Why Organization Structure Matters for Online Success (13NTC Preview)

On Saturday morning, April 13 in Minneapolis I will be moderating a session at the Nonprofit Technology Conference on Why Organization Structure Matters for Online Success (and why traditional departments don’t work).  I’ve just received final presentations from my panelists from two nonprofits: Rusty Burwell of American Lung Association and Mark Pothier of Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy and from two firms that serve nonprofits:  Ryan Davis of Blue State Digital and Ted Fickes of Bright+3.

Here’s a brief preview of what we’ll be discussing:

  1. What are common characteristics of nonprofits which succeed online?
  2. In additional to structure, how important is organizational culture?
  3. If you can’t restructure, what else can you do to improve the results of your online campaigns
  4. How does the size of your nonprofit affect your digital results?
  5. What steps can you take to break down silos and improve collaboration at your organization?

I’ve asked mjy speakers to keep their presentations brief so we can engage in an interactive conversation with each other and with the audience.   If you’re planning to be at next month’s conference (which is always great), please attend my session.

Should Volunteers Be Asked to Donate Also?

Many nonprofits depend heavily on volunteers to achieve their mission, such as great organizations like God’s Love We Deliver (where I volunteered for several years) and Dorot (for whom I work currently).  Clearly it is important to thank volunteers, since their role is often as important as that of paid staff.  But should volunteers be asked to support these organizations financially also, as is suggested in 4 Ways to Turn Volunteers into Donors.

My take – it depends on how the ask is made.  When I choose to volunteer for a nonprofit, I have already chosen causes that I feel strongly about, e.g. helping seniors.  So I might not be averse to adding financial support, as long as my volunteer efforts are acknowledged and appreciated.  But if I choose not to donate, I want my work to be considered as important as those who help with  contributions.  After all, there are many ways to help a nonprofit, and many organizations would not exist without the help of volunteers.

For more on this topic, the NY Charities NYC event on Feb. 27 will discuss Best Practices for Attracting, Managing and Retaining Volunteers with participating staff from several nonprofits such as JASA (for which I also volunteer).  And if some of your volunteers decide to make donations also, consider it a bonus – not a requirement.

Helping Our Seniors To Go Online

Do you know a senior who would benefit from learning how to use the Internet to connect with family & friends and to enjoy the online resources that most of us now take for granted?

For the past year, I have volunteered through Dorot and JASA to visit seniors in need of companionship and encouragement.  I’ve found that through only an hour or so of my time each week, I can make a big difference in the life of someone who is homebound and/or lacking a community.

Now, through my work with Landmark Education, I am doing a community project to bring in my professional skills in technology and training to enable more seniors to enjoy spending time online. As a first step, I am reaching out to others are already doing this work, such as SeniorNet and the gerontechnology research team at Pace University.  There is also an insightful report from Pew Internet on Older Adults and Internet Use.

Many seniors may need encouragement to get over their fear or reluctance to becoming computer savvy.  As an example, at synagogue today, my Rabbi wasn’t feeling well and told me how sorry he was that he wouldn’t be able to deliver his sermon that he had prepared all week.  I suggested that if he used email, he could send us his talk so we could still benefit from his knowledge, even when he wasn’t able to speak to us.  His eyes glistened, and he replied “you may have something there.”  (I’ve offered to give him some private lessons, but he hasn’t yet taken me up on my offer.)

If you are interested in helping our seniors to better utilize technology and the web, I invite you to join me in this initiative.  After all, we’ll all be seniors someday (hopefully). More details to come in coming weeks.

