Based on the questions after the session, and comments from attendees during the rest of the conference . . . our “Top Nonprofit Bloggers Tell It Like It Is” session was enjoyed by all.  Jeff Brooks organized this for the DMA Nonprofit Federation New York Conference (Aug 24-25, 2010).  Thanks, Jeff.

In the 12 minutes I had to “spout off” my goal was to open people’s minds to ALL the possibilities of mobile. As I often say, mobile giving is only the tip of the iceberg. 

I believe the true potential of mobile is CULTIVATION.   You can build stronger relationships and cultivate all your target audiences: donors, prospects, members, advocates, volunteers, and beneficiaries of your mission via mobile.

Are most of your donors over age 65? 

My idea on how to address this fact sparked considerable interest.  First let me say that there are MANY seniors and matures that use mobile devices. And a good percentage of them already send and receive text messages. 

But if you have mature supporters who don’t know how to text . . . help them learn.  Create a guidebook, video or another tool that shows them how to do this.  Yes, I know there are many different types of mobile phones and devices.  Choose the top 5 or 6 and create tutorials for them.

Second: Promote your texting learning tool to your mature donor database by appealing to the grandparents in the crowd.  Ask how many would like to communicate more often with their grandkids?  Texting is one of the best ways to do this. 

Why?  Because their grandkids probably do almost nothing but text. Teens and youths spend very little time talking on mobile phones.  Studies show they’re not too keen on talking.  They find it rude and invasive.  So although the grandparents may prefer to talk, at least they’ll be able to keep in touch via text instead of getting nothing but silence. 

Teach them how to send and receive text messages from their grandkids and you’ll definitely build a stronger relationship with these mature donors.  And then invite them to also receive mobile updates from your nonprofit via text.  Send them success stories, or other valuable content to help them keep their texting skills sharp for the grandkids. 

Remember, mobile is an extremely personal communication channel . . . the most personal channel available.  And personal touches are ideal for cultivating stronger relationships. 

What do you think of using mobile for cultivating stronger donor and supporter relationships?  Spout off with your thoughts and leave a comment.

More about the blogger’s panel for DMANF in New York:

Each of us spoke frankly on whatever topic we chose.  Anything that was happening within the nonprofit industry, impacting it, what we liked or didn’t like, where we thought things were headed, and so forth.  It was a fun time with my fellow bloggers.

Members of the Blogger’s panel were …

 Jeff Brooks, Future Fundraising Now    

Katya Andresen, Katya’s Non-profit Marketing Blog  

Sarah Durham, Duck Call (Big Duck) 

Roger Craver, The Agitator, and            

myself, Karen Zapp, Zapp Nonprofit Blog

Ain’t technology great?  Imagine taking a snapshot of a Mesozoic Era dinosaur with your cell phone.  That’s what you can do at the American Museum of Natural History.  But that’s not the only way 21st Century mobile technology is meshing with history at the Museum.

Earlier this month the American Museum of Natural History rolled out its “Explorer app” for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad.  This application is designed to make it easier for Museum visitors to navigate through the various exhibitions.

Cultivation via Mobile

I view this as a terrific example of how mobile can be used to cultivate supporters . . . whether they’re visitors/prospects, donors, or anyone. This app provides several engaging activities to enhance the experience people have with this nonprofit. 

The Museum is really thinking hard about all the ways they can make it easier for people, and to maximize the quality of their experience with the Museum. 

For example: Visitors can use their own mobile device or borrow one of 350 that are available for free.  Plus they have an “App Support Team” of 25 young people to answer any questions visitors might have about using the mobile devices and the app.  That’s service.

What can visitors do with the Explorer app while at the American Museum of Natural History? 

 - pinpoint your location and get step-by-step (or turn-by-turn) directions to the next place you want to go.  Find your way through 45 permanent exhibition halls, theaters, restrooms (always an important room to find quickly when you need it), where to get a bite to eat, and of course the shops for gifts and souvenirs. 

