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

This upcoming weekend is a special one for all patriotic Americans because Sunday is July 4th – Independence Day.  That also means the following Monday is a Federal holiday and many will have a 3-day weekend.

How will you and your family celebrate the birth of our nation?  Weekend getaway to the beach?  Hiking and camping in one of our amazing National Parks?  Family get together to grill hamburgers and hot dogs?  Watch a parade or fireworks? 

Exactly what you do isn’t as important as remembering why we have this holiday weekend.  As you reflect on the Fourth of July, I ask you to also pause for a moment to say “thank you to all who served, fought, and died for our country in our armed services.” 

Over the 234 years of America’s history, many have sacrificed a great deal – and continue to do so today in Iraq and Afghanistan – so that we can enjoy unparalleled freedoms in our country.  Yes, the hearts of Americans are generous.  But those of you who work at a nonprofit are reminded of that daily.

I wish all my fellow Americans a happy and safe 4th of July weekend!

And because today is July 1st, I’ll add best wishes to our good neighbors to the north in their celebration of Canada Day.

I have three neat stories to share today … all examples of aviation and charities working together.

First, the nonprofit Able Flight has teamed with Purdue University’s Department of Aviation Technology.  The result is that this summer Heather Schultz and Chris Spaur will learn how to fly.

Why is this special?  Both of these young people have physical disabilities.  Able Flight’s mission is to help people with disabilities enjoy the freedom that comes with flying high above the earth.  And as a pilot, I assure you that flying a plane definitely gives you a strong feeling of freedom.

Schultz and Spaur received scholarships and will earn a sport pilot certificate from flight instructors at Purdue.  They will learn in an adapted Light Sport Aircraft – a Sky Arrow 600 LSA – which has been provided by Sean O’Donnell of Philly Sport Pilot (Sean’s flight school trains Sport Pilots, including people with disabilities). 

Programs like this give people with disabilities another avenue for fulfilling, self-sufficient lives through careers in aviation.

“The Aviation Technology program at Purdue sees the collaboration with Able Flight as a unique opportunity to extend the freedom of flight to individuals who might not be aware they can fly,” said department head Brent Bowen. “Purdue’s aviation program is world-class, and we need the best and brightest individuals. Able Flight will bring to us a new cadre of people who otherwise might not consider careers in aviation.”

Second, the nonprofit Disabled American Veterans is working with Warbirds of America to salute veterans this summer.  It will take place during the Experimental Aircraft Association’s (EAA) AirVenture Oshkosh 2010. 

Each summer EAA hosts a major air show in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.  And part of the 2010 show includes events to honor veterans:

       ◊  special forums and speakers
       ◊ mass gathering of veterans for photos
       ◊ a special air show segment of Vietnam-era aircraft
       ◊ Warbird Aircraft display area

“Salute to Veterans will be one of the primary focuses during AirVenture 2010,” said EAA president Tom Poberezny.  And it all aligns with two significant aviation anniversaries: the DC-3 and B-17 aircraft both celebrate their 75th year in 2010.

By the way, all veterans and active duty military who purchase AirVenture tickets online in advance of the show are eligible for a lower admission rate of $28.  Visit AirVenture2010 for more details on the July 26 – August 1 show.

Third, story comes from Greensboro, North Carolina.  On June 12th a 5K run/walk was held on the new 9,000-foot runway at Piedmont Triad International Airport.

Why do I mention it here? Because the run benefited the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.  It was in honor of 14-year old Kay Kirby.  His father helped design the new runway.

Instead of aircraft rolling down the runway, on this day there were baby carriages rolling along the runway while the parents jogged. Over 1,000 people exercised to help others.

Strange as it may seem, there is good news from a story about crime.

The charity, World Vision International will receive clothing with a retail value of $2.3 million.  It’s actually “counterfeit” clothing.  (Unique source of gift-in-kind donations; wouldn’t you say?)  That means the clothing had counterfeit trademarks of various famous brands.

But what does that matter? Jeff Fields, a World Vision spokesman, said that about 20% of the food and clothing they receive is from counterfeit seizures by Federal agencies.  “The main thing is, we’re able to put a new pair of shoes or a new shirt on someone who otherwise wouldn’t have them,” Field said.

This latest seizure involved 15,500 pieces of clothing such as athletic shoes, jeans, jackets and more.  They were seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials at the port of Los Angeles-Long Beach.

According to the June 11, 2010 article in the Pasadena Star-News, “Once federal forfeiture procedures are completed,” Border Patrol spokesman Jaime Ruiz stated, “seized items may be donated to relief efforts and to charity outside the United States, with the trademark owner’s approval.”

Yup.  It’s nice to see some good come from the acts of scumball criminals who make life more difficult for so many others.  A gift-in-kind donation from an unlikely source but still beneficial to those in need.

