Crescendo Interactive: Social Media, Major & Planned Giving Applications

SOCIAL MEDIA: MAJOR & PLANNED GIVING APPLICATIONS

Carolyn M. Appleton, CFRE For Crescendo Interactive, Inc. September, 2012

SOCIAL MEDIA: MAJOR AND PLANNED GIVING APPLICATIONS

“Every once in a while, a person will do something obvious and direct that is no more than it appears to be.

I think they do it to throw you off.”

~ Steven Brust American science fiction author

SOCIAL MEDIA: MAJOR AND PLANNED GIVING APPLICATIONS Personal Experience  Asked to join Facebook in 2008 by a major gift donor, whose family had awarded

several of my nonprofit projects more than $1 million (combined).  I was reticent, didn’t think I had time to learn it, and didn’t see its value.

 I reconsidered given the stature of that donor (and their family) to me and my nonprofit projects.

 I’ve since discovered many major gift donors ~ individuals, families, foundations and agencies ~ are active on social media.  I seek to educate, inform and support them all.

SOCIAL MEDIA: MAJOR AND PLANNED GIVING APPLICATIONS Key Facts and Conference Messages  More people of all ages are online.  Social media is no longer used primarily by young people.  More people 40+ are online, the number is growing & this is a target planned giving audience.  Your organization should have social media metrics in place.  Measure online responses to everything & evaluate your data.  Alter your communications strategies accordingly.

SOCIAL MEDIA: MAJOR AND PLANNED GIVING APPLICATIONS

“Numbers don’t matter.

What’s important is that you understand your audience, know what they want, and give it to them.” ~ Peter Shankman Vice President, Vocus

SOCIAL MEDIA: MAJOR AND PLANNED GIVING APPLICATIONS

“Use the Force, Luke.” ~ Obi-Wan Kenobi

“Star Wars”

SOCIAL MEDIA: MAJOR AND PLANNED GIVING APPLICATIONS

What’s Wrong with Planned Giving Websites?

~ State Farm Insurance  They are too complicated.

 They have too many words.  They use legalese that most people don’t understand.

 They don’t easily offer downloadable information or a way to sign-up for a newsletter.

SOCIAL MEDIA: MAJOR AND PLANNED GIVING APPLICATIONS

What’s Wrong with

Planned Giving Websites?  They don’t focus on the

nonprofit’s mission.  They don’t say how their money will be spent.  They don’t share bequest language easily.

SOCIAL MEDIA: MAJOR AND PLANNED GIVING APPLICATIONS

What’s Wrong with Planned Giving Websites?

 They don’t say who is leading the charge at the nonprofit, and what his or her

strategic plan will be going forward.  They don’t emphasize the history and longevity of the organization.

SOCIAL MEDIA: MAJOR AND PLANNED GIVING APPLICATIONS “The 7 Most Important Things on Your Website” from Business News Daily  Logo

 Social networking links

 Main navigation menu

 Main image

 Search box

 Written content  Bottom of the website.

SOCIAL MEDIA: MAJOR AND PLANNED GIVING APPLICATIONS

“There is no such thing as the general public.” ~ Kivi Leroux Miller The Nonprofit Marketing Guide, 2010

SOCIAL MEDIA: MAJOR AND PLANNED GIVING APPLICATIONS Kivi Leroux Miller  Focus on the basics first ~ your website and e-mail marketing.  Don’t fret about Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other online

venues until you have your website and e-mail program well-inhand.

 Don’t fear failure ~ don’t be too conservative.  Remember, people value honesty and transparency.

SOCIAL MEDIA: MAJOR AND PLANNED GIVING APPLICATIONS

Define Your Audiences: Who Do You

Want to Reach?  Potential donors

 Family members, advisors & friends of donors (gatekeepers)

 Professional advisors  People served by your nonprofit.

SOCIAL MEDIA: MAJOR AND PLANNED GIVING APPLICATIONS

Define Your Audiences: Who Do You Want to Reach?

 What are the values and needs of each group?  What do they care about?  Develop communication and marketing tactics that focus on those traits.