 - create your own custom audio and visual tour

 - go on a fossil treasure hunt (that sounds fun)

 - get more information on the displays in the exhibit halls

Cultivation centers on creating a rich experience. Giving supporters content they want and value.  Making it easy for them.  Engaging them in a positive way.  Making them feel important.  I think the Explorer app by the American Museum of Natural History achieves all this.

When all is said and done, nonprofits are all about people in one way or another.  It’s also about the relationship with those people – your donors, advocates, prospects, volunteers, members, etc.  Mobile is an important way to create and maintain donor relationships . . . cultivation.

Read more about the Explorer app on Mashable along with a demo video, Navigate the American Museum of Natural History with New iPhone and iPad Apps

How can your nonprofit engage and cultivate supporters via mobile?  How can you build a stronger relationship with them?  What ideas does this example prompt for you, even if you don’t create your own app?

NOTE: Ready to discover more ways mobile can build donor relationships for your nonprofit? I’ve written a guidebook – or primer – that’s a soup to nuts aid to help you see the potential of mobile.

Study shows nonprofits – and the government – are using mobile in a wider variety of ways and with more creativity than commercial companies. 

That’s cool!

Jason R. Harris of Taptu (a mobile search engine that conducted the study) said, “These two groups are adopting the mobile touch Web for many purposes.”

Harris added, “We found them [nonprofits and government] eager to hop on the touch Web in order to get the word out, raise funds, and connect with…” people.

Nonprofit examples cited in the Taptu study include:

• Mobile giving
• Colleges and universities are creating virtual campuses. This promotes more student engagement. They also use it to improve pastoral care and mobile access to learning processes.
• Health care organizations share info on medical issues and where to find care.

In fact, religious nonprofits were the most active of all.  They comprised 72.5% of the mobile touch web sites in the study.

How is your nonprofit using mobile?  Or do you still wonder if mobile will work for you and have no idea where to begin?

Click here to read how Mobile for Nonprofits: Connecting Donors through the Power of Mobile answers all your questions about mobile, and how your nonproft can benefit from mobile.  It’s a special report I co-authored that serves as an A-to-Z primer on mobile.

Updated … 6-9-10 (see below)

Today I share a quick synopsis of two mobile giving news articles.  Specifically these articles highlight how more and more tools and flexibility are becoming available to nonprofits of all sizes.  It’s getting easier for everyone to add mobile to their fundraising and marketing strategy.

1 – On May 20th, Click & Pledge announced a new mobile giving platform.  According to Dr. Kami Razvan, CEO of Click & Pledge, this platform is available to all its customers.  This includes nonprofits, political campaigns and similar organizations. 

They say it takes advantage of the “coolness factor” that mobile offers.  And it will help attract a wider demographic of supporters to your nonprofit. 

“We addressed ways to offer it less expensively, securely, and without limitations on donor information or payment amounts. Plus, we bypassed the phone carriers so that our customers access the money quickly and they capture complete information on the donor,” Razvan said.

Here’s a partial list of what their platform offers:

> Donations of ANY size.  [This is unique.  With mGive you’re currently limited to $5 or $10 donations – up to a total of $25 per campaign – although they expect it will increase to $20 or $25 per donations before the year is out.  The cell phone carriers are the limiting factor.]

> You capture complete donor info and it’s stored in a database.  [This is significant.  Typically the nonprofit receives very little info on the donor.  Your best hope for any follow-up is to ask them to opt-in for additional updates.]

> Their system bypasses the cell phone carriers.

> Your nonprofit receives the funds within 48 hours of payment by the donors. [You can wait up to 90 – 120 days with mGive.]

> Recurring payments are available. [In other words, you can use this for your monthly sustainer program!]

I haven’t seen it in action, but it sounds like Click & Pledge really focused on overcoming many of the limitations nonprofits face with mGive.  And I’m not criticizing mGive!!!!  They have a marvelous platform.

