Social Media

This delightful article from Duck Call is just fun, thanks to the research done by Rebecca Hume: Can these Facebook statistics get more fans than Megan Fox?

I get cross eyed over things like "policies." So I was glad to see this post by the inimitable Beth Kanter that pretty much provides all that you need to know and all the resources you could possibly want about Social Media Policies, all in one place.

Nonprofit online competitions are proliferating like bunnies in springtime. Dan Morrison, in a guest turn at Geoff Livingston's blog, reveals some of the tips for success from Scott Beale of Atlas Corp about how that NPO won more than $300K in the last two years in online competitions. Read Winning Online Competitions: A Coalition of the Giving

Nathaniel Whittemore, of Change.org, explains a great new geo location app for some smart phones in A Mobile App That Lets You Check In For Charity. It's called "CauseWorld," and it creates "Karma."

Philanthropy and Fundraising

Kerri Feazell summarized what he has learned about the "new normal" in recent months in 5 Things Nonprofits Need to Know About Philanthropy in 2010.

We all hang on Warren Buffett's every word, and now he has shared some thoughts about fundraising and philanthropy. Ian Wilhelm, of The Chronicle of Philanthropy, captures some of the best of Buffett's remarks in Warren Buffett Shares His Philanthropic Philosophy.

Cause Marketing and CSR

Joe Waters, cause marketing guru, reveals how he keeps his edge without ever leaving his couch at Whatgives? We should all be so lazy!

The HuffPost explains the quite wonderful program that American Express is waging to encourage volunteering in American Express Rewards Members For Volunteering.

If you want to check out which companies are doing the best on corporate social responsibility before you spend money, take a look at The Goodness 500. This nifty site knows that we are all busy, so it rates companies on their "goodness" quotient so we can make better spending choices. Check out the blog too for vignettes of inspiring people doing cool things.

Social Marketing

I'm psycho for psychology and ate up this article from Stanford Social Innovation Review titled Subtle Nudges for Greater Good. Learn how to help people rise to their best, not sink to their worst.

News

Charities in N.Y. and Washington Look to Hire in 2010, Studies Find". Oh, let this be one of those "green shoots" they keep talking about with the economy. This article at The Chronicle of Philanthropy is bound to raise your spirits.

Obama to give Nobel Peace Prize award to 10 charities. This CNN article lists the charities chosen by Obama. See what you think about his choices.

Webinars

This free webinar from Guidestar caught my eye because I am a big admirer of Perla Ni, CEO and founder of GreatNonprofits. She will speak on the topic, "Don't Get Lost in the Crowd - Tap into Your Supporters' Passion to Become a Great Nonprofit," on March 31, 1 p.m. (EDT).
Register here.

Network for Good is hosting a free webinar, Online Donors: Why They Leave and How to Get Them Back, featuring experts Katya Andresen, Rebecca Higman, and Kivi Leroux Miller. The date is March 30, 1 p.m. (Eastern).

Photo by Getty Images

When I think of nonprofits, my mind doesn't automatically turn to government entities. But when Siobhan O'Brien Olson, chair of the marketing committee of The Arts Council of Winston-Salem & Forsyth County (that's in North Carolina) about how that group and the city is taking its online presence from backward to sophisticated, my ears perked up.

Olson says that CityOfTheArts.com "uses robust behavioral mapping, database, social media, search and mobile technologies, brought together for the first time to create the ultimate online experience to market communities."

One look really says it all at this site, from the scrolling photos in the header of the events section (I want to go there!), to the lovely community page that portrays the city as one of "arts and innovation." The look, feel and usability of the site speaks to that characterization eloquently.

The City of the Arts site is not even finished. Here are the plans, starting with the sections that are already in place:

• Events (in place): The events section features an easily searchable listing of all events and activities within Forsyth County. Organizations may post events, include event schedules/times and upload photos/video/audio files to the site for free. There also is free link share access for ticket sales. Enhanced pages, that aggregate data on multiple events, are available for purchase. Customized administrative access is provided to organizations for easy updates and changes.

  The system encourages users to post their ratings of events and their comments. Over time, the system learns users' preferences so that it is able to proactively suggest events in categories of interest to users.

• My Planner (in place): Registered users receive a free, customized events planning calendar through which they are able to track events of interest to them. Events may be "snagged" for posting on social media pages (e.g. Facebook, MySpace, etc.). Users also are able to invite friends to attend events and receive customized offers or discounts from organizations. Users will receive email reminders about events tracked in their planners. My Planner will synch with mobile devices later in the year.

• Community (in place): The Community section is an online repository of news, articles, posts and blogs about activities in the area. All posts are provided by citizens; and community commentary is encouraged.

• Gallery (launching in May 2010): The Gallery will feature individual portfolio pages for artists, musicians, educators and other individuals who wish to showcase their work and events. Of special interest is a section in which individuals can indicate their availability for lessons, lectures, appearances, internships or mentoring.

• Best Of (launching May 2010): This is a special feature section that draws attention to uncommon, innovative experiences in the City of Arts & Innovation combined with discounts and offers.

