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Content marketing for nonprofits the so what who cares guide to creating memorable messaging that educates motivates and inspires First Edition. Edition Leroux Miller
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For those who give generously
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Introduction: The Art and Science of Mobile and Social Fundraising
To effectively use mobile and social media for fundraising, your nonprofit must understand that there is both an art and science to crafting, telling, and distributing your nonprofit’s success stories online. The staff responsible for your online communications and fundraising campaigns must think and create like an artist, yet implement an online communications and fundraising strategy based upon research and the study of online behavior.
In the past the academic discipline of communication studies primarily examined how messages are interpreted through an individual’s political, cultural, economic, and social lens, but today, as a direct result of the rise of mobile and social media, communication arts and science are also the study of how an individual’s interpretation of online messages triggers online reactions. For mobile and social fundraisers, it helps to consistently remind yourself that behind every donation, every like, every share, every retweet, every +1, and every repin, is a human being who was inspired and thus decided to donate and support your cause. Nonprofits that combine the artful creation of content with a scientific approach to mobile and social media are those that excel in their mobile and social fundraising campaigns.
THE ART OF MOBILE AND SOCIAL CONTENT
The ability to inspire giving requires exceptional writing, digital imagery, and video skills. The foundation of your nonprofit’s fundraising strategy is the capability to create website articles, blog posts, e-newsletters, status updates, tweets, pins, and text messages that evoke empathy and trigger the impulse in your donors and supporters to take action on behalf of your nonprofit. Discussed throughout this book is how the art of writing, creating, and editing text and visual content can significantly increase your fundraising success, awareness for your cause, and your donors’ long-term commitment to your organization. Millions of nonprofits, charities, and NGOs worldwide are now active on mobile and social media, but it’s only those that have mastered the art of mobile and social content that stand out from the barrage of emails, status updates, tweets, and mobile alerts that mobile and social donors now experience daily.
THE SCIENCE OF MOBILE AND SOCIAL MEDIA
No matter how compelling your stories and visual content may be, if your nonprofit does not actively study and put into practice the science of mobile and social media, then your stories will go unread, your photos unseen, and your videos unwatched. There is a math and science to mobile and social media, and tragically the vast majority of nonprofits do not understand the science behind the effective use of mobile and social media to inspire giving. This book was written to change that. There are scientifically proven methods for growing your website and blog traffic, your e-newsletter and mobile alert subscribers, and your social network communities. Furthermore, now 10 years into the era of mobile and social media, there are also proven tactics to increase your like, share, retweet, and repin rates. In recent years, fundraising and mobile and social media best practices have primarily focused upon online conversation and crafting a personality for the nonprofit. In this book,
however, your nonprofit will be encouraged to expand beyond conversation as the primary metric to gauge your mobile and social media success. And more importantly through scientific data and analysis, we will prove why your nonprofit should do so.
MOBILE AND SOCIAL FUNDRAISING DATA AND STATISTICS
This book was written during the summer and fall of 2013. Since most fundraising data are not released until late winter or early spring, the majority of the fundraising data and statistics sourced in this book are from 2012. By the time this book is available for purchase in 2014, the first reports on mobile and social fundraising for 2013 will become available. That said, from this point forward all mobile and social giving will increase. The trends in mobile web use and online giving guarantee significant growth in the years to come. For access to the most current mobile and social fundraising data and statistics, there is a series of annual reports and studies that your nonprofit should become a regular reader of:
• eNonprofit Benchmarks Study published by M+R Strategic Services (mrss.com) and the Nonprofit Technology Network (nten .org)
• Charitable Giving Report and the Online Marketing Nonprofit Benchmark Study published by Blackbaud (blackbaud.com)
• Giving USA: The Annual Report on Philanthropy published by the Giving USA Foundation (givingusareports.org)
• Text Donation Study published by mGive (mgive.com)
In addition, for the most current data and statistics on mobile and social media demographics and use, your nonprofit should regularly read the reports published by the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project (pewinternet.org) and comScore (comscore.com).
MOBILE AND SOCIAL FUNDRAISING BEST PRACTICES ARE UNIVERSAL
The best practices provided in this book are applicable no matter what country your nonprofit, charity, or nongovernmental organization (NGO) is based in. However, the communications and fundraising software recommended in this book are primarily for those nonprofits based in the United States. Since Internet search results are based upon your country of origin, while reading this book it’s suggested that your charity or NGO conduct online searches for the communications and fundraising software most popular and accessible in your country. For example, to locate online fundraising software, simply search “online fundraising software,” and the top results will reveal the services most commonly used in your country. With almost 200 countries worldwide and thousands of nonprofit software solutions, narrowing the list of recommended software to nonprofits in the United States was necessary and pragmatic since the vast majority of nonprofits that will buy this book are U.S.-based. That said, charities and NGOs that read this book will also gain valuable knowledge on how to use mobile and social media effectively in order to build a global network of donors and supporters.
MOBILE AND SOCIAL FUNDRAISING IS A WORK IN PROGRESS
Since 2005 I have spent an average of 50 hours a week observing nonprofits, charities, and NGOs on mobile and social media. Although in my first book, Social Media for Social Good: A How-To Guide for Nonprofits, I rightfully credited the nonprofit sector for pioneering social media, today many nonprofits are falling behind. Too many nonprofits are still implementing out-of-date best practices and do not understand how best practices evolve and change regularly. Most nonprofits have also not fully recognized that successful mobile and social fundraisers are exceptionally skilled professionals who need a budget for software, graphic design, premium tools, access to regular quality training, and a significant block of time to commit to mobile and social media. This book
reiterates often the financial requirements necessary to be successful in mobile and social media and features best practices written to stand the test of time.
For updates on the best practices featured in this book, please follow my blog, Nonprofit Tech for Good (nptechforgood.com) and its related social network communities. Since I first began helping nonprofits use MySpace in 2005, my aspiration has always been to be useful and to be of service to the nonprofit sector. I believe wholeheartedly that mobile and social media can inspire giving and raise awareness for your nonprofit’s cause, but only if you use them well and strategically. Every piece of advice in this book is a result of my own personal use of and experimentation with mobile and social media. In the process I have built an online community of more than 1 million followers worldwide who support nonprofits. I say this not to boast, but to reinforce the idea that there is indeed an art and a science to mobile and social media, and this book will teach you how to excel at both.
