The Tech Savvy Nonprofit

Did you know that your nonprofit organization could get a Google Ad Grant that provides $10,000 every month of in-kind advertising from Google Ads? Imagine the impact! In this episode, we are joined by Google Ads expert and consultant Kristina Cutura. Kristina shares how nonprofits can use Google Ads to further their mission, how to apply for a Google Ad Grant, challenges and successes she's seen with clients that have received the grant and navigating the recent Google Ad Grant policy changes. Kristina worked at Google in 2002 when AdWords was still in its infancy.  She was part of Google’s first optimization team formed to help clients understand how to manage and optimize their accounts. Kristina left Google in 2009. During her last few years with the company, she worked mainly in training, teaching internal Googlers and agencies and resellers about AdWords. An Overview of Google Ads Google Ads (previously known as Google Adwords) is a way to promote your product or services on Google and other websites th

In this episode, we talk with Brian Rosenbaum, Engagement Manager at United Way of Greater Los Angeles about leveraging technology to engage volunteers. Brian is also Board Chair of the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network Los Angeles.  Brian began his career in social work. During grad school, Brian realized his "strengths and passions are in building and improving roads, rather than repairing individual cars." So, he shifted to the nonprofit sector where he focuses on volunteer management and community engagement. With the United Way of Greater Los Angeles, Brian oversees a year-round calendar of signature volunteer opportunities and coordinates custom volunteer opportunities for corporate partners. How the United Way of Greater Los Angeles is Leveraging Technology to Engage Volunteers Volunteer Portal A microsite, built using HandsOnConnect software Integrates with Salesforce Custom landing pages (co-branded, secure pages) Matches volunteers to opportunities Elevates United Way as a philanthropic concier

Building on our previous conversation about CRM with Ashley Faison, in this episode we're talking about data leadership with Tracy Van Solkema. Tracy is the Research and Data Services Specialist at the Grand Rapids Community Foundation. When it comes to the topic of using data to advance the work of your organization, you'd be hard-pressed to find a person more passionate about this topic than Tracy.  Why is a CRM or donor database important for a nonprofit or foundation? Shared institutional knowledge – ensures the documentation of important data and knowledge from long-time employees Less fear of organizational change – allows for easier staff transitions and keeps the work moving forward in someone's absence, addressing the old 'what happens if you're hit by a bus?' scenario Access to information – provides all staff access to the same information even if they are off-site or at a different office Workflow improvements – reminders and more can lead to more efficient processes Strengthens relationships – t

In this episode, we talk with Ashley Faison about getting buy-in and implementing a CRM or donor database. Ashley is the Chief Development Officer with New Heights Youth in NYC and is a dynamic and tech-savvy nonprofit leader, organizational strategist and professional fundraiser with over $60M raised to her credit.  Ashley is a big believer in the power of a donor database or CRM. She's worked in Blackbaud's Raiser's Edge and Salesforce and has been through the implementation of these systems with several nonprofits. What is a CRM? A CRM, or customer relationship management is a platform and approach to manage your organization's interactions with current and prospective donors to strengthen relationships, improve retention and ultimately increase donations. Why should a nonprofit or foundation use a CRM? For Ashley, it's all about the dashboards and access to information in real time. She loves being able to see her goals and her progress towards those goals at any time. She can easily and quickly share thi

In this episode we talk about finding and optimizing images for your website. As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words... but photography is often an afterthought when it comes to nonprofit and foundation websites. Capacity, cost, sensitive topics, protecting clients, etc. are all factors in an organization's approach to photography. We also discuss how photos impact a website's load time.  If at all possible budget for photography. To make the most of your photo shoot, spend some time planning your photo shoot. Here are some things you can do: Consider what kinds of images you would like. What emotion will they evoke? Will they be action shots? What is your brand vibe? Create a Pinterest board to collect images you like and that you think will be compelling. You can share this with your photographer so they understand what you are going for. Create a shot list and organize it to maximize the photoshoot time. Photography unique to your organization Maximize the use of your photography If you

In this episode, we're talking with Zane DeVault, lead developer at co-founder of Tiny Blue Sky about updating WordPress plugins. Zane explains why plugins need to be updated regularly on WordPress websites, what to do if something goes wrong during the update, the importance of backing up your website and some overall website maintenance best practices. What is a WordPress plugin? If you currently have a WordPress site, you might know that some of its functionality is made possible by plugins. A plugin is a bit of software that can be added to your site to do a thing that your site couldn't do before. For instance, let's say you want to have an online store but your current site doesn't include ecommerce. A plugin can be added to your site, and voila, you're in business. How to choose a plugin? There are currently 54,737 plugins available to extend your website experience. And that number is growing all the time. So how do you know which one to chose? Zane recommends starting within your current site. On you

In this episode, we're joined by special guest Christie Perdue the powerhouse behind CP Consulting, a fundraising, marketing, and strategic development firm based in Michigan. Christie shares with us one of her favorite donor development tools—a house party! While this is a high-touch activity, we also explore the ways technology and digital marketing can help get the party started and keep it going. What is a donor house party? As Christie describes, a donor house party is an intimate gathering of current and prospective donors held in a home setting. This is a volunteer driven activity, meaning the host will lead decisions and manage the details including invitation list, food and beverage menu, and invitations and RSVPs. Guests are typically close friends of the host. Ideally, there will be 10-20 party attendees. Guests attend the house party to learn more about the nonprofit organization, its future goals, and ultimately they are asked to support the organization by making a gift. The event should last 2