• Art Market (launching late 2010): The Art Market gives artists and experts "store fronts" from which they can sell their work.

• Project (launching late 2010): The Project is a monthly initiative that encourages community citizens and visitors to engage with the arts and culture of the city. Results of participation will be posted on the site for sharing and commentary.

One of the side effects of the site, says Olson, is that even though it "...was built to better market the arts and cultural entities in our area....we have discovered that business, technological, medical, governmental and educational organizations have found the site valuable to assist with their marketing."

Not every town or organization can do something on this scale, but the City of Arts website certainly sets a wonderful example of what can be done when a group of community activists decides to be on the cutting edge, which is, after all, just where the region is. The vision is expansive, but that is just exactly the point.

Do you want to be our Cause of the Week? Tell us who you are and why you should be featured in our blog right here. We would love to hear from you.

We already know that when a corporation partners with a cause, it goes a long way in positioning that company as a responsible one in the mind of the consumer.

Now, Cone, leading marketing agency in the cause-related marketing space, has found that the halo effect goes both ways. In a survey, Cone found that partnering with a company to promote its cause improves the nonprofit's reputation and makes it stand out in the public's mind.

Here are the stats:

• 59% of Americans are more likely to buy a product associated with the partnership
• 50% are more likely to donate to the nonprofit
• 49% are more likely to participate in an event for the nonprofit
• 41% are more likely to volunteer for the nonprofit.

Alison DaSilva, Cone's executive vice president of Cause Branding said, "While we have seen many companies reap the benefits of cause-related partnerships, these results reveal the same benefits hold true for the nonprofit brand. Strategic corporate partnerships can help nonprofits stand out and create new, loyal ambassadors."

The Cone report also points out particular marketing strategies that can help a nonprofit make the most of its cause marketing. These include:

• Give consumers details, especially the effect of the campaign on the issue or social problem being addressed. More than half of the consumers polled said that companies and nonprofits don't disclose enough.
• Use traditional channels as well as the "new media." Respondents said methods such as word-of-mouth, traditional media and advertising, and snail mail and email continue to be the most effective ways to reach them.

I suggest you take a look at the Cone Trend Tracker for more about these fascinating results.

Related:

• Cause-Related Marketing: What You Need to Know
• Cause Marketing Creates Welcome Debate
• Supporters Love New Media but Not Enough to Actually Donate - Cone Survey

Photo by Gary S Chapman/Getty Images

Susan G. Komen for the Cure is the most valued nonprofit and the cause that people are most likely to donate to, according to the annual survey of nonprofit brands by Harris Interactive. For trust, Susan G. Komen for the Cure ranked second, only behind St. Jude Research Hospital.

Harris ranks the most admired charities each year. For 2010, it surveyed Americans about more than 1,000 nonprofits. The 10 brands to which respondents said they would be most likely to donate were: Susan G. Komen for the Cure, American Cancer Society, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Goodwill Industries, Salvation Army, Cleveland Clinic, Heifer Project International, Make-a-Wish Foundation, Mayo Clinic, and American Red Cross. All of these charities were also among the most trusted, but three others were also most trusted but did not appear on the most likely to be donated to list. Those are Doctors Without Borders, the Smithsonian Institution, and Habitat for Humanity International.

How does a brand like Susan G. Komen become so well known and loved?

Here are four factors that likely put it over the top:

1. A great story. Nancy G. Brinker, the charity's founder, promised her dying sister, Susan G. Komen, she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer forever. That was in 1982. Brinker has never stopped fighting and is responsible for arraying an army to wage that battle on behalf of her sister.

2. A villain that everyone loves to hate. Virtually everyone has been touched by breast cancer, whether personally, or through a relative or friend. The Race for the Cure takes place everywhere and and makes heroes of millions of people of all ages, genders, and health conditions. Breast cancer is a foe everyone wants to join up to fight. It wasn't always that way, but Komen has helped remind everyone of the stakes.

3. Ubiquity. Through its signature Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, and a multitude of corporate business partnerships, Komen has built a grassroots organization supported by and serving millions of women and men around the globe. It also partners with governments and advocacy groups in 50 countries to raise breast health awareness and provide treatment and support. As a Global Goodwill Ambassador to the U.N.'s World Health Organization and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Brinker rallies world leaders and governments to her cause.

4. Keeping its promise. Komen has funded almost $40 million in international research and outreach since the charity was founded. This year, Komen will invest another $50-$60 million into research, with some $20 million targeted to cancer vaccines and other cancer prevention efforts. The organization has also launched a campaign to explore more cost-effective screening for women's cancers, and advocates for screening and access to treatment for all cancer sufferers in the U.S.

All of the most valued charities on the Harris list have similar attributes. They are what branding in the nonprofit world is all about.

More information at:

• The Chronicle of Philanthropy
• MarketWatch.com

Related:

• 5 Steps to Defining Your Nonprofit's Brand
• Branding in a Box
• Susan G. Komen Generates Money for the Cure and Also for the Economy