Archive for the ‘Karma411 Best Practices and Support’ Category

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Fundraise Your Way For Autism Speaks: Campaign Success Story

Monday, March 25th, 2013

Karma411′s campaign tools enable supporters to manage their campaign pages in order to raise funds and awareness for a cause they care about. By leveraging the power of these online tools, supporters can reach a network of people that may not have heard of the particular cause by sharing the campaign page with friends and social networks.

Campbell and Colin Stewart’s campaign for Autism Speaks is a great example of how individuals can take advantage of online tools to raise money for a cause they care about. Campbell and Colin Stewart climbed Mt Kilimanjaro in order to raise money and awareness for autism, and far surpassed their fundraising goal!

In honor of his daughter, Sophie, Campbell tested his limits by climbing Mt Kilimanjaro in Africa and blogged about it along the way.

Campbell asks you to also show your support for Autism Speaks, an organization that means a lot to him. Support Campbell and Colin by donating to their campaign, inviting your network of friends and family to their page, or by sharing their page on Facebook and Twitter!

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Working For Good

Sunday, February 17th, 2013

Working for Good – Making a Difference While Making a Living is the title of a book by Jeff Klein.

When passion about a cause is coupled with a job, flow can happen.  It becomes more than a job.   Klein argues that this should be the ultimate goal for everyone.  By applying the principles of Working for Good ” we bring out the best in ourselves and others, increasing creativity, productivity and sustainability”.

Working for Good asserts that there are 5 skills for working for good: Awareness, Embodiment, Connection, Collaboration and Integration.

The first step is to know yourself.  Know what you are passionate about.  Of course, this is obvious, but is it?  Klein gives the readers tools to figure out what they truly love and what their “good” in the world can be.

Working for Good has a series of exercises which guide us through the numerous steps.  Exercises like Identifying Principles, writing reflection and tuning in to sensations.  I did not do all the exercises – I did the ones that resonated most.  I do intend to go back and do some of the others though.  As with anything, doing the “work” can be challenging.

Karma411 is a “working for good” company.  I can see it in the people who work there.  They feel good about helping charities and non-profits raise more for their causes by giving them the tools to tap into the power of social media.

I am fortunate to have found my calling as an angel capitalist or venture capitalist(depending on your definition).  I believe it suits my background and skill set well.  And I am passionate about startup and business growth.  It is the start ups and growth businesses that create the jobs and future prosperity.  I am also a believer that business is not a zero sum game.  New businesses actually create new value.

I recommend the book.

This is a guest post by Jim Estill – a partner in one of our investors – Canrock Ventures.  He is an active book reviewer on his CEO blog, reviewing mostly business books like The Spirit of Kaizen and Good to Great to Gone.

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Sharing Best Practices: Randi Shubin Dresner of Island Harvest

Thursday, January 24th, 2013

Fundraising has changed dramatically over the past decade. The way you manage your events, communicate with your community, and collect donations have also changed.  Still, the heart of what you do is probably very much the same.  You still collect money, supplies and provide services to those you support.  The team at Karma411 took some time to talk to Randi Shubin Dresner, CFRE, The President and CEO of Island Harvest to discuss what she considers her best practices for fundraising, “foodraising” and awareness raising of Long Island’s Hungry.

Island Harvest hosts and manages so many events each year.  There are food drive events across Long Island and beyond . There are also events that raise funds, like golf outings, races, concerts and partnerships with large corporations. Managing so many events all at one time can present a challenge to some but not for the team at Island Harvest. Randi has tried and true systems in place that enable Island Harvest to run like a well oiled machine.

One of the keys to Randi’s success is keeping a large volunteer base of over 6000 up to date and informed of opportunities to donate their time, dollars, food or other resources that are needed to support their mission; to end hunger and reduce food waste on Long Island. There are always volunteers that are willing and able to help. Communicating with them frequently and consistently is key.  Captains have also been identified. Captains are special volunteers who are assigned and act as leaders to help keep structure in place for each event.  This ensures that there is clear and concise direction at every event and the leaders of each event are visible.