SOCIAL MEDIA: MAJOR AND PLANNED GIVING APPLICATIONS

“Keep it real, be transparent and own what you do

wrong. There is no better way to get an audience to trust you than to be honest with them when you screw

up. Be honest and open, be the person who people think you are.” ~ Peter Shankman Vice President, Vocus

SOCIAL MEDIA: MAJOR AND PLANNED GIVING APPLICATIONS Fast Company ~ September 2012 “Unpleasant Truth No.1: Engagement Can’t be Seen in Dollars.

Until Lady Gaga, Skittles had the record for most likes and comments on a single Facebook post.

Did it boost sales? “Anybody who says they can track that is in a bubble.” ~ Michael Lebowitz, CEO of Big Spaceship (Skittles marketer)

SOCIAL MEDIA: MAJOR AND PLANNED GIVING APPLICATIONS Checklist for Planned Giving Officers

~ Cynthia Wilson Krause ~ Baylor Health Care System Foundation ~ Dallas

 Focus on becoming more of an educator and less of a technician.  Focus on individuals who are truly motivated by charitable intent, not just tax considerations.

SOCIAL MEDIA: MAJOR AND PLANNED GIVING APPLICATIONS

Checklist for Planned Giving Officers

 Strengthen donor-recognition programs to keep current donors.

 Utilize market strategies that incorporate your mission.

 Strengthen your focus on philanthropy and caring about future generations.

SOCIAL MEDIA: MAJOR AND PLANNED GIVING APPLICATIONS

Checklist for Planned Giving Officers  Create a strategy or process for educating your board and senior leadership about the benefits of planned giving.  Determine what type of planned giving program best suits your organization and adjust your strategic plan accordingly.

SOCIAL MEDIA: MAJOR AND PLANNED GIVING APPLICATIONS

What Social Media Should You Use?

SOCIAL MEDIA: MAJOR AND PLANNED GIVING APPLICATIONS

What Social Media Should You Use?  What venues are you comfortable using?  Which venues are appropriate for your nonprofit’s mission, image, and style of communicating?

 Are there venues you aren’t using now, that you should learn?

SOCIAL MEDIA: MAJOR AND PLANNED GIVING APPLICATIONS

Considerations  Constantly evaluate which social media venues might be valuable to your communications strategies ~ new ones are developed

fairly often (keep up with trends).  The most popular venues may not be a good fit. Don’t jump into

new social media venues without thinking them through and figuring out how they might support your communications.

SOCIAL MEDIA: MAJOR AND PLANNED GIVING APPLICATIONS

What Social Media Should You Use?

 Use multiple venues, interweave your posts to provide variety and strengthen your case.

 Curate content ~ think it through before posting and routinely clean-up outdated information.

 Respond to donor and prospect inquiries ASAP and show you’re paying attention.

SOCIAL MEDIA: MAJOR AND PLANNED GIVING APPLICATIONS

How Do I Use Social Media?

My aim is to be helpful, interesting, competent, thoughtful, and broad-reaching in terms of subject matter.

SOCIAL MEDIA: MAJOR AND PLANNED GIVING APPLICATIONS

SOCIAL MEDIA: MAJOR AND PLANNED GIVING APPLICATIONS

Google+ and YouTube LinkedIn

Facebook WordPress Websites (3)

SlideShare

Twitter

Tumblr

SOCIAL MEDIA: MAJOR AND PLANNED GIVING APPLICATIONS

1. WordPress (3) ~ “home base” websites with work experience, helpful links, professional opinions, proposal resources, in-depth coverage.

2. Facebook ~ general, attractive presentation (a “friend” request page to keep out undesired guests), links to articles, and entertainment ~ notification focus.

3. Twitter ~ helpful information also found on my other sites, notifications, blog post promotions.

SOCIAL MEDIA: MAJOR AND PLANNED GIVING APPLICATIONS 4. Tumblr ~ personal and professional posts, strong visual focus, cross-linked to all other venues.

5. LinkedIn ~ professional information and dialogues/posts with everyone (some via group associations), no restrictions as to who links-up.