In this episode, we make the case for using an editorial calendar for content planning. It might take a little time on the front end, but it will be well worth your efforts. Having an editorial calendar will allow you to manage your communication flow, help you feel organized and most importantly, it will produce results. Being an effective communicator requires good planning. No one wants to work in constant reaction mode. It's exhausting and it also leaves too much room for error and missing strategic opportunities. What is an Editorial Calendar? An editorial calendar is a planning document that lays out what you will communicate, when, where, and how. It can also include who is in charge of creating content to keep you and your team organized. As you begin to fill in your editorial calendar, you will begin to see months that are heavy with content and months that are lighter. You can use this info to make adjustments to ensure consistency in your communication. You don't want to bombard people one month an

In this episode we unpack what SEO is and how you can use SEO efforts to drive more traffic (and more of the right traffic) to your nonprofit or foundation website! What is this mysterious SEO and why does it matter for nonprofit organizations and foundations? SEO feels a little like the great and powerful Wizard of Oz -- everything happens behind the curtain and the Wizard claims he can somehow get your website to show up first on Google. And just like the Wizard of Oz, when you pull back the curtain, you’ll find the Wizard isn’t who you thought he was. And in the end, with time, a commitment and ongoing efforts, your organization can find its own way into getting more organic traffic from SEO efforts. Because many businesses and nonprofits got duped by shady SEO companies who happily took their monthly checks but didn’t ever share what SEO efforts they were actually doing each month, many organizations are now rightfully hesitant when it comes to SEO. But here’s the thing, optimizing for SEO does not have t

On this episode we talk about how you can use your Google Analytics to inform your decision making and improve your nonprofit or foundation website. About Google Analytics Google Analytics is a free web analytics tool that can help you analyze your nonprofit's website traffic. First of all, you’re going to want to see if you have Google Analytics set up on your website. Does your current site have a Google Analytics installed? See resources below for tools to check your site if you’re not sure. Overview data you should be tracking (Audience > Overview) Traffic (how many visitors per month) How long do they stay on your site? How high is your bounce rate? How many pages do they visit? More info about your audience You can see if the traffic you are getting is from the geographic area that your nonprofit or foundation is serving (Audience > Geo > Location) Languages your audience is using (Audience > Geo > Language) Whether your audience is using mobile versus desktop versus table. If your audience is primar

On this episode, we make the case for email marketing for nonprofits and foundations. Email marketing is one of the best ways to connect directly with your audience. It’s extremely cost effective and it’s measurable! Forget the print newsletters or print event invitations (except in some cases, of course) and consider email marketing! Email marketing is a direct line to your audience Social media is less effective Direct mail gets thrown in the trash Email marketing is more cost effective Is print worth the money? Print: design + writing + printing + mailing service + postage = how much in donations? Email: initial design template + writing = how much in donations? Easy to segment your lists Easy to update your email template (versus print changes) Email marketing provides valuable analytics There is so much you can track in email including: Open rate Clicks through Time of day Who exactly opened it Number of unsubscribes and who unsubscribed Use this data to make decisions about what content wor

In this episode of the Tech Savvy Nonprofit, we dive into digital marketing and online tools that nonprofits and foundations should be using.   WEBSITE Most nonprofits at the very least have a website. But the big piece that’s often lacking here is a good website OR not utilizing your website as a tool on an ongoing basis rather than as a brochure. Tool Recommendations: WordPress or SquareSpace Yoast for SEO if you have WordPress Google Analytics SOCIAL MEDIA The platform(s) depends on your organization. Social media is the place where you can build more community with your cheerleaders. It’s probably not where you’ll find donors, but it is where you can get people to share info about your org. Tool Recommendations: Sprout Social / Buffer / HootSuite EMAIL MARKETING Email marketing is one of the best ways to connect directly with your audience. It is extremely cost effective and it’s measurable! Tool Recommendations: MailChimp ActiveCampaign or Drip.co Should be managing this in AirTable and Asana DONOR

In this episode, we discuss five essential things that should be part of every nonprofit or foundation’s website.   Good Bones   Ability to update the site (easy-to-use CMS) Runs smooth and is fast Built mobile-first Google Analytics Optimized for search Security  The Right Messaging Positioning. Clear and concise (rather than we do a bunch of programs). Avoid the internal jargon. Know your audiences and speak to them What is your story? Make us love you more. Navigation That is Easy to Follow Don’t overwhelm your audience If you have to direct people as to where to find things on your website, you have a navigation issue. Don’t structure your menu like you structure your organization. Your audience doesn’t think in the terms you do. Think like your audience!! How would they be looking for content?  Professional Design that Reflects Your Organization Just because you are a nonprofit doesn’t mean your site should look outdate. Part of design should be user experience. Hire a professional. Does t