Approaching The Ice Bucket Challenge

(From the Sept. 16, 2014 Non-Profit Roundtable)

This summer’s Ice Bucket Challenge took the country, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and the nonprofit world by storm. A recent YouTube search yielded 10.8 million results. Searching #IceBucketChallenge on Twitter is still yielding new responses and comments. According to the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Association website, the national organization has received $115 million in Ice Bucket Challenge donations from approximately 3 million donors, most of whom are new to the organization. This does not count those who made their donations to local chapters. To put that into perspective, the ALS Association’s annual budget is typically around $25 million per year of which only $8.4 million comes from individuals. That financial windfall of the challenge is more than 13 times the amount they normally receive.

Throughout the NonProfit community the whisperings of How can we do that? floated in the air, sometimes said aloud, and sometimes indicated that nonprofit leadership of a large number of organizations would do well to figure out a way to copy the success.

At the September NonProfit Roundtable, attendees studied the fundraising phenomenon and discussed if and how there were ways to create or support an atmosphere for any organization to pursue such a fundraiser. Basically, we addressed three questions related to the Ice Bucket Challenge: a) can you engineer a miracle; b) how to use social media to its utmost; and c) how does one manage the finances (and donors) of an unexpected windfall?

We first acknowledged that the ALS Association did NOT launch or design this campaign; it was started by the family of a former Division 1 baseball player, Pete Frates, who is living with ALS. They posted a video of Pete being doused with ice water and tagged his friends from college who are now professional baseball players. He challenged three friends to either dump a bucket of ice water over their heads or donate $100 to ALS causes, and then invite three of their own friends to do the same. The dumping and challenge should be filmed and posted on Facebook. This modest endeavor exploded with millions of participants, including young children, some of whom didn’t even know the underlying purpose of the acrtivity. Hundreds of celebrities also participated, several creating humorous or sexually charged variations. Along the way, others began to take the ice bucket challenge and donate. Thousands just donated. Links to the Association’s donation page flew from individual to indivudal, fast and furious, with reminders that this was a fundraiser. Again and again, those with knowledge or experience about ALS acted to remind participants and potential participants why the challenge was undertaken.

Guest speaker Rona Fernandez, a senior consultant of Klein & Roth Consulting (www.kleinandroth.com) reminded everyone that The Ice Bucket Challenge was NOT engineered by any nonprofit. In her estimation there were several reasons it was successful:

1.   The activity was easy and fun

2.   Participating made people feel like they are part of something bigger

3.   The Ask was very specific ($100 or the ice water)

4.   The challenge was Celebrity-driven with a lot of star power

5.   The activity was related to the ALS Association’s mission and connected directly to the disease (like a bucket of ice water, ALS freezes a person’s muscles)

Fernandez also shared some basic information on the status of fundraising responses, noting that studies are showing that response rates to Email solicitations are going down and simultaneously there is an indication that direct mail is making a come back. She also shared how important it is to use Social media as a true conversation. If an organization wants to know what its constitutents and supporters are thinking about, they should ask them.

Can You Engineer A Miracle?

The basic answer, of course, is no. But meeting attendees discussed why this particular challenge caught on:

1.   It was fun and a little humiliating (connecting to the current craze promoted by America’s Funniest Home Videos)

2.   People don’t want to be left out

3.   There is a peer pressure component, with friends challenging and then following up with friends

4.   There is pride in doing something safe but scary

5.   Calling it a “challenge” made the fundraiser competitive

6.   The activity was connected to ALS Association’s mission, values and brand

7.   Timing (dumping ice over one’s head seems possible on a hot summer day)

8.   The activity was authentic – a person just did it

9.   It was physical and appealed to men and women

10. The challenge connected deeply to the Internet culture

How to Use Social Media to Its Utmost

Roundtable meeting attendees recognized that there were many ways to inappropriately use social media in response to this highly successful fundraising event, such as posting negative or misleading videos, writing disparaging comments about the ALS Association, or asking social media contacts to not participate in the Challenge and give instead to their own organizations. There are also great ways to applaud and support the Ice Bucket Challenge while also bringing positive awareness to one’s own organization.

Âna-Marie Jones, Executive Director of CARD - Collaborating Agencies Responding to Disasters, and co-chair of the NonProfit Roundtable, led a conversation about how to connect  to the Ice Bucket Challenge in a positive way via social media. Some of the most appropriate ways include:

1.   Congratulate the ALS Association online from your social media pages

2.   Participate in the Challenge as staff or as a whole organization

3.   Share about why the Ice Bucket Challenge matters to your agency, especially how your agency serves or connects to people with ALS or the agencies that serve people with ALS

4.   Cheer on and post about your donors, staffers, volunteers, or constituents as they participate in the Challenge

5.   Repost specific videos that spark your interest

6.   Offer a space to do the Challenge

Social media platforms work best when they are used for active engagement. When millions of pro-social people are positively engaging in a conversation, it is likely a good conversation for your agency to engage in.

The Ice Bucket Challenge provided a great opportunity for nonprofits to flex their social media muscles, help bring awareness to a good cause, and practice the art of leveraging proactive, pro-social behavior on a large scale.