6. SlideShare ~ professional presentations for access by volunteers and donors.

7. Google+ and YouTube ~ for me, still in development, includes information found on all the above.

Not currently used: Pinterest and Foursquare (Instagram ~ limited)

SOCIAL MEDIA: MAJOR AND PLANNED GIVING APPLICATIONS Your Nonprofit Might Consider …  More than one Twitter account (i.e., one for general information about your nonprofit’s mission and ongoing work; another for special events; and another for professional advisors).  More than one Facebook page (a formal presence for your nonprofit and its mission

and activities, another for legacy donors and their special activities).  Creating video (post them across channels).

SOCIAL MEDIA: MAJOR AND PLANNED GIVING APPLICATIONS

You Might Also …

 Develop an attractive blog with regular posts by the director and program staff about your nonprofit’s accomplishments (cross-link them).  Include guest blog posts by trusted professional advisors (cross-link them).  As appropriate, recognize donors online (but get permission first).

SOCIAL MEDIA: MAJOR AND PLANNED GIVING APPLICATIONS

“Have you ever started a meeting without an agenda?

Driven your car with no destination?

How about gotten surgery before diagnosing a need?” ~ Brian Solis http://www.briansolis.com/

Vision … mission … goal … strategy … action plan!

SOCIAL MEDIA: MAJOR AND PLANNED GIVING APPLICATIONS

Last But Not Least …  Let professionals ~ like Crescendo Interactive ~ handle the “nuts-and-bolts” of planned giving ~ integrate this with your website, e-mail, and social media.  Don’t fear social media, handle mistakes with grace, and keep moving forward.

SOCIAL MEDIA: MAJOR AND PLANNED GIVING APPLICATIONS

Thank you!

Carolyn M. Appleton, CFRE E-mail: cappleton@earthlink.net Blog: http://carolynmappleton.wordpress.com/ SlideShare: http://www.slideshare.net/CAppleton/presentations Fundraising Resources: http://fundraisingresources.wordpress.com/

SOCIAL MEDIA: MAJOR AND PLANNED GIVING APPLICATIONS Photographs in this presentation were provided by:



Carolyn M. Appleton (including one using the iPhone app, Aviary) 

Baylor Health Care System Foundation  

Fast Company

Microsoft Office Online 



Noise to Signal

Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire courtesy of, “One Dress a Day” blog 

Peter Shankman 

Brian Solis



Star Wars

SOCIAL MEDIA: MAJOR AND PLANNED GIVING APPLICATIONS

http://carolynmappleton.wordpress.com/

SOCIAL MEDIA: MAJOR AND PLANNED GIVING APPLICATIONS

Reading List The following articles provide background support for this slide presentation.

SOCIAL MEDIA: MAJOR AND PLANNED GIVING APPLICATIONS READING LIST  Carolyn M. Appleton, “Baby Boomers and Seniors are Embracing Social Media,” WordPress blog (carolynmappleton.wordpress.com/posts/how-baby-boomers-are-embracing-digital-media/).  Boston College, “Giving Data Show Boomers Poised for Record Giving Capacity,” February 7, 2012, AFP Reports and Research (afpnet.org).  Business News Daily, “The 7 Most Important Things On Your Website,” February 16, 2012 (http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/2046-web-design-data.html).

 Campbell Rinker, as reported in Huffington Post Impact, “Online Giving Important to Donors 60+” (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/12/online-giving-important-t_n_1144435.html).

 Jamie Carracher, Edelman Digital, “How Baby Boomers Are Embracing Digital Media,” Mashable, April 6, 2011.

SOCIAL MEDIA: MAJOR AND PLANNED GIVING APPLICATIONS READING LIST  Constant Contact Blogs and Webinars (http://blogs.constantcontact.com/).  Erich Hamm, “Building Relationships with Professional Advisors,” Philanthropy Journal, April 15, 2011.  Aidan Hijleh, “How to Appeal to Facebook’s Fastest Growing Demographic: Seniors,” also includes Boomers, Allfacebook.com, October 4, 2011.  JustGiving (UK), “Older Donors and Online Giving,” August 6, 2012 (http://blog.justgiving.com/community/older-giving/).

