Charity watchdog organizations are crucial for fostering transparency in the nonprofit sector. And if there’s one thing that donors feel strongly about, it’s transparency. According to surveys by Fidelity Charitable, Give.org, and the Johnson Center:

• 65% of donors would be more influenced to give if they had greater insight into the impact of their giving
• 64% of donors rated trusting a charity before they give as essential

However…

• Only 35% of those surveyed think that nonprofits are doing well when it comes to transparency about funding.

There are a few easy ways to make sure that your organization is as transparent as possible using charity watchdog websites:

1. Start with your form 990

Your form 990, which is made publicly available, is the first place watchdogs will go for information on your organization. They’ll aggregate information about financials, leadership, and company policies, so make sure your 990 is filled out in as detailed a way as possible!

2. Earn a GuideStar Platinum Seal of Transparency – make sure you tell your story!

Be sure to claim your nonprofit profile on GuideStar and update it to the top levels of transparency. It only takes 45 minutes to achieve a Platinum certification by filling in basic information as well as your strategic plan, impact statements, and quantitative metrics from the past year. Platinum Seal organizations receive 50% more views than those with Bronze of Silver seals.

3. Utilize your website

The best-rated charities have websites that provide evidence of impact, support opportunities, community engagement, and accountability (links to most recent 990). Your donors need to see the impact of their gifts, have an easy way to give on your website, know what is coming up for your organization, and see your credibility (post that seal of transparency!).

This post was taken from our webinar on Improving Your Nonprofit’s Charity Ratings. Register to view it here.

The post How to Increase Your Nonprofit’s Transparency Using Charity Watchdogs appeared first on Network for Good.

What is Salesforce.com?

Salesforce.com is a San Francisco company that makes an online database available to nonprofits. The database is very flexible, which allows a nonprofit to use Salesforce.com for tracking donor management and other activities.

The Salesforce.com Foundation offers 10 user licenses for free to nonprofits, which can make it an attractive option for organizations with limited budgets that are interested in adopting a software to streamline their fundraising.  

What could Salesforce.com do?

Salesforce.com can help nonprofits keep track of the people they work with, and all the work they do with them. Salesforce.com can be:

• A centralized contact list of all the people and organizations you work with
• The place for prospecting and tracking donations, grants, memberships, and volunteering
• The system for tracking just about any of your other program-related work: canvassing, phone banking, events, tabling, outcomes and evaluation, etc.

When it comes to small nonprofits, though, this is what Salesforce more frequently does:

• Require an in-house programmer to run reporting and wrangle even the most basic pieces of donor data.
• Take up hours and hours of staff time to organize and execute a campaign.
• Integrate with other programs that facilitate donor communication, stewardship, and payment processing.

There are also functionalities that Salesforce lacks:

• Salesforce isn’t an accounting system. You can purchase connectors to products like Quickbooks, but accounting functions aren’t handled by Salesforce.com.
• If you are doing very complex donor management, Salesforce.com may not have the functionality you need to be successful.

When it comes to organizing your fundraising activities, options are great. But many organizations find that an all-in-one platform like Network for Good not only meets all their customization needs, but also eliminates steps like data double-entry across systems, the endless exporting of spreadsheets, and making donors jump through hoops to designate a gift. While Salesforce may be the CRM of choice for organizations like the Red Cross or the World Wildlife Fund, nonprofits with tight budgets, small teams, and busy schedules are more likely to be overwhelmed by Salesforce.

We know at Network for Good that when you feel overwhelmed, it can be hard to put your best foot forward with your donors, your program work, and your day-to-day organization. That’s why we’re designing our software with organizations that do good at a grassroots level in mind. Are you struggling to connect the dots with your Salesforce subscription? Or are you an organization looking so sign up with a software that’s scalable for your needs? Schedule a demo with Network for Good.

The post Is Salesforce.com Right for Your Nonprofit? appeared first on Network for Good.

1. Let’s address the elephant in the room… donor retention

As a sector, we place too much emphasis on one-time gifts. Last year, for the first time we saw that retention dropped year over-year, while donors grew year-over year. That means that donors haven’t stopped giving, they have just moved to other charities. So what do we do?