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PART 1
CREATE AND IMPLEMENT
A MOBILE AND SOCIAL
FUNDRAISING STRATEGY
The number of online communications and fundraising tools available to nonprofits today is astounding—and overwhelming. From selecting a content management system (CMS) for your website to deciding which social networks your nonprofit should be active on, there is a dizzying array of services, strategies, opinions, and best practices to choose from. Nonprofits with the capacity and the executive buy-in to upgrade their online communications and fundraising systems can set aside months or even years for research and implementation. However, the vast majority of nonprofits struggle to find the time and resources, or they become so overwhelmed that they avoid the process entirely.
Putting off the inevitable, however, is a losing proposition for nonprofits. Mobile and social media have advanced so quickly that seemingly overnight the online communications and fundraising strategies that nonprofits have had in place for years are suddenly deficient and inadequate. This is the harsh reality that many nonprofits worldwide are starting to understand and digest. Nonprofit technology experts and advocates have been
warning the nonprofit sector for years that mobile and social media were going to transform nonprofit communications and fundraising in profound ways, but a global recession that forced nonprofits to slash their budgets and implement hiring freezes was a challenging, if not impossible, environment for upgrading their systems.
Today, with charitable giving on the upswing, the nonprofits that have survived the Great Recession are ready to move forward. At the very least, most nonprofits sense that a seismic shift in online communications and fundraising is upon us and know that they need to make changes, but they aren’t exactly sure what those changes are or how to prioritize them.
The first step is having a strategic plan, and this book is meant to help your nonprofit conceptualize, write, implement, and maintain that plan. The resources and best practices discussed will keep your nonprofit from spending countless hours conducting your own independent research, and hopefully it will make the process less overwhelming and more manageable.
1
Nonprofit Technology and Fundraising
Nonprofit technology is the use of information and communication technology so that nonprofits can better achieve their mission and implement their programs. In practice, nonprofit technology is the utilization of hardware and software to manage donors, volunteers, and projects; to execute web and email communications; to launch fundraising and advocacy campaigns; to participate in mobile and social media; and to sell products and tickets online. If you work for a nonprofit that relies heavily on individual fundraising, the decisions you make concerning nonprofit technology will dictate your fundraising and program success and thus should be at the forefront of your mind and your priorities as you select your online communications and fundraising systems and create and implement your mobile and social fundraising strategic plan.
ALL ONLINE COMMUNICATIONS AND FUNDRAISING ARE NOW MOBILE AND SOCIAL
There are two trends in nonprofit technology that are changing the fundamentals of online communications and fundraising. The first is the rapid shift away from content being consumed primarily on personal computers to content also being consumed on smartphones and
tablets. The impact of this change is that most nonprofit websites and email communications designed primarily for desktop and laptop consumption cannot be easily read or utilized on small smartphone and tablet screens. Smartphones now outsell PCs, and it is projected that tablets will surpass PC sales in 2015.1 Although predictions and data vary widely depending upon user demographics (country, age, education, income, etc.), it would be safe to assume that by 2016 the majority of your nonprofit’s web content will be consumed on a smartphone or tablet (or a smartwatch or through Internet-connected glasses), or through social networking apps, mobile browsers, and mobile email clients. Your nonprofit has two years to prepare for this shift, but you’d be wise to own and embrace the assumption that all communications and fundraising are now mobile.
The second shift in nonprofit technology is the rise and maturation of social media. With the launch of Blogger and WordPress in 1999, LinkedIn in 2003, and Facebook in 2004, online audiences are now well familiar with social media. It’s been in existence for more than a decade and has matured to become a very powerful force for distributing content, fundraising, branding, and raising awareness for causes and issues. However, the vast majority of nonprofits have embraced social media only within the last five years, but even within that short amount of time its power and impact upon nonprofit communications and fundraising is astonishing. Donors and supporters now expect nonprofit content and fundraising campaigns to be interactive and social. When you combine this expectation with the rise of mobile communication, it becomes apparent that nonprofits have arrived at a tipping point and those nonprofits that focus on upgrading their technology systems now will be well positioned to reap the benefits of the mobile and social web in the future.
MOBILE AND SOCIAL MEDIA ARE POWERFUL FUNDRAISING TOOLS
The popular misconception that mobile and social media do not result in more donations hinders many nonprofits from making the necessary financial investments in upgrading their technology systems. Unless your nonprofit specifically asks your donors what messaging tool inspired them to
make their donation, it’s very difficult to track and allocate specific donations to mobile and social media. Until recently, mobile and social media managers (for simplicity, from this point forward referred to as new media managers) had to rely solely on a combination of gut instinct and tracking metrics, such as website and blog traffic, email and mobile subscribers, and social network community growth, to prove to executive staff that their efforts were resulting in more funds raised. Without concrete proof, it’s been challenging for most nonprofits to get the buy-in to hire new staff, to invest in cutting edge communications and fundraising systems, and to shift budgets and staff job descriptions toward new media.
The early adopter nonprofits that are now some of the most popular, well-funded nonprofits on the mobile and social web were given the green light to experiment and to invest financial resources long before there was any proof or indication that their mobile and social media campaigns would pay off in the end. Most often these efforts were spearheaded by an ambitious and enthusiastic millennial or gen Xer who knew instinctively that mobile and social media were the new frontier and the future of online communications and fundraising. Some early adopters initially met resistance from executive staff who feared open and social communications, but they were persistent and would not give up until support was given. Others were empowered to invest time and financial resources early on by forward-thinking executive staff who were not resistant. Sadly, however, most small to medium-sized nonprofits are still struggling to get buy-in. All over the world, it’s the one theme that unites all nonprofits, NGOs, and charities—they may have the green light to experiment with mobile and social media, but only if its free and doesn’t require any additional investments in staff time or training. But as the statistics below demonstrate, this is an approach doomed to failure and is counterproductive to your nonprofit’s future fundraising efforts:
• Thirty-seven percent of nonprofits attribute their social media success to having executive management make social media a priority.