One thing I’m curious about is this: Currently only 501(c)(3) nonprofits that have been registered with the IRS for more than a year, and have annual revenues in excess of $500,000 are eligible for mobile giving through mGive.  These constraints come from the cell phone providers who want to protect their own business, and not fill the roll of banks.  Does this mean that ANY nonprofit that is a customer of Click & Pledge could use mobile for fundraising?  Does it mean it doesn’t matter how much annual revenue they bring in?  I assume the answer is yes, but I’m not sure.  Maybe I’ll hear from someone at Click & Pledge.

Update … 6-9-10: Jim Barney of Click & Pledge read this post and called me.  Jim confirmed that as long as the nonprofit is a client of Click & Pledge, they have access to all services, software, and platforms.  In other words, the nonprofit can use the mobile platform regardless of what their annual revenues are (there’s no minimum amount).  The restrictions that mGive operates under (and again, these come from the cell phone service providers), don’t apply to Click & Pledge clients.

And I think you’ll find that your fees to use mobile through Click & Pledge will be less too, but please confirm that for yourself.  The beauty of this is that the online fundraising and other services that Click & Pledge offers are extremely affordable.  You don’t pay anything upfront. 

I’m NOT an affiliate for this company and receive zero compensation for my comments.  I simply like to pass on good ideas to my readers.  Everything I’ve seen or heard thus far sounds great … and I believe it’s worth your time to call Jim Barney at Click & Pledge to ask about their mobile platform and more. [End of 6-9-10 update.]

2 – On June 1st, Purple Forge and ZipGive announced a new partnership. Together they will “…deliver mobile applications for fundraising, volunteer and donor engagement for charities, non-profits and political campaigns in North America.”  This partnership has elements that go beyond mobile giving and incorporates mobile marketing tools as well.

That’s important because in my opinion the greatest potential for mobile is in strenthening your donor cultivation abilities.

“Purple Forge’s award-wining mobile application services combined with our leading SMS fundraising capabilities offer fundraisers an unmatched suite of mobile fundraising and donor engagement solutions,” said Andrew D’Amico, ZipGive account manager. 

This partnership gives your nonprofit the ability to broadcast news, events, pictures, video, Twitter and donation calls.  They also offer a “survey engine” tied-in with social networking.  As I understand it this means it is easy for you to share timely news.  And you can get the opinions and feedback from your supporters regarding this news in real-time.

Click here for a resource that will make you mobile savvy fast … an A-to-Z primer on mobile for nonprofits.

Technology can be quite exciting.  And in case you haven’t heard, your direct mail appeal can now be hyperlinked to your website … in a manner of speaking.

By printing a “QR Code” on your letter (or any print piece), donors and members can use their smartphone (mobile phone with certain features defined below) to scan the code and hyperlink to your website.  In other words the QR Code serves as a link that takes readers directly to a landing page on your website.

What is a QR Code? 

Blase Ciabaton has an informative post – “Star Trek Technology has arrived with Direct Mail! How to Beam Customers Directly to your Website!” – on the subject on his blog, The Direct Mail Man.

Ciabaton explains that a “QR Code is a square, 2-dimensional barcode that can be read by smartphones with the appropriate free software.   The smart phone converts the QR Code into a URL and brings the owner of the phone to a corresponding website.”

Sample of a "QR Code"

Again, your donor or member scans the barcode with their smartphone and then the landing page identified by the barcode opens up on their mobile phone.  No clicking.  No texting of a short code. Just scan and “POOF” they’re on your website. [Click here for an A-to-Z resource that makes you mobile savvy FAST.]

Bring them to your website to donate, to respond to a survey, read an article, sign up for an event, volunteer to help, etc.  With mobile everything becomes easily interactive.

This is another way to help integrate  ALL your campaigns.  In previous blog posts I’ve written about how important an integrated multi-channel approach is to your fundraising and marketing  (April 20 post and April 7 post).

Oh, and as Ciabaton points out in his blog post, you can track and measure response with QR Codes.  He makes several good points on this cool tool, including resources for free software.  Be sure to read his post.

Granted, not everyone has a smart phone . . . yet.  But Nielsen predicts 33% of the US mobile market will be smartphones by the end of 2010; and increase to more than 50% by the end of 2011.  So it’s a significant portion and growing. 