2. Adopt a Subscription Giving mindset

Between Netflix, music streaming services, and even magazines, your donors are already used to a subscription-based engagement plan. Retention on subscription platforms, on average, is 70% while standard nonprofit donor retention was 43% in 2019. If Netflix can achieve a 90% retention rate through a subscription-based model, why can’t your organization do the same through telling stories about the good work you do? What would it mean for your nonprofit if you had 70% donor retention? How much more would you be raising?

3. Four Steps to a Subscription Giving approach

1. Segment donors
2. Make your first ask one for a recurring gift
3. Engage donors like subscribers
4. Analyze progress using subscription metrics (for example, consider a donor’s “lifetime value”)

4. Small steps you can take right now!

1. Make the default on your giving page monthly gifts
2. Add a P.S. to your communications for an ask. For example:

“P.S. For as little as _____ a day through a monthly contribution, you’ll change a client’s life and make a world of difference. Thanks in advance!” Then, link to your giving page with a ‘Monthly Giving’ default!

3. Add variety to your communications. Try using brief videos, different perspectives, “do you know” content, and quizzes and surveys to tell your organization’s story. Not every message needs to come from the desk of your ED!

5. Network For Good’s Simple, Smart Fundraising Software has a Subscription Giving Engagement Stream!

Want to learn more? Schedule a demo!

Bottom line: Nonprofits have better stories to tell than Netflix – they just aren’t telling them in the right way. Donors want regular, multi-channel communication that shows impact of their gifts and builds a long, sustainable relationship.

Want to learn more? Check out the webinar here.

The post 5 Takeaways from Our Webinar on Subscription Giving appeared first on Network for Good.

Tip #1: Experiment

It’s always a great time to think about experimenting with your emails. When we think about experimentation, consider something like what in marketing is known as ‘A/B testing’: Let’s say you’re sending out our newsletter and you split your group of 1,000 people in half; 500 get one version of the newsletter and 500 get another. Then, track those different groups. How many people open each email? How many people click through? How many people do something because of it? How many people unsubscribe from it? It’ll help you find out the impact different variables have on your goals for email engagement. And if you have Constant Contact, Mailchimp or some type of platform, it’s pretty easy to set that up. Compare your present performance to your past performance, and then looking for outliers to inform how you structure your communications going forward.

Tip #2: Subject Lines

A lot of folks are going to claim that they can tell you exactly what to do for subject lines, but sadly, there is no exact answer. We know a few qualities of good subject lines, though, once again, there’s not going to be any kind of perfect formula. One big thing is keeping them short. The majority of email is read on mobile phones — if we think about the fact that you’re opening this email on your iPhone, can you actually see what the subject is? Or at least the point of the subject when I’m looking quickly in my email? If you can’t, you’re probably not going to open it. And when it comes to structure, you might think that things like questions, statements, ellipses, “you’ll never believe…” or some surprising statistic might not work because they sound like spam. But the reason spam bots use structures like this is because they do work and people do open them! Finally, establish some consistency with subject lines for recurring emails. For example, if you send out a regular newsletter, make the subject line something like “Newsletter: [Writer’s Name].” That way you can make it a habit for your audience to see and anticipate.

Tip #3: Content First

Like with social media, content is ultimately going to be what dictates the level of engagement and action. So, make sure that every email has a really clear goal. Keep it concise – 2-4 paragraphs – to limit the amount of scrolling that a reader needs to do. If it needs to be a longer email, make sure you’re putting a call to action at both the beginning and the end of the email. Also, make sure there’s some sort of active element – many, if not most, fundraising emails include a visual component (pictures, video, etc.). That said, load times are also a big thing. If the email is slow to open because of multimedia additions, make sure that the written content can stand alone. Let the visual elements be engaging and a driver to take action, but not necessarily the heart of the email.

Tip #4: Calls to Action

What do you want your audience to do? Every email you send to your audience should be asking them to do something now. You’re definitely not asking them to give money every time, but you want them to feel activated and like our emails matter. So, even if they don’t do all the things we talk about, you want them to feel like they could do something because there’s an active opportunity. Maybe you want them to try a new action. “Try recycling,” “call your legislator,” or even just “share this email!” But every email should be asking them to go learn more, do more, give more, or tell someone.

