The proliferation of the Internet is creating a new type of constituent that carries a different set of behaviors and opens a door to a larger group of potential fundraisers. Nonprofits know that the most engaged constituents can become some of the most successful fundraisers for the organization.

According to Debbie Snyder, vice president professional services for Kintera in San Diego, the trick is capturing these online constituents, converting them to supporters, then converting the supporters to donors before finally converting donors to fundraisers. Avid Internet users are also more likely to share information with others online and the number of ways in which they can do it has grown substantially in recent years. There are a number of online resources to help an organization encourage online participation from its constituent base.

The first obvious tool is social networking. It has been all the rage lately and gotten a lot of publicity. It’s easy, free, and people are doing it. Social networking may not be a gold mine of donations, but it is a successful way for organizations to educate the public about its mission and cause.

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We admit, social networking is not for everyone. As you evaluate the goals for your own organization you will need to consider…

• All publicity is NOT good publicity
• How will (potential) donors react to your organization on a social platform
• Will social drive donations?
• Is social traffic worthwhile traffic?
• Will social traffic convert?
• Is social cost effective?

As you consider the various pros and cons, here is one extraordinary example of the power of social marketing in our Jewish world…

Sent to us by Rabbi Charles Lebow

How I reached 10,000 Young Jews for Free

facebook.com is an on-line social network that is used by most college and high school students. You can use it to send messages, invite people to events, discuss issues, post videos, etc.

Two weeks before Pesach (2007) I created an “event” called: “Pesach” with the following info:

Event Info Name: Pesach
Tagline: “The Great Exodus Revisited”
Host: G-d
Type: Party - Reunion
Time and Place Start Time: Monday, April 2, 2007 at 12:05pm
End Time: Tuesday, April 10, 2007 at 7:00pm
Location: all around the world
City/Town: Everywhere
Country: Israel

In the description of the event I wrote a dvar torah with the following message:

Each year for the last 1800 years plus, Jews have gathered together to recite the Passover Hagadah. The Hagadah not only tells the story of our miraculous exodus from Egypt but gives us a guide on how to survive as a people in any future exiles that we might find ourselves in.

What made it possible to save the Jewish people in Egypt was that they remained a people. If the Jews had assimilated into Egyptian society it would have been impossible to save them. The Midrash tells us that even though they didn’t yet have the Torah, the Jewish people kept a certain amount of separation from the Egyptians by having differences in dress, language and names. Adding to this, another Midrash says that they maintained a higher moral standard than their Egyptian hosts.

Today, we aren’t so good at separating ourselves from the other people who we live amongst. As a matter of fact we have gone out of our way to look, dress and talk in a way that no one can tell that we are Jewish. As far as morality goes, well let’s not talk about that.

On the other hand, we have Pesach. Somehow on Pesach we become a people again. So many Jews I know, who have melted into American society go out of their way to eat Matzah on Pesach. All of a sudden, there is a demand on campus for kosher-style (or even kosher) passover food. For one week, the Jews become a separate people, a nation.

Is it enough? Probably not, but it is a good place to start. Let us all make an effort to be distinctively Jewish this Pesach. Let us do it with pride and joy. Let us find other Jews and encourage them to do it together with us. Who knows what good could come from this.

I sent the message to 350 people on my list of friends. People liked it and passed the message on to others.

People receiving the message are asked to respond by a choice of “attending”, “maybe” or “not attending”.

Final results:

• 13,250 people received the invitation.
• 11,473 people or 93% of those who received the invitation responded.
• 10,057 people or 81% of those who responded said that they would attend.

Total costs: Not a penny
Time spent on project: One hour

If you think social networking sites might work for you, check out a previous post, Should Your Organization Use Social Networking Sites?

We have also posted quite a few articles in our Resources section about Social Marketing / Social Networking (you can locate them in Recent Articles).

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Let’s face it: Israel has a reputation for a less than stellar performance with Hasbara. This is not new; in fact it has existed for a couple of decades regardless of which political party controls the Israeli government. Nowhere is this more apparent than on the college campuses of North America; Montreal, New York, Philly and San Fransisco, in particular, have a well-deserved reputation for being particularly un-hospitable to pro-Israeli messages.

Now come a few new endeavors hoping to change perceptions.

In New York, we have Fuel for Truth, an organization whose mission is to disseminate accurate information about Israel and the Middle East. According to an article in the current issue of New Voices Magazine, FFT has taken a new and creative approach to Hasbara:

“Israel advocacy is a traditionally un-hip cause, lacking the cachet enjoyed on campus by pro-Palestinian activist groups. Fuel For Truth, a non-profit based in New York City, aims to change that by dressing up a straightforward pro-Israel message with cool-kid party hype and militaristic imagery. Through events targeting 18-34 year-olds, the group constructs a preppy subculture where it makes perfect sense to listen to a speech on the threat of radical Islam while standing on the dance floor of a darkened nightclub.

