A presentation by Rich Mintz from Blue State DIgital and Alex Morrison from Cogapp about Online Fundraising for Museums and Cultural Organisations. The presentation covers opportunity, method and how to with hints and tips.

1. Online Fundraising
for Museums &
Cultural Organisations
Presented by
Rich Mintz Alex Morrison
Blue State Digital Cogapp
rich@bluestatedigital.com alexm@cogapp.com
5th October 2010. ICA, London

2. Agenda
Introductions
Opportunity
Method
How To
General Discussion
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations

3. Introductions
Round the table introductions
Hashtag #mof10
Logistics and schedule
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations Blue State Digital Cogapp

4. Blue State Digital
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations Blue State Digital Cogapp

5. Cogapp
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations Blue State Digital Cogapp

6. The Opportunity
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations

7. Arts are a luxury, but theyʼre a
really sticky one.
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations Blue State Digital Cogapp

8. Remember how the internet
used to be?
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations Blue State Digital Cogapp

9. What Changed?
In 2000 In 2010
Unwieldy Usable
Unreliable/rare Always on/everywhere
Unsophisticated At its best, an elegant
applications and uses experience
Part of mainstream life
Deployed by fringe
institutions “My grandmother is
on YouTube”
“My crazy uncle has a
dialup account”
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations Blue State Digital Cogapp

10. In case you thought I was kidding...
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations Blue State Digital Cogapp

11. The Opportunity
Online activity
Online giving
Case Studies
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations Blue State Digital Cogapp

12. The Opportunity
Online Activity
Weʼre wired.
60% of the UK adult population i.e. 30.1 million adults
access the Internet every day or almost every day.
Nearly double the estimate in 2006 of 16.5 million.
source: Office of National Statistics
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations Blue State Digital Cogapp

13. The Opportunity
Online Museums
Traffic on UK museum websites increased by 225%
between 2003-4 and 2007-8
Annual growth rate ≈ 35%
source: DCMS
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations Blue State Digital Cogapp

14. The Opportunity
Online Museums
In the last 18 days the top four museum twitter accounts
(MoMA, Met, Tate, Smithsonian) all gained 7% more
followers.
Equivalent growth rate of 400% p.a.
Source: Cogapp/Twitter Statistics
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations Blue State Digital Cogapp

15. The Opportunity
Online Giving
Just Giving is the market leader in the UK
Personal accounts ≈ 12 million [i.e. 20% of UK adults]
Charity accounts ≈ 9,000
Money raised to date £700m
Average donations per charity ≈ £77k [by inference]
Museums and gallery accounts ≈ 50 [i.e. fewer than 5% of UK museums]
Source:
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations Blue State Digital Cogapp

16. The Opportunity
Stats Sources
All the stats above, and many more, can be found
online :-
delicious.com/cogapp/stats
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations Blue State Digital Cogapp

17. The Opportunity
Case Studies
USA FIFA World Cup Bid
Airborne Forces Museum
Tate Campaign
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations Blue State Digital Cogapp

18. The Opportunity
Case Studies
USA FIFA World Cup Bid
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations

19. The Opportunity
Case Studies
USA FIFA World Cup Bid
Challenge:
Use the 2010 South Africa World Cup to build the Bidʼs list,
when soccer was in the global spotlight.
Gain supporters for the cause (List Goal = 1 million).
Organise the supporters already on the list to host watch
parties and recruit more friends.
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations Blue State Digital Cogapp

20. The Opportunity
Case Studies
USA FIFA World Cup Bid
Response:
Our first promotional video was seen by 65K people, with
almost no promotion or PR – mostly via organic SEM
New website is a home for stories, testimonials, and especially
visual (video) evidence of the popularity of football
Viral petition campaign, driven by social media, has
amassed a supporter base of over 1 million in about 8 months
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations Blue State Digital Cogapp

21. The Opportunity
Case Studies
USA FIFA World Cup Bid
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations Blue State Digital Cogapp

22. The Opportunity
Case Studies
USA FIFA World Cup Bid
List is currently 1M+ and growing…
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations Blue State Digital Cogapp

23. The Opportunity
Case Studies
Airborne Forces Museum - Paradata
ParaData
Online archive & museum
Wanted to move from registration
fees to donations
What we did
Tweaked design
Set up forms
Linked to e-commerce
Reviewed and tested
Monitored
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations

24. The Opportunity
Case Studies
Airborne Forces Museum - Paradata
Results
≈5% of registered users
donate
Average donation ≈ £15
> 1 donation per user !
Current max donation = £50
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations

