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Nonprofits are Embracing Social Networks
| In this special report on nonprofits' use of social networking, learn how nonprofits are utilizing social networking. In this report, you will learn:
- How many members do nonprofits have on their social network communities?
- How are nonprofits marketing their social network sites?
- Are nonprofits successfully getting revenue from social networks?
Download the free report from our recent survey of nearly 1,000 nonprofit executives. | Download the free report here.
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6/30/2009 6:52:00 PM
The fastest growing fundraising and direct marketing conference in the world has a new online community where attendees can connect  and interact before and after the Washington, DC gathering. ThePort Network is pleased to donate the community and we look forward to seeing members benefit from the dedicated, socially-enabled conference site.
The community features a number of social media solutions developed by ThePort Network, including Social Groupings, Events and an array of content sharing options such as Photos, Videos, and community Blogs. The primary community page of MyBridgeConf.org also displays a frequently updated stream of Twitter posts related to the 2009 Bridge Conference. Visitors are encouraged to register and make full use of the community’s social media tools. MyBridgeConf.org is a terrific way for conference attendees to get to know fellow conference-goers and to share the latest information on all fronts regarding nonprofit fundraising and integrated marketing. The community is also the perfect place for both sponsors and conference supporters to browse the Sessions schedule, select workshops to attend and better prepare for them. Presenters can share session materials and receive instant feedback, and attendees are able to view the most popular sessions, access session materials, and interact with attendees.
The growing Events area offers additional get-togethers as well for attendees to consider such as pre-show webinars, dinners and fun runs. Actually, the community is open to any person interested in exploring  integrated fundraising and marketing—including those not able to attend the actual Bridge Conference. Even if you’re unable to attend, you’ll find the community to be a great place to explore session content and connect with those who are attending, pre- and post- conference..
As we gear up for this important summer show, ThePort invites everyone interested in the 4th Annual Bridge to Integrated Marketing & Fundraising Conference to join in the action of the social community, get involved and share your thoughts with others online. Whether you’re attending or not, MyBridgeConf.org is the place to be—before and after the happening in Washington, DC!
Full story
Walter Roark
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6/29/2009 6:44:00 PM
Nonprofits and Associations Use AddThis to Publish Community Content Across the Internet Private label social networking communities are boosting online interaction with new tools that expressly benefit nonprofits and associations. One of these now available from ThePort Network is AddThis, a hard-working, compact module that can be placed on high-traffic pages which community members can easily access. With a couple of clicks, users can push published content within the community to over 50 destinations on the worldwide web. Included with AddThis functionality are options for emailing and instant messaging individuals as well as printing the content. AddThis Lets Community Members Instantly Share Content with Their Contacts on the Internet’s Most Popular Social Networking Sites Because social networking is all about sharing, AddThis provides a fast, easy way to  help your community members connect with their friends on Facebook, Twitter, Digg, Delicious, MySpace and other sites. For example, registered members of MyUCC, sponsored by ThePort client United Church of Christ, use AddThis to make others aware of interesting blog entries and photos posted within the MyUCC community. In the same way, members can quickly share additional community content such as profile information, videos, groups and events. How Nonprofits Can Use AddThis Effectively in a Fundraising Drive A socially-enabled community offers the perfect opportunity to reinforce fundraising with the use of integrated social media solutions from ThePort along with the AddThis widget. Let’s say you have a fundraising deadline on your calendar that coincides with a special event that caps off an important campaign. Consider creating an event online...published for all community members to see and take part in. After posting the facts about the upcoming cause-related happening using ThePort Events tools, you can further boost excitement and attendance by sharing details of the event with visitors to Facebook, Twitter, and Digg, for example. AddThis makes it simple to spread the news around where the most people will see it. AddThis Can Help You Attract Visitors to Your Community and Register New Members Associations and Nonprofit organizations can make the most of AddThis connectivity by using the tool to consistently reach out to potential new members. Publishing relevant content from your private label community on heavily-trafficked social networking sites will get the attention of like-minded individuals and give them a quick, uncomplicated way to see what you are all about. An AddThis link is like an email invitation—only better—because the viewer of your content link will see it in a familiar environment that he or she has chosen to visit and that the invitation is from a familiar friend. Connect Community Members Around a Cause Using AddThis Energize your member base with the causes they care about as you give constituents a greater sense of belonging in your community. Using ThePort’s social Grouping solution in conjunction with AddThis will draw maximum attention to your mission objectives. First, create a Group (or multiple Groups) in your online community linked to cause-related issues. Giving the Group a public setting will allow any registered member to see it and join. This will help connect supporters who share similar interests  and are passionate about the cause. Finally, share the Group’s philosophy and actions with everyone on the web by circulating details of the cause-related activity around the internet using a few AddThis clicks. ThePort client Sierra Club, for instance, boasts an Astronomers for Climate Solutions group in the Climate Crossroads community where members, using AddThis, can share their concerns for the environment with friends on other social networking sites. We encourage you to comment on our blog topic about the AddThis widget, nonprofits, associations, fundraising, cause-related activity and all facets of online social networking.
