I think it’s interesting to take a look at how folks are using broadband in different industries and sectors. Knight Digital Media Center recently posted an article that highlighted how nonprofits and foundations are using the Internet. They came up with five solid tips for use; I’ve included those tips below along with examples from the article…
- Blending digital and real-world engagement Gretchen Minekime noted, “Last December, students from the University of Colorado-Boulder went out on the streets on a frigid day — specifically to talk to people and drive them to that website and Facebook page on Colorado Gives Day(Dec. 10, 2013). We offered a social media scavenger hunt, which was very in engaging people. And a whole lot of fun. Traditional face-to-face activities drive digital engagement and action — and it’s really easy for people to give online, there are great tools for that now. In the next few years this will all blow up in a good way.”
- Accountability to donors Good crowdfunding platforms make it very easy for causes, projects, and organizations to not just drive donations and engagement, but to report back about progress and impact. This is especially important since many nonprofits lack the skills, experience, or resources to create effective direct digital engagement and donor accountability on their own.
- Leadership and staff buy-in, action on social media Taryn Fort noted that a key part of the Colorado Health Foundation’s social media success stems from how their CEO, Anne Warhover, has very publicly and personally embraced social media engagement — especially Twitter. “Our CEO loves Twitter and she’s really good at it. She shares her personality there. She responds to people, engages people. She’s very influential, and she extends that through social media.”
- Jumpstarting social media around events At the 2013 Health Symposium, CHF launched its Instagram presence with a photo booth outside the main plenary hall. “This wasn’t just people hamming for the camera,” said Fort. “We asked people to write on a chalkboard and share what they learned that day, or what they were planning to take home from the event, to get a sense of what was resonating with people. It was hugely successful.”
- Providing storytelling support, guidance “We give nonprofits everything they need to empower their donors to spread the mission. This powerful technology means nonprofits only have to do a few key things, and the technology takes care of the rest to encourage donors to become mini-marketers and fundraisers in their own right. That’s incredibly powerful.”