• Fifty-five percent of individuals who engage with nonprofits on social media are inspired to take action. Of that 55 percent, 59 percent
donated money, 53 percent volunteered, and 52 percent donated food or clothing.
• Eighteen percent of all social fundraising donations are referred from Facebook.
• Twenty-eight percent of text donors give in response to hearing about a text-to-give campaign on social networks.
• Online fundraising is growing on average by 14 percent annually across all sectors.2
To successfully utilize mobile and social media, staff time and financial resources need to be allocated. Very few nonprofits can “wing it” on a $0 budget. As mobile and social media have matured, the expectations of donors and supporters are much higher than when winging it was an acceptable strategy. It’s understandable that during challenging economic times nonprofits need to pull back financially, but as the economy recovers and nonprofit staff take a breath and move forward, it’s crucial that they truly digest and understand how dramatically online communications and fundraising has changed since the Great Recession began in 2007. It’s the message woven throughout this book gently yet forcibly— even if you can invest only five staff hours and a mobile and social media budget of $1,000 annually, your nonprofit must invest in mobile and social media. When you realize their power and effect upon fundraising results, you’ll see that they are not a financial risk at all, but in fact, will pay off in the long run.
HOW DEMOGRAPHICS PLAY A ROLE IN MOBILE AND SOCIAL MEDIA
The demographics of your donors and supporters will have an enormous impact on your technology decisions. Five years ago having a website, an e-newsletter, and a “Donate” button was an effective online communications and fundraising strategy that could be applied to all online donors and supporters. However, as the use of mobile and social media skyrocketed, suddenly this strategy became too narrow and insufficient. Demographics such as age, race, class, gender, and rural versus
urban need to be considered heavily when you are crafting your mobile and social media strategy because they will have a significant impact upon your deciding what tools should be prioritized and how financial resources should be allocated. With millions of nonprofits worldwide, each with unique missions, programs, and donor lists, no blanket statements can be made about what tools must absolutely be used, but knowing your supporters well and their preferred communication and fundraising channels can help prevent your nonprofit from wasting precious time and resources. Age, race, class, and geographical divisions manifest themselves on mobile and social media just as they do offline, and staying current on demographic shifts is crucial to ensure fundraising success.
the impact of age demographics on Mobile and social Media and fundraising
Each generation living today has come of age with profoundly different experiences concerning mass communication, and these differences directly affect how they give to nonprofits. Seniors who came of age during the era of print media still prefer print communications and charitable giving. The same is mostly true of baby boomers; however, they are young enough to be experiencing the rise of new media in their daily lives, which consequently is affecting their life-long giving habits. Gen X and gen Y both came of age during the rise of mass Internet communications and increasingly shun print communications and fundraising, while adapting quickly to new trends in mobile and social giving. And gen Y members who will come of age in a postprint era will be connecting to causes and giving to nonprofits through technologies that haven’t been invented yet. Because of the rapid speed of technological advancement, from this point forward nonprofits will have to embrace multiple communications and fundraising tools if they want to reach donors and supporters of all ages.
Generation Z (Born 2001–Present, Currently Ages 13 and Younger)
Generation Z is being born into digital technology and will be highly connected throughout their lifetime. This future generation of donors will
come of age using tablets and smartphones, smart TV, mobile and social media, and technologies not yet invented. Currently, more than 50 percent of children ages 0–8 spend an average of 43 minutes daily on smartphones and tablets watching videos, reading, and playing games.3 As the sales of smartphones, tablets, and smart TVs continue to rise, these numbers will continue to grow, representing a trend that will define a generation. While generation Z is not yet influential on your fundraising campaigns, nonprofits that work in education, child services, and youth empowerment should be laying a foundation now for future outreach.
Millennials (Born 1980–2000, Currently Ages 14–34)
The millennial generation consists of 76 million Americans who are tech savvy, well-informed, and results-driven. Eighty-three percent of millennials ages 18–29 use social networking sites on a regular basis as do 73 percent of teens. Millennials greatly prefer smartphones over any other device and send an average of 20 text messages per day.4 Eightythree percent of millennials donate to charity with 84 percent of those donations being made online (58 percent of the donations are $100 or less),5 and a whopping 91 percent of millennials review a nonprofit’s website before making a donation.6 They are also more likely to donate to a nonprofit directly from a social networking site or through text than any other generation. However, the millennial generation doesn’t consider technology to be a panacea for living the good life. Milliennials also value privacy and time away from mobile and social media, reading print copies of books, and regularly visit libraries.7
Generation X (Born 1965–1979, Currently Ages 35–49)
Generation X gives twice as much to charity as millennials do, but as millennials mature in their career and accumulate wealth, these two generations will be very similar in their giving habits. Made up of 46 million Americans who donate approximately 20 percent of all giving in the United States,8 this generation came of age when websites and email were breakthroughs in nonprofit technology, and they have had a love affair with the Internet ever since. As the generation that also pioneered blogging, generation Xers have adapted well to the rise of mobile and social media. Seventy-seven percent use social networking sites and
they are more likely to own a tablet than any other generation.9 Those born into generation X came of age writing and mailing checks to nonprofits, but they now overwhelmingly prefer donating online in amounts ranging from $100 to $499 annually.10
Baby Boomers (Born 1946 –1964, Currently Ages 50–68)
The baby boomer generation is often underestimated in its technology skills. While print readership is highest among boomers, in recent years they have adopted mobile and social media at a rapid rate. On average, boomers spend 19 hours a week online, and 71 percent use a social networking site daily with Facebook being the most popular.11 Thirty-six percent of boomers ages 50 and over own a smartphone, and 32 percent own a tablet.12 When you combine these data with the fact that boomers control 70 percent of disposable income in the United States and spend nearly $7 billion per year online on consumer purchases,13 it is a huge mistake to believe the stereotype that boomers aren’t giving online. Fiftyfour percent of boomer donors still mail checks to nonprofits, but the boomers are the most generous of all generations, donating more than $47 billion annually. They are also the generation that has been driving the rapid growth in online fundraising in recent years.14 In 2012, 58 percent of boomers donated online compared to 44 percent in 2010.15
