Tobi's Volunteer Management Blog

Two Reasons Why You Can Beat Corporate Ad Guys at their Own Game

I am absolutely convinced that nonprofit marketers have the potential to beat out the big-time corporate PR guys in the quest for the public’s hearts and minds.  Whether you’re trying to raise money, recruit volunteers, or get the public to support a change in legislation, you have the power.  Repeat after me: “We have the power!”  Really?  Really.

Don’t believe me?  Check out the “Make a Lifelong Difference” video from the nonprofit CASA.  Powerful stuff.  And then read on...

 

Consider this: The American public tunes out most of the advertising it is bombarded with.  I’m not sure why corporate execs still waste money on billboards, TV ads, computer pop ups, etc.  Maybe it works somewhere, but when was the last time you saw an ad and immediately ran to the phone to dial the toll free number?  Our brains have a highly-calibrated info sensor that can tune out the irrelevant.  Corporate advertising falls into that category.  Enter the nonprofit marketer.

 What’s different about nonprofits?  Why would folks tune out corporate ads and pay attention to your message?  Two important things set you apart from your for-profit counterparts:

1)  Your work is authentic and human.  The American public wants to hear what’s happening with real people.  Think about the success of American Idol, Jersey Shore, House Hunters International, the Biggest Loser, and a host of other reality TV shows.  Nonprofit work is like reality TV, but better.  You help real people deal with real changes in the real world, and not because the camera’s rolling somewhere.  You have soul.

2)  You’re not in it for the money.  There’s a lot of distrust in corporations and politicians lately.  This isn’t really new, but greed is definitely top of mind for the public, as many struggle to make ends meet and the recession grinds on.  Nonprofits aren’t interested in earning profits, satisfying shareholders, or winning the rat race.  You are motivated by positive change in people and society as a whole.  You are altruistic by nature.

Finally, this is not unique to nonprofits, but could work in your favor:

Your work is vetted by real people.  Word of mouth beats advertising any day of the week.  Your organization touches numerous people -- clients, volunteers, community partners, and other stakeholders -- who can help you spread the word.  What if you set up a rating system like travel booking sites, online booksellers, etc.?  What if the people you interact with were able to rate and comment on your work, the same way they did about their most recent stay at a Hampton Inn?  I imagine you’d get some pretty fantastic testimonials.  

Over the next few months I’ll be posting tips on how to better connect with your publics in a meaningful way.  In the meantime remember -- you don’t need the infinite resources of the big dogs to reach the public.  You have the power.

 

 

Jazz Up Your Nonprofit Communications with Free Flickr Photos

Tired of stale, ho-hum brochures?  Don’t have the time to snap photos to add interest to your training slides or web site?  Don’t have the money to hire a pro photographer to document your good work?  No worries.  There’s an amazing group of talented shutter bugs out there who are ready to help.  Check out Flickr.  It’s not just a site for sharing pics with your friends and family.  It’s a powerful database of images that are crowdsourced from across the globe.

Thousands of people have posted pics on Flickr -- from the mundane to the beautiful to the heartfelt.  You can, too.  And, you can download and use most of them for free.   

But be sure to attribute them correctly.  Many of the generous and creative souls who post will specify how they want their work to be acknowledged using a Creative Commons License.  For more info read here.  Look for the artist's instructions and follow them.

Here are a few common ways they choose to license their work:

• Attribution License -- Means you let people copy, display and distribute your work, as long as they give you credit.  All users need to do is include the artist’s name somewhere near the photo.
• Attribution-No Derivative Works -- Means you let people copy, display and distribute your work only as is, with no changes. 
• Attribution-NonCommercial -- Means you let people copy, display and distribute your work, or any modified form of it., but for noncommercial purposes only.  If you work for a nonprofit, you are good to go.

Pictures are worth a thousand words, so don’t waste your prime marketing real estate with a bunch of boring text.  Go forth, browse the Flickr archives, and find those images that uniquely connect with the people you need to.  Then, upload your own pics to contribute to the mix.  You’ll have fun, and your audience will too.

Photo Credit: Lara604/Flickr

Book Report: Switch Challenges Our Assumptions and Offers New Ways to Promote Change

I just finished reading Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard by Chip & Dan Heath.  The book is chock full of stories about how people used simple, and sometimes unexpected, tactics to bring about change.  The Heath brothers also provide a specific step-by-step process to cultivate transformation, whether it be at the individual or group level.  If you struggle to bring about a shift in the behavior of your staff, volunteers, funders, clients, or want to change your own habits, this book may give more traction to your efforts.