This post was based off Matt Gayer’s webinar “How to Engage Your audience with Social Media and Email.” Want to learn more? Check out the webinar here.

The post 4 Ideas for Activating Your Donors Over Email appeared first on Network for Good.

Tip #1: Be Urgent and Unique

When telling the story of your organization, focus your content on the why, what for, and why now of your mission. But make sure it’s specific for right now — you need to cut through the noise with a call to action that relays urgency. Find the reason that makes what you do important today, and let that be what differentiates your organization.

Tip #2: Plan Ahead

It can be hard to plan ahead in an uncertain environment, but planning two to four weeks in advance can guide what you’re sharing while allowing for flexibility informed by what’s changing at your organization and in the world. You don’t necessarily have to write all your content four weeks ahead of time, but at least getting a sense of what we want to post down the line will help you organize and create a sense of anticipation for your donors.

Tip #3: Plan for Your Look and Feel

“Authentic” videos and pictures are fine. An executive director holding an iPhone to give an update from their home office? Perfect! We’re actually seeing a lot of engagement with those type of videos — more engagement, actually, with than with overly produced ones. So, keep videos short and tell a really specific story. Also, consider livestreaming. People engage three times more with live videos than with recorded content.

Tip #4: Put Your Content First

When there isn’t as much in-person programming, such as over the past year, we need to make sure we’re still making new visual content to keep feeds fresh. Tell stories about your organization: the clients, the impact, the social issue, the need for our services. You can even add in some personal stories about staff, board members, and dedicated volunteers. The more your audience hears from the people on the ground, the better

Tip #5: Analyze Trends

People are spending more time on social media since the pandemic and are seeing so much content, so it’s important that we’re thinking critically about when we’re posting and what we’re asking people to do. Use data around engagement to inform what you share and when.

Tip #6: Be Different

Cut through the noise by making sure your content is empowering your audience. Your content isn’t just there for your audience to kill time with and browse through, but to tell them what they can do to make a difference. Finally, a lot of groups are finding groups on social media, like Facebook, to be really effective now for creating a sense of community. But make sure you’re using groups to build goodwill before you use them to fundraise!

This post was based off Matt Gayer’s webinar “How to Engage Your audience with Social Media and Email.” Want to learn more? Check out the webinar here.

The post 6 Tips for Maximizing Your Social Media Engagement appeared first on Network for Good.

In this lesson, you’ll:

• Learn why your call to action matters
• How to craft an effective call to action
• Get practical tips on optimizing all the copy on your donation page

Why your call to action matters

Any successful nonprofit fundraising campaign has an effective call to action. Your call to action is the actual spot where you ask somebody to do something—in this case, donate. You want to make it crystal clear what your donors should do next. Don’t assume that it’s obvious. Your job as a fundraiser is to educate and guide your supporters to making a donation as quickly and easily as possible. Your call to action is a critical part of that.

When writing copy for your fundraising page, your headline should reinforce your call to action. Make it clear and concise. Now is not the time for the Great American Novel. You only need to remind donors what their donation will do, why it matters, and underscore a sense of urgency.

Tip: Use your main call to action as your donation page headline.

Craft an effective call to action

What’s the one thing you want your supporter to do when they land on your page? Donate! So, the words you use should all work together to move them toward completing their gift.
Ready to write your call to action? Keep these tips in mind:

• Use clear terms to avoid confusion. Focus on verbs like “give” or “donate” instead of fuzzy words like “support.” Use “join” only if you have a membership model.
• Tie your call to action to the impact of a donation. What will happen if a donor makes a contribution? What will happen if they don’t act?
• Use deadlines and words like “now” and “today” to remind donors how important it is for them to take action immediately.

Once you’ve created your call to action, check that it meets these four critical criteria:

• Is it feasible? Is your call to action realistic?
• Is it filmable? Can your donors visualize exactly what they are supposed to do? Don’t be abstract.

• Does it have a first priority? Will donors know what they need to do next?
• Is it easy to do? Have you removed all of the barriers to action?