Silent Generation (Born 1925–1945, Currently Age 69 and Older)
Many members of the silent generations were born during the Great Depression and World War II. In 1951 TIME magazine published an article, “The Younger Generation,” which defined the silent generation as grave and fatalistic, stating: “Youth today is waiting for the hand of fate to fall on its shoulders, meanwhile working fairly hard and saying almost nothing. The most startling fact about the younger generation is its silence.” This generation, however, is silent no longer. Those 74 and older are the fastest-growing demographic among social network users, with seniors accounting for 11 percent of all Facebook users.16 To stay in touch with friends and family, 18 percent of senior citizens own a smartphone or tablet,17 and high-speed Wifi is being installed in assisted living facilities and nursing homes nationwide. However, print communications are still essential for donor outreach to the silent generation. Seventy-seven
percent prefer to mail checks to nonprofits,18 but it is worth noting that the percent of those aged 65 and older donating online jumped to 36 percent in 2012, up from 29 percent in 2010.19
the impact of race, class, gender, and geography demographics on Mobile and social Media
Danah Boyd, a senior researcher at Microsoft Research and a fellow at the Berkman Center for Internet & Society, pioneered the study of how age, race, class, gender, and geography impact social networks and online community behavior. Her research on the rise of Facebook use among white, middle- and upper-class urban youth in 2008 and 2009 in contrast to a heavily African American, Hispanic, and white workingclass and rural MySpace community was ground-breaking. Since then, her research has become invaluable to those committed to diversity in technology use and bridging the digital divide. In 2012 when she was interviewed by the BBC, Boyd affirmed, “The early adopters of Web technology all thought that once we got everyone online, the Internet would be the great equalizer, but instead we’ve found that all of the divisions that exist in everyday life, including those by race and class, actually re-emerge online.”20 For nonprofits, this means that you have to have a clear understanding of your donors and the communities you serve so that you can make wise decisions during the strategic planning process about which communication channels to prioritize and invest in. The intersection between race, class, gender, and geography and mobile and social media is complex and by no means absolute, but there are trends that nonprofits should be aware of:
• Sixty-four percent of African Americans own a smartphone compared to 60 percent of Hispanics and 53 percent of whites.
• In households earning less than $50,000 annually, 55 percent own Android phones compared to 36 percent who own iPhones.
• In households earning $75,000 or more annually, tablet ownership is at 56 percent compared to 30 percent in households earning less than $30,000 annually.
• Sixty-seven percent of online adults use Facebook. Fifty-eight percent of its users are female.
• Twenty percent of online adults use LinkedIn. Fifty-four percent of its users are male.
• Sixteen percent of online adults user Twitter. Sixty-two percent of its users are female. The largest racial group using Twitter is African Americans at 26 percent and Twitter’s user base skews urban.
• Fifteen percent of online adults use Pinterest. Seventy percent of its users are female, predominately white, and come from households earning more than $50,000 annually.
• Ten percent of online adults use Google+. Sixty-four percent of its users are male.
• Thirteen percent of online adults use Instagram. African Americans, Hispanics, and women are the most active users. Instagram’s user base also skews urban.
• Of those with a liberal political ideology, 79 percent use social media compared to 63 percent with a conservative political ideology.21
The early adopters of social networks tend to be male, white, and educated, but over time social networks have become more diverse. Pinterest was a fascinating exception in that its early adopters were overwhelmingly female, white, rural, and from low-income households. Social networks with robust mobile experiences, such as Twitter and Instagram, are the most diverse in terms of race because of smartphone and tablet ownership trends. All that said, by the time this book goes to print these stats will have shifted. As technology evolves, so do demographics, and so should your nonprofit’s mobile and social fundraising strategic plan.
UPGRADE NOW, OR BECOME OBSOLETE
Emerging trends in mobile and social media clearly indicate that a fundamental shift is occurring in how nonprofits fundraise. Interestingly enough, however, print fundraising results are up, but with a twist—
check-writing is no longer the dominant method of giving in response to direct mail. In 2012, 50 percent of donors said they prefer to give online when they receive a letter in the mail from a charity, up from 38 percent in 2010.22 For nonprofits to be successful in fundraising, they must pursue a multichannel approach using print, web, and email communications, and mobile and social media in order to appeal to donors of all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Fundraising has become more complex and time consuming than it used to be, but if done well, it can be more rewarding. And no matter what communication channels your nonprofit decides to focus on, your website’s donate page is central to your success. It needs to be mobile compatible with social media integration and supported by an easy-tomanage constituent relationship management (CRM) system. Your website, email, and blog content must also take into account the growing number of donors and supporters who read your content through mobile apps (applications) and browsers. Your event promotion and management must also be adapted to accommodate today’s Internet users. The fact is that every online fundraising campaign is now heavily impacted by mobile and social media, and as a result nonprofits will have to upgrade their technology systems or risk becoming obsolete. If the foundation upon which a nonprofit’s fundraising strategies are based is dysfunctional, then so will be the nonprofits that depend on fundraising for survival. It’s not going to be easy or free, but it will be empowering in helping your nonprofit achieve its mission, programs, and fundraising goals for years to come.
The good news is that the global economy is on the upswing and with it is charitable giving. It’s a slow growth, but it is growth nonetheless. In the coming years nonprofits will be able to reallocate some of their budgets to technology and to hiring new communications and fundraising staff. With more than 1.6 million nonprofits in the United States,23 blanket statements about expanding budgets and staff hours are problematic, but as this book will demonstrate, even the most budget-strapped nonprofits can make small investments that have a big impact.
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On the following day a neighboring cat, whom I have since learned to know as Jack, came into our yard, and I noticed that he persistently sniffed around the little fresh mound.