In the six years that Fuel For Truth has existed, the organization has spread its message to thousands of people in the unaffiliated, assimilated, young urban demographic that the group targets. According to (Kat) Guttman (FFT’s Director of Operations), they focus on politically unaffiliated and socially influential individuals. Joe Richards, the group’s founder, targeted this particular bracket after deciding that it was being left behind by advocacy groups and was susceptible to the influence of the media and ill-informed peers. In spite of the commonly cited apathy of the Internet Age, Richards believed these young people could be reached.”

to read the complete article, click here; while you are at it, check out the current issue of New Voices, one of the new cutting edge publications from a New Generation of innovators.

a personal opinion: there is not enough attention being paid to the real life tragedies Israelis face from Palestinian terrorists. So, I would like to introduce our eJewish Philanthropy audience to Gila; an Olah from the D.C. area, who one Friday morning, while shopping for Shabbat, had the misfortune of being at the wrong place at the wrong time:

“I am, of course, neither sad, nor heroic nor particularly victimized. What I am is an “ordinary Joe” who was seriously injured six years ago in a suicide bombing while waiting for a bus at the Machane Yehuda open air market in Jerusalem.”

from her new blog, MY SHRAPNEL: LIFE AS A “POOR, SAD, HEROIC, VICTIM OF TERROR”®; check it out; it’s worth the read.

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Taking a completely different approach, and utilizing the world of music and Israeli artists to promote Israel, we have Oleh!Records. With initial funding from The Pratt Foundation, The Bronfman Family Foundation and the Orion Fund, young Jeremy Hulsh launched the label thirteen months ago.

A recent Oleh, Jeremy was inspired by what he perceived as shortcomings in the Israeli music scene.

“I noticed that the entire music industry in Israel is based on white hype, and that there needs to be a credible institution that nurtures indie and alternative music if this scene is going to be taken seriously.”

And so was born Oleh!, a nonprofit with the goal of creating sustainable careers for all their artists. Now, in year two, and with a goal of promoting local Israeli bands abroad, they have added a ‘booking agency’ component to the organization.

The efforts appear to be paying off as one of their acts, Coolooloosh, is traveling the West Coast on a major tour sponsored by Birthright, the Israelity Tour. Which, by the way, ends with a mega-event in Las Vegas this Sunday night. According to one fan, “this is probably an ingenious way to reach out to the American youth culture, as music is pretty much the language of communication (if not the universal one for our planet).”

Now, if they would only finish their English website!

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Innovative Matching Grants Initiative Yields New Dollars for Camper Incentives

The Jewish Funders Network/Foundation for Jewish Camping Matching Grants Initiative for New Camper Incentives closed on November 28. 28 donors, who pledged grants of $25,000-$50,000 totaling over a million dollars to 19 overnight summer camps and Jewish agencies were awarded $1:$1 matching funds for a total of $2.013,000 that will go to provide new camper incentives for more than 2000 new campers.

This initiative offers 1:1 matching funds for donors who are making their first ever gift of $25,000-$50,000 for a camper incentive program that will provide non-need based financial incentives (typically of $1000 or more) to encourage Jewish kids to attend a non-profit overnight summer camp for the first time or to return for a second year. Eligible programs must be designed as outreach tools to attract Jewish children who are not currently engaged in intensive daily Jewish education.

Only a handful of such programs currently exist. Many of the donors making grants also helped create the funds at the camps, federations, and local communal agencies they chose to support, resulting in active involvement between donors and the programs that benefit from them.

This is the third successful year for Jewish Funders Network’s matching grants initiatives, a unique project of JFN. By combining a capital investment from a donor or group of donors to match grants in a particular field of interest, this initiative has inspired hundreds of JFN members (new and old) to support nonprofits in the U.S. and Israel, infusing tens of millions of new dollars into the field.

The Jewish Camper Incentive Programs offers donors an innovative and effective strategy to engage Jewish families in Jewish life. Incentive grants have proven to be successful ways to increase enrollment in Jewish camps. Communities with tuition inducements show marked improvement in camp attendance, and children receiving grants will return to camp long after they are ineligible for the grant. The Foundation for Jewish Camping estimates that participation in this program and others like it will mean that at least 10,000 new campers will attend Jewish summer camp for the first time.