Technology, specifically social media, plays a big role in keeping pace with the community, as well as reaching as far and wide as possible in support of their mission.  Like most organizations, Island Harvest uses e-blast software to capture those supporters who are already in their network. Social Media is used to engage an audience of supporters, donors, and others who care about hunger on Long Island.   Using Facebook and Twitter to reach the community has been key to successful outreach.  Social media can work for an organization to connect all of the other communication vehicles.  Social Media has certainly shown to be a key communication vehicle for Island Harvest.

When asked what drives Randi to try something new, she replied quickly that “change is so important to avoid stagnation”.  She is excited by a risk, if the result could be a high reward. Change is what motivates her and that motivation has only helped Island Harvest with their mission and goals.

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How To Fundraise: People To People Fundraising

Friday, January 18th, 2013

People Donate to People – Personal Fundraising Works.

Do you respond to emails from people you know?  If you are like most people, you are many times more likely to respond to an email if it comes from a person you know.

People are the same way when it comes to donations.  If they are approached by someone they know – they donate.  Donation rates to individuals far exceeds donation requests that come from “the organization” even if the professional requests are better worded.

Malcolm Gladwell in his famous book Tipping Point talks about what it takes to create a trend.  To get some idea to “tip” so it becomes pervasive and broadly known.  He talks about Mavens – people who are perceived as experts or people who are key thought leaders or influencers.  Simply being someone known to the receiver – a co-worker, a niece, a friend, or a classmate, elevates a person closer to maven status.  Gladwell also talks about connectors – people with many connections.  To reach the “tipping point” requires a little of each.

Your donor may be either mavens and/or connectors.  Some large and some small;  in most cases, it is difficult to judge.  Interestingly, most fund raisers track the “big money” potential donors but ignore others that may actually have the influence to significantly help the campaign.

So part of the key to a successful campaign is to tap the networks of your supporters.  Tapping your supporters networks allow them to participate and feel involved.  Involvement and engagement in a cause builds long term support.  In a previous article, we talked about wanting many small donors because donors have buy in to your cause.  Even small donors can have influential networks.

Karma411 offers tools to help automate the personal connection.  We help fundraisers tap the social networks of their supporters.

By harnessing the power of the networks of the people who believe in your cause, you magnify the message.  And – because it comes from a person known to the receiver, it gets read.

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You Do Not Want Big Donors

Thursday, January 17th, 2013

The Obama campaign was famous for having many small contributors.  The total funds collected was impressive, but more impressive was the number of donors.  According to the Huffington Post, Obama raised $189 million from small donors in the 2012 election race.  They had over 4 million donors!   Small donations can add up quickly.

Part of what campaign organizers knew is that they wanted the donation but with the donation came a vote.  So, they wanted even small donors.

Charities do not need votes but in a sense they do.  They need advocates and people who care about their causes.  Any donation, regardless of how small, gains a part of the person’s mind and heart.  These seeds can grow in time.  Having advocates for your cause is equally important as having money.  And having advocates spawn more advocates, and thus more donations.

There is a great book by Robert Cialdini - Influence – The Psychology of Persuasion. In that classic book he tells of someone who gets people to display a small business card size sign supporting a cause in their window.  That small act and asking people if they support that cause allowed the psychologists doing the study to go back weeks later and to get them to place huge six feet sign on the persons lawn.  Small steps lead to big steps.

Fundraising is tied to awareness.  Raising awareness and getting small donors builds grassroots support for your cause.

Obama knew how to harness the power of social media to reach his audience.  The Karma411 platform allows charities to harness social networks to raise funds.  Properly harnessed, social networks – Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin are the perfect way to spread the word and help campaigns go viral.

So yes, we know you want big donors but small ones can also be key to a good fundraising program.

Image from here.