“What is in there?” said he, after he had visited it for the third time.
I told him about the sad occurrence of the day before.
“Was it a gray cat with white toes?”
I told him it was.
“Poor Betsy Whitefoot,” said Jack, in tones of real anguish. “I have shared my meals with her ever since the Mortons went to their summer house in the country. A better mouser never lived than Betsy, and how they could so cruelly desert her is more than I can understand.”
I could plainly see that Jack was filled with wrath and bitterness toward the people who had caused his friend so much sorrow, and I suggested to him that we go up in one of the poplar trees where we could talk over the matter quietly, and without attracting attention.
Jack readily assented, and when we had found a nice comfortable place he went on telling me more about the Mortons.
“Last winter,” said he, “during that dreadfully cold spell some kittens came to Betsy, and they made her stay in the cold shed without even a box or basket, and all that she could find to lay the kittens on was some straw in a corner of the floor Of course the poor little things all got dreadfully sore eyes; two became completely blind; and one by one they drooped and died, till even Betsy herself told me she was thankful they were out of their misery, and that she hoped she would never have any more. And by the way, there goes Will Morton now,” said Jack, pointing down to the sidewalk. “Take a good look at him, and always avoid him if he comes your way.”
It was unnecessary for Jack to administer the caution, for the lad was no stranger to me; indeed he was the very boy who pelted me with stones on that hapless day when I strayed away from my mother. I never forgot him, for from time to time I would see him pass
our house, usually puffing away at a cigarette, and accompanied by rough looking hard-faced boys.
Jack could not restrain himself from telling all that was in his heart about the dreadful Mortons. Said he: “Last winter Will went on a journey with his uncle, and he promised faithfully to write to his mother twice a week. But during four weeks he never wrote her even a postal card. And many a Sunday when his mother thinks he is in Sunday-school, I have seen him out in the alley with his companions, smoking and listening to rude stories. It all goes to show that he has as little respect for her feelings as she has for those of her cat.”
I was strongly tempted to tell Jack my own experience with Will Morton, but I felt that he had enough of heaviness on his mind, and I tried my best to think of something pleasant. I told him how kindly mistress had received Betsy, and how gently she put her to sleep, and it seemed to lessen somewhat the grief which he felt for his departed friend.
“I am thankful,” said he, “that there are some people in this world who realize that even a poor sick cat has some rights, and I hope that the day is not far off when every town and city will have a place where dumb animals that are deserted or lost or sick, can be taken in for protection and care.”
I told him that I hoped so too, for I knew that only a short time ago, mistress had had an experience which made us all feel the need of such a place. I heard her tell Guy of a poor sick and homeless pug dog she saw on the street, and how she stopped to put a courtplaster over a raw spot on his ear. Of course, the dog felt that she was his friend, and he followed her to her office. But she had no place to keep him, so she sent word to the Dog Hospital about it. She might have called the Humane Agent to come and shoot the dog, but she thought he was a nice animal and worth saving.
Well, the hospital man came and examined the dog, said he was old and sick, not worth trying to save, and that the only thing he could do for him was to chloroform him and take him to the glue factory. Mistress told him to do that; but she had to pay him two dollars before he would do another thing for the dog. A hospital of that kind
is all right for an animal whose master is able to pay; it does not as a rule help poor homeless creatures. My idea of a hospital is one where any animal, no matter how poor or sick or unsightly, is welcomed, and either nursed back to health or put out of its misery. I have heard that in some large cities kind-hearted people have founded such asylums. But we must hope and pray that good people may be found in every town and city, willing to devote a portion of their means to the relief of suffering animals.
XII
SUNSHINE AND SHADOW
O pleasant Saturday afternoon I was awakened from my nap by a sound as of rustling foliage, and the room seemed to be suddenly filled with the odor of fresh violets. I opened my eyes and saw a very stately-looking lady, dressed in a beautiful silk gown and a hat that was covered with gaily colored birds, all having their wings spread as if about to fly away. She was seated in the high-back chair, and I quickly climbed up on it from the rear, and was just ready to spring upon the birds, when she gave a dreadful scream and ran out onto the porch.
At this, mistress came rushing down-stairs, and the lady told her with frantic gestures and loud exclamations what a dreadfully rude thing I had done to her. Mistress led her back into the parlor, and got her quieted as well as she could, but presently Budge and Toddy, who had been napping in the bay-window seat, also came into the parlor.
“Are all of these cats yours?” said the lady, with apparent astonishment. “I should think they would be a dreadful nuisance.”
I could see that mistress was annoyed by the remark, but she answered her very gently, and said: “It depends on your treatment of cats, Mrs. Cotton, whether they will be a nuisance or a pleasure. I have always found them a pleasure, and besides, I have a special purpose in keeping pets.”
“A purpose in keeping cats!” exclaimed the lady; “do tell me what it is.”
“It is to teach my boy to be tender and humane toward all animals; and as we cannot afford expensive pets like dogs and horses, we are satisfied with cats.”
“You are the first person I ever heard speak of a purpose in keeping cats,” said Mrs. Cotton. “I always supposed that people had cats because they just happened to come to them.”
“That is not the case with these cats,” replied mistress. “We formerly lived in a flat where we could not keep pets, and that is one of the reasons why I went to housekeeping.”
“But do you not find it very expensive to keep house for just you two?”
“We do,” said mistress, “but it is the money that is wisely expended, after all, that brings the largest returns. To many people, no doubt, our modern flats are a great boon, affording comfort and safety that they could not possibly secure elsewhere. But to my mind, the landlord who banishes children from his flat is a public benefactor, however selfish may be his motives. A child should have a home in the truest sense of that precious word, a home with lawn and garden, with room for pets and tools and playthings, affording him ample opportunity to give wholesome expression to his feelings. It is the life lived day by day in the home that moulds and fashions a child’s character, rather than any training he receives in school. Spend your money right now in forming correct ideas, and encouraging expression of them, rather than save it by ignoble economy, only to be spent later in the vain attempt to reform a character perverted and dwarfed through narrow and contracted living.”