Careful!  If you’re not wearing at least a wee bit o’ green today, you might get pinched.

This is an important holiday in our house for the simple reason that I’m part Irish and my husband is almost 100% Irish.  Therefore I thought it appropriate to recognize it in my blog.

Going back to the tradition of wearing green . . . did you know that originally “blue” was the color for Saint Patrick? 

I’m not certain all this is strictly accurate, but one source I found said that Saint Patrick (circa AD 387–461; and the most easily recognized patron saint of Ireland), used the shamrock – a three-leaved plant – to explain the Holy Trinity to the pre-Christian Irish.    As time went on the wearing of shamrocks and shamrock-inspired designs have become an extremely popular symbol of the holiday. 

In fact the phrase, “the wearing of the green”, means to wear a shamrock on one’s clothing. 

Have a great Irish day!

There’s a debate on that question in a Washington Post article by the Associated Press (AP), “2 aid efforts in Haiti: Multinational and DIY”

It centers around how quickly – or not so quickly – large nonprofit orgs are getting temporary shelter to the earthquake victims in Haiti.  With the rainy season fast approaching, shelter is a top priority for the people and the government.  Seven weeks have passed since the earthquake and only about a third of the people who need shelter have received it.

Two “DIY” examples from the AP article follow:

1.  A property developer from Miami put up a “…proper [tent] camp for hundreds of families on the soccer field of a gated community of luxury villas. It took him three days and less than $5,000.”

This developer “found a Miami company offering a waterproof tent for five, the average size of a family in Haiti, for $90 including ground sheets, poles and mosquito nets. Then he found another that asked $37.05 per tent – including shipping to Haiti – if he’d buy 50,000 of them.”

2.  A church group from Atlanta collected 1,505 donated tents to shelter 7,525 people plus $24,185

The volunteer DIY people say they can move faster, cheaper and more efficiently than the large NGO’s.  They also criticize that the large nonprofit orgs are “…inefficient and confused.”

ShelterBoxUSA has tent kits for a 10-member family at $1,000 per tent kit.  Veronica Miller, president of ShelterBoxUSA, said, Our “…kit includes a multipurpose blanket, water purification kit, stove and cooking pots – as well as the cost of securing permission to use land and coordinating who gets help first.”  She added that the tents are designed to last for years.

Many organizations, including GuideStar, think that relief efforts on the scale needed in Haiti are best left to the experts.  Now, to some extent we’re comparing apples and oranges in this debate. Nonetheless the problem remains that Haiti needs serious amounts of help fast!

What do you think?  Are the large nonprofits bogged down in bureaucracy, inefficient, and too slow?  Does Haiti need more help from Do-It-Yourselfers?

I’ve written before about how professional associations and trade organizations could combine efforts with charities.  And the disaster relief work in Haiti is an outstanding case in point.

The ASAE blog, Acronym has an extensive post (including comments) of how associations are helping in Haiti. They go into more detail than what I have here, including additional groups involved and more of what each association is doing.

Here are a few examples courtesy of Acronym on how nonprofit associations have teamed with charities to accomplish marvelous work followed by ideas on how your group can get involved:

The National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) – created a special section on its website with “links to help make a difference.”  It is news that the Drug Enforcement Administration is establishing a point of contact to help companies that want to ship controlled substances to Haiti.

Lions Clubs International – leaders from the Dominican Republic and neighboring Latin American countries have led convoys of emergency relief supplies into Haiti.

“With tremendous support from the National Association of Broadcasters, National Association of Cable Operators, and other media associations, the much-hyped ‘Hope for Haiti Now’ telethon January 22 generated $57 million for earthquake relief.”

National Nurses United – with a membership of 150,000 registered nurses received a call for hundreds of nurse volunteers, and they’ve responded.

The International Association of Fire Chiefs – as of late January there were at least a “dozen of its 3,100 affiliates sending urban search-and-rescue teams from around the country to Haiti to help move heavy debris, bring search dogs, and share their specialized disaster training and coordination skills onsite.”

Northwest Physicians Network and the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons (AAHKS) – both sent medical teams.

Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) – countless daily flights of volunteer private pilots flying supplies and personnel to Haiti.

National Restaurant Association – just one example of a group raising funds to donate to select charities working in Haiti.

U.S. Parachute Association (USPA) – loaned some of its aircraft that are well-suited for hauling cargo.

National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) – continues to play a huge role in coordinating the efforts of volunteer pilots and their aircraft.  The NBAA has a long history of responding to disasters with vital help in using business aviation to send supplies and personnel.

Although not related to Haiti, here is an example of how the NBAA is continually involved in relief and charity work:  Last October I wrote about NBAA’s team efforts for the Corporate Angel Network here in my blog.