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Walter Roark
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6/29/2009 8:54:19 AM
We've talked about fundraising analytics and metrics for your community previously on this blog. How can you tell if constituents are getting any closer to taking action? Are you attracting new supporters with your community? These are vital goals and objectives that should be measured within your online community.
On Friday, ThePort's CEO, Bob Cramer, provided best practices for measuring success with your online community. Katya Andresen was gracious enough to publish the article on her blog. Here's a quick excerpt from the article: But skipping qualitative indicators would be a big mistake, since
they reveal success in strengthening the ties between you and your
advocates, as well as reinforcing the bonds between community members
themselves. Remember that such qualities set the stage for healthy
fundraising in the long-term. Here are some examples of qualitative success measures in a nonprofit social community: • You are building better relationships with constituents by
learning more about them to fine-tune your nonprofit’s focus and
programs.
• Messages delivered to the community are being shared member-to-member and with the outside world.
• Your blog posts are building momentum in the number of quality comments that give insight into supporters’ opinions.
• Members are using the community to actively trade knowledge and
insights and are meaningfully supporting fellow constituents’ concerns,
passions and goals.
Head over to Katya's blog to learn how you can measure success within your online community.
Full story
Walter Roark
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6/24/2009 8:43:41 AM
The phenomenon of YouTube fully demonstrates the amazing evolution of video on the Internet.
People like to watch videos, be entertained by them, and to share the
action with friends. This is especially true in the context of a social
media community—because sharing is what a community is all about.
 Keeping
the viral explosion of video use in perspective, your social software
platform should offer members a fast, simple way of uploading videos
for others to see. Many SaaS (software as a service) solutions
providers partner with dedicated social media developers who specialize
in video delivery.
For example, ThePort Network
collaborates with the experts at Multicast to deliver high-performance
video functionality to the members of its clients’ communities.
Developed together, ThePort and Multicast
integrate video modules into a custom platform so that
generating content is fun, quick—and most important—reliable. Since easy engagement and flexible communication are
hallmarks of the best white label communities, experienced social media
vendors focus on video as a an essential element—one that helps  people
connect and consistently stimulates debate. Ideally, intuitive sharing
activities will be linked to every video post. Members should have the
option to rate, tag and comment on the video content. This
level of engagement really helps members spend more time interacting in
the community. Rallying around video also keeps your constituents
returning often and gives them added reason to formally invite their
online friends as well as to spread the news by word of mouth. Word of mouth “buzz” is viral marketing at its most potent—the greatest marketing campaigns in the world cannot compete with word of mouth credibility.
In terms of sharing video, when your members discover a presentation
they especially appreciate, they should be able to easily send a
message to the original poster, leave a personal comment, and request
that the video contributor become their friend. Along with being able
to tag a specific member’s video post, a user should have an easy
method of capturing the member’s video gallery in an RSS feed.
Social media video engagement continues to evolve within online  communities
as innovative social networking software providers create new
activities linked to video content. One way or the other, growth of
online video interaction will help power the growth of socially-vibrant
destinations. The only question is, will the rate keep accelerating at
its current, furious pace.
Stay tuned to the latest developments in the world of social media to find out. If you have ideas, questions or comments about the growth of video in social media applications, please share them here.
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Walter Roark
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6/22/2009 9:55:55 AM
Bob Cramer, CEO of ThePort Network, recently had the opportunity to contribute to Nonprofit World magazine by sharing tips and best practices for using social media to increase donations and rally constituents.
