Matterness is a way to make people feel known, acknowledged and invited to participate in all your organizational efforts. Passive audiences become active, and passionate supporters then become your best ambassadors. Supporters enthusiastically contribute their knowledge, networks and funds to support your cause. This presentation, given at a Valley Gives 1.5 hr in-person workshop, covers the principles of Matterness to make your people feel acknowledged, empowered and activated using social media, along with examples and a deep case study. Slide deck includes discussion prompts for nonprofits around fundraising and organizational behavior.
Developed in collaboration with Allison Fine, my partner in MatternessConsulting.com
2. 2
About the presenter
2
Former executive
director, community
organizer, business
consultant
Social media & digital
engagement strategy for
mission-driven orgs
since 2009
debra@communityorganizer20.com
Digital Engagement Strategist
@askdebra
5. When has an organization or person
made you feel…
like you
matter?
6.
7. People don’t feel as if
they matter
“I’ve been a
member for
years!”
“Why don’t
you talk to me
like a
person?”
“You keep
misspelling
my name”
“I never got
a thank
you”
8. Why is Matterness so important?
Our people have a lot of choices
Make our resources go further
Donor retention
Organizational sustainability
Countering negative publicity
Moving stakeholders to action!
9. Matterness is a different way of
working that turns passive
stakeholders into active
participants by making each
person
known, acknowledged &
invested
in your success.
12. Inherent tensions prevent
Matterness
• Fear of losing control
• Busyness trap of transactions
• Push < > Pull of broadcasting content vs.
online engagement
• Need to raise money
• Limited staff time
• Hard to simultaneously “do the work” and
strategize
• And...?
13. But tensions can become
conversations
https://www.flickr.com/photos/136629440@N06/21910887703/
24. Matterness is also personal
“82% of people are more likely to trust a company
whose CEO and leadership team engage with
social media.”
“86% of people rated CEO social media
engagement as somewhat important, very
important or mission critical.”
- BRANDfog CEO Social Media Leadership Survey
24
30. Matterness is a different way of
working that turns passive
stakeholders into active
participants by making each
person
known, acknowledged &
invested
in your success.
31. Share Pair Exercise
1. What is holding your organization back from
implementing Matterness?
1. How could you make people known and heard
as part of your Valley Gives experience?
35. Matterness is working with
and not at people
• Creating ways for people to participate
• Being in conversation online and on land
• Providing opportunities for supporters to tell their
own stories
• Providing opportunities to connect with each
other
• Following as well as leading
• Treating everyone like people
• Being real online
49. Lily The Black Bear’s Matterness
Engage: Watch videos on Facebook and Livecam,
read blog, visit site
Participate: Facebook comment, follow tweets,
discuss and comment
Acknowledged and valued: Offer opinions and
feedback, vote in contests, name the bear, ask a
question on Facebook forum, etc.
Co-create & invest in the org: Post your own
photos, tweet & comment proactively, build a
birdhouse, etc.
50. Share Pair Exercise
1. How could you bring co-creation and
stakeholder engagement into your Valley Gives
success?
1. What opportunities could your organization
offer its stakeholders to engage in co-creation,
on land and online?
52. Putting it all together
• Create your connected self online
• Understand what your people want to talk about
• Develop a plan for real online community co-
creation and other deep engagement
• Determine what capital you want to unleash
• Implement a Matterness experiment…and have
fun learning!
53. Don’t forget to have fun!I’m always available to answer follow-
up questions!
Email: debra@communityorganizer20.com
Website/blog: communityorganizer20.com
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/debraaskanase
Twitter: @askdebra
Other slides: slideshare.net/debask
Telephone: (617) 682-2977
Two caveats: Matterness can be done in small doses
DELETE
Matterness is the solution
Org culture is deeply intertwined with leadership. This is something that comes from the top and is part of the DNA of the org.
Digital natives, 70+million, anti-institutional, cause but not nonprofit-oriented
Everyone knows they want to practice Matterness, but there are these tensions that overwhelm. Orgs are determined to be busy. These tensions need to be conversation starters.
Talk through the fears not around them. Prioritize relationships over transactions. Stop doing things just because we’ve always done them.
Org culture is deeply intertwined with leadership. This is something that comes from the top and is part of the DNA of the org.
Social media
Sharing ideas and stories
Wired to be kind and generous
Abundance and spread of capital
Know what matters most to them, and when your organization has made them feel as if they don’t matter. Make time and space within your organization for thinking about this. What will make them feel like they matter, and aren’t just a number, dollar or percentage point? Or an ATM machine?
Org culture is deeply intertwined with leadership. This is something that comes from the top and is part of the DNA of the org.