 Beth Kanter, “How to Avoid Getting ‘Content Fried,’” NTEN Change, August 15, 2012 (http://www.nten.org/blog/2012/08/15/tips-for-content-curators-from-beth-kanter-how-to-avoid-getting-contentfried?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+nten+%28NTEN+Blog%29).

SOCIAL MEDIA: MAJOR AND PLANNED GIVING APPLICATIONS READING LIST  Cynthia Wilson Krause, “Checklist for Planned Giving Officers,” The NonProfit Times (thenonprofittimes.com/article/detail/checklist-for-the-planned-giving-officers-2768).

 Ian Lurie, “The Data-Driven Disadvantage,” IBM Smarter Commerce, September 7, 2012 (http://asmarterplanet.com/smarter-commerce/page/2).

 MarketSmart Blog, “What’s wrong with the Words on Planned Giving Websites?” April 16, 2012 (State Farm: imarketsmart.com/blog/2012/04/whats-wrong-with-the-words-on-planned-giving-websites/).  Kivi Leroux Miller, The Nonprofit Marketing Guide (John Wiley & Sons, 2010).  National Philanthropic Trust, “2011 Donor-Advised Fund Report” (nptrust.org/images/uploads/2011%20Donor-Advised-Fund-Report(1).pdf).

 NTEN: Nonprofit Technology Network, CHANGE (e-journal on data), September, 2012: http://www.nten.org/ntenchange.

SOCIAL MEDIA: MAJOR AND PLANNED GIVING APPLICATIONS READING LIST  NTEN: Nonprofit Technology Network, “The 2012 Nonprofit Social Networking Benchmarks Report” (http://www.nten.org/research/the-2012-nonprofit-social-networking-benchmarks-report).  Dan Pallotta, “Data Isn’t All It’s Cracked Up to Be,” Dan Pallotta (Tumblr), August 22, 2012 (http://www.danpallotta.com/post/29962726738/data-isnt-all-its-cracked-up-to-be).

 Salvation Army of Southern New England, Connecticut and Rhode Island, YouTube Channel, “The Givers” (http://youtu.be/PmaatG7lwhE).  Katherine E. Swank. J.D. and Lawrence C. Henze, J.D., “Data Bytes or Data Bites? Using Data Efficiently for Planned-Giving Programs,” Advancing Philanthropy, July/August 2012 issue ~ one must be a paid member of AFP to access this article; if you aren’t a member, I can fax a copy: cappleton@earthlink.net (http://www.afpnet.org/Publications/IssueDetail.cfm?itemnumber=11997).

SOCIAL MEDIA: MAJOR AND PLANNED GIVING APPLICATIONS READING LIST

 Marla Tabaka, “Toss Out Your Social Media Metrics,” an interview with Peter

Shankman, Inc.com , May 7, 2012.  Hollis Thomases, Inc.com, “11 Reasons a 23-Year-Old Shouldn’t Run Your Social Media,”

August 10, 2012.  Baratunde Thurston, “The Social Media Road Map (Sorta),” Fast Company, September, 2012 , “Our surefire, can’t lose, 100% accurate guarantee: In this evolving marketplace, nothing is predictable.”  Ross Toro, “America’s Baby Boomers are Retiring Early (Infographic), LiveScience, April 30, 2012 (www.livescience.com).

SOCIAL MEDIA: MAJOR AND PLANNED GIVING APPLICATIONS READING LIST



Mal Warwick, “Just the Facts on Legacy Giving,” The SOFII Foundation, UK (www.sofii.org/node/288).



Mal Warwick, “What an Effective Planned Giving Program Can Mean for Your Organization,” (www.malwarwick.com ~ Learning Resources)



Kathryn Zickuhr and Aaron Smith, Pew Internet & American Life, “Digital Differences,” April 13, 2012 (http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2012/Digital-differences/Main-Report/Internet-adoption-over-time.aspx).

Slide presentation updated September 17, 2012

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