 You can download the article - "Increase Donations in a Down Economy? With Social Media, Yes, You Can!" - FREE from Nonprofit World's website. Here's an excerpt from the article: Listen, learn, and adapt to members’ interests and needs. By monitoring member discussions in forums and groups within your social community, you can see what your constituents are talking about and where their true passions lie. For example, an international nonprofit might see a large number of supporters engaging in forum discussions about Darfur or the Congo, or a nonprofit focused on a chronic disease might see discussions related to pending new healthcare legislation, alternative treatments, or clinical trials. Thus, they’ll know to increase site content and programs focused on those areas. Keeping your finger on the pulse of what supporters care about most is key to retaining their interest and support.
How are you using social media to boost fundraising and mobilize supporters? Let us know in the comments!
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Walter Roark
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6/22/2009 9:28:25 AM
Note: This is part four of a four-part series highlighting how
ThePort's customers are creating return on investment with ThePort's
Social Media Solutions Lee Enterprises, a premier provider of local news, information
and advertising with 49 daily newspapers, faced a decreasing subscriber-base and advertising revenues.
Lee’s leadership decided it needed to strengthen its online newspaper communities and leverage its reader-generated content to increase its online audience and online revenues. Lee’s new online communities rapidly increased its online audience and engagement. ThePort also built and launched Social Market 2.0 – socially-enabled business directories - for Lee Enterprises, which increased revenue at one publication $45,000 per month.
The Racine Journal Times increased its online readership 150 percent to 2.5 million page views.
Readers across Lee Enterprises publications are now posting 2.2 million comments every year.
ThePort worked with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch to implement Social Marketing 2.0 . Revenues for Post-Dispatch’s Best Bridal Marketplace grew to $45,000 per month.
Lee anticipates creating $4 million in social-media related revenue in 2009.
“The potential for social media as it relates to researching and evaluating local retailers and
service providers is enormous,” said Jeff Herr, Director of Interactive Media for Lee Enterprises. “Already, we’re experiencing benefts that include increased site traffc and signifcant new
revenue generation.”
Full story
Walter Roark
Lee Enterprises
ROI
social media
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6/16/2009 8:30:16 AM
A few weeks ago, I was invited by Mendie Nord and Jamar Jeffers to participate in a session with the Atlanta Nonprofit Professionals on how to build your online brand with social media. I was thrilled to be invited and to continue the great work we've done with the Georgia Center for Nonprofits and to help other nonprofit professionals utilize social media.
Last night, I was joined by
Alissa Cook of TechBridge and Asia Hadley of Foundation Center for a great discussion of how professionals can utilize social media to get connected to others in their industry, become an expert in the field and to create new personal and professional opportunities. I have embedded a copy of our part of the presentation below. Thank you to everyone that attended and provided great feedback and questions for the discussion. And a big thank you to Mendie and Jamar for inviting me to join this excellent group. You can find out more about the Atlanta Nonprofit Professionals at their website.
Full story
Walter Roark
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6/15/2009 12:40:00 PM
According to our recent survey of associations, one of the primary goals for associations this year is boosting non-dues revenue. Associations are seeking new and cost-effective ways to increase participation in revenue programs such as conferences and training programs.
For associations looking to create new revenue streams by providing members access to exclusive groups, training programs and content, social media can help.
ThePort uses social groups to give associations a convenient element to establish group-based credentialing and accreditation programs. Offering exclusive access to these groups to event attendees can boost participation and revenue in programs. Any size association can offer premium content in a social networking community and see immediate results.
When appropriate, many industry associations find offering advertising space to associate members and sponsors can benefit members and the association. The Restaurant Facility Management Association is an excellent example of providing sponsor visibility within its community.
An additional opportunity for associations to encourage participation in non-dues revenue programs is to create an online points and badge system that rewards members that participate in training programs, webinars and events. Members that accumulate points and badges can be rewarded with additional incentives such as access to special events or even free invitations to new training programs. These members also become experts and leaders within your association and online community.
Moreso, associations can also boost revenue from their online supplier directory by implementing Social Market 2.0 - an interactive business directory that increases exposure to members for your suppliers and drives interaction between members and sponsors.  Associations certainly face difficult challenges in boosting non-dues revenue in 2009. Social media can help your association generate more revenue from its programs. Want to learn about the top association goals for 2009 and how social media can help achieve these goals? Download the 2009 Association Survey Report.
Full story
Walter Roark
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6/11/2009 10:11:00 AM
Yesterday, ThePort released a new case study profiling one of our  newest not-for-profit association clients, the National Portable Storage Association.