Tip: The most effective calls to action are easy for donors to picture themselves doing.

Optimizing the rest of your copy

Beyond a strong headline and a short amount of text that reinforces exactly why a donor should give immediately, don’t pile a lot of words onto your donation page. Remember, paragraphs of text only serve to slow your donors down and prompt them to wonder what you’re hiding in all that “fine print.”

• Consider the titles you use and how they relate to the keywords supporters might use to search for your cause online.
• Keep it short. This is so important, it bears repeating. Online, people don’t read, they skim. Make your text easy to read and understand by using short sentences and simple, active language.
• Think of new donors that may land on your page. Will your writing make sense to them?
  Your donation page should include terms and phrases that match the message you’re sending in your appeals, on your website, and in other outreach.
• Avoid jargon, acronyms, and insider terms. These aren’t donor friendly and will alienate or confuse potential supporters.

So, remember: You’ve already done most of the hard work. You don’t need a lot of words on your donation page, but the words you do have on your page should be chosen carefully for maximum impact.

Key Takeaways:

• Keep all donation page copy short and to the point.
• Be specific about the action you want donors to take.
• Any text should reiterate the impact a gift will have.

The post Calls to Action that Get Results appeared first on Network for Good.

Ready? Let’s do this!

In this lesson, we’ll cover:

• Setting a goal for recurring giving
• How to outline a framework for your monthly giving program
• Identifying the best prospects for recurring giving

What are you trying to do, anyway? A bit of advice about setting goals.

This is where starting at the beginning is really starting at the end.

Let me explain.

If you don’t have a clear goal in mind for your program and campaigns, it’s challenging to crystallize what you’ll need to do to reach your target. It also makes it difficult for your donors to understand how they fit into the big picture. And when donors can’t see themselves as a part of a real solution, they’re less inclined to give.

For your recurring giving strategy, just like your other fundraising and marketing efforts, you should define a specific goal that will help you align your tactics and measure your progress. But before you toss out a dollar amount or donor acquisition target, go one level higher to get to the root of what you’re trying to accomplish.

I like to think of it as painting a “destination postcard” for your supporters. Except instead of palm trees and sandy beaches, we’re focusing on saving the world and social change.

Here are some questions to ask yourself (and other stakeholders in your organization):

•What do we want to accomplish through monthly giving?
•What would that mean for our programs and mission?
•What would happen as a result of achieving our goal?
Thinking about your goal in this way will make it easier for you to connect with your donors when you ask them to become monthly sustainers. (We’ll get to that soon, I promise.)

Now you can dig into what has to be true to get you to your ultimate vision. How much money will you need to raise? What is the measurable impact of that effort? Turn this into your goal statement.

Oh, and don’t forget to make it SMART. Your goal, that is.

Your goals should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. It may sound hokey, but SMART goals make sure everyone is clear about what you’re trying to accomplish and by when you’d like to do it. This goal will also help you craft clear calls to action and allow you to see how your efforts stack up.

Let’s try it.

Say you want to create a monthly sustainer program to fund more kennel space for elderly rescue dogs. Your ultimate goal is to ensure that no elderly dog in your district goes without a warm and safe place while waiting for adoption. The result is fewer dogs suffering on the street, and eventually more elderly dogs placed in loving forever homes. Based on the number of dogs you typically rescue in a year, you’ve calculated that you’ll need a certain amount of building space to make this happen. Obviously there’s an ongoing cost to that and you want to fund half of it through recurring giving and half through a corporate partnership with the local pet supply company.

Your smart goal might sound something like this:

We need to recruit 30 recurring donors at an average monthly donation of $20 by April 10 to fund half the annual cost of our Senior Kennel Sanctuary space.

This is a goal you can easily measure and you can create a plan to achieve this goal with an organized marketing plan and a proposed donor pyramid that will show you how many donors at each level you’ll need to meet your target.

To do: What’s your big vision? Have you translated it into a SMART goal? Take some time to do this today, and I promise it will make the rest of your planning that much easier.