Financial Management of an Unexpected Windfall

An unanticipated windfall of such an enormous amount ($115 million) can play havoc with an organization or an individual. First, there is the processing and acknowledgment of the 3 million donations. What is the best way to acknowledge donations? Individually? As a group? Publicly? Personally? Then there is just what one organization can do with such a tremendous amount of unexpected and unbudgeted cash.

During the empowered introduction of the meeting, attendees shared what they would do if their organizations received an unexpected gift of $5 million. The answers were varied but fully within the scope and missions of the organizations represented. One organization seeking a new facility would put the money toward its capital campaign. Several would use a portion of the funds to strengthen programming. One would increase the number of constitutents it served. An  at-risk youth organization leader would create a college scholarship fund to pay for the education of its students. All agreed that some should be put away for longer term use and any immediate decision would come after a conscientious review of needs.

Barbara Newhouse, President and CEO of ALS FAssociation stated: “These funds will be used to fund cutting-edge research as well as care and support to people living with the disease. Now and in the coming weeks, we will be able to enhance our strategic plan, reformulating and recasting strategies with input from stakeholders, including our donors, our chapters, and most importantly, people living with ALS and their families. We want to move quickly but decisively as our ultimate goal is to use this incredible generosity in a way that has the biggest impact on fighting this disease.”

Similarly, management experts recommend taking time to create a strategic plan before rushing into spending or hiring, especially for groups that don't face an urgent time clock situation, as many disaster-relief agencies often do.

As for the immediate funds processing needs, the ALS Association relied on a handful of temps and a crew of volunteers from a senior center to help handle call volume and donations. The Association further created a special page on its web site and has made several public announcements and acknowledgments to the donors.

The Roundtable attendees agreed that there is no right way to respond, follow up or even ask again from this sort of fundraising phenomenon and exposure. As following the same practices that the organization has been following for years may not be of maximum benefit, the organization should develop ways to maintain ties with the donors.

Big thanks to Iryna Oreshkova of Iryna Accountancy (www.IrynaCPA.com) for bringing treats.

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Contacts:
Co-Chair Âna-Marie Jones, Executive Director of CARD (AMJ@CARDcanhelp.org)
Co-Chair Jerry Metzker, Development & Communications Professional (jmetzman@earthlink.net)

Strategizing NonProfits: The Future Is Now

Only a portion of the members of the Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce take advantage of the many benefits of being a member, and this is certainly true for the Chamber’s 100 or so nonprofit members. The January NonProfit Roundtable meeting featured the opportunities of being a member of the Chamber and how to take advantage.

First, Dan Quigley, Interim President of the Chamber, introduced himself, sharing his excitement at being part of the Chamber transition between long-time president Joe Haraburda and the next executive. “This is a great time for Oakland right now,” he noted, and then added, “I’m struck by the number of nonprofits located in downtown Oakland, and how many national organizations are headquartered in Oakland.” As the Board of Directors moves the Chamber forward, it is reviewing and examining its opportunities in and relationship with the greater Oakland community, including nonprofits and how the organization can serve its nonprofit members better. Not only has Quigley spent much of his career in nonprofits and fundraising, but the Oakland Chamber of Commerce is also a nonprofit.

A more comprehensive conversation with Dan about nonprofits membership in the Oakland Chamber is a focus of the February 18, 2014 meeting (2:30-4:30 in the Oakland Chamber board room).

Following Dan’s introduction, Charlie Stimson, Executive Director of Bridge the Chasm (www.bridgethechasm.org), an Oakland-based children’s education organization, gave a rallying presentation on setting the goal of “winning.” He further noted that it is a stronger focus to know and pursue what you are trying to achieve over who you are trying to help. “How do you define your big win?” he asked.

One way, according to Chamber Membership Director Nikki Mendez (the Chamber liaison to the NonProfit Roundtable) is to maximize your chamber membership. After all, via membership, you are already at the table. In her presentation, Nikki shared several frequently missed opportunities the Chamber offers for any company to make a difference for itself, such as the website job board and events calendar. Any Chamber member can use these tools, and with regard to the Event Calendar, add their own events themselves. Fantastic ways to connect with Oakland Chamber colleagues are the recurring events the Chamber hosts, such as the monthly After Five receptions (fourth Thursday evening), Chamber 101 breakfast (third Thursday morning), Inside Oakland Breakfast (fourth Friday morning) and Economic Development Forum (second Wednesday afternoon). There are specialty organizations and committees, including the NonProfit Roundtable and the Ambassador Committee, a group of individuals that serve at every event and get to know practically everyone.

 

The Chamber has three groups on Linked In – the Chamber, East Bay Women in Business (EBWIB) and Young Professionals, as well as a variety of social media for interaction—and therefore, promotion—such as Facebook and Twitter accounts, and the Oakland Chamber blog. Events submitted on the website can often be listed in Linked In, the blog and in the Chamber’s weekly E-newsletter, which is sent to approximately 3,000 people. Non-Profits and groups of nonprofits can also pool their resources to sponsor events.