About the Foundation for Jewish Camping

The Foundation for Jewish Camping, a public foundation, is the only national organization dedicated to nonprofit Jewish resident camps, advancing program and leadership excellence in camps and access to vibrant Jewish experiences for campers. The Foundation helps raise awareness and support for Jewish summer camps, highlighting their successful track record for building powerful Jewish commitment in young Jews, ensuring future Jewish continuity. FJC works with more than 150 camps, 65,000 campers, and 12,000 counselors across North America to further its mission.

About Jewish Funders Network

Jewish Funders Network is an international organization of family foundations, public philanthropies, and individual funders dedicated to advancing the quality and growth of philanthropy rooted in Jewish values. JFN members are leaders in both philanthropy and business and exert a significant level of influence on society at-large. Through JFN, they explore various issues, including personal and family relations, the responsibilities of business and philanthropy, as well as the transition of assets, tradition, values and priorities between generations. Founded 16 years ago, the Jewish Funders Network exemplifies the global trend in philanthropy where increasingly, philanthropy and grantmaking are done through family foundations and by individual donors.

if you are interested in Jewish camping, also check out, $8.4 Million Grant to Launch Specialty Camps and Summer Camp 2.0

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If you are interested in learning about social networking, and are convenient to D.C. here is an announcement for an upcoming seminar geared specifically to the non-profit world.

Facebook, MySpace, Orkut, Digg, Delicious, Flickr, Twitter, and other social networking and social media web sites are experiencing tremendous audience growth. It’s now clear that most effective issues-based organizations in 2008 will extend their internet strategy to connect with supporters across these social web sites. The opportunities to build new audiences are as great as the complexities.

In this Web Executive Seminar hosted by Forum One, presenters will present strategies for how policy organizations and other nonprofits can take advantage of social media and social networking sites in support of their mission. They will cut through the hype and discuss issues related to brand management, resources and budgeting, and related issues. They will also discuss which sites are worth organizational investment and how to gauge success.

WHERE: National Press Club, Washington, DC
WHEN: 26 February 2008
8 a.m. - 11 a.m.
COST: $95

for the complete schedule and to register, click here

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The Jewish National Fund continues to be a trendsetter, breaking new ground in their approach to both raising money online and reaching out and attracting the younger generation. Now comes a profile in The NonProfit Times, Reversing the Donor Aging Process.

“Ah, Spring Break. The sun, the beach, the “What happens in BLANK stays in BLANK” memories.
Enter Alternative Spring Break (ASB), where the days of a wasted youth are no more, and where memories are lasting and, well, memorable. Where the purpose is to create a connection to the past and form a vision for the future.

While Jewish charities often are viewed as for older donors. Linda Wenger at the Jewish National Fund (JNF) is changing that thinking. “It’s a really great opportunity for young people to get involved with our organization and with our cause, which is and has always been for the State of Israel,” said Wenger, executive director of marketing and communications for JNF.

From its pilot season in 2005, ASB trips to Israel have grown explosively — from 25 young adults ages 18-35 the first year, to last year more than 300 young adults. The trips were profiled by MTV, and aired as one of the cable channel’s “Spring Break 2007″ specials.

The group’s latest campaign, “Go Neutral,” targets those people who want to offset their carbon footprint, and is “very aimed at young people,” said Wenger, who heads the campaign. “We know that a way to bring young people into our organization is to emphasize the fact that we do great environmental work in Israel.”

The message of Go Neutral: “If you’re going to plant a tree, why not plant a tree in Israel,” said Wenger. The accompanying Web site is fresher and edgier than JNF’s main site, and the campaign is featured on social networks.”

And for those of you who are still not serious about creating a viable on-line fundraising presence, pay attention here…

“JNF raised $2.5 million online during 2007

(as of Dec. 13). It’s astonishing, said Wenger, since the bulk of the money was from the purchase of $18 trees. But trendsetting is nothing new for JNF. After the launch of its online store seven years ago,

JNF became the first Jewish nonprofit to raise $1 million online.

Without forgetting the base of their donors, which skew upwards of age 60, the group is looking to increase the “unacceptable” 2 percent of its donors that are between the ages of 18 and 35. Whether it be by launching innovative online campaigns, hosting themed events that appeal to younger donors, or adopting an overall policy of a lower price of entry (e.g., instead of paying $1,000 to join JNF’s legal society, young adults can pay $350), JNF is making strides to grow its younger donors”

Do You Have An Online Donation Program In Place?

for the complete article, click here

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Community organizing means developing leaders and bringing people together to form powerful organizations that allow people to act on their own behalf to make systemic changes in their lives.

Community organizers are people who want to stir things up to motivate people to act for change, who embrace challenge, and who think strategically about power.

