Keys to Change

“The key to change... is to let go of fear.” – Rosanne Cash

There was substantial controversy generated by a recent Seth Godin blog. The author chided the nonprofit community for being slow to embrace online social network media, such as Twitter and Facebook. He asserts, rightfully so, that volunteers and supporters would be happy to help spread the word, but far too may nonprofits are hesitant to tap this resource. According to Mr. Grodin, it's due to a fear of change:

"The only reason not to turn this over to hordes of crowds eager to help you is that it means giving up total control and bureaucracy. Which is scary because it leads to change."

Although I agree with many of the author's points, is it really possible that nonprofits – generally speaking – are afraid of change? The author correctly asserts that change is often the very reason that nonprofits exist. People need help. Animals need shelter. Wrongs need to be righted. Nope, nonprofits are all about change.

So perhaps it's the people running the nonprofits? Are they scared to change? Again, I imagine "change" is a primal motivation for most everyone who works or volunteers at a nonprofit. Many in the nonprofit community are highly motivated, dynamic people who are quite fearless when it comes to doing what's needed for their cause. They're downright impatient for change!

So maybe it's the use of Web 2.0 technology – not everyone is comfortable with social media outlets. Or they're not sure how to use it to advance their cause. Most nonprofits have limited staff and resources, and they need to justify time spent using social media sites with real, measurable fundraising results. Although most social media sites are free, staff time spent developing a presence is not.

This may be closer to the truth of the fear – if it is fear – that causes nonprofits to hesitate. Whether time or money is invested in a fundraising endeavour, nonprofits need to know there will be a real return on investment. Capital campaigns need to deliver more than just online social capital – donations need to be delivered to pay the bills. Development directors are used to delivering those donations, using their hard-won experience and skill. It's a leap of faith to give over some of that responsibility of "making the ask" to supporters, no matter how committed they are.

But the thing is, sites like DonorPages work. They deliver the donations. Or more correctly, they allow your supporters to deliver them. True peer-to-peer online fundraising applications are designed to be fundraising sites, not social media sites. They make it easy for supporters, staff, board members and others to collect online donations on your behalf. DonorPages is a great way to "expand your staff", and give your constituents the tools they need to become an army of effective fundraisers.

Online peer-to-peer fundraising can be the key to unlocking the fundraising potential of your supporters. Make that change, and you'll find that changing the world will be just a little bit easier.

The Mother Teresa Effect

I've recently read an excellent book called Made to Stick* which quotes Mother Teresa as follows:

"If I look at the mass, I will never act. If I look at the one, I will."

The authors aptly applied the quote to a clever study done by Carnegie Mellon University. After being paid $5.00 for filling out a random survey, test participants were given an envelope and and one of two versions of an appeal letter for Save the Children. Version one featured statistics: 3 million children facing hunger in Malawai, 4 million Angolans forced to flee their homes, and 11 million Ethiopians needing immediate food assistance.

The second letter focused solely on the plight of Rokia, a girl from Mali, Africa. This letter described how the money donated would help feed and educate her, and provide medical care.

The results, though not surprising, were compelling: donations by people who read about Rokia averaged $2.38, vs. $1.14 for the statistics-based version. Similar to Mother Teresa, the participants were moved to a much higher level of action when they saw how they could make a real difference in one person's life, as opposed to a tiny difference in the lives of millions.

Now this is not news to most nonprofits. Regardless of what media is used, telling a story of one person, one animal, one place that benefits from a donation has long been proven to be more effective than broad statistics. But what far too many nonprofits have not embraced is how online social network fundraising is tailor-made to deliver such a personal message, in a way not possible before this decade.

These personal appeals can be made on FaceBook and Twitter – both very effective at raising awareness. But the story that your supporters tell can be diluted or lost completely among all the wall postings, Tweets, and other day-to-day messages on these mass communication sites.

But a story told on DonorPages, or some other dedicated peer-to-peer fundraising web 2.0 based portal, not only retains its emotional power, it also adds the 'voice' of your supporter/fundraiser to the appeal. In that way, your supporter, by virtue of his or her relationship with the page visitor, becomes part of the story. The visitor to the page is there solely because your supporter is their friend, their colleague, their brother, sister, relative, and they read why your supporter is passionate about your cause. They see your supporter's photo. They care because your supporter cares. And they are far more likely to give – and give more – solely because of their affinity for your supporter.

Not surprisingly, some of DonorPages' most successful individual pages are those where the fundraiser has a personal connection to the cause. An illness that's affected their family. A related event that changed their lives. And not every supporter will be eloquent – you may need to guide and encourage your supporter/fundraisers with text they can edit or build on. But in the end, their personal commitment will tell the story of your mission, and how one passionate person can make the difference.