Category Archives: Session Wraps

SXSW: Text-to-Donate Fundraising for Non-Profits

In a core conversation with Bridge Communities, Amy Van Polen, Resource Dev Dir, discussed her experiences with text-to-give campaigns. The results surprised me.

Typically, text-to-give campaigns involve using a for-profit ASP (application service provider) to act as the trusted third party between the phone carrier and the nonprofit. This ASP provider manages the short codes and keywords and typically charges a monthly fee ($79-$99/mo) and a per text charge ($0.48/txt).Bridge Communities used Give By Cell.

Then they shared this little tidbit of information:

 

 

 

Really? Breaking even a success? She also mentioned her costs to be approximately $4000 to run the campaign for a single special event. This price tag is beyond the reach of most NPOs.

In addition to the high cost, the delay between the donors text and funds actually being received by the charity can be as long as 30 to 60 days.

The process for text-to-give campaigns can be complicated. When a donor texts to donate, they receive a confirmation message to which they must reply to complete the donation.There is an average 30% dropoff rate for Bridge Communities. Many donors were kids on family plans, and carriers frequently do not permit ad hoc text charges on family plans.

My biggest takeaway from this case study is that with text-to-give campaigns,the NPO does not have the ability to collect donors’ personal information such as name or email address. This makes it impossible to follow up with a thank you or develop a long term relationship.Instead, consider text-to-pledge campaigns.

With text-to-pledge, organizations collect vital donor data with which to follow up and collect the pledge, so they can develop the relationship with the donor.

Another consideration was the judicious promotion of the text-to-give campaign. Since the minimum donation on the web campaign was $25 and the text campaign was set at $10, Bridge Communities carefully promoted the text campaign where it would not cannibalize their web and other donations.

For maximum success, Amy recommended using emotional appeals, making it fun, and using an emcee or other high energy spokesperson at the event to create a sense of immediacy and encourage attendees to pull out their phones and donate right then.

For more comments on this topic, read the tweets on #text2donate Twitter hashtag.

SXSW: Let’s Hook Up: Brands, Celebs, and Non-profits

In a panel (click for recording) with Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (@IAVA) and LIVESTRONG (@LIVESTRONG) panelists, Katie VanLangen (@kvanlangen), Dir of Strategic Partnerships, and Paul Rieckhoff (@paulrieckhoff), Exec Dir of IAVA and Chris Brewer, Sr Mgr, Dev Comm with LIVESTRONG discussed using sponsorships and celebrity endorsements for your cause.

The key is to find a sponsor who really cares about your cause and then demonstrate the ROI to their brand.

Be sure your cause is a good fit with their personal interests. This will help alleviate possible problems when and if conflicts arise, such as for scheduling appearances. A sponsor who has an early morning flight will be much more likely to stay late at your gala if they truly believe in your cause than one who only has a passing interest.

If you are going to involve a celebrity in your special events, ensuring their security and comfort is paramount.

 

 

 

They also mentioned Movember as a great example of how nonprofits can use the power of social media to engage supporters.Read more about Movember on Wikipedia.

Check out the comments for this panel on the Twitter hashtag, #letshookup.

SXSW book reading: The Future of Nonprofits

From a book reading (click for official SXSW archive recording) of The Future of Nonprofits : Thrive and Innovate in the Digital Age with Randal C. Moss (@randalc) and David J. Neff (@daveiam) I learned that nonprofits are still businesses, they just spend their profits differently.They cannot be lazy when it comes to new initiatives.

David J Neff and Randal C Moss book signing for The Future of Nonprofits

Charities also must pay attention to the rise of the individual fundraiser. Don’t be satisfied for supporters to simply like your cause, engage them and call them to take action.

 


 

Awareness is dead. Advertising is in. Organizations must make a business case for each new idea. Ask; is it revenue positive or revenue neutral? Is it sustainable?

If you are not structured to innovate, you won’t innovate.Organizations must create cultures that encourage new ideas from staff and have procedures in place which facilitate the adoption of new ideas.

Check out the slideshare from David J Neff. Or for more tidbits of knowledge, 140 characters at a time, read the comments on the Twitter hashtag, #thefutureofnpos.

SXSW and NTC wrapups

As you have read here, I attended the South by Southwest interactive festival in Austin, Texas, March 11 – 16, 2011. Immediately following, I went to the Nonprofit Technology Conference in Washington DC, March 17 – 19, 2011.

There was so much brain-filling information and best practices shared that it is too much for one post. Therefore, I will be posting wrap-ups and summaries from several of the sessions I attended here on this blog over the coming weeks.

Watch for lots of nerdy, techie, geeky, nptech goodness coming at you soon!