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SEO for Nonprofits

Wednesday, June 20th, 2012

You’ve probably heard the term Search Engine Optimization, but can you explain it and more importantly do you know what to do about it? In short, SEO is the practice of optimizing your site to get ranked on search engines in order to be found by users. No doubt you have also heard of black hat SEO and other unsavory practices that may have left you with an unfavorable impression. But in reality, practicing straightforward SEO in a few simple steps is not only practical, but easy to do and will help with your goals. The main reason that you should optimize your site is so that Google can understand what keywords you want to rank for, leading those who would be interested in your site to find it. Makes sense right? This is especially straight forward for websites that are spreading awareness about a cause as opposed to  ecommerce sites.

Three tips to optimize your website:

1. URL – This is the number one thing that google is going to look up when ranking your page. The key words that are in your URL should be first in the page’s title, and also the highest up on the page.

2. Content – Make sure that you have 500 words per page, and that the copy  is clear and concise as well as keyword dense.

3. Link, Link, Link! – Make sure your internal linking, linking from page to page, is set up. Google likes when relevant content is linked to relevant content.

Sign up for our SEO411 Webinar on June 26th at 1pm to learn more and receive expert advice from SEO Pledge.

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Blogging Best Practices

Thursday, May 17th, 2012

If your nonprofit does not have a blog you need one! If your nonprofit has a blog, here are some tips you need to know! Blogging is a simple way to give your cause a voice and provide great original content that can strengthen your website and further your mission.

Find your voice

Unlike press releases or newsletters, a blog can humanize your brand or organization. Blogs appeal to readers who are looking for relevant discussion-related topics that they can take part in. Try different writing style until you strike one that feels natural and engages readers. Allow comments – this is essential for your supporters to interact with your brand or organization, which is one of the main reasons to start a blog in the first place!

Plan ahead

Plan posts ahead of time – Maintaining a blog is not like maintaining a twitter or facebook account. You will most likely have to perform research before drafting a post, but you still want to choose timely and relevant topics. Incentivize yourself with setting a goal for X number of blogs per week or month.

Keep it punchy

No one ever thought a novel was punchy. So keep it short and fluid. Graphics, original photos and videos are great tools to engage. Go head and Instagram it!

Simple SEO

You don’t have to be an internet marketing guru to grasp a little basic SEO. Make the first 100 words of a post count – Google indexes the first 100 words of a post, so the more key word-rich you can make your first paragraph, the more likely it is to get on the first page. Blog often- search engines, like Google, like new original content. The more blog posts, the better! Build relationships with other bloggers to boost your site. Find more well-known bloggers that are willing to link to or subscribe to your blog. You could also ask them to write a guest blog for your site, or visa-versa. For more help check out SEO Pledge.

Have fun and find your voice!

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Facebook Timeline Changes: How Your Nonprofit Can Use Them to Your Benefit

Monday, March 19th, 2012

It's almost March 30- are you ready for Facebook Timeline? If you are weary on how to transition your page and engage new and existing donors, not to worry – you can manage your Timeline without publishing it just yet. The new format enables brands to date posts all the way back to 1800, long before Facebook’s inception, and cover photo and highlighting features are a great way for you to advance your cause and mission by telling a compelling and authentic story.

Here is a list of the new features, and how we have taken advantage of them to more effectively tell Karma411's story and engage our audience.

Stand Out with a Compelling Cover Photo

One of the stand-out features of the timeline format has to be the ability to add a cover photo. This is the first thing that anyone who visits your page will see, so it is essential to choose an inspiring image that will tell your organization’s story without words. Your Page will still feature a profile picture, which is best used for your organization’s logo. For our own Page we decided on an image that conveys the power of social fundraising and crowdfunding. Check out Live Strong and Smile Train for great examples for nonprofits.

Highlight Important News and Events

If you have already switched to the Timeline format you’ve probably noticed the new highlight feature (the star that appears in the top right-hand corner of a post when you scroll over it). Highlighting an image or post will extend the post over two columns, visually hinting to your supporters that this post is an important one.  Photos and images will pop on your page since they are now larger and more eye-catching – so don’t forget to add in as many as you can, especially when you want to call attention to a special event that your organization has coming up. We have highlighted EAC's Spring Luncheon as our CEO is the honoree for this great cause. Another way to showcase particular posts is to pin them to the top of the page using the edit tool located next to the highlight button. One of the ways to use this feature would be to remind supporters of an upcoming event; if you had posted about an event a week or two prior, pin this post to the top of your Timeline when it is a day or two away.