“I have never before had my thoughts turned to this subject,” said Mrs. Cotton, looking very earnestly into mistress’ face, “but I believe what you say is true. I am so thankful my children are still young, that I may profit by your excellent ideas. And as for cats, I never before thought they were good for anything, having been brought up to think of them as uncanny creatures, something to be abhorred and dreaded. But as my little boy has written Santa Claus to bring him a kitty for a Christmas gift, I suppose I will have to give up my prejudice.”
“It is the superstition of a by-gone age,” said mistress; “but a happier day is coming, when the cat will be given her rightful place as a
household pet; and through gentle treatment her nature will become still more refined and ennobled. Notwithstanding all that has been said about their selfish disposition, my cats have at times shown great consideration for each other. For instance, once I gave them their milk in a narrow dish, where only one could lap at a time, and to my great surprise they took turns. On another occasion I had prepared a plate of meat for them, arranging each cat’s portion by itself. Budge and Meow were not present, so Toddy ate his portion and left theirs untouched.”
“That is certainly remarkable,” said Mrs. Cotton. “I shall no longer object to having one in our house. But I fear we shall no sooner have become attached to her before she will leave us. My neighbor has had three very pretty kittens given her during the last six months, and not one stayed longer than a week.”
“Where does she keep them?”
“Oh, they stay around the yard, and when it’s cold they crawl under the barn, or if they get a chance they go up in the haymow.”
“No wonder,” said mistress. “A cat, with her domestic instincts, in order to become attached to a place, must have a cozy, comfortable corner somewhere in the house that she can call her very own. It may be nothing more than a basket with a pad or a cushion in it, but it must be permanently located in a retired corner of a comfortable room. A cat thus provided will become attached to her own peculiar furniture, and even should the family remove to another place, if she is carefully transferred to the new home, and her corner is at once fitted up in a quiet room where she can be kept indoors for a few days, she will not go away.
“And while we are talking on this subject, I trust you will pardon me if I mention something that may seem very trivial to you, but which I consider of great importance. A cat should have a name, because it adds to her dignity, and commands respect for her. Moreover it enhances her commercial value to be thus individualized, and lifted above the general mass of her kind.”
“I am very glad to know all these things,” said Mrs. Cotton. “You certainly have interested me in this subject as I never have been before in all my life.”
Before Mrs. Cotton went away that afternoon she actually came over to the window-sill and gave Budge several gentle strokes. I suppose she chose Budge because he is the smallest.
“How docile and confiding,” said she; “they seem to know no fear at all; and such soft and glossy coats I never saw before.”
“Their confiding and docile nature is due to kind treatment,” said mistress, “and the soft and glossy coats are the result of good food, plenty of fresh water and clean pads.”
As Mrs. Cotton took her departure, it seemed as though her face wore a far more kindly expression than it did when she came in.
Of course, I was delighted to hear all these good things, and especially that we cats are useful, and serving our dear mistress such a good purpose. May the time be near at hand when the sunshine of love and good-will shall chase away every shadow of hatred and cruelty!
J
XIII
JACK
J was a large black Manx cat that lived on Poplar Avenue, the friend of Betsy Whitefoot, as you will remember. His tail was only about an inch long, and his hind legs were higher than his front ones.
One day when jack’s mistress called at our house he followed her, and, having known him since the death of Betsy, I gave him a hearty welcome.
“Where did you get this beautiful cat?” said mistress, the moment she saw Jack.
“My husband brought him home one bitter cold day last winter,” said Mrs. Vandervere. “He saw some boys chase him through an alley. The poor creature was so thoroughly frightened that for several days he stayed almost constantly behind the cook-stove, refusing to come out. We thought the boys had cut off his tail, but when I came to wash him I discovered that he never had one. When he recovered from his fright we found him to be a very affectionate cat, and now we feel as though we could not do without him. Often when I am sewing he sits on my shoulders, and he used to have a fashion of pulling pins out of my waist with his teeth and drop them on the floor But one day he pulled out a crooked pin and swallowed it, and by the way he acted we thought Jack would not be with us much longer. A raw egg, however, seemed to do him good, and in a few days he was all right again; but he has never pulled out any more pins.”
Jack and I with Budge and Toddy had been lying in our sunny baywindow, but while his mistress was still talking we two got up and went out into the yard. Jack went straight to Betsy’s grave and sniffed around a while, then he mounted the fence and showed me the shortest cut over to his house, and he also invited me to visit his catnip bed, in which he turned several somersaults. Then he led the way through the cellar window up into the house, and in the library beside the fireplace was his basket, a beautiful willow trimmed with red ribbons, and a soft cushion inside. Jack told me that was his “corner.” After a while we went outdoors again, and he showed me how far he could jump. It was from the top of the porch railing to the ground; and when I am a full-grown cat I expect to be able to do the same.
“H T M I S ”
After that day Jack came to see me quite often, and he seemed especially to enjoy our beautiful sunny porch, which, with its pads and cushions and baskets, looked very much like Miss Virgie’s playhouse.
Whenever I visited Jack, we used to sit on a garden bench that stood in his yard, and upon which his mistress always left a blanket for Jack’s special comfort.
Jack was a great fellow to talk about old times, and one day when we were enjoying a sun bath on the bench he told me a very interesting story. He said that his ancestors came from an island across the ocean, and that he hoped some day to visit that country.
I described to him my journey last summer on the steamboat, and our visit on the farm, and it made him even more anxious to go.
Continuing his story, Jack said that he was a lineal descendant of the famous cat that made a fortune for Richard Whittington, who was “Thrice Lord Mayor of London.”
At this point I interrupted Jack to have him explain to me the meaning of “ancestor,” and “lineal descendant.” Jack was so friendly with me, I did not mind asking him, and he willingly explained it to me.
He said that the cat that lived with Richard Whittington very many years ago had a son named Tom; Tom had a son named Toby; Toby had a son named Jack, and so they kept on having sons till it finally came down to him, and that made Tom his ancestor, and him a lineal descendant.