Plus you need to devote a little space in your copy and layout to briefly explain what a QR Code is and how to use it.  But we already know it is wise to do everything possible to give your donors and members choices.  And since it’s also wise to make it easier for them to take action – to respond to your call to action – why not start incorporating QR Codes in your offline marketing and fundraising?

Even if the initial response is low, it will build.  As your readers see the QR Code over and over again in your direct mail and other print messages, response will build.

 #  #  #

Definition of a smartphone (excerpt from Wikipedia.org): “A smartphone is a mobile phone offering advanced capabilities, often with PC-like functionality. There is no industry standard definition of a smartphone.  For some, a smartphone is a phone that runs complete operating system software providing a standardized interface and platform for application developers.  For others, a smartphone is simply a phone with advanced features like e-mail, Internet and e-book reader capabilities, and/or a built-in full keyboard or external USB keyboard and VGA connector. In other words, it is a miniature computer that has phone capability.  Most devices considered smartphones today use an identifiable operating system, often with the ability to add applications (e.g. for enhanced data processing, connectivity or entertainment) – in contrast to regular phones which only support sandboxed applications (like Java games).”

Who says mobile is just for raising funds? Donor cultivation is where I believe the really big payoff will happen.

In the last six to eight months there’s been a flurry of information published on mobile giving. Especially the text-to-give campaigns related to Haiti relief.

But if you think mobile giving is the only way to take advantage of this technology, then you’re only seeing the tip of the iceberg.

• Mobile is arguably the most personal communication channel in the world.  
• That makes it ideal for reaching donors anytime . . . anywhere. 
• People use their mobile device to keep in touch with family and friends.  And now you too can enter this private world. 

Those are just some of the reasons why mobile is such a powerful channel to build stronger relationships with your donors and volunteers.  And associations can just as easily use it to foster stronger relationships with their members.

You can send text or voice mail messages.  Send advocacy alerts.  Send tips related to your mission.  For charities they might be healthy eating tips; pet care tips; going green ideas; reminders of special events; call for volunteers; and on it goes.  For associations it might be career tips; networking tips; updates on webinars or conferences; links to resources; and so forth.

Sending valuable information via mobile that your supporters have agreed to receive it a great donor cultivation strategy.  If you want an in-depth resource with creative examples on using mobile for donor cultivation, plus mobile giving … here’s an A-to-Z report that makes you mobile savvy fast: Mobile for Nonprofits – Connecting to Donors Through the Power of Mobile.

Everyday people are also great celebrity fundraisers.  Lauren Leffler isn’t a movie star, a famous pro athlete, a popular politician or anything of the kind.  She’s quite simply a person dedicated to helping a good cause in her own unique way.

Her story is an example of a special fundraising event with the potential to receive a tremendous amount of press coverage without the benefit of a famous celebrity.  Oh, and later in this post I also share how this event could be even better.  But first . . .

What is Leffler doing?

She’s riding her bicycle across America this April.  In fact, she started her 4020 mile journey last Saturday, March 27 in San Francisco.

In a telephone interview with The Daytona Beach News-Journal Leffler said, “If I’m going to bike across America, I might as well do it for a good cause.”  Leffler is a 4th-year medical student at the University of South Florida.  

How did she choose the Shriners Hospitals for Children as the beneficiary of her trek?  They inspired her decision to focus on pediatric orthopedics as her life’s work.

“Having rotated through many hospitals and institutions throughout my schooling, I have yet to come across another that is quite like Shriners. This organization is amazing! From caring for burns to correcting club feet, the good they accomplish for children is unparalleled, all for free,” says Leffler.

Look at an example of a pretty good grassroots special event fundraising page on the Shriners Hospitals website.   You’ll find ways to donate, a fundraising graphic on the campaign’s progress, and also a letter from Leffler sharing her story where she issues all of us a catchy challenge: 

“I will be ecstatic with any donation you are willing to give, but I would like to propose a challenge. The route I have planned in this adventure across America is projected to be 4020 miles long. My challenge to you would be to join the “Penny-a-Mile” club; that is, to donate a penny for every mile that I ride. Of course, if you would like to create your own “nickel-a-mile,” or dime or dollar club, that would be all the better!”