How to outline your monthly giving program framework

Now that you have your destination postcard and SMART goal in your mind’s eye, it’s time to get into the nitty gritty of creating your monthly giving program. There are a few key things that you’ll need to decide before you move forward with your campaign to recruit more recurring donors.

What’s the hook?

Before we get to appeal writing (and we have an entire lesson dedicated just to that), take some time to draft a few short statements about what your monthly donors can be a part of. Will these sustaining gifts be applied to a particular program or purpose? What is the specific and tangible result of a monthly donor’s generosity? Think back to that goal we worked on above. Also, consider the monthly impact of each donation as well as a cumulative impact of a donor over one year.

Your job is not just to convince a donor to give, but you need to convince them why it’s important that they set up a monthly gift. Your case for monthly giving may have a lot of similarities to your organization’s other fundraising appeals, but there is a subtle, yet important, difference.

What do I ask for?

This can be a stumbling block for many organizations. It’s tempting to just copy the same numbers you see other organizations using. While they may not be far off from the amounts you’ll want to showcase, you need to understand the right range for your donors.

Here’s how: Start with your average online gift amount, then take 15%-20% of that number for your baseline. So, if your average online donation is $100, set a baseline recurring gift of $15 per month and step up from there. Your online monthly gift string might look like: $10 $15 $25 $50 $100.

Of course, you’ll want to tailor this gift string depending on your audience.

It’s important to ask for the right specific monthly giving amount when reaching out to unique segments of your audience. A standard $15 per month ask will probably work well for entry-level donors, but that same appeal is going to cost you if it’s sent to donors already giving you $500 each year.

What’s in a name?

When creating or “rebranding” a monthly giving program, much thought often goes into the name of the program. Should our monthly givers be part of a society? A circle? An echelon? A tribe? Sometimes so much thought goes into the branding of the program, in fact, that very little thought goes into the actual planning and execution of the monthly giving campaign.

When it ties back to your mission or campaign, a unique brand can help your monthly giving program stand out and lend an added air of community to this group of donors. A special logo or name can unify all your communications about the program. A carefully crafted name can also reinforce all of the wonderful results your monthly donors make possible.

That said, there are many successful sustainer programs that don’t rely on a special name or brand. If you don’t have one that works really well, don’t force it. Your program isn’t going to fail just because you don’t have a catchy name. Focus on creating a solid campaign plan and donor-centric communications and you’ll be fine.

Doesn’t everyone want a totebag?

Totebags are useful things for lugging groceries home or carrying magazines to the pool, but are they a must for sustainers? Thank-you gifts and other premiums are popular in many monthly giving programs, but at the end of the day they are simply extras. In some cases, these gifts can turn a donation into a transaction, which takes people out of the generous mind of giving.

Just as with your program’s name and branding, don’t overthink rewards. Consider sending gifts truly as a thank you and not tied to the fundraising ask. Whether you offer a gift as an incentive or a nice donor follow up, they’ll be much more effective if they have a clear tie to your cause and the donor’s impact. [For more on this topic, read “When donor gifts work-and when they don’t” on The Nonprofit Marketing Blog.]

If you’re still on the fence about gifts, try a A/B test to sort it out. Send one group an appeal that includes a thank-you gift offer and one that leaves it out. Track your response rates and revenue, as well as retention over time. What works for other programs may not work for yours.

Do I have to thank my monthly donors?

Uhm.

OK, I know that there are some who would caution against reaching out to recurring donors. “Let sleeping dogs lie,” they might say. But for the rest of us who want happy, engaged, and loyal donors (instead of sleeping dogs), a liberal dose of good old-fashioned #donorlove is in order. We’ll take a deep dive into writing thank you letters and stewardship plans later on in this series, but for now, plan to dedicate resources to building strong relationships with your monthly donors.

Tip: Need help understanding what makes the most compelling case for giving? We have a guide devoted to that very topic.

Who are your monthly donors?

Wacky idea alert: To understand how to attract new monthly donors, talk to your current monthly donors.

I know this sounds pretty obvious, but you’d be surprised how many organizations don’t take this simple step to learn more about their donor base.