Addendum 3/26/13
This is why I am seeking to increase community for seniors: read excerpt from page 2 (A Greater Role for Dorot) in Dorot Generations, Winter 2003: “Over the past 25 years, a growing body of research has shown isolation and loneliness to be significant risk factors for physical and mental illness, malnutrition and premature death.  Conversely, other studies have shown that people with more types of social ties fought infections more efficiently, achieved better recovery from strokes, and were less susceptible to depression…”

Tips for Implementing a New Database

Have you ever spent months implementing new database software, only to find out that it’s not being used?  Here are some tips to help you to have a better result:

  • Don’t skimp on testing.  Users must try every function on the computer they normally use.  If your database is web based, pay particular attention to the browser used and version.  (For example, if some of your users are on Windows XP, they won’t be able to install the latest version of Internet Explorer.)
  • If testing is done on a different server than where the software will eventually be loaded, make sure the hardware configuration matches.  Otherwise, you may find later that the production version of the application runs slower / differently than it did on the QA server
  • Make sure testing includes staff that will actually enter data into the database, not just managers
  • Keep a shared list of all open issues, then update them as they are addressed.  Do NOT try to keep track through email.
  • Make sure ALL of the old data is imported successfully.  Don’t be surprised if there is data in multiple sources, including Excel spreadsheets AND Access databases.
  • Provide plenty of training.  I’ve seen many systems with great functionality which were wasted because users couldn’t understand how to use them
  • Expect that changes will be needed once the database goes live.  No matter how good your requirements gathering process is, new issues will arise once the new software is in use
  • Make sure that you’ve included ways to get the data out in useful report formats not just to get the data in.  If possible, allow users to create / edit their own reports (or at least find a tech savvy staff member who can assist with report generation)

If users hate your database, it’s usually not the software – it’s about how it’s been implemented.

Quick Guide to Starting A Nonprofit Blog

(Guest Post from Roxanne Reyes)  My add-on – make sure you can commit to regular updates.

Getting Started with BloggingHaving a nonprofit blog is a convenient way of sharing ideas and news about your organization. Unlike social media profiles that only have limited characters for your updates, blogs can be as long as you want, giving you more room for writing.

A blog will help you to share your thoughts and photos to others. You might also attract more sponsors for your next event. So to start your own nonprofit blog, follow these tips:

Do your research about nonprofit blogs

Before you dive in and start working on your blog’s layout and content, check out examples from other organizations. You will learn about the writing style and approach that blog posts should have, as well as how a nonprofit blog should be designed.

Know the purpose of your blog

Why are you building a blog? Be sure to stay on track when posting updates or entries. Avoid posts that don’t relate to your purpose.

Decide on who will write for blog

Just like how it is for newspapers or magazines, you should have an appointed writer or blogger to handle your nonprofit blog. So your site will hae a consistent style, keep staff handling the blog to a minimum. It can be hard for others to post to your blog unless they first understand its purpose.

Add social media share buttons on your blog

Since social media sites are so popular now, keep your blog connected. Add share buttons to your blog, using plugins like AddThis and ShareThis. This will help you reach more constituents.

Be active on social media sites

Sign up for sites like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. Share photos or teasers to your blog updates here and attract viewers. If it interests others, then you might even win an added share or like on these websites.

Include your blog’s URL on your promotional materials

Get more exposure for your nonprofit blog by referencing it on marketing tools like business cards, flyers, or brochures. Make it a part of your contact information so people will visit to find out more about your organization. A more creative way of doing this tip is to use QR codes for your blog’s URL. People owning smartphones might be intrigued to go and check out what your code will show.

By trying out these ideas, it should be a breeze for you to have your own nonprofit blog. Just remember to consider it as a way to reach your organization’s goals. So, stay true on the posts you’ll be making and be sure to respond to comments. After all, it’s a start of interaction with people who may eventually become supporters of your nonprofit.

Roxanne Reyes is an online writer who believes in supporting nonprofit organizations, volunteers, and advocacies that would benefit children, nature, and animals.  She currently writes for PrintRunner, a friendly printing company for brochure printing and an active partner to NPOs through its nonprofit program.

What Stage Does Your Nonprofit Operate In?