The case study outlines why NPSA decided to launch an online community, why they chose ThePort Network as their Social Media Solutions provider, and how NPSA plans to utilize their new community moving forward.
Here's an excerpt from the study: NPSA members recognized the benefts of social networking on Facebook and LinkedIn, a fact
brought to the attention of NPSA management. At a strategic planning meeting, executives John
Finnessy and Joel Rathbone came to the conclusion that yes, social networking was the right
path to pursue for association members, but that the Facebook-LinkedIn solution was too limiting in its functionality and the interactions members could have with each other.
For ThePort, the key asset became the company’s ability to tie in directly to the existing NPSA
database as developed by Avectra. By integrating seamlessly with NPSA’s current website,
ThePort team was able to tailor the new social media community according to the special needs
of NPSA and its members.
What are goals would you like to achieve with social media? Take time to tell us in the comments.
Full story
Walter Roark
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6/10/2009 9:11:50 AM
Note: This is part three of a four-part series highlighting how
ThePort's customers are creating return on investment with ThePort's
Social Media Solutions  A 700-person association with only one yearly event,
RFMA wanted to enable year-round networking for its members to
facilitate knowledge-sharing and engagement. RFMA sought to increase membership retention and acquisition with ThePort's Social Media Solutions.
Within two weeks of launching their community, more than 100 out of 700 RFMA members joined the
community with very little marketing from RFMA. RFMA is now considering letting its members and outside vendors post Request For Proposals within its community. RFMA is also
exploring new ways to leverage its community to attract new members.
We view the new social network as both a valuable member service and a membership de-
velopment tool for our organization,” said Tracy Tomson, RFMA Executive Director. “We’re
already seeing a lot of participation by members desiring to meet, seek advice and share
information with others in their feld.”
“Our experience is that ThePort’s Social Media Solutions are not cost-prohibitive and we think
they will actually help us grow. Social networking presents opportunities for associations and
trade groups of all sizes,” she said. “We chose ThePort for its technology – we especially
liked how the new social community could be seamlessly layered into our existing website.”
Learn how to use social media to acquire members and retain membership with social media. Download our free toolkit.
Full story
Walter Roark
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6/9/2009 7:02:00 PM
Since the explosion of social media on the internet has become reality,
every organization is looking for ways to leverage the power of online
networking. But for nonprofit and association leadership and marketing teams,
there may be potholes in the path to success. 5) Social
Media Isn’t Media
Those new to social media and social networking
sometimes lose sight of its true nature. Social media is, in fact, a new (yet
very  human) form of interaction in a relatively new
medium, the worldwide web. Social networking is the new form of connecting with
others and sharing communications in a public format.
In terms of
marketing and advertising linked to a social networking community, you can
conduct marketing campaigns and advertising buys just as you can with other
media. In other words, social media is more an evolution in format than it is a
revolution in advertising. Regardless, as indicated in myth number 4, an
investment in a private label social community definitely demands a significant
marketing investment. 4) If You Build It, They Will
Come
For those of us close to social media--those of us who
passionately believe in it--social networking certainly has magical qualities.
But online networking is not the Field of Dreams. If you build a community,
especially if you integrate it with your existing brand, then you need to
actively support it before and after its launch.
Aside from a branded,
proprietary community, the same Field of Dreams caution applies to launching a
Facebook group or page. Just because you set it up doesn’t mean your active area
of a  megalithic online community will drive awareness
for your brand or causes. Add to that barrier the fact that Facebook can never
fully represent your brand, and you have a recipe for disappointment in the
engagement of social media. A better tack might be the strategy of a white label
community vigorously supported by predetermined marketing
resources. 3) IT Security Risks Are Not Common in
Administrating a Social Community
That depends. With an
out-of-the-box, less integrated online presence, security breeches, beginning
with spam and spiraling to viral attacks, can require frequent “hot fixes” or
even culminate in a community shut-down when you least expect it. On the other
hand, if you choose to deploy a platform powered by a SaaS provider on a
subscription basis, the community can be hosted on your vendor’s servers and
monitored by their IT professionals. This warrants an investigation into the
security of your vendor’s IT infrastructure.
The decision to leave IT
administration up to your SaaS partner eliminates security risks to your
organization’s systems. A well-qualified SaaS provider will consistently make
your community’s performance a high priority, reducing headaches, man-hours and
around-the-clock oversight otherwise attached to your IT staff. 2) As Always, Quality Social Relationships Are Built More Offline than
Online
Every day, more and more, online networking is proving that
social  community interaction can be positively rewarding,
enlightening, even inspiring. When you engage with a like-minded individual in a
community atmosphere of comparable interest and respect, you have the chance of
creating a dedicated, lasting relationship that can bridge virtual and real
worlds.
