Helping Nonprofits Navigate Web 2.0

July 22, 2008
Spider web
Photo by Flickr user ecstaticist.

Budgets at nonprofits around the country are especially tight right now, and it’s more imperative than ever that they find effective ways to communicate with potential supporters, volunteers and the communities they serve.

The Chronicle of Philanthropy’s online discussion last week focused on ways nonprofits can reach more people online utilizing various Web 2.0 tools, without having to spend a lot of money.

The two experts that they had available to answer questions were Beth Kanter, author of Beth’s Blog and a nonprofit technology consultant, and Jonathan D. Colman, associate director of digital marketing for The Nature Conservancy.

The questions that were answered ran the gamut from how to reach older donors via e-mail to how to set up a Facebook Fan Page page to build online community. There were some inquiries that were very specific to one particular organization’s needs, and some that were more general.

Overall, there was a lot of information that was shared, the volume of which could be overwhelming if you’re just starting out trying to navigate the options that are out there: Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, RSS feeds, widgets, etc. — it’s enough to make your head spin. Tech Soup has an article online on eight secrets of effective online networking, which is a great place to start.

Join the conversation: How is your organization utilizing Web 2.0 to get your message out to the public and generate support? Have you had success, or were there some bumps in the road? Or is it all just too overwhelming and you have no idea where to start?

- Megan Sullivan, MCF’s communications associate

“Living in a networked world, you don’t need to know all the answers, you just need to know who to ask to help find people who that information …” – Beth Kanter.


1 Comment | communication, technology | Permalink
Posted by Megan Sullivan

Live Discussion on Endowments Today at Noon

July 22, 2008

Chronicle of Philanthropy Live DiscussionsThe Chronicle of Philanthropy released its annual survey on endowments yesterday:

The 253 endowments in The Chronicle’s annual survey enjoyed their fifth straight year of strong investment returns in 2007, but that streak may come to a halt in 2008.

The endowments in the survey earned a median return of 15.7 percent in 2007 — meaning that half of the endowments achieved higher returns and half lower — helped by a rising stock market and good returns on other types of investments.

Update: The Chronicle hosted a live discussion about how to create and build an endowment, tips and strategies, resources, and more. Find a transcript at philanthropy.com/live/2008/07/endowment.

Comments Off | communication, nonprofits, research | Permalink
Posted by MCF Webmaster

Philanthropy Potluck Blog: Does It Add Value?

July 21, 2008
Potluck
Photo by Flickr user Eda Cherry.

MCF staff has had this blog for about two months now. Our staff has covered a ton of topics related to philanthropy: recent studies on community issues and philanthropic responses; statistics and related studies on the scope of giving in Minnesota and the nation – both from foundations/businesses and from individuals; claims from every front that philanthropy should give more to their cause; emerging donor trends that illustrate the growth of giving by newer and younger donors or donors who are employing new strategies to giving and volunteering; and the list goes on.

I’ve become the curmudgeon in our office who asks the questions about the use of our time and resources for the purpose of blogging. I’m curious about the utility of a blog. I do read a few blogs when time permits (not often) and find some of the information thoughtful and informative and at other times opinionated and uninformed. But most often, unless a blog leads me to an informed resource or gives me a credible opinion that helps me challenge my own thinking, I wonder, what’s the point of spending the time it takes to follow any one blog?

Maybe that shows my age and my generational differences! At a recent lunch with colleagues (all of us baby boomers) we were all baffled by the differences in our attitudes and values around work and life as compared to our younger Gen X and Millennial co-workers who seem to value and engage in Web 2.0 with much more ease than us old-timers.

So what is the value of MCF’s blog, Philanthropy Potluck, to other baby-boomers, like me? How is that different from the value of our blog to a Gen Xer or a Millennial? Does all this blogging add value or is it just fun and interesting? My questions aren’t rhetorical; I’m really curious about what folks (like those of you who found the time to read this) think about MCF’s blog or blogging in general and would appreciate a response. If you do respond, it would be great if you would identify your generation.

So, join the conversation. I’d love to know your thoughts. Maybe an old dog (baby boomer) can learn some new tricks (Web 2.0)!

- Bill King, MCF president

9 Comments | communication, mcf, technology | Permalink
Posted by billking

Pull the Right Levers, Part Two

July 18, 2008

Report CardThe Financial Times article cited in a recent blog post, “Pull the Right Levers for Maximum Effect,” is timely. It is limiting to think that philanthropy contributes only money to accomplish societal good. Most contemporary grantmakers understand and embrace the role of resource provider and/or connector when appropriate to their mission and focus. It is, however, often a delicate line to walk. With resources comes influence, and that may not always be easy for grantmakers nor nonprofits to deal with.

Another point of the article is the importance of knowing what you want to achieve with your philanthropy, and ensuring that the grantees have the tools and strategies in place to evaluate their work and the difference they’ve made. While philosophically most grantmakers would agree they want to know the impact of their grants, the reality is that many have either small or no staffs and the evaluation process seems overwhelming.

Measuring impact is also important for local nonprofits, as shown by a MinnPost article yesterday describing a recent conference by the Wilder Foundation, Return on Investment: The Dollars and Cents of a Nonprofit Program’s Worth.

MCF is offering a grantmaker program on Evaluation on November 13 as part of its Effective Grantmaking Series, and other resources are available (such as Grantmakers for Effective Organizations or GEO) to help foundations in determining how their philanthropy is having the desired impact.

- Melissa Eystad, MCF vice president of member services

Comments Off | evaluation | Permalink
Posted by Melissa Eystad, Vice President of Member Services

Do You Have a Photo Policy?

July 17, 2008
Original photo by Flickr user Laughing Squid. Image altered because MCF does not have consent of the subjects to use their photo on this blog.
Original photo by Flickr user Laughing Squid. Image altered (through Creative Commons license) because we do not have consent of the subjects to use their likenesses.