Keep Your Apps in Order!

Add and arrange tabs in the right hand corner of your organization’s timeline (beneath your cover photo). You can arrange them in order of importance – four tabs will be visible without clicking through to view all (you can add up to 12).  You are also able to change the photo for your app, as well as rename the app.  Choose an eye-catching image with a call to action to increase the chances of a click-through.  We decided on creating tabs for our photos, blog, twitter profile, and upcoming events, to name a few. You might consider a tabs to direct supporters to a donations page, highlight your generous donors and most successful events/campaigns. Check out Greenpeace International for a great example of how to utilize Facebook tabs to engage your audience.

Go Back to the Beginning with Milestones

Timeline also enables you to go back in and add milestones that you may have forgotten to post about. Milestones help to tell your organization’s story, especially since posts from your supporters will be moved to a separate area. Because of this new format, fans and supporters could end up returning to your page to read through your Timeline rather than to make a comment or question, so it is important to make your Timeline as visually appealing as possible. Do you want to let your supporters know when your organization was founded, or when your org opened a local chapter? No problem! Simply click “Milestone” when adding a new post, name the event, location, and even include a story about the event or upload a photo. Employing the Milestone feature we added the date Karma411 was founded, as well as landmarked the day we processed our 5000th donation.

Timeline gives you and your organization an opportunity to rediscover what you have learned from supporters over the past years. Take a walk down memory lane and look at what worked – what was the best way to engage your audience on Facebook?

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How to Be the Best Fundraiser You Can Be

Tuesday, January 17th, 2012

1. Make it personal – why are you supporting the cause? Tell your story: for example, if you’re raising money for breast cancer research, did you lose a loved one to breast cancer? Did you help a family member fight their battle? Potential supporters want to know why you care so much about the cause before they donate.

2. Recruit friends/family – if you are trying to raise money for a cause, take advantage of a platform like karma411 where you can create a campaign and invite your friends to help you! If you’re a nonprofit, ask your biggest supporters to create campaigns on your behalf!

3. Talk to other fundraisers – there are other experts out there; learn from them and read about what they’re doing that makes them such successful fundraisers.

4. Put your event online – if you want to raise money for cause by hosting a live event such as a walkathon or golf outing, create an online campaign around that event to create buzz and collect donations prior to the big day. If you want to host a dinner party to support a cause, give guests the option to make a donation online prior to the event.

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Update: EAC’s 6th Annual Party to Protect Children was a Spooky Success!

Monday, November 14th, 2011

Thomas Dooney, Beth Petrucci, Matthew DeMaria, Matthew Maglio

The Education & Assistance Corporation (EAC) held its 6th Annual Party to Protect Children on October 27, 2011 at the Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury, and it was truly spooktacular! Boys, girls, and even some of the parents came to the event costume-clad and ready for Halloween themed games.

Children lined to play interactive games like the Witch’s Hat toss, the Spiderman Web toss, the pumpkin fishing game, and the Frankenstein game, and a face painter and juggler helped everyone to get into the Halloween spirit! The tables in the ballroom came alive with magical masks by Huntington artist Robyn Bellospirito, and all attendees were treated to a beautiful singing performance by Karen Mobley, age 14, who is part of EAC’s Chance to Advance program. All of the children left with wide smiling faces, and bags filled with prizes and Halloween goodies!

EAC was proud to honor Paul Tonna, Executive Director for the Energeia Partnership at Molloy College, and his wife Carol, as well as William J. Lindsay, Presiding Officer of the Suffolk County Legislature for their dedication to helping Long Island’s at-risk children.

The proceeds from the Party to Protect Children will support EAC’s programs with a special focus on the EAC Suffolk County Child Advocacy Center at The Pat & Mary Bagnato Place For Kids.

Masks by Robyn Bellospirito

Designs by Nicole Troncone

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