Nikki encouraged everyone to devote two hours per month (after all, you’ve already paid for it), determine how best to use this time, and then get to it.

Hank Masler, the Chamber’s Director of Communications and editor of the monthly Oakland Business Review (OBR), shared the many communications opportunities that Chamber members have, beginning with the circulation of the OBR. The newspaper has 12,000 readers, and is a great opportunity for all Chamber members. To have an article, a member must also purchase an ad (beginning at only $125), but every month the paper also features a “Names in the News” -- tidbits about movers and shakers in the community. New hires, awards, major grants, recognition—all of these are opportunities for publication. For those who want to reach a broader market, the Chamber has ad slots available on the web site. Such ads benefit an organization in several ways, including a larger internet presence.

Inspired by the Chamber’s offer to include a feature in “Names in the News” or have an event posting, co-chair Âna-Marie Jones facilitated an exercise in which Roundtable attendees sat down and wrote short blurbs, following a few simple steps:

·         Title

·         What is it

·         Why is it special

·         Who made it possible

·         Call to Action

·         Contact info

 

First list the parts, and then turn them into a brief paragraph. Once complete, email to hmasler@oaklandchamber.com, and you are on your way!

As co-chair Jerry Metzker says, “no one knows who you are until they know who you are. There are two primary ways for others to know about your organization – someone tells them, or you do.”

Special thanks to Iryna Oreshkova of Iryna CPA (www.irynacpa.com) for bringing the treats, and the Oakland Chamber for bringing a door prize.

We were honored to have representatives from California State Controller John Chiang’s Office (http://www.sco.ca.gov/) attend to connect with the Bay Area’s nonprofit community.

 

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The next Oakland Chamber NonProfit Roundtable meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 18, 2014, from 2:30-4:30pm in the Chamber Boardroom. We will be holding an in-depth conversation on strengthening the nonprofit sector, both within the Chamber and in the community.

Contacts:
Co-Chair Âna-Marie Jones, Executive Director of CARD (AMJ@CARDcanhelp.org)
Co-Chair Jerry Metzker, Development & Marketing Manager of Biotech Partners (jmetzker@biotechpartners.org)

Chamber Liaison Nikki Mendez, Membership Director (nikki@oaklandchamber.com)

Go Back to School on LinkedIn: 5 Tips to Refresh Your LinkedIn Profile

So maybe you sent your youngster off with a new backpack and a thermos.  Maybe you shipped your college student off with a few huge suitcases.  For you, however, it’s time to get back to the matter at hand – succeeding at work (or finding work) and letting social media help you. 

Now is the time to embrace new opportunities to learn, to network, and to make new connections.  All with just a few changes and updates to your LinkedIn profile.

Here are five things you can do – all while you drink your morning coffee or sit on a conference call – to get your LinkedIn profile ready to make the grade.

 1) Your profile should be a dynamic digital representation of who you are in your professional world. That means it needs to change, grow and develop with you. Why not take a few minutes to refresh your profile, add new positions, interests, even work and volunteer affiliations?  Finally, add a short personal statement – two sentences – on your “vision for success” for your organization or your role as a co-worker.

 2) Do a Keyword/Search Engine Optimization makeover.  Industry “buzz words” change.  New areas in your field of expertise demand more attention. Even some long-held terms and concepts fall out of favor.  You don’t want your profile to be the tweed jacket with elbow patches in a business casual world. Today, update your profile to show you are staying current in your field.  The question to ask: when people put in key search terms for your job or industry, will your profile pop up?

 3) Brag, even just a little. LinkedIn has added many new categories for your personal profile.  Don’t be shy.  Add in your honors, awards, certifications, projects, publications, and more. Use links if your work is posted in industry journals or on your company’s website.

4) Help LinkedIn help you! LinkedIn now has a pop-up feature that walks you through your own profile.  It asks if each item is accurate.  It suggests more things you “could” add to your profile.  In addition, LinkedIn is always suggesting more and more people you may want to be linked with.  Doing your LinkedIn homework has never been easier.  Just a few minutes of collaborating with the site's proactive help system will keep your profile current and will help you expand your reach.

5) Share the LOVE!  Write a recommendation. Write a few.  A great way to help a connection and to have your profile to be seen by someone else’s entire network is to write a recommendation for a trusted colleague.  This creates goodwill.  It positions you as an expert, and a generous one at that.  Finally, writing recommendations for people outside of your own industry (partners, friends, vendors, etc.) helps your name to be seen far outside of your usual network. 

Going back to school on your LinkedIn profile doesn’t require writing a term paper. Think of it as scanning the Cliff Notes and still passing the test with flying colors. 

 

Ana-Marie Jones

www.LinkedIn.com/in/MsDuctTape ~www.Twitter.com/MsDuctTape
www.CARDcanhelp.org ~www.Twitter.com/CARDcanhelp ~www.Facebook.com/CARDcanhelp

 

Dan Cohen

http://twitter.com/dcstpaul /www.facebook.com/FCPCommunications
www.linkedin.com/in/dancohenfullcourtpress
See Social Media Trainings at: www.slideshare.net/dcstpaul