Rotary Clubs – very active in Haiti with relief work.  But also their clubs in the U.S. and other countries are raising funds, sending supplies, and much more.

American Institute of Architects – has offered their expertise to help when the rebuilding initiatives begin.

There are other professional and trade groups whose members have volunteered to help.  Many have often been placed on stand-by awaiting approval to deploy, or waiting for the best time to be of service to relief agencies.  In January the Acronym also stated that “…Many professional and trade associations have created global disaster relief funds in the past 10 years and are likely to tap them now, saying they want first to see what primary needs emerge.”  And there are numerous groups who have since tapped into those funds.

Does your association have expertise to offer?

If your association also has talent and expertise that can help Haiti recover from the earthquake . . . if you have members ready to step forward to help . . . consider contacting a charity that’s been working in Haiti for several years.  They’ll have the in-country contacts essential for efficiently utilizing the aid relief.

This also helps to lessen a problem many veteran charities – and Haitian authorities – have lamented about:  Too many well-meaning organizations showing up and not knowing where to go; what needs to be done; how to effectively help; inadvertently undermining another NGO’s efforts; and so forth.

You don’t have to wait for a disaster

And remember, there are likely ways you can leverage your resources while giving members a chance to help a cause outside of disaster relief.

First, last fall I wrote an article in my newsletter – the ZAPP Nonprofit Leader - on this subject.  When the web window opens, scroll down a bit to the main article titled, “Cooperative Fundraising – Nonprofits Combine Efforts.”  It starts out with a story of charities teaming up, but at the end I give ideas for associations teaming with charities any time of the year.

Second, did you know that April 18-24, 2010 is National Volunteer Week in the U.S.?  At least three other countries also have a National Volunteer Week including Canada, England, and Australia.  What can your members do during this week to help Haiti or any good cause? Brainstorm ideas.  Call some of the charities working in Haiti and ask what you might do.  Helping doesn’t necessarily require a trip to Haiti either.

It also presents a great opportunity for publicity.  You might even acquire some new members in the process.  So be certain to involve your PR staff too.

Team up with a charity.  You build loyalty with your members, spread the word about your association, and help a good cause in the process.

Yesterday, Feb 15th, the Georgia Perimeter College (enrollment of 25,000 students) opened its brand new Atlanta Center for Civic Engagement & Service Learning. 

The Center will focus on long-term projects for nonprofits that go beyond one-day (e.g., volunteer to serve in a soup kitchen for a meal) community service type work.   They’ll also work with organizations and nonprofits to find students and faculty members to help with nonprofit programs.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that “College President Anthony Tricoli has long wanted such a center. He said it is one of the first of its kind in the nation and will be able to assist other colleges and nonprofits with service learning projects.”

The Atlanta Center’s four areas of focus are:

• health (including nutrition, obesity and mental health)
• the environment
• overcoming poverty
• education and literacy

Center offerings include civic engagement and service-learning grants; training, workshops and conferences; and “how to” guides.

Might the Atlanta Center be able to help your nonprofit?  Click here to read more about the Atlanta Center for Civic Engagement & Service Learning.

My viewpoint may not be too popular with some of my nonprofit friends and colleagues.  But for me it’s the bedrock of what our country was founded on – freedom.  Specifically freedom of choice.

An article on the National Public Radio website has the headline: Should bank execs donate part of their paychecks to charity?

The article then opens with, “Typically big profits for a Wall Street bank translate into large bonuses for the firm’s executives. But this year’s bonus season could be tempered by an unprecedented measure: mandatory philanthropy. Goldman Sachs is reportedly considering a plan to force employees to give part of their bonuses to charity.”

Setting the subject of taxes aside . . . Forcing people to spend the money they earned in a certain way is wrong – and for me it doesn’t matter how much they earned.  Taking away my choices and dictating how I spend my income is socialism.  It’s flat out wrong in my book and contrary to what the USA stands for.

And telling people it must go to charity does not make it right.  The end doesn’t justify the means.

I faced something like this early in my working career as an employee in the for-profit world.  And I assure you I wasn’t receiving a large bonus!  Far from it.  I was told I had to give a specified percentage of my gross income to a charity my employer chose.  I fought it then and I’ll continue to fight it.

Folks, you may not like that some people earn large salaries and bonuses.  But opportunities for success without the government or anyone else restricting them are often why so many people immigrate to the U.S.  They know how precious our freedoms are.  They know how incredible it is that you can be as successful as your creativity, dedication, and talents allow in the USA.

Don’t condemn success.  Instead reach out to these people.  Congratulate them and ask if they would kindly consider sharing some of their success through a donation to your charity.  It’s the American way.