I’m sure you don’t fall into this category, but perhaps you know someone who does. A friend of a friend, let’s say. Here’s some advice you can share:

If you already have a group of steady monthly donors, they hold a ton of insight on what works and what doesn’t. Take a look at their giving patterns to unearth a few clues. Better yet, call a few of them up right now to thank them for their sustaining gifts and let them know how important they are. If they don’t fall over in shock at hearing from a charity they support, ask them to share with you a little bit about why they support your cause.

Go ahead. I’ll wait right here.

The information you glean will help you in three ways:

1. You’ll learn the traits your sustainers have in common.
2. You’ll understand what compels them to give.
3. You’ll discover how to combine 1 & 2 to reach out to other potential monthly donors.

Plus, these donors will likely be willing to offer suggestions and possibly even a testimonial that will help you inspire new monthly contributors.

Want to take this a step further? Create a simple call script and get your board involved. They’ll love it, your donors will love it, and you can reap all the rewards as you build an even stronger monthly giving program.

OK, what else?

If that doesn’t give you a ton of info to keep you busy for weeks to come, there are some tried and true segments that may be more likely to become sustaining donors:

• One-time donors who give less than $200 per year
• Donors who give three or more times per year
• Young supporters
• Volunteers
• Donors who have given in the past, but didn’t give in 2014
• Event attendees
• Former board members

Your organization may have alumni or program participants that might also be ideal prospects. The trick is to think about who are the supporters who have the greatest affinity for your cause and are committed to your success.

For each of these segments, you’ll need to think about how to tailor your message and your ask amount, so that you’re not inadvertently downgrading donors’ total annual contribution. If you’re just starting out, pick one or two segments to begin with and see how they perform. This will give you time to test different messages and learn what works.

Empower recruiters

Encourage key supporters of your organization to become monthly giving advocates and provide pre-packaged messages that help you extend your reach beyond just your own network. Influential donors or advisors may have the ability to reach and convert new recurring donors. You might consider setting a goal for your board to recruit a certain number of monthly donors to help you reach your program goals.

To do: Take time each week to reach out to a group of your current monthly donors to thank them for their support and to understand your best bets for new monthly donors.

Key Takeaways:

• Set a clear and specific goal just for your monthly giving program. Tie it to your larger fundraising goals so you can prioritize your efforts and measure your progress.
• Branding your monthly giving program can add a nice touch, but it’s not a requirement. Leading with the impact monthly donors can have is a requirement. No exceptions.
• Make recurring giving an option for all supporters, but be sure to target your best bets with tailored messages.

The post The Elements of a Successful Monthly Giving Program appeared first on Network for Good.

After nearly a year in development, working closely with the small nonprofits we serve, today we unveiled our brand new website. We’re so excited to share it with the world!

Why did we decide to launch a new site?

Long-time visitors to our previous website might know that it hasn’t changed much since it was launched in 2015. But a ton has changed here at Network for Good! We’ve grown as a company, added many improvements to our fundraising software, and created literally thousands of blog posts, guides, and webinars, and our old site was no longer serving our goal of inspiring fundraising confidence.

So, we took what we’ve learned from 20 years of supporting small nonprofits in growing their good, and built a new site that better embodies who we are.

Simple & Smart

It’s more than just our tagline! It’s one of the founding principles of Network for Good—we make fundraising simpler & smarter for small nonprofits.

We know that fundraising is hard, but believe the technology that small nonprofits use shouldn’t be. We designed an all-in-one platform to make fundraising more manageable. Small nonprofits are already shouldering the weight of their mission; we can lighten their load.

To bring this principle to life in our new website, we significantly reduced the number of pages, providing only the information nonprofits need with no added fluff. This also helps our site load faster, meaning you get the information you’re searching for quicker. It’s also a lot cleaner visually!

Uplifting Small Nonprofits

We knew we wanted to put our nonprofit customers and their incredible stories front and center. Our new site lets us highlight their voices through compelling videos, testimonials, and case studies. Check out videos like the one featured here to hear from small nonprofits in their own words!

Relevant & Timely Resources

Hundreds of thousands of fundraisers visit our site every year for our industry-leading free resources. We’ve created a new resources experience, with improved functionality to help you get the answers you need. We also went through every one of our existing resources (yes, all of them!) to make sure we were providing the best advice possible.