Also note that her goal is to raise $40,200 which ties neatly to her 4020 mile long journey.

This is an event that can easily catch fire and go viral: Leffler is doing all this on her own initiative.  She has a connection to the charity.  It’s a unique story more of the media is very likely to pick up.  I’m sure Shriners is working on publicity.  And all of us can help by using our own social media networks and communities. 

How could this fundraiser get better?  How can its chance for success be improved?

• Set up a blog to monitor Leffler’s progress across America
• Have a map showing her route and where she is at the end of each day
• Leffler could use a smart phone to connect to the web (e.g., email, Facebook, Twitter) and send daily anedotes of her trip.  Even stories of racing to get away from dogs nipping at her heels.  Getting soaked in a rain storm.  Chats with people along the way cheering her on. 
• Leffler can use the phone to take photos and videos for uploading to her own page on FlickR and YouTube
• Shriners could also use mobile marketing to text updates to their donors, have mobile ads, use text to give, and more!

Simple things like this – easily supported by Shriners – would go a long way to keep supporters engaged, add fun, and increase the odds of it going viral.  And that means more money raised!

What grassroots fundraising efforts are you inspiring?  Where can you find your everyday celebrities?  How can you make it easy for your supporters to help you?

And if you want to answer Leffler’s challenge, click here to donate and pledge.

In “Katya’s Non-profit Marketing Blog” she shares some online giving statistics from Network for Good.  Specifically, how online donations sharply spiked about 2 days after the earthquake in Haiti on January 12th, and then have steadily declined ever since. 

As she says, as the headlines and media coverage fade . . . so do our memories.  That’s just the way it is with any disaster that doesn’t directly impact us. 

But what’s most valuable about her blog post is this: Katya cites three solid ideas for countering this natural decline in donations after a disaster.  Here are Katya’s three ways charities involved in Haiti relief can keep the donations rolling in:

1. When attention is on the crisis and impulse is at a high, ask for a recurring gift.

2. Thank the donors that gave often and report on the life-saving results of their dollars.

3. Consider an anniversary campaign six months out or one year later.  Ask them to consider a gift to rebuild.

I’m going to expand on these just a bit. 

Definitely ask for a recurring gift (credit cards are the most popular and convenient for the donor).  Even though attention is already fading consider this…

• Your emergency direct mail appeal has probably already dropped in the mail.  Hopefully you asked for a recurring gift in your P.S., and on the reply device.  But whether you did or didn’t, you can still ask for the recurring gift in your thank you letter to donors who gave; in emails; on your website; in whatever social media channels you use (e.g., Twitter and Facebook).

• And in these communications please be sure to include updates on how so many lives are better in Haiti thanks to the generosity of your donors.  Show photos of happy people you helped and share short but compelling “before and after” stories – their fear and helplessness before your charity came to help and specifically how their lives have improved.  Include a testimonial if possible.

• In your newsletter include Haiti updates in with your other mission work.  And again, ask for that recurring gift along with the standard statements of how more can be done with periodic donations; recurring gifts mean more money goes to the needy because your fundraising costs are lower; etc.

• For your mobile donors who have agreed to receive updates from you, include an occasional text message on your progress in Haiti.  Include a text-to-donate link or have a link to a mobile-friendly web page with happy pictures and more of the story.  On the landing page include the option for monthly giving.  (Note – Landing pg can have the donate form at the bottom of the page.  Ideally top of  form is visible above the fold.  Have your most compelling update story at the top with links to more.)

Scheduling a special “anniversary” appeal in six or twelve months is also a marvelous suggestion.  I’ll ditto Katya’s emphasis on profusely showering praise on your donors in this appeal. 

Finally, please ensure that your donors know that all donations for Haiti made before April 15th, can be deducted on their 2009 tax returns.  I wrote about this in my newsletter yesterday, the ZAPP Nonprofit Leader - look for Hot Tip #1 for details.