25. The Opportunity
Case Studies
Tate Campaign
Before
12 distinct links
Chronological prioritisation
No persuasive story-telling
Anonymous sender
100% information
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations

26. The Opportunity
Case Studies
Tate Campaign
After
One link
Goal-oriented prioritisation
Tells story of Tate, past and present
Introduces curator
100% action
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations

27. The Method
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations

28. The Method
First principles: Relationships, authenticity, empowerment
Fundamental tactics: Lift people up the value ladder
Messaging: Action and engagement
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations Blue State Digital Cogapp

29. The Method
First Principles
Relationships
Authenticity
Low barriers to entry
Moments
Testing
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations Blue State Digital Cogapp

30. The Method
The Relationship Ecosystem
s
£
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations Blue State Digital Cogapp

31. The Method
Why Relationships Matter
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations Blue State Digital Cogapp

32. The Method
Relationship–Building 101
Say what you mean
Plan a narrative in advance
Segment by interest/behavior
Listen, donʼt just talk
Constantly invite people to take action
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations Blue State Digital Cogapp

33. The Method
Find a Place for Everyone
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations Blue State Digital Cogapp

34. The Method
“Everyone” means Everyone!
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations Blue State Digital Cogapp

35. The Method
Mighty Oaks Grow from Little Acorns
Have as much energy and drive and enthusiasm
as big people (or more!)
Are as hungry to have an impact as big people
Have as many friends as big people
Grow up into big people
Might not even realize theyʼre little people
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations Blue State Digital Cogapp

36. The Method
Show Whatʼs Behind the Door
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations Blue State Digital Cogapp

37. The Method
Show Whatʼs Behind the Door
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations Blue State Digital Cogapp

38. The Method
Be Authentic
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations Blue State Digital Cogapp

39. The Method
Remember who youʼre accountable to
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations Blue State Digital Cogapp

40. The Method
Make things simpler
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations Blue State Digital Cogapp

41. The Method
Donʼt Drive People Crazy
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations Blue State Digital Cogapp

42. The Method
Seize Moments as they Occur
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations Blue State Digital Cogapp

43. The Method
And Donʼt Forget About Testing!
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations Blue State Digital Cogapp

44. The Method
Test Everything
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations Blue State Digital Cogapp

45. The Method
Testing
Jewish Community Heroes: The new form improved overall site conversion rate by 29%
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations Blue State Digital Cogapp

46. The Method
The Ladder of Participation
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations Blue State Digital Cogapp

47. The Method
The Ladder of Participation
If I canʼt figure out in five
seconds what this has to do
with me, you failed.
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations Blue State Digital Cogapp

48. The Method
Email–3 Key Questions Users Ask
Why am I on this list?
What do you want from me
right now?
What comes next?
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations Blue State Digital Cogapp

49. The Method
What Makes a Good Message
Urgency
Timeliness
Relevance
Continuity
Clarity
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations Blue State Digital Cogapp

50. The Method
What Makes a Good Message
Urgency
Timeliness
Relevance
Continuity
Clarity
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations Blue State Digital Cogapp

51. The Method
And When All Else Fails...
“Iʼve built my entire career on
free parking.”
Development professional, Los Angeles
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations Blue State Digital Cogapp

52. How To
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations

53. How To
E-mail campaigns
Online
Social Media
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations Blue State Digital Cogapp

54. How To
Email Campaigns
Copywriting
Frequency
Campaign thinking
Integration
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations Blue State Digital Cogapp

55. How To
Quick review: The Basics of Online Fundraising
Build a list
Tell your story – start a conversation
Itʼs not just about money – itʼs about empowering people
Be transparent about why you need their help
Donʼt treat all donors the same
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations Blue State Digital Cogapp

56. How To
Talking to New Signups
Things you want to do:
Give them a solid introduction to
your organisation.
Give them an idea of what to expect.
Give them ways to get involved.
Ask them for money (soon).
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations Blue State Digital Cogapp

57. How To
Talking to Existing Constituents
To be authentic, transparent, and drive participation,
messaging must be:
Topical, urgent, and moment-driven
Unafraid to ask, and to articulate the need for and
benefits of action
Group-oriented
Concrete
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations Blue State Digital Cogapp

58. Email Example:
Fundraising Campaign
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations Blue State Digital Cogapp

59. Email Example: Fundraising Campaign
WNET Emergency Campaign
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations Blue State Digital Cogapp

