what do you need to create, manage, and evolve a nonprofit blog that will both engage your supporters and attract storytellers from within — and possibly outside — your organization?

1. How to Create, Manage and
Evolve Your Nonprofit Blog
Nonprofit Technology Network (NTEN) webinar
March 28, 2012
Roger Burks, Co-Founder of Pictographers
@loudmind

2. Introduction
Roger Burks
Photo: Thatcher Cook for Mercy Corps

3. The Mercy Corps Blog
From May 2009-August 2011:
• 1,090 blog entries (about 39 blog entries per month)
• 265 bloggers
• 42 countries
• I wrote 127 blog entries
• Other communications staff wrote 107 blog entries
• The other 856 blog entries (79%) came from folks like
program officers, health workers and engineers

4. Five truths to get started

5. Truth #1
Blogs are highly personal.

6. Truth #2
Organizations are made of
people.

7. Truth #3
People tell stories.

8. Truth #4
Everyone in your organization
experiences it differently.

9. Truth #5
Your organization has all
kinds of stories to tell.

10. Creating your organization’s blog

11. Think of it this way
Creating a blog should be an
opportunity, not an obligation.
The most compelling blogs are born and
grow from true curiosity, enthusiasm and
exploration.

12. Determine your blog’s focus
Identify your blog’s purpose in a
tagline, phrase, sentence or title
This focuses your content, guides your
writers and lets readers know what your
blog’s about.

13. Examples of nonprofit blog taglines
Mercy Corps: “A daily look into the work, thoughts and
ideas of our team around the world”
International Rescue Committee: “Every day, IRC
humanitarian aid workers are rescuing lives. Here, they offer
a glimpse of their experiences, the challenges they face and
the courageous people they meet by sharing videos, photos
and stories.”
World Concern: “As an organization, we strive to be
transparent and effective in how we help; this blog is a lens
into our work.”

14. Determine your core contributors
Come up with a list of 5-10
people that you think would be
great bloggers
Make this a “wish list” – don’t assume
they’ll say “no” before you even ask them.

15. Determine your editorial structure
One possible approach: the
“network news” model
Anchor
Reporter Reporter Reporter Reporter
Specialist Specialist Specialist Specialist Specialist Specialist

16. Give credit where it’s due…and then some
Use author bylines that are
linked to feature-rich vanity
pages
Give your authors the chance to customize
their vanity pages with photos and
biographical information. Compile all their
published blog entries here as well.

17. Give credit where it’s due…and then some

18. Give your readers – and staff – a way to share
Include social media links –
Facebook, Twitter and email at
the very least – on every entry
Sharing your organization’s blog entries is
an easy way people can take action by
spreading the word and showing support.
Also offer the chance to subscribe.

19. Give your readers – and staff – a way to share

20. How often will you update your blog?
Establish an ambitious but
realistic schedule
Like any project, blogs benefit from
deadlines. Think about publishing on the
same days each week – that will establish
consistency for colleagues and readers.

21. Starting off strong and confident
Game-plan your blog’s first 12-
15 entries
Don’t let a lack of content stall your blog
before it gets started. Work with
collaborators to stockpile initial blog
entries, creating a good foundation.

22. Get the word out
Announce your organization’s
new blog to the world
Send an email to your staff. Send another
email to your supporters. Get it out in
social media. Contact your local news
outlets.

23. Managing your organization’s blog

24. And we mean to go on and on and on and on
You are the
champions, my
friends.

25. Keep everyone informed
Send regular email updates on
blog entries posted, new bloggers
and things you need for the blog
A once-monthly email can go a long way
toward building a blogging
community, including recognizing regular
bloggers and encouraging new bloggers to
contribute.

26. Meet regularly with key collaborators
Take time to informally talk over
coffee, lunch or drinks with your
core blog contributors
It’s important to keep nurturing the core of
your community, touching base to
brainstorm, share ideas and suggest
improvements.

27. Offer blog training opportunities
A little bit of training goes a long
way in growing your roster of
bloggers
Consider holding a half- or full-day
workshop for your colleagues on topics
such as writing, photography and video.
These newfound skills and confidence will
make your blog stronger.

28. Be a good editor – but not too good
Edit blog entries for clarity and
grammar, but not for style or
voice
A blog’s strength is the personality of its
authors. Work hard to preserve and
amplify different voices by not trying to
“organizationalize” style and substance.

29. Step up when things get slow
You may have to write more
entries or more assertively solicit
content to fill gaps
As the blog champion, you serve many
roles: managing editor, head writer,
community leader and mentor. All these
roles are important to your blog’s success.

30. Be generous and proactive with blog content
Anticipate and meet marketing
and communications needs with
blog entries
Your blog can power your agency’s social
media, but that’s not all. It’s also
important in email appeals, advocacy
campaigns, major donor outreach and
more.

31. Evolving your organization’s blog

32. A changing blog is a sustainable blog
• Reach out to clients and donors to write
stories
• Immediately engage new colleagues as
potential bloggers
• Ask traveling colleagues to blog
• Keep mentoring and offering constructive
feedback
• Give someone else the reins for a while
• Always be open to suggestions and ideas

33. A blog is personal – let colleagues make it their own
Images
by Jameson Gadzirai (reprinted from the Mercy Corps Blog)
There are
Images painted right in the core of your mind,
No camera can take, nor video rewind;
The sight of a young man carrying a new born calf in his hands
Trudging open plains, mother cow in tow, lowing in reverence
Cattle herders painting their skin grey,
Dancing the night away naked,
because the sun is away
Siblings holding hands and walking in the bright sun,
Herding goats and sheep, this their fun
The sound of laughter from cattle herders huddled around a fire,
Cows and bulls surrounding them, safe because of their masters
Images of people gyrating and ululating;
Drumbeats on a Sunday evening;
Married with voices of people a-singing,
Homage to the One that created all things Living!
Pictures of the hopes and celebrations of a life so vibrant
These, the images one revels in,
Forever imprinted on the minds of those looking in.

34. A variety of stories to capture a variety of experiences
Some ideas for content you can feature
on your blog:
Beneficiary or client story Autobiographical piece
Field visit Personal reflection
Staff profile/interview Program update
News update Emergency update
Photo essay Photo with long caption
Audio slideshow Video with long caption
Rough video Stand-up video
Polished short-form video Polished long-form video
Video interview Event- or campaign-driven video
Written travelogue Technically-focused piece
Poem Upcoming event

35. Helpful tips borrowed from the storytelling approach
Four mantras to
remember:
• Authenticity, not polish
• Encouragement, not
pressure
• Quality, not quantity
• Show, don’t tell

36. Thank you!
Roger Burks
Email: roger.o.burks.jr@gmail.com
Web: www.pictographers.org
Twitter: @loudmind