Jack then told me of some of his experiences. He said that his ability to catch rats used to be quite as good as that of his early ancestor, but that since he lived in his present home, he had not much practice, there being no rats in the neighborhood, except an occasional one around the ash barrel.
I asked him where he learned the business, and he told me that he used to live in a down-town boarding-house, where he sometimes killed as many as twenty rats in one day. But the cook caught one alive one day, and tied a string around his neck with a little bell attached, and let him go back to his hole; and the ringing of the bell so frightened the other rats that they all went away. Said Jack: “My occupation was gone, and as the boarding-house keeper had no further use for me, she got some boys to chase me away.” And then he added with some bitterness: “That was the way she rewarded me for my services.”
I told Jack that I thought the treatment he received was very cruel. Indeed, I think a dose of chloroform administered to a cat one has no further use for, is much more humane than chasing him away, especially in cold weather. Of course, I didn’t tell Jack so; and indeed I am glad it was not done in his case. But not every cat is so fortunate as to be picked up by a kind-hearted person and taken to a good home.
Continuing our conversation I said to Jack: “Don’t you think your present beautiful home and kind mistress came to you as a reward for your industry in the boarding-house?”
He said he had never thought of it in that light before, but that he believed it must be so, and that he would forgive his former mistress for her unkindness.
At this time Jack’s mistress called him into the house, and I returned to my home, thankful that I had such a genial fellow as Jack for a neighbor.
XIV
CHRISTMAS
I never forget the delightful time we had on Christmas Day
Imagine my surprise when on a beautiful winter morning we were decked out the first thing with bright new ribbons. I knew it was not Sunday, so I thought it must be Christmas, having heard Guy say that Christmas was just like Sunday.
After we had our ribbons tied, we were called into the library, and there on our bay-window seat was a beautiful lily plant with seven snow white bells on it, which filled the entire house with their fragrant odor. On the table stood a tree, like some I have seen in the country, and under the tree were three beautiful new pads, one orange, one blue and one pink, and a large willow basket with a soft cushion in it. Hanging on the branches of the tree, instead of apples or cherries as in grandpa’s orchard, were rubber balls, spools, and white muslin bags filled with popcorn. The spools had little tufts of bright colored worsted sticking out at each end, and they were suspended on narrow ribbon long enough to reach nearly to the table, which made it handy to play with them. The balls had something inside, which, when we squeezed them, would come out and tickle our noses, but we could never see the thing that came out. We used to try to catch it, but how could we catch a thing we couldn’t see?
After we had admired the beautiful tree for a while, Guy took down a bag for each of us. The muslin of which the bags were made was so thin that you could see the popcorn that was inside. The bags were tied at each end with pretty colored ribbon, which made them look just like little white sausages; but how to get them open and get at the popcorn was what puzzled me. But cats know just as well as people, that “in union there is strength,” so all three of us took hold of the same bag. It was tied with blue ribbon and belonged to Budge.
For a while we played with the bag, each one pulling in a different direction, and in a few minutes the whole floor was littered over with popcorn. For a while we were very busy helping ourselves, and I am sorry to say that each growled at the others while eating, for fear they would get the most: it tasted so good.
While we were busy eating the popcorn, Dennis came in, wearing a beautiful new silver collar with his name and address: “Dennis Hilton, 129 Poplar Avenue,” inscribed upon it, and a yellow satin bow in the ring. Of course, we invited him to have some popcorn. But Dennis was more interested in our new pads and basket than in the popcorn, and after smelling of them all very cautiously, he stretched himself out on my pad at full length and took a nap. I was so glad he was too big for the basket.
I wondered all the morning why Jack didn’t come over, but in the afternoon we met accidentally on the fence ledge, and he told me that they had also had a Christmas over at his place; and he invited me to go over with him.
He said that on the night before when he was out in his poplar tree, he saw an old gray-haired man with a long, white beard, and wearing a furry coat and cap, drive down our street in a chariot drawn by reindeer, and that the chariot was loaded with the most beautiful toys and bonbons, such as children like, and that he stopped at every house in the neighborhood except Eddie’s.
Said I: “May be that’s Santa Claus, that we hear so much about; but they say he always travels in a sleigh.”
Jack said he guessed not, unless there was snow on the ground.
By this time we had reached his yard, and he invited me in and showed me his presents. He had a beautiful new brass collar with “Jack Vandervere, 111 Poplar Avenue” inscribed upon it. He also had a box of sardines which tasted perfectly delicious.
Mistress sometimes gives us salmon and it is very good; but I like sardines better because they are whole, and it is such fun to toss them around and play “catch” with them. If they would only wiggle a little, it would be still more fun to play with them.
Jack had many other presents, but the one that interested me most of all was a little box that sings when you pull a string. His mistress pulled the string for me, and the very first song that came out was one I have heard mistress sing, about an Owl and a Pussy Cat that went to sea and got married. Another song that came out of the box was “My Pussy has gone from her Basket.” It seemed to be gotten up on purpose for pussies. Perhaps if I am a real good cat, the little old man will bring me a song box some time. Next Christmas eve I shall watch for him from my poplar tree.
While I was admiring Jack’s presents and listening to the lovely music, in came Willie Cotton, carrying in his arms a beautiful jet black kitten with amber eyes and a white “breastpin.” It had a yellow ribbon around its neck, to which was fastened a note, as follows
“L , Dec. 25.
“D W :
“This will introduce to you Nicodemus. I have sent him to you because you belong to the Band of Mercy, and want some animal to love and care for. Fix him a comfortable place in some room where he will be obliged to be neat and orderly in his habits. He will make you no trouble, if you will take him out into the yard every morning, noon and evening, and always take him to the same place.
“Your faithful friend, “M . S C .”
As Nicodemus was a Manx cat, Jack treated him very kindly, and invited him to have some sardines with us. While we were eating, the box played a song that I have often heard about some little fishes that asked their mother if they could go and play. I can’t repeat the song but I will tell you what I remember of it. Their mother said no, but the little fishes went anyhow; and the result was that they got so far away from home they could not find their way back again. At last they were caught in a net with a lot of other fishes, and taken to the cannery.