Tribal LeadershipTribal Leadership offers a fascinating look at the five stages of organization culture:

  1. Life sucks – staff are gloomy about everything, including their jobs.
  2. My life sucks – other people are doing OK but I’m not
  3. I’m great – I do great work but others don’t (but so what?)
  4. We’re great – I work with a great team of people and we do great work together
  5. Life’s great – My company is working together with other organizations to do great work

Dave suggests that most companies operate at stage 3; few are lucky enough to get to stage 4 and even less ever make it to stage 5.

The great takeaway here is that if we only rely on ourselves, we can only do so much.  It’s only when we form great teams that we really excel – and we can do even more if we partner with other organizations.  Beth Kanter and Allison Fine’s The Networked Nonprofit spoke about this too.

Find out more at the Tribal Leadership website (you can even download a free audio version of the book).  Then learn how to play well with others – it can reach you to much greater heights than you can achieve by yourself.

More 2012 Blog Highlights

Continuing from last week’s post, these are topics I wrote about on Nonprofit Bridge in 2012:

Wishing you a healthy and joyful 2013!  Hope to see many of you at next year’s Nonprofit Technology Conference in Minneapolis in April, where I’ll be leading a panel on Why Organization Structure Matters for Online Success.

Nonprofit Bridge 2012 Highlights

As we prepare for 2013, here are some 2012 blog highlights:

More 2012 highlights next week and a look forward at 2013.  Happy new year!

Open Letter to Charities I Support – Get to Know Me

Ironically, although I advised nonprofits last week to ramp up their year-end fundraising efforts, I cringe at the mass of direct mail and emails I’ll be receiving this month from the charities I support.  Like many donors, I consistently give to the same organizations each year, and it’s unlikely that repeated solicitations will convince me to give more – although they might persuade me not to give at all.

Recently, I received this letter from the Southern Poverty Law Center which fights hate and promotes tolerance, but sends me more direct mail than I would like.  So here’s my suggestions for how you can get to know me better and keep me as a supporter:

  1. Look at my giving history.  Most of my gifts have been smaller than the $250 you keep defaulting as the minimum suggested amount on your letter.
  2. Update your records.  You keep addressing mail to me and my wife even though we’re no longer living together.
  3. Cut the paper volume.  All of my recent gifts have been online.  Don’t use my donations to keep supporting the Post Office.
  4. I usually make my gifts near year-end.  So don’t send me multiple renewal notices many months before and then follow-up with a ‘final renewal request’ in early December.
  5. In case you’re unsure, ask me how I would like to be communicated with.  Better yet, give me a way online to update my address, phone, email & communication preferences – and then respect my choices.
  6. Please don’t sell my name to other organizations who do similar work – I’d rather find them on my own.
  7. Keep it short and use bulleted lists (which they actually did well here).  Whether on paper or online, I rarely read through the entire letter.

Yes, I’ll continue to support you as long as you do great work.  But please use my gifts responsibly and take the time to get to know me.

It’s December – Quick Tips for Year-End Fundraising

It’s only one month to the charity tax deduction deadline for 2012.  Hopefully, you’re well into your year-end fundraising drive by now.  Here are some quick reminders.

Please don’t:

  • import email addresses of people who haven’t specifically agreed to get your communications
  • keep sending repeated messages to email addresses that have already bounced (this may result in your organization being marked as a spammer)
  • send repeated emails, but don’t bother to check on how well they’re doing so you can improve your response

Please do:

  • synchronize your content across different channels messaging is consistent and that they relate to each other, e.g. direct mails reference the emails or vice versa
  • segment your list so you send a different message to those who have regularly supported your nonprofit than those who have rarely shown interest
  • be specific in explaining how donations will be used to better achieve your mission
  • send prompt thank you messages to those who have already contributed
  • schedule your final email for morning of Mon, Dec. 31 (many constituents will wait until the last day to give)

Want more tips.  Get advice from Katye Andresen and Gail Perry, listen to some Creative Ideas for Year-End Fundraising Online, then attend this webinar on Dec. 6.  Wishing you a successful year-end fundraising season!