Using Social Media to

Increase Your Fundraising

Mike Panetta
Partner, Beekeeper Group

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

 Introductions
• Mike  Pane*a,  Partner  at  Beekeeper  Group
• City-­‐Wide  Elected  Official  in  the  District  of  
Columbia,  “Shadow”  U.S.  RepresentaJve
• Award  winning-­‐strategist  for  digital  advocacy,  
poliJcal,  and  public  affairs  campaigns

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

 What We’ll Cover
• What  is  social  media?

• Why  it’s  such  a  hot  topic  among  

fundraising  professionals

• Ideas  and  strategies  to  take  the  first  

steps  towards  integraJng  a  social  
media  fundraising  program  into  your  
efforts.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

 What We Won’t Do
• A*empt  to  impress  by  
confusing  you  with  jargon

• Sell  you  a  bunch  of  snake  oil  

about  how  this  will  change  the  
way  world  works  forever. I’m Not This Guy.

• Pass  ourselves  off  as  “gurus”  -­‐

we’re  sJll  learning  this  stuff  
too

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

 Quick Review
•Social  media  is  a  tool  to  spread  your  
theme  and  message,  it  won’t  magically  
create  it  for  you

•Social  Networking  has  always  existed  -­‐  

even  before  computers

•Internet  now  makes  it  easy  to  connect  

with  a  more  people  and  share  more  
informaJon  than  ever  before

•Not  just  gossip  at  the  water  cooler  any  

more  -­‐  it’s  video,  audio,  web  sites  being  
spread  among  individuals
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
 Why This Matters
•Fundamental  shiW  in  the  power  of  
communicaJon  and  the  flow  of  
informaJon

•FragmentaJon  of  media  landscape  

conJnues  on  a  relentless  pace
vs.
•TradiJonal  media  business  models  
are  starJng  to  erode

•The  people  are  now  the  

media….and  have  the  tools  and  
means  to  make  a  difference

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

 Fragmentation of Media

vs.

106 Million 20.5 Million

Viewers for 1983 Viewers for 2010
series finale series finale

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

 People Trust Friends
•People  no  longer  place  a  great  deal  of  trust  
in  insJtuJons  or  the  media

•Only  23%  rate  the  honesty  and  ethical  

standard  of  journalists  as  “high”  or  “very  
high”,  while  31%  said  they  were  “low”  or  
“very  low”   (Source:  The  Project  for  Excellence  in  Journalism  )

•Only  22%  have  a  high  degree  of  trust  in  the  

government   (Source:  Gallop,  April  2010)

•90%  of  consumers  online  trust  

recommendaJons  from  people  they  know;  
70%  trust  opinions  of  unknown  users.   (Econsultancy,  
July  2009)

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

 Mul$ple  channels  is  key
You can no longer
assume people
will want to
consume your
materials on your
preferred
channel...you
need to provide
options. 9 12

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

 Multiple Paths Needed

Your
DONATIONS
Website
VIA WEB SITE

10

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

 Not a Silver Bullet
•Important  to  keep  things  in  perspecJve  
when  starJng  down  this  path

•$300  Billion  given  to  non-­‐profits  in  2008  -­‐  

5%  of  which  was  given  online  -­‐  most  of  it  
through  the  organizaJon’s  web  site  via  email  
appeals  

•The  key  drivers  of  donaJons  remain  

unchanged,  social  media  is  a  tool  to  expand  
the  reach  of  your  ask  and  empower  your  
donors  to  help  spread  the  message

•Social  media  a  two-­‐way  street,  users  are  

looking  for  engagement  -­‐  not  to  be  treated  as  
an  ATM
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
 Trending Upward
•Online  giving  was  up  34.5%  in  2010   (Blackbaud.com)

•Online  giving  is  becoming  the  first-­‐response  

method  of  choice  for  donors  -­‐  and  the  web  is  
the  #1  source  of  news  for  those  18-­‐29  (Blackbaud.com,  Pew  
Charitable  Trust)

•Disasters  show  how  effecJve  this  can  be  

when  a*enJon  is  focused  across  the  social  
web   (Blackbaud.com)

•HaiJan  giving  peaked  only  3  days  aWer  

HaiJan  earthquake  and  majority  went  to  
small  organizaJons  that  quickly  organized  via  
social  media   (Blackbaud.com)

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

 Build Community First
•If  you  don’t  have  a  relaJonship  via  social  
media  with  supporters,  don’t  expect  much  in  
return

•The  network  of  people  is  the  most  powerful  

part  of  social  media,  concentrate  on  growing  
that  for  your  organizaJon

•Post  informaJon,  updates,  respond  to  

quesJons,  and  engage  with  the  community

•A  mature,  acJve  online  community  is  not  

something  that  happens  quickly  -­‐  it  needs  
Jme  to  develop  and  requires  care  and  
nurturing
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
 Expand Beyond Email
•Emailing  lists  of  donors  is  sJll  important  
way  to  raise  funds  online  -­‐  but  organizaJons  
needs  to  think  beyond  their  list  and  engage  
the  social  web +
•Social  web  allows  for  more  interacJon  with  
donors  and  viral  spread  of  appeals

•MulJmedia  appeals  can  be  bring  emoJons  

and  personal  stories  to  your  ask =
•Most  organizaJons  have  the  ability  to  
produce  this  media  in  house  -­‐  and  likely  on  a  
phone!  
Global  Distribu$on

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

 Integration is Key
•Social  media  should  be  used  to  augment  exisJng  
efforts  -­‐  not  replace  them

•Are  current  efforts  being  made  “shareable”  via  

social  media  channels?

•Are  social  media  tools  integrated  to  your  

donaJon  web  site,  blog,  and  email  template?

•Are  you  asking  donors  to  share  the  news  of  their  
donaJon?

•Tools  exist  to  Je  various  sites  and  plalorms  

together  and  cross-­‐publish  content  -­‐  including  
ShareThis  and  new  features  on  Facebook
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
 Some Examples

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

 Personal Pages

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

 Some stories work best
over video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mE4rK8NcCB4
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
 Creative Uses

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

 Facebook Causes

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

 Birthday Wishes

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

 FundRazr

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

 Razoo

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

 Twitpay

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

 Final Thoughts
• Without  a  network  that  knows  you  and  hears  from  you  
oWen...you  have  nothing.
• Appeals  that  are  successful  online  touch  the  heart  -­‐  and  the  
social  web  is  great  for  spreading  those  messages
• IntegraJon  into  exisJng  fundraising  appeals  is  the  best  way  to  
start  -­‐  i.e.  social  media  enabled  thank  you  pages
• OrganizaJons  that  do  well  in  building  online  community  are  
acJvely  growing  their  network  and  providing  it  with  useful,  
Jmely  informaJon  -­‐  fundraising  gets  folded  in  over  Jme

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

 Questions
http://www.beekeepergroup.com/presenations/AFG2011.ppt

Wednesday, May 25, 2011