Can Charities Exploit a Different Social Media?

I recently read an article in "Marketing Week" magazine that outlined research into effective charity marketing; with the aim being to highlight efficient ways to attract long term donors. The article states that the majority of donors first donated because they had wanted to help the particular charity for a while with only 2% being influenced by a social media item. For fundraisers this means that  direct marketing works when it highlights the charity's cause but that social media is not necessarily persuading the public to donate. I think that social media, is as yet, still a pretty untapped research. Although a quick google search on social media marketing will throw up endless blogs and articles the subject idea seems to be largely the same. "How can charities improve their social media strategy?" Yet a lot of the answers seem to only focus on Facebook and Twitter and ignore other methods.

There have been some excellent examples of using Facebook for fundraising and campaigns. The most common and well known is last years NSPCC Facebook campaign (although not started by them according to Third Sector), which asked users to change their profile picture to a cartoon character from their childhood. . It was a simple ideas that was fun for adults (especially those in their twenties who seemed the most keen on my wall feed) to take part in. They got to reminisce about their childhoods, see what their friends had put up whilst at the same time digesting a very real campaign message - that not every childhood is happy. The NSPCC received £100,000 in donations and their Facebook fans doubled. Twitter to is a very useful medium for sharing links to followers to highlight a charity's work. It is also readily used by those working in the Voluntary Sector to share news, jobs, ideas and praise. But what about virtual worlds, instant messaging, podcasts and apps?

Virtual Worlds


Although it's growth has slowed SecondLife is still a huge online community, full of technologically aware and innovative people. I did a lot of research on SecondLife and theatre for my degree as plays are now being created and performed within it and some theatre companies use it live within their shows. I found that back in the 1990s a theatre conference was put on virtually. It used very basic commands and a lot of imagination but it was a successful online conference. Surely charity conferences could be put on virtually, if only once to highlight the different ways the internet and social media can be used. Since beginning my internship I've seen lots of conferences and talks on the subject of social media. Conferences can be fantastic sources of information and networking but they are also expensive and include a lot of transport and carbon costs. An online conference would be cheaper and have less of an impact on the environment. I think I might develop my own online interns conference. Watch this space!

SecondLife can also be used for campaigns and fundraising and virtual worlds will become increasingly valuable to those trying to reach a younger audience. Disney have used their virtual world (Club Penguin) to increase children's awareness of charities and causes and to ask them who they should donate to. This article showcases some examples of virtual world fundraising.

Instant Messaging


IM had had a revival amongst my twenty-something since we discovered BBM (Blackberry Messenger). MSN messenger used to be my IM of choice as a teenager and I still love having free online chats, often about nothing. Lets be honest I would never just send a smily face to a friend by text. As far as I understand for BBM to work you have to have a PIN and give that PIN to another BBM user. Wouldn't it be feasible for a charity to give out a PIN for any BBM user to add and then they could receive short updates from the charity. I could see this being used for particular fundraising events like the Edinburgh Marathon Festival or OxfamDo. For example, I could give out my Blackberry's pin to runners and then BBM them updates of our fundraising total, or send them all a broadcast message on the day to say good luck. Obviously this would not work on a large scale on BBM but surely this is something that could be developed. I think it would be a really good way of engaging with twenty-somethings as Twitter is more popular with those over 30. In addition if a IM message pops up on your phone, you're likely to see it; whereas updates on Facebook can get lost in the endless stream of Farmville and Mafia whatever wall updates.

Apps

Steve Jobs needs to allow donations through apps. In the mean time I think charities should develop virtual magazine apps for the IPad. These could highlight a campaign with links to videos online, could feature interviews with employees, incorporate training manuals (for sport related fundraising) and lots more.


Technology is exciting isn't it!

Off to update my Twitter and Facebook - still the best ways to share a link.

Busy bee

I have had a crazy week!

Although I started back at Oxfam on the 6th Jan it was Monday this week when everything really kicked up a gear. January is a key recruiting month for runners as it is the period of New Year Resolutions. I've even signed up to run in the Bupa London 10,000 in a bid to keep up a fitness regime. I have a feeling I'll stick to it as Oxfam did a survey and 42% of respondents usually give up on a new year fitness regime within a month but that falls to 28% if they have signed up to run for us. So if you want to get fit sign up to fundraise with Oxfam and your more likely to look good in your bikini in summer! Armed with this extra information I've been busy contacting Personal Trainers, Running Clubs, Sports Associations etc and I'm going to do some more next week. It's rewarding to see that our sign-ups have increased this week and most seem to have come from Scotland so looks like I'm doing something right.