“Perhaps these are the very ones,” said Jack, as he pointed to the box that was fast becoming empty. I don’t know whether Jack’s object was to save his few remaining sardines or not; but, anyway, I did not care for any more just then; and as the sun had gone down, I bade Jack and his guest a very good-evening. And so ended our Christmas.
XV
OLD BLACKIE
I often wondered how it happened that a busy woman like mistress was so much interested in cats, till one evening the mystery was cleared up. A lovely lady whom Guy called “Aunt Minnie” was staying with us at the time—and by the way we cats are very happy whenever she comes to visit us, because then somebody always sends such beautiful flowers.
I had climbed up into mistress’ lap to listen to a story she was reading about some Cat Club. But as it was only about Angoras and Persian cats, and not a word about Maltese and tigers, it did not interest me very much, and I curled up and took a nap. When I awoke, mistress was talking, and the first I heard was:
“When I was a little girl in Switzerland, we had horses, cows, dogs, cats and rabbits, and I was very fond of them all. I suppose the reason I have become so fond of cats is because I have for many years been deprived of the other pets, and for some time while boarding, I didn’t even have a cat. But just before Guy was born we started housekeeping in a down-town cottage, and on the very first day an enormous black cat came to the kitchen door, pleading for admittance. Having found that there were mice and rats in the cellar, I gladly let him in and from that day I never saw a rat or a mouse in the house. We fixed him a comfortable corner in the basement, and named him ‘Tom.’ From the first he acted like one thoroughly familiar with the premises, and no wonder: I learned afterward from the neighbors that he had lived in that house for many years with successive tenants.
“But one morning I heard some very queer noises in the basement, and when I went down to see what it was, I found Tom lying in his
basket with four of the tiniest kittens I had ever seen, and looking up at me so pleadingly, as if to say: ‘You’ll be good to them, won’t you?’
“We knew then that ‘Tom’ was not an appropriate name for our cat, for whoever heard of a mother cat named ‘Tom’? So we told Guy’s nurse to find a new name for her, and because she was so black, Emma named her ‘Old Blackie.’”
“What has become of Old Blackie and her kittens?” said Aunt Minnie.
Mistress continued: “Blackie raised her family, two tigers and two Maltese; the Maltese were named ‘Jumbo’ and ‘Fritz,’ the tigers ‘Meow’ and ‘Peggy.’ Jumbo and Peggy were adopted by the doctor who attended Guy; Fritz was taken home by our milkman, and I kept Meow. But the following year Guy’s health was not good, and we went to my father’s to spend the summer on the farm. In the meantime some more kittens had come to Blackie, and I arranged with my neighbor’s little girl to take care of the whole family during my absence, and to find homes for the little ones, if she could. Meow we took with us, in a large bird cage covered with a cloth.”
As I listened to the story of Old Blackie, I was reminded of old Peter, a cat that was deserted by his people who left him in the cellar. He was nearly drowned when the landlord found him, and took him to his own beautiful home; and he named him Peter, because he had found him walking in the water.
Aunt Minnie had by this time become so interested in mistress’ story, that she asked her to also relate the history of Meow.
“That was my first experience traveling with a cat,” said mistress. “Emma took care of Meow, and I held the baby.
“On the farm Meow became very popular, and she and grandpa were the best of friends. I well remember how at meal-times she would always sit on the broad window-sill in the dining-room, and as soon as grandpa finished, and began to lean back in his big armchair, she would spring on his shoulder and caress him. Then he would prepare her a dainty dinner and carry it out to the kitchen with her perched on his shoulder. I also remember that when her first kittens came she was determined to put them into my bureau
drawer But I took her out into the kitchen and made her a nice soft bed in an old cheese box, where she raised her family and became a very good mother.”
“But where is Meow now?” said Aunt Minnie.
“When the summer was over and the time approached for our departure,” said mistress, “grandpa had become so attached to Meow, he invited her to stay with him; and as she had a family I was glad to let her remain.”
“And is she there yet?” asked Aunt Minnie.
“No,” said mistress. “She lived there seven years, and then grandpa went to live on another farm. On the day they moved he put her into a bag to take her to the new house; but, instead of putting her into a closed room until she recovered from the excitement caused by the removal, he opened the bag in the yard, and she ran away as fast as she could.
“Some months later grandpa learned that she had gone back to the old place; for on the morning after the new family moved in, they found her lying in her cheese box, very ill and unable to move, and on that same day she died. She had traveled three miles and crossed a wide creek in order to reach her old home.”
When I heard this story I remembered mistress’ remark on that first morning, that I looked like “Meow,” and it dawned upon me why I was given that name. And having become acquainted with grandpa I was glad to be named after an animal that had given him so much pleasure, and I was more determined than ever to be a good and useful cat. That’s why I never beg when I sit at the table, and very often when mistress has finished I jump from my chair up to her shoulder and kiss her cheek. Sometimes I can hardly wait till she gets through.
But I am very sorry that Meow left grandpa in such a hasty manner, and no doubt the good old man thought she was a poor homeless cat until he heard of her death. I would not be afraid at any place to which Guy or mistress might take me, as long as they were with me.
Having heard the history of Meow, my namesake, Aunt Minnie wanted to know what had become of Old Blackie.
“Old Blackie,” said mistress, “came to a very sad end. During my absence I had my milkman leave milk for her every day, and my butcher brought her meat regularly; I also left a dozen cans of salmon so that Blackie and her kittens could have one every week. After we had been gone about two months, the little girl wrote that Blackie had died, and that she had found homes for all the kittens but one, which she would like to keep herself. Upon my return home I learned that Blackie’s death was due to gangrene poisoning, caused by eating salmon that had been left in the can after opening.”
“This is a very sad ending to a most interesting story,” said Aunt Minnie; and I thought so too. I think we cats ought all to feel very grateful to Old Blackie, because it was she that got mistress interested in cats again, after she had been so long a time without any, and in this I am sure Blackie did all cats a great service.
