Number 87 July 2010 Published by Downes Murray International Haiti: Disaster boosts online fundraising – again Once again, a human disaster s Tom Belford pointed out in that enabled many of the 300 million is a showcase for the compassion AThe Agitator, raising money when worldwide users to express their sympathy and generosity of the American Americans are watching death and and create their own fundraising programmes people – and the power of desperation 24/7 is more like ‘holding out benefiting their chosen NGOs. online to make it happen. the bucket for the donations to drop’ than According to Facebook’s Randi Nick Allen reports. real fundraising. Zuckerberg, two days after the earthquake, However, disasters like Haiti showcase ‘Every minute, people have been posting the strength of new media fundraising and more than 1 500 status updates on Facebook its ability to make it easier and faster for that contained the word “Haiti”.’ people to donate – or organise to deliver Of course, fundraising was not limited assistance in person or help locate lost to online. Across the country, kids organised people – when they are so motivated. bake sales and car washes to raise money. Mobile phone donations My daughter and her 8th grade class raised Americans have donated more than over $1 000 in our little rural town – four or $774 million for Haiti, with most of the five times more than a cake sale usually raises small donations coming via the Internet. there – and then donated the money online For the first time, three million Americans to Partners in Health. donated $10 by mobile phone, generating So what can we learn – to use in normal over $30 million for the American Red times – from the outpouring of donations Cross. The previous high point for mobile online to help the people of Haiti? I think fundraising was Alicia Keys’ appeal on there are several lessons: American Idol that raised $500 000 for her (1) Urge your mail-acquired donors Keep a Child Alive charity. (and new Haiti online donors if you raised The Obama campaign had a big money for Haiti) to give online, because multi- mobile programme, but they used it for channel donors are worth more. mobilisation, not fundraising, assuming The Haiti disaster, like Katrina and the they could get much higher average gifts – tsunami and the Obama campaign, drove and full donor information – using the millions of donors and non-donors to give Adapted from Web instead. online for the first time. Mal Warwick’s Single emails generated hundreds of While many of the new online donors E-newsletter thousands of dollars each for several of my are ‘disaster donors’ who probably won’t March 2010 company’s clients, with response rates many give again to the organisation, perhaps until times higher than normal and average gifts there’s another disaster, many of them are Visit www.malwarwick.com over $100. also ‘regular’ donors who gave by mail Search marketing showed its stuff, (or online) before. too. For example, one of our clients raised Higher gifts almost $300 000 for Haiti work from Now is the time to urge them to Google and Yahoo! on an expenditure of continue giving online, where you’ll get INSIDE $70 000 – a 4:1 ROI. Even a month after the average gifts usually twice as high as by mail. INFORMATION earthquake, the organisation raised $12 450 We already saw this migration at the year’s over a four-day period at a cost of $1 533! end, when many mail-acquired donors went Special report .......................... 2 Facebook and Twitter played a greater online in the last week of the year to make role than ever in the Haiti disaster, letting a donation and qualify for the tax deduction Philanthropy in focus ................ 3 Haitians abroad communicate among in 2009. As the Target Analytics Internet themselves and with family and friends What’s all the chirping about? .. 4 benchmarking reports prove, multi-channel in Haiti. donors are worth more. A ‘Friends & Family’ approach The social networks also provided a to fundraising .......................... 6 communications and fundraising platform Continued on page eight 1 SPECIAL REPORT Before you jump on the Social Media Bandwagon ... he world’s becoming more social online Ask yourself why you’re doing this? What and technology changes so rapidly that we T are the benefits? What are the risks? Do you often feel we can’t keep up. The Internet let’s have the resources? What are you going to say? us have a dialogue with supporters instead of How often? Why? bombarding them with a one-way monologue. If you can answer these questions you’ll But remember, people inherently stay the same – be well on your way to success in the social they have a need to connect and social media media space. fulfils that need and facilitates conversations online around brands, ideas and causes. 5. The good, the bad and the plain ugly… Many charities have used social media Social media has become much hyped beautifully to engage with their audiences and because of the relative ease with which you can supporters – and raise money too. There are set up a profile online and start talking to your countless UK, US and SA case studies to choose audience. It’s very tempting to dive straight into from. The one thing they have in common is that Facebook or Twitter because everybody else is Online marketing and they approached this new channel with a plan. doing it and because these tools are ‘free’. But fundraising specialist, And knew what they wanted to get out of it. as they say in classics … there’s no such thing Lianne Byrne-Hammacott, SPCA Cape of Good Hope and as a free lunch. offers 10 pointers to ensure SPCA Durban and Coast are using Facebook You might already be doing some fantastic your charity’s success online. groups to show supporters the work they do, stuff (if so, I’d like to hear from you!) – but if the ugly stuff on the front line and allowing you don’t know where to start, keep these supporters to interact with them. 10 points in mind: There are countless casualties in the 1. Share your content social media space. There may have been a PR As a first step into the social media blunder or supporter service hasn’t gone well. universe allow site visitors to share your Just look at the recent BP oil crisis. content via Facebook and the other social sites Messages on the web spread dangerously (e.g. Digg, StumbleUpon, Reddit etc). Once your fast so have a plan that when things do go bad, audience sees that your site is connected to the you can deal with it in an open, effective and greater web, they’ll use the tools. And ‘social timely way. Get your supporters on side, talk to bookmarking’ tools are easy and free them, be yourself. to implement. 6. Nothing’s for free 2. Fish where the fish are Although the online Facebook/Twitter/ Are your supporters using these tools? Flickr/YouTube profile is free to set up online, Find out by surveying them using a poll or time and money is needed to create your social survey on your site or send your donors an email media strategy, create the content and keep survey. This will always help you substantiate things updated. your time and investment in the channel. It’s a reality that charities are cash strapped. 3. Supporters talk back But just because it costs money doesn’t mean Supporters will have things to say about you shouldn’t do it. Use your pilot project or your charity and in my experience, mainly create a business case that substantiates the time good things. But be prepared for the not so and investment needed. It’s also a lower cost good comments too. What’s the tolerance level channel to invest in and I would advise that you internally to feedback, especially feedback made don’t ignore it, because it’s not going away. public? How will you moderate comments, if at all? Will you let your audience moderate for you? 7. Get a personality There’s nothing worse than a stuffy, Remember that the old model of corporate response to a conversation online. controlling information about your organisation Your audience needs to feel they’re connecting can no longer exist. If supporters are not saying with a real organisation, real people with real things about your brand on your site they’ll things to say. Especially if you’re using the definitely be saying it on other sites. Why not channel as a supporter service tool, there’s no keep them close and respond to them on your need to be formal. Your audience won’t like own site or Facebook page? you for it. 4. Always start with a plan If you start something online, make sure 8. For goodness sake, do something! So you’ve spoken to them online, you’ve Follow Lianne on you know where it’s going to end up. Countless spread the message about your latest campaign organisations start Facebook pages or Twitter Twitter at or initiative. What now? www.twitter/byrnine feeds only to see by week three they’ve nothing to say or they no longer have the time to interact with their new audience. Continued on page six 2 PHILANTHROPY IN FOCUS Milestone Thinking On-target observations in brief Blessed is the person who sees the need, recognises the responsibility, and actively becomes the answer.