60. Email Example: Fundraising Campaign
WNET Emergency Campaign: Goals
Display need, make a passionate ask (a message that avoided the
subject of financial need would come across as inauthentic).
Express this need specifically to low-dollar donors (this hadnʼt
been done before, the message was always programme-driven).
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations Blue State Digital Cogapp

61. Email Example: Fundraising Campaign
$100K + Raised: 5x Previous Fundraising Record
Campaign anchored by video appeal from Barbara Bantivoglio
(WNET VP for Institutional Advancement) shown online and on-air.
Short and aggressive campaign: 5 email messages over the
course of 3 weeks.
Low dollar gifts made up the 2nd largest segment of gift amounts.
Recent donors to earlier campaigns responded at a high rate.
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations Blue State Digital Cogapp

62. Email Example:
Cultivation
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations Blue State Digital Cogapp

63. Email Example: Cultivation
Vogue Magazine Email Campaign
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations Blue State Digital Cogapp

64. Email Example: Cultivation
Vogue Magazine Email Campaign: Goals
Open up what has typically been viewed as a very protected and
elitist brand.
Create a two-way conversation with Vogue readers (both
subscribers and non-subscribers).
Sell more subscriptions, but not necessarily right away.
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations Blue State Digital Cogapp

65. Email Example: Cultivation
Grace Shared her Story, and Asked for Readersʼ
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations Blue State Digital Cogapp

66. Email Example: Cultivation
Just One of the Thousands Collected:
“I grew up in a small coal mining community in West Virginia.
No big shopping areas, ordered most of our clothes from JC
Penny or Sears. I remember how excited I was with my first
pair of Lee jeans and Nike tennis shoes in Junior High
school. Vogue was a way to look at beautiful photos, and
introduced me to brands that I still remember and now buy as
an adult. Vogue still wows me, to get a peek at the lives of
The Beautiful People! Thank you Vogue for never wavering.”
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations Blue State Digital Cogapp

67. How To
Web
Usability is critical
If your site currently generates £10,000 p.a. in donations,
usability improvements will on average add £8,300 p.a.
to your bottom line
In roughly 12% of cases, returns will be
greater than 1000%
Source: Jakob Nielsen at useit.com
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations Blue State Digital Cogapp

68. How To
Web
Explain the need
Make it easy to get engaged
especially via e-mail
Make it easy to give
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations Blue State Digital Cogapp

69. How To
Web
Worked Example
Peabody Essex Museum
www.pem.org
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations Blue State Digital Cogapp

70. How To
Web
Techniques for improving website performance
User testing
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations Blue State Digital Cogapp

71. How To
Web
Techniques for improving website performance
Critical review
Analytics review
A-B testing
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations Blue State Digital Cogapp

72. Social Media
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations

73. Social Media
Making a Facebook page is not “engagement”
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations Blue State Digital Cogapp

74. Social Media
Who cares how many followers you have if they
wonʼt buy a ticket or write a cheque?
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations Blue State Digital Cogapp

75. Social Media
Appealing content drives social sharing
User– Interviews
Link Calls to
Aggregation
Generated Statistics & Feaures
Action Content
Pictures Event Organizational
Promotion Press
& Updates
& Recaps Stories
Video
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations Blue State Digital Cogapp

76. Social Media
Encouraging comments and conversation
Ask for them
Respond to them
Donʼt require approval
Offer premiums and other drivers of online energy
Repost comments as blog posts
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations Blue State Digital Cogapp

77. Social Media
Case Study: LSM Poster Contest
The Ask:
Create a poster to depict things that
would best lead to rebirth of Michigan
The Prize:
First prize $1,000 – Second Prize $250.
The Goal:
Raise awareness for Letʼs Save
Michigan and grow the email list.
The Response:
Over 300 entries, 60 finalists and
20,000 votes for an email list.
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations Blue State Digital Cogapp

78. Social Media
Case Study: LSM Poster Contest
The Ask:
Create a poster to depict things that
would best lead to rebirth of Michigan
Facebook was a major driver of traffic/
action.
Since pictures are so highly consumed
on Facebook, posting the posterʼs
worked extraordinarily well to drive
traffic back to the contest voting form.
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations Blue State Digital Cogapp

79. Discussion
Online Fundraising for Museums & Cultural Organisations

80. Online Fundraising
for Museums &
Cultural Organisations
Presented by
Rich Mintz Alex Morrison
Blue State Digital Cogapp
rich@bluestatedigital.com alexm@cogapp.com
5th October 2010. ICA, London