6 NTEN CHANGE | JUNE 2014

We live in a hyper-paced world.

Our attention spans have

become non-existent. There is

an overwhelming need to be

connected through our smartphones,

tablets, and computers. It is more

important than ever for a nonprofit

organization’s communication

strategy to be clear and concise with

their donors and stakeholders, and to

start integrating channels such as

social media into their comprehensive

communications strategy.

A recent Pew Report found that

today’s Internet consumers live in a

world of “instant gratification” and

“quick fixes.” This means that

nonprofit organizations do not have

time to waste in delivering their

message. Whether the intention is to

educate donors and stakeholders

about the latest conditions in

pediatric cancer research, to inform

them of the ongoing genocide in

Darfur, or to issue a call to action

to donate in order to unleash the

full potential of gifted students;

a nonprofit organization’s

communication has to be timely and

to the point. Know the story you are

trying to tell, and how it impacts your

donors and stakeholders. This is

critical to your communications

strategy. This is the 140-character

world that is our reality. It is our

constant.

Forget the old thought of having a

two-minute rehearsed elevator

speech with the hopes of sharing this

with a potential donor. How do you

measure performance and

communicate your successes in

accomplishing goals? How do you

inspire the community to engage in

REINVENTING THEASK: FUNDRAISING INTHE DIGITAL AGEBY JOSH HIRSCH, THE WEISS SCHOOL AND DAVE TINKER, CFRE, ACHIEVA

NTEN CHANGE | JUNE 2014 7

supporting your nonprofit

organization’s mission through

donations, volunteerism, and

collaboration on projects? Donors

and stakeholders want to know the

differences you are making and what

positive change you are able to

accomplish over time. With well-

written copy and appealing visuals,

you can capture the attention of your

donors and stakeholders, even if it is

for a moment in time. Sometimes this

brief interaction is all that it takes for

a donor to act upon your desired

intent.

An integral part of any nonprofit

organization’s communication

strategy has to be diversification in

online presence. Over the past five

years, there has been exponential

growth in the ever-evolving existence

of social media and how it can benefit

fundraising in the nonprofit sector.

This cannot be ignored.

If a nonprofit organization has yet

to establish a foothold in the social

media world already, they need to do

so immediately. If your organization is

not on social media, no one is

speaking in that space on your behalf.

You may not have a social media

presence, but people may be talking

about you on social media behind

your virtual back, or even

misrepresenting your organization.

You need to make sure there is

someone official speaking online on

behalf of your organization to ensure

your overall brand integrity.

Today’s donor, with an already

diminished attention span, needs to

be able to reach out and touch your

nonprofit organization whenever is

convenient for them and they so

desire. Your online presence is your

brand. It is your voice. It is a 24-hour

billboard showcasing who you are and

what you do. Your online presence

goes beyond just having an

aesthetically pleasing and functioning

website, but having an existence on

multiple social media platforms. For

any nonprofit organization that is

trying to capture the attention of

donors, investing time and resources

into having your nonprofit

organization represented on social

media is imperative. One such

example is a Facebook page. This is

where your nonprofit organization’s

brand is alive and interactive.

Whenever I meet with a potential

donor or new family to The Weiss

School, I always refer them to not

only visit our website but our

Facebook Page, as well. It allows them

to get a sense of the school’s

heartbeat and personality.

Setting up an account on Facebook

or Twitter only requires an email

address and a few minutes of your

time. Make sure you have your logo

and a compelling image ready to

upload. Facebook and Twitter even

have easy to follow instructions and

pointers for new users. Once you

have your accounts set up, make sure

to find your constituents on the

platforms, friend or follow them, and

engage with them. Announce that

you have set up your profiles so

others can start following and

interacting with you. And most

importantly, make sure that you have

a strategy in place for posting on

these channels. The last thing you

want is to set up channels without a

content plan to make sure that they

are up to date.

With a multitude of tools readily

available at a moments notice, an

educated and well-informed donor

expects constant access to

information about your nonprofit

organization. They need this in order

to make informed decisions about

what nonprofit organization(s) to

support. In order to accomplish this,

make sure your nonprofit

organization’s communications

strategy is defined and well thought

out; so you are able to stand on your

soap box, scream from the highest

mountains, and share with the world

the great impact and inspiration you

have on your community everyday.

JOSH HIRSCH, MS (@JoshHirsch1)

is Director of Development at

The Weiss School in Palm Beach

Gardens, FL. He serves as Marketing

and Communications Chair for

the Association of Fundraising

Professionals Palm Beach County Chapter and is

a proud member of the #AFPeeps.

DAVE TINKER, CFRE

(@davethecfre) is Vice President of

Advancement at ACHIEVA in

Pittsburgh, PA and adjunct professor

of informatics in the Master of

Information Strategy, Systems and

Technology program at Muskingum University. He

has written extensively and spoken internationally on

social media, fundraising, and nonprofit

management.

“KNOW THE STORY YOUARE TRYING TO TELL,AND HOW IT IMPACTSYOUR DONORS ANDSTAKEHOLDERS.THIS IS CRITICAL TOYOUR COMMUNICATIONSSTRATEGY.”

“TODAY’S DONOR,WITH AN ALREADYDIMINISHEDATTENTION SPAN,NEEDS TO BE ABLE TOREACH OUT AND TOUCHYOUR NONPROFITORGANIZATIONWHENEVER ISCONVENIENT.”