A socially-infused community wrapped around your organization’s
identity gives you the opportunity of connecting and communicating face-to-face
with freely registered individuals who are truly your target audience. Brand
stature and growth among these active members can provide your organization with
long-term, high-quality benefits. 1) Social Media Won’t
Last
From the dawn of early social networking prototypes on the
internet, skeptics have denounced social interaction on the worldwide web as an
overhyped fad. In the beginning, critics claimed that individuals who
participated in and enjoyed social networking communities were simply wasting
their shared time together.
Certainly at its current development in 2009,
the phenomenal traction of online social media is far more than a fad or
indulgence. The amazing growth of MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, YouTube,
and so many other internet destinations is no accident. The adoption of private
label social communities by so many leading nonprofits and trade associations is
not a coincidence either.
While social media will undoubtedly evolve in
the future, its power  and value, just like that of the worldwide web
itself, is firmly established in the daily routines of people in every corner of
our planet. Put simply, the internet is inherently a social platform. The
ability of people all around the world to connect and communicate without
geographical boundaries is what makes social networking so appealing, and
ultimately enduring. As always, we encourage your comments if you
have thoughts about social media, social networking and the remarkable growth of
social interaction on the internet.
Full story
Walter Roark
associations nonprofits social media myths
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6/9/2009 8:09:22 AM
Our friends at SocialFish are putting on a must-attend event this summer - Buzz2009. From the website:
"Buzz2009 Social Media for Associations is the place
where association execs learn concepts and strategies to help their
organizations make the most out of social media." If you organization is looking to learn how they can begin using social media, or just wants to learn why they should be using social media, I'd strongly recommend checking out this event. The team at SocialFish is first class, and the speakers (Guy Kawasaki, Jeremy Epstein among others) are all compelling.
SocialFish has also been generous enough to offer a discount for you. That's right, get $100 off registration when you use the code
PORTN3T. You can register via eventbrite. How can you pass up an event that lets you put a badge like this on your blog?  Get this badge.
Full story
Walter Roark
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6/5/2009 12:05:00 PM
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Walter Roark
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6/4/2009 4:37:00 PM
If you attended the ASAE Membership & Marketing Conference a few  weeks ago, you probably noticed that ThePort was doing something a bit different. We were asking associations about their main goals for 2009. We wanted to know "What are your major plans for 2009? How will you make 2009 a successful year?" We collected more than 120 results from attendees at the conference and have uncovered the biggest associations plans for 2009. In conjunction with the survey, we are also releasing a new white paper entitled "Associations Goals for 2009: Solutions with Social Media." As evidenced by the discussions at the recent ASAE Membership & Marketing Conference, social media is clearly a solution for helping associations achieve their goals. This whitepaper explains how associations can use social media to accomplish their top goals of: -
Acquiring New Members -
Increasing Membership Retention -
Generating Non-Dues Revenue -
Building Thought Leadership For instance - did you know that you can build non-dues revenue with a social business directory? Or increase membership engagement at the local level? Download the new white paper to discover what other associations are doing in 2009 and how you can achieve your goals with social media.
Full story
Walter Roark
associations
white paper
social media
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6/3/2009 11:48:04 AM
Note: This is part two of a four-part series highlighting how
ThePort's customers are creating return on investment with ThePort's
Social Media Solutions. 
CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. CARE came to ThePort seeking to utilize Social Media Solutions to create bi-directional communications with its constituents and attract younger supporters. CARE also wanted to avoid having to dedicate resources to any technical maintenance and support of their community.
Outcome: CARE now offers its members, donors and supporters a fully-branded online community that leverages its existing assets, while providing a younger, more energized audience with the type of socially engaging online experience to which they’re accustomed. Because ThePort provides all support, maintenance and updates, CARE’s internal resources are able to dedicate their time to increasing advocacy and supports for causes. "We recognize the benefts of social networking as a way to reach supporters and encourage activism over the web,” said Toby Smith, Director of Online Communications for CARE. “Of all the solutions we evaluated, ThePort provided the most comprehensive Web 2.0 platform and the broadest functionality that could grow along with our needs.”
Full story
Walter Roark
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