What's most exciting though is that I'm going to takeover Oxfam's communication with our Edinburgh Marathon Festival runners. If you've signed up expect to speak to me a few times over the coming months. I'll be sending emails, making phone calls and answering runners enquiries. I also get to write my own communications and formulate a timetable. I'm really looking forward to speaking to the runners I've met and getting to know those I haven't. Moreover, I've learnt how to use our console (the online database that is provided by GSi that holds our runners info) and now fully understand what happens when our runners sign up.

Good time management is going to be essential this month. As much as I would love to fulfil every recruitment idea I have it's just not possible. As one of my colleagues said when I started in fundraising you have to spend your time on activities which will bring the most return (in this case sign ups), especially when doing something new. I'll have to schedule time to complete my new role as the key contact for the Edinburgh Marathon Festival runners and decide what will be the most effective form of communication.

And... a blog post of mine has been published on the Oxfam website! You can see it here.

My Mum & Dad came to visit this week. They liked my flat and much prefer the area to where I used to live in Liverpool. We had a lovely long 3 hour lunch and as Cate was with us spent most of the time talking about politics. I loved it! It's always good to have a debate especially when people have very different views on things. Plus, as Cate is a journalist she knows loads about Obama and has many interesting facts about Westminster. We also talked a lot about what I'm going to do after this internship finishes.

I've been thinking about my future and about when it'll be best to start applying for jobs. I think it's a constant dilema as an intern, particularly if your doing a 6-9 month one like I am. I've seen a couple of jobs that look amazing and will use the skills I've gained already but as much as people tell me I should take opportunities when I find them surely a potential employer won't be impressed by an intern whose prepared to leave a project before it's complete. I want to see my placement through to the end, I've invested too much time and learnt too much to walk away so I'll just have to keep fantasising about going on holiday. Then again it can take a while to find a new job, especially in a market that's being flooded by laid-off public sector workers, so I think I'm going to start searching and applying a few months before my placement finishes. What are other interns planning to do?

I haven't posted an opinion piece since my Giving Green Paper one so I'm going to work on one this week. Having said that I'm using this blog to document what an internship at Oxfam is like and what I've been up to - so I'm not going to worry too much if I haven't thought of anything to say. I've also changed the layout of the blog and added some pages for you to have a gander at.

I'm running for Oxfam!

I used to be a fitness freak. I was one of those girls at the gym who scorned the painted faces, push up bra and, "Oops did I just drop my weight? I'll just bend down to get it," brigade. Instead, I pushed myself on the cross trainer, got very excited when I could lift the amber weights on the machines and even braved the 'meat head' section. I loved exercise. I loved it so much that at one point I went to the gym everyday just for a quick jog and a sauna to unwind. That was until I got swine flu last year.

I spent 10 days feeling like death, delusional on the sofa with my equally delusional house mate for company/entertainment. After that I found I couldn't breathe deeply anymore. My GP said my chest muscles had been attacked by the virus and would heal. By the time I could breathe deeply again, I'd lost my fitness, could only lift green weights and generally didn't feel like exercising.

18 months later,  I can honestly say in the last 6 months I've only been for a run twice. One time I guilt tripped myself into going because my Uncle (who I was living with) was going to the gym and the other time because I'd just splurged £90 on running trainers.

So in an effort to get fit again, make use of the lovely pink & white running trainers and to better understand Oxfam runners I have signed up for the Bupa London 10,000 in May.

I am running for Oxfam. Feel free to join me or sponsor me. If you do I promise I'll keep running and I'll run a fast time!

Please sponsor me! :)

Determination is Everything

The Giving Green Paper - It's not all about the ATMs

Last week the Cabinet Office published the Giving Green Paper, which is intended to spark a debate and encourage suggestions of how social action can become a social norm. In the paper, the Cabinet Office (or rather Francis Maude MP) outline their and other contributor's ideas as to how this can be achieved and ask for contributions from community groups, charities, businesses and the public as a whole. However, if I had just stuck to reading the headlines and irate tweets I would still think the whole paper was produced to announce ATM giving as a new coalition policy. Instead, I decided to read the paper myself and it definitely isn't just about donating at cash machines.