The Boston based, Jewish Organizing Initiative (JOI) builds a vibrant, pluralistic community of Jewish young adults who learn grassroots community organizing, explore their Jewish identity together, and become leaders in the pursuit of social justice. The JOI year-long paid fellowship program is a source of Jewish community, intellectual stimulation, mentorship, and professional networking. Over the last decade, JOI has built a network of over 100 alum and countless mentors and trainers from the Jewish community and beyond.

Now JOI is looking for fellows who have the aptitude and the appetite to become excellent organizers, who are committed to pursuing social justice professionally, and who are looking to build progressive community in a Jewish context. In addition to work experience, JOI is about building a unique and genuine community of peers, committed to intertwining their Jewish identity with their work for social justice.

For more information, contact Program Director Catherine Bell at cbell@jewishorganizing.org.

updated February 14th: for more on JOI read today’s Jewish Advocate article, JOI marks 10 years of working for change in Greater Boston

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Everyone says video is hot online. A recently released Pew Internet report confirms the rapid growth in viewing videos online during 2007 - 48% of internet users.

Growth is highest in the desirable demographic groups of women, 50-65 year olds, college graduates, and those in the highest income brackets. growth. Most importantly, every demographic group surveyed experienced significant growth

“The daily traffic to such sites on a typical day has doubled in the past year. The audience for YouTube and other internet video sites has risen sharply… Nearly half of online adults now say they have visited such sites. On a typical day at the end of 2007, the share of internet users going to video sites was nearly twice as large as it had been at the end of 2006.

The basic findings in a national phone survey…

• 48% of internet users said they had ever visited a video-sharing site such as YouTube. A year ago, in December 2006, 33% of internet users said they had ever visited such sites. That represents growth of more than 45% year-to-year.
• 15% of respondents said they had used a video-sharing site “yesterday,” the day before they were contacted for our survey. A year ago, 8% had visited such a site “yesterday.” Thus, on an average day, the number of users of video sites nearly doubled from the end of 2006 to the end of 2007.”

These results are from a survey of American adults (18 and older) conducted between October 24 and December 2, 2007.

click here for the complete report

see our previous post on the importance of an on-line video presence in 2008, Britain’s Queen Takes Up You Tube

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Is your organization sending out junkmail? If so, shame on you. You are in the wrong profession. Before you send your resume to McDonald’s, let me clarify: Junkmail is any mail from any sender that’s irrelevant, annoying, or just plain stupid. It’s a subjective perception. Junkmail is often received. But it should never, ever be sent.

Here’s a quick way to see whether or not you’re guilty of sending junkmail. Check any of these statements you agree with:

• Our mail annoys our donors.
• I wish we didn’t have to ask for funds.
• Direct mail is a terrible thing—I wouldn’t do it if we didn’t have to.

If you checked any of the above, you are probably sending junkmail. You have an attitude against direct-mail fundraising that is self-destructive—and probably self-fulfilling. Your mail is junk before it reaches your donors’ hands. It’s junkmail before it even rolls off the presses. Now, check any of the statements below that you agree with

• Our mail delights our donors.
• Asking our donors for funds is a service to them.
• Direct mail isn’t perfect, but communicating with donors is great!

If you checked any of the above, there’s a good chance you are not a junkmailer. And your thinking is in line with the large majority of your donors’.

Anything you send to any donor has the potential to be perceived as junkmail. Maybe there’s too much other stuff in her mail that day. Maybe she just got some bad (or good) news that crowds out your message. Maybe the color of your envelope is the same as the color of her third grade classroom, where she suffered at the hands of a mean teacher.

No matter how brilliant and on-target your message, it will transform into junkmail for someone. If you use direct mail to raise funds, get used to it. You can minimize it by being smart about timing, being careful about whom you mail to, being relevant with your message, and having great creativity. But you can’t avoid it entirely.

The good news is—assuming you are doing a half-way decent job with your direct mail—you are sending out a lot of mail that’s interesting, delightful, and life-affirming to a lot of donors. Not junkmail at all. In fact, your mail is a great service to your donors in many ways.

And that’s where we get back to you and your career choice. If you are sending junkmail—that is, if you think your direct mail fundraising is irrelevant, annoying, or just plain stupid—you need to rethink your career. Because your attitude is leading you to make bad decisions that will only increase the chances of your mail being received as junkmail. And that’s where it counts. Do your donors, your organization, and the entire nonprofit community a favor: find a different job. You’ll be doing yourself a favor too—clearly you can’t be enjoying your work if you take such a low view of it.

On the other hand, if you can say with pride and conviction, “Our donors love our mail!” you are on the path to personal and organizational success.

Jeff Brooks is creative director at Merkle, a direct-response agency serving the nonprofit world. He blogs at the Donor Power Blog.

Copyright © 2008 Stanford University Center for Social Innovation