Your organization holds a fundraiser, and you hire a photographer to record the event. Can you use those photos in a gallery on your website, or do you first need permission from every person who is pictured?

Your annual report includes pictures of your grantees’ programs. Often, nonprofits serve audiences of a sensitive nature (such as victims of abuse). Did the nonprofit get permission from the subjects in the photos? Did you check to make sure that permission was given before you used the photo yourself?

You bring in a nationally recognized speaker for your annual conference. Does her contract include a line stating that you are allowed to take photographs and use as you wish, or is her consent implied? What about the attendees at that conference — do participants sign a release form when they check in for the conference? Do you consider a conference to be a public event, so no consent is needed?

You want to add photos of your staff to your website’s “About Us” page. Is their employment reason enough to post their photo? Are individuals allowed to opt-out?

Join the conversation: What is your policy on using photos? Do you have a formal process that requires permission from everyone in every photo? Are there circumstances when consent is not necessary?

- Crystal Colby, MCF’s web communications associate

Comments Off | communication | Permalink
Posted by Crystal Colby

In The Media

July 17, 2008

Newspaper

Local philanthropy/nonprofit stories from the past week:

  • From Cargill, $13 Million For Poor
    Minneapolis Star Tribune: Awash in swelling profits, Cargill has unveiled its largest single gift to charity, a $13 million pledge to the international humanitarian group CARE to help some of the world’s poorest people.
  • Homeless Youth Network Ditches ‘Strip2Clothe’ Campaign
    Minneapolis Star Tribune: A national organization for homeless youth has agreed to cut ties with an edgy Web campaign that encourages participants to post striptease videos of themselves to raise clothing for young people on the streets after member charities protested that it sent the wrong message.
    > Earlier Strib story: Striptease Clothing Drive Enrages Local Charities
  • Poignant Narratives
    Minneapolis Star Tribune: Paintings, drawings and sculpture by McKnight grant winners are showcased at Minneapolis College of Art and Design.
  • Initiative Helping Towns Grow
    Mankato Free Press: Mapleton and Fairmont are among the newest communities to receive Town Meeting Initiative grants from the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation. SMIF’s Elise Davis says, “We take communities through coaching and training, and then we award a grant that enables them to create a project or a number of projects.”
  • Grads Face New Realities in Tight Job Market
    Minneapolis Star Tribune: This year, as the economy hit a downturn and employers cut jobs instead of creating them, a record number of graduates applied to programs that try to change the world — something experts believe is a top priority for today’s youth.
  • Solar Panels a ‘Sunny’ Deal for Perham Woman
    Perham Enterprise Bulletin: This winter, Betty Dockter anticipates a 12 to 25 percent reduction in the amount of heat she will be paying for to keep her house warm. It was through West Central Initiative that Dockter first heard about the possibility of installing solar thermal panels.

National philanthropy/nonprofit stories from the past week:

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Posted by MCF Webmaster

What’s Efficiency, Anyway?

July 16, 2008

Last Thursday’s Hutchinson Leader featured an editorial titled ‘It’s A Great Cause, But…’ about how to choose which nonprofit fundraiser to support with your own charitable dollars. The editorial highlights upcoming local events, but no matter where you live or what cause you support, the column’s suggestions are relevant:

The decision really comes down to two things:
1) How you value the services that the nonprofit provides, and

2) How you value the fundraising event you attend. If it’s a benefit concert or golf tournament, you might view your donation as more of an entertainment cost than a charitable donation. It depends on your point of view.

I could go off on a tangent about how inefficient events are as fundraising strategies (believe me, they are entertainment), but instead I’ll muse on the overall nonprofit efficiency question that the editorial raises. The writer cites the Charities Review Council’s 70/30 ratio (at least 70 percent of a nonprofit budget should go toward programs and not more than 30 percent should be spent on management and fundraising) as the standard by which nonprofits should be judged.

The efficiency vs. effectiveness topic is hotly debated today. MCF touched on it in our recent Giving Forum issue on general operating support. Our grantmaker members make tough choices every day — not just about which cause and organization to support, but about whether to restrict grants for program expenses or whether to make general operating grants — and trust the nonprofit recipient to decide how to best to use the money to further its mission.

Kate Barr, executive director of the Nonprofits Assistance Fund, blogs regularly (and occasionally rants) about efficiency/effectiveness measures. She’s even declared it’s time to throw the 70/30 ratio out the window. Whether you agree with her or not, she has a point: if we want to make an impact with our charitable gifts, we must understand what we are measuring … and that efficiency doesn’t necessarily equal effectiveness.

Join the conversation: How do you determine whether your favorite charity is getting the most bang for your buck? How do you measure effectiveness in your organization?

- Wendy Wehr, MCF vice president of communications

5 Comments | evaluation, fundraising, general operating support, giving forum, in the news, individual giving, nonprofits, programs | Permalink
Posted by Wendy Wehr

Personal Values, Public Needs, Principled Action

July 15, 2008

Giving ForumYou search Minnesota Grantmakers Online. You peer at the websites. You leave some voicemails and send some e-mails. Sound familiar? If you’re a grantseeker in Minnesota, you try lots of ways to find the fit between your nonprofit’s mission and local foundations.

But what you really want to know is who is sitting in the board room. Who will be nodding his or her head in agreement when your proposal is presented?

For the Summer 2008 issue of Giving Forum, we chatted with foundation trustees and the staff members who work with them. We asked about their values and hopes, their challenges, and how they go about their day-to-day work, trying to make our communities a little better, a little stronger.

Comments Off | boards, giving forum, grantseekers, nonprofits | Permalink
Posted by Wendy Wehr

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