The 1st paragraph outlines what the Big Society means - local people have greater control of their communities and thus rely on the Government less. Encouraging social action is one of the coalition's core ideas for achieving this - the others are empowering communities and opening up public services. Social action is defined as giving time and/or money to better your community and society as a whole. It could be volunteering at a local school, donating money to worthy cause or (in my case) walking elderly people home from Morrisons. The paper lists various ways to make giving time/money easier including apps, utilising search engines, social networking and yes donating at ATMs. (Although there is no mention of a Robin Hood Tax hmmm...) The problem now for the Cabinet Office, or for anyone who thinks this paper is innovative and has real value, is that the press have largely focussed on donation of money rather than time.

Having read various articles from our national press, I have to wonder if the press release issued by the Cabinet Office started with we want to encroach on social liberty by forcing people to donate at cash machines. Nearly every headline I have read about this paper include the words ATM or Cash Machine.

"Coalition to propose automatic charity donations at cash machines," published in the Guardian gives an overview of the paper's proposals to improve and encourage giving money (with a small mention of volunteering) and is worth a look if you don't want to read the paper. You can read it here

The Daily Mail were openly hostile "Charity cashpoints are blasted as Big Brother." Their view is that the British Public already donate and give enough time. Read it It's true that we are a nation that donate a lot of money to charity but it's also true that we are ranked 29th in the world at donating time according to the 2010 World Giving Index.

The majority of the comments below each article are from those against ATM giving and donating more money in general. Comments that do propose ways to promote giving of money and time are red-flagged, which is a real shame as it is those suggestions that the paper is looking for.

Personally, I think the report has some good and bad suggestions. Overall, having just started in the Voluntary Sector I find it exciting that the Government are looking to encourage social responsibility. Surely it's no bad thing to encourage people to volunteer at homeless shelters, schools and to look out for their neighbours (provided of course that this isn't simply an exercise to ensure they can make further cuts in the public sector).

In terms of donating at ATMs, I don't think it's a good idea. I think people tend to donate to charities that they relate to and charities work hard to promote what they do and what they stand for. If you donate at an ATM how can you be sure about what you are supporting. Realistically, as shown by The Colombian ATM scheme you would only be able to donate to a select number of charities (how would these be decided). Finally, although it would be a convenient way of donating, it won't be convenient for the queue of people who are stood waiting behind you at the cashpoint!

I think The Pennies Foundation approach is better. They propose that at selected retailers you could round up your bill to the nearest pound and the extra pennies will be donated to a charity nominated by the retailer. So if your food shopping came up to £27.68 you could pay £28 and donate the 32p to charity. I can see this catching on. Retailers have space to display information about their chosen charity, different retailers would choose different charities (for example I imagine a womenswear store would choose a charity that benefits women), its a small amount and its already being utilised by charities such as the NSPCC and Cancer Research UK.

It makes many suggestions for improving volunteering and it seems to me that giving time is the focus of the paper rather than money. The Cabinet Office argue that volunteering is not a one way street and that volunteers should gain something in return. It points to Orange Rock Corps as and example of this. I agree, at the moment I am volunteering for Oxfam but in return I am gaining valuable experience. It goes on to say that volunteering doesn't have to be rewarded in gig tickets but can be rewarded by publicly acknowledging volunteers. There is a specific focus on finding ways to encourage young people to volunteer through social networking and National Citizen Service. They also want to help eliminate barriers to volunteering such as multiple CRB checks, over the top Health and Safety and lack of transparency from charities over where monetary donations go. I think these are all brilliant ideas.

So why the hostility from the media?

It's partly down to timing. We're in a recession, the VAT is going up 2.5% and massive cuts have been announced. I think a lot of people will feel that they can't give money and that by encouraging volunteering in the Public Sector the Government are making up for the cuts. It also worded badly. They consistently say "giving" without outlining what they mean. Often they appear to mean volunteering but by saying "giving" instead it promotes donations.

I don't agree with everything in the Giving Green Paper (and these are my views not Oxfam GB's) but that's the point - they wanted to start a debate and they have. It's just a shame that the media seem to have focussed on only one aspect of the report.

If you want to read it yourself click here

For anyone interested in Corporate Fundraising there is a good section in it for you.

Or if you want to make a suggestion email giving@cabinet-office.x.gsi.gov.uk