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Stop the junk mail, send me a link instead!

June 15th, 2009   Filed Under Non-profit  

Every week I am bombarded with mail from non-profit organizations seeking donations. Many of these are fine organizations that I happily support every year. Like many people, the majority of my philanthropy is distributed in December in the spirit of the holiday season. So why do these organizations insist on burying me with solicitations that are ignored? Surprisingly, environmental organizations that should be the most conscientious of the waste created by the endless newsletters and appeals are just as guilty as the rest of the NGOs. Sometimes I wonder if my donations do nothing more than pay for postage, paper and ink!

With all of the impressive technology available in the 21st century, why do they insist on perpetuating this sea of junk mail? Yes, the pictures of malnourished children and lost polar bears do tug at our heart in an effective means of creating empathy. But how much more effective would the message be if it was delivered using a personal video appeal? Or an engaging presentation that I could watch on my computer? Inexpensive, engaging, trackable, and green, video appeals are the better way to solicit your supporters. What better time is there than this economic slow down for non-profits to leverage the new technologies to cost effectively improve their communications.

Hey non-profit volunteers, go ‘door-to-door’ online!

May 16th, 2009   Filed Under Non-profit  

My house is on a busy street in San Francisco, gated from the sidewalk and sheltered from any stranger getting to the front door or for that matter ringing the bell, which has been left unfixed for months. You can imagine my surprise one windy night when summoned by a knock at the door, I’m greeted by a neighborhood canvasser from Save the Children who tells me for just under $30 a month I can sponsor a child in dire need. At that moment the $20 meal still digesting in my stomach guiltily shifted position and reminded me of the many not-so-fortunate. That was emotionally the right time as any for me to pull out my credit card and bring dear Fritz-Jouls from the Philippines into my life.

I can’t help but imagine countless other serendipitous possibilities for a volunteer to catch a potential supporter in just the right moment. Volunteers should be going ‘door-to-door’ on the web where they can reach an endless amount of people with the same intimate and emotion-provoking message.

Everyday we dream up new uses for our online studio and using it for non-profit organizations is always rewarding to explore. Imagine if every volunteer who goes canvassing on the street also made an on-demand Broadcast, bringing together pamphlets, videos and images. The volunteer could do an intimate webcam recording or narration telling the story of their cause. It would capture the ‘door-to-door’ experience online for sharing with friends on social networks, by email and forwarded around. It’s a great way to build awareness, make a real connection and direct potential donors to the website.

Here’s a great example created by Ashley Boren, the Executive Director at Sustainable Conservation, a non-profit organization that works with businesses and landowners promoting practical solutions for environmental and economic sustainability: