This document discusses using crowd funding and social media for nonprofit fundraising. It provides tips on launching a crowdfunding campaign, including defining clear goals and deadlines, telling compelling stories, being creative with images and videos, promoting through various channels, actively engaging on social media, and thanking donors. Specific examples are given of successful crowdfunding campaigns and how to leverage social networks, influencers, and multichannel efforts to maximize fundraising results through crowd funding and social media.

1. Crowd Funding and Social
Media for Fundraising
501 Tech Club Chicago

2. WHO IS MICHAEL HOFFMAN?
• Former senior nonprofit fundraiser and
political consultant
• Online marketing and communications
specialist
• Founded See3 Communications to
merge video and the web for richer
donor engagement experiences

3. This presentation is only made possible because of the contributions of those
that think a lot about this subject. In particular, let’s thank:
Beth Kanter
Lesley Mansford
Carie Lewis Carlson
Look them up on
Slideshare and Google and
see their awesomeness

4. really???

5. Direct Mail lands a punch to Social Media’s head

6. AWESOME?
OR
STINKY?
Social Media for Fundraising

8. Why do organizations use social
media?
• Awareness
• Customer Service
• Advocacy
• Counter negative stories
• Understand consumer interest and behavior
• Stewardship of existing supporters
• Fundraising

9. Let’s
Look at
Some
Numbers

10. 2012 Nonprofit Social Media Benchmark Report

11. Source: M&R/NTEN e-benchmark study
285
112

12. Source: Stanford Social
Intervention Review

13. Source: Waggener Edstrom Digital Persuasion Report

14. What Should You Do?

16. SHARE PAIR

17. Multichannel Fundraising
Peer-to-Peer
Crowdsourcing
3 Places Social Media Works for Fundraising
Curation – Lead
Acquisition

18. Multichannel Fundraising

19. “I just got a keychain and address labels in
the mail from you guys. Now that I see you
posting on Facebook and know you're legit,
I'll be sending a donation. Thanks for the
work you do.”
– Posted to Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) Facebook
Page wall, January 2010

20. Humane Society of US
• 2.3 million Facebook fans
• 329,000 Twitter followers
• 103% growth rate on Facebook from 2012 to
2013, 73% growth from 2013-2015
• 93% growth rate on Twitter from 2012 to 2013,
61% growth rate from 2013 to 2015
• $1 million raised on Facebook (lifetime at the
middle of 2013)
• $200,000 raised per year on Facebook
• 300,000 actions per year taken on Facebook

21. A donor is a donor
• Start considering social media follows like they
are supporters – social CRM / moves
management
• Consider match/append and other efforts to
combine social media and email data to get a
better picture of who they are
• Build your efforts reasonably, don’t over-invest
and expect high direct returns
• Ideal situation: Move online donors to offline –
they will give more, higher lifetime value

22. Why Crowdfunding?

32. Just Do It
Fail Fast, Fail Forward
How to Launch

33. Pick a Well-Defined Goal & Deadline
How to Launch
Beth Kanter
• Fundraiser to honor her father
who passed away, supporting
Surf Rider Foundation
• $5000 Goal
• 2 Weeks to raise the money
• Promoted through social media

34. Start End
Your fundraiser
should look like this
promote
promote Deadline panic. Promote!
promote promote
Not like this
Fundraiser = Campaign
Start End
How to Launch

35. Tell Your Story and Be Creative
How to Launch

36. How to Launch
Pick a
Platform
Upload
Content

37. Images are Powerful…
How to Launch

38. Fundraisers with
videos typically
earn 4X more!
…Videos Even More So
How to Launch

39. Website
Widget
Social Media
Press Releases
Promote Your Fundraiser
How to Launch

40. Build momentum, then branch out
• Staff
• Board of Directors
• Key Influencers
• Donors
• Your Social Network
• Volunteers
• Friends
Start With Your Inner Circle
How to Launch

41. Ask Clearly
Tie to Direct Impact
“$10 provides 500 liters of clean drinking
water to refugees in Somalia.”
“
”
Don’t Be Afraid to Ask
How to Launch

42. Using Social Media

43. • Editorial Calendar
• Facebook < 3 / Day
• Twitter 1++ / Day
• P2P Asks Are Key
• Seed the Tip Jar
Using Social Media
Plan for Success

44. • Mornings: 8 – 9AM
• Lunch: 12 – 1PM
• End of Day: 4:30 – 6PM
• Nights: 9:30 – 11PM
•Weekends vs. Wednesdays!
Active Social Media Times
Using Social Media

45. • ? Vs. .
• Media: Photos, Vids
• Tag Everyone!
• Emoticons Rock! :)
•Respond, Recognize & Retweet
ROI = Realization of Influence
Using Social Media

46. =
$10-
$18
Share & Ask for Shares
Using Social Media

47. The Ask: 5 Minutes/Week
Form a Social Media Marketing Committee
Using Social Media

48. CELEBRATE!
Thank Your Donors

49. • Announce when milestones are met
• Send “thank you” notes
• Show donors their impact
Thank Your Donors
Stay In Touch

50. Beth Kanter – Results
• $5563 – 10% over goal in 2 weeks
• 128 donors with 45% at suggested giving level of
$25
• 43% gave more than suggested level, 12% less
• 92% of people had STRONG ties to Beth, almost
none knew her father
• 85% of donations converted through Facebook
• Thanking donors individually triggered new
donations
• 95% of donations through Razoo site, 5% mobile

51. Beth’s Lessons Learned
• Set a realistic goal
• Don’t set minimum gift levels too low!
• Use “Social Proofing” to get more donors
• Offer many ways to participate – this is a non-
linear supporter journey. Sharing story, donating,
participating in event. Not a simple funnel in the
age of control and info overload
• Find the influencers
• Use promoted posts strategically
• Honor your network’s creativity

52. CONTENT CURATION
is the process of sorting through the vast
amounts of content on the web and
presenting it in a meaningful and organized
way around a specific theme.

58. Can you do this?

60. Take that Direct Mail!

61. E M A I L : M I C H A E L @ S E E 3 . C O M
@ M I C H A E L _ H O F F M A N
THANK YOU!!!
S E E 3 . C O M