What’s next?

We have more website features and improvements on the way! Keep checking back as we continue to align our website with our goal of helping nonprofits cultivate strong donor relationships that advance their mission.

In the meantime, visit our resources, learn more about our all-in-one fundraising software, or get to know us better.

The post Welcome to the New Network for Good! appeared first on Network for Good.

This year has been full of challenges for our nonprofit friends and their communities.

But, it’s a tradition here at Network for Good to spend this time of year reflecting on the bright spots and finding reasons to celebrate. And this year, despite everything, there have been many.

We saw donors come out in force to make this a record year of charitable giving. We watched small nonprofits embrace virtual fundraising almost overnight. We witnessed incredible, inspiring acts of bravery and creativity as nonprofit leaders found ways to keep staff and volunteers safe while serving their communities.

The post You’re our reason to be thankful appeared first on Network for Good.

Creating Content

Your content acts like a mix of birdseed that you put into a feeder in your garden. Instead of attracting birds, of course, this content attracts people who share an interest in who you’re serving, the issue you’re working to improve, or the types of projects you tackle as an organization. 

Creating content is simpler if you focus on a few different types of content when you’re getting started. Consider the following in your social media plan:

• “Meet the Staff” features
• Impact stories
• Project updates
• Supporter features
• Campaign/appeal announcements
• Quote graphics
• Infographics
• Quizzes
• Polls
• Video messages from your leadership, staff, or community members

When deciding what types of content to create, think about the strengths of your staff members. Do you have someone who is good at designing graphics? Someone who’s savvy with a smartphone camera? Someone who knows how to create interactive content on the different social platforms? By focusing on your strengths, you’ll get traction much more quickly. And you can always branch out and learn new skills after your social media plan is up and running.

Use this checklist of tips to get more from your social media efforts. Focusing in on a few priorities will boost your results. 

Engaging with Donors and Supporters

The real magic of social media is the opportunity to expand your reach beyond your current donors. To make this happen, you’ll need to be intentional about engaging with them. Here are three ways to expand your reach through engagement. 

Ask your supporters to share your content with their friends, family, and colleagues — Don’t wait for supporters to find your posts on social media and share them! You can ask donors to help spread your content in your monthly newsletter and other communications. This action is a small step that most supporters will be happy to take for you.

Engage with those who comment on your posts — When someone comments on your post, be sure to respond. If someone shares a post, thank them. Besides generating goodwill, engagement will maximize the exposure your post receives on your supporters’ pages. 

Invite supporters to share their stories — Ask your supporters to do a short Q&A that you can feature in a social post. This will let supporters know how much you appreciate them, and it will also lead to more exposure as your supporters share the features with their networks.

A Plan of Action

Social media can seem like an unwieldy project. If you create a plan and system for managing your activities, you can streamline the process, making it much more approachable. Create a written plan that includes:

• Who will be responsible for leading your social media effort, and who will assist
• Which social platforms you want to focus on (start with no more than two)
• The types of content you want to focus on
• A schedule for what types of content you plan to post when (i.e. video messages on Tuesdays, “Meet the Staff” on Thursdays, graphics on Saturdays, project updates and impact stories as they are available, etc.)
• A calendar that can hold the actual text and images you plan to post — Hootsuite is an online tool that serves this purpose well, and it will allow you to create posts in advance and schedule them to post on various platforms at different times
• The schedule you plan to follow for responding to comments on your social media pages 

Social media is a perfect opportunity for small nonprofits because you can get started without a financial investment. Later, as you become more comfortable with your social media activities, you may want to begin promoting posts and advertising on various platforms. Many platforms, like Facebook and Instagram, allow you to target ads very specifically for very little cost. But even if you never go beyond the free tools that the platforms offer, you can spread awareness and expand your reach far beyond your current supporters.

Download Raising More with Less: 3 Strategies to Make Your Virtual Fundraising Sustainable for more ideas on how to stretch your fundraising investment further.  

The post How to Make a Big Impact on Social Media as a Small Nonprofit appeared first on Network for Good.