The book also challenges several commonly-held assumptions about change and offers simple guidelines, based on a mountain of research.  Here are a few tips: 

Don’t focus on what’s broken.  Do more of what’s already working. -- We focus a lot of our energy on problems.  Instead, identify the bright spots, understand why they are working, and reproduce them.  And, when change starts to happen, recognize those who are taking steps, no matter how small, early and often.

Don’t ask people to solve the world’s problems.  Ask them to take a few simple, but critical steps.  -- When faced with overwhelming change (think global warming or health reform) people often suffer from decision paralysis.  Script do-able moves you’d like them to take, versus asking them to choose from a wide menu of choices or formulating an action plan on their own.

Don’t try to convince people with facts and information. Compel them with stories that appeal to emotions.  --  Data, no matter how accurate or dramatic, is not enough. Emotional connections awaken the subconscious to action, which is needed to move people from one way of being and doing to another. Negative emotions motivate people short-term, positive emotions motivate people to be creative and flexible.

Don’t assume people are jerks for not changing. Tweak their environment, so that change is easier to accomplish. --  People will act radically different in different environments.  It has nothing to do with their personal character.  Study what’s getting in their way, and remove it if you can.  Think about how easy successful online merchants make it to buy their stuff by reducing what you have click and read.

Don’t get discouraged.  Remember that big change starts small. --  Focus on what you can control.  As you gain ground, you'll your support will snowball.  People like to follow people who are winning the game, no matter how small.

If you’re curious, but don’t want to buy the book yet, you can sign up to download free resources on their website.  They have a fantastic podcast called Switch for the Social Sector and a workbook called Switch for Organizations that can get you started.

 

Keeping Volunteers Happy: Four Lessons from My Aunt Deanna

I spent time with family over the holidays and had wonderful opportunities to catch up.  I had a fantastic conversation with a beloved aunt who volunteers regularly.  She shared her perspectives on her recent volunteer experiences.  I learned a lot about volunteer retention from what she had to say.  With her permission, I thought I’d pass on her wisdom.

 Volunteer Retention: Words from the Wise

1. Keep Recognition Events Modest, but Classy -- In these trying economic times, keep it simple and appropriate to the budget on hand, but don’t expect folks to eat roast beef with plastic forks!
2. Staff Need to Interact with Volunteers in a Genuine Way -- Staff should make a real effort to connect with volunteers.  For example, at special events staff should introduce themselves and mix with volunteers versus sitting at their own table.  Don’t leave the job of breaking the ice to the volunteers you are trying to recognize!
3. Take Volunteer Suggestions Seriously -- Volunteers have the unique position of having both an objective and subjective view of your organization.  They are close enough to give suggestions that make sense and far enough away to have a relatively unbiased view.  They have a goldmine of ideas about how to improve your operations...guaranteed!
4. Time Your Fundraising Asks Carefully -- Don’t send a letter asking for donations the week after you recognize your volunteers. lt sends a crazy, mixed up message they don’t appreciate.

One Final Observation (from me)

1. Remember the Value of Volunteers -- A large percentage of your volunteers are likely volunteer at at least one other organization (My Aunt Deanna volunteers for three and counting!).  So, don’t take their time for granted.  They will naturally spend the most time and effort on projects they feel are making a real difference.  And, their time isn’t the only thing volunteers bring to the table.  This holiday season, my Aunt Deanna pumped each and every one of my family and friends for a $10 contribution to her local Women’s Build for their team’s 10 for 10 challenge ($10 from 10 people).  And we ALL chipped in AT LEAST that amount.  Deanna explained, “For my fund raising I started with asking the flower ladies I volunteer with at hospice, then coordinators and office workers. Next I asked family and friends. I then asked at the Curves (gym) I attend.  In my ten for ten club, I am on my fourth ten for ten card. It is easy to ask people you know are giving people.” 

I’m so proud of my aunt. She is such a passionate advocate for the people in her community and is making a difference every day. You go girl!

 

Cool Tool: Mini Cards from Moo

I’ve needed new business cards for a while, but was waiting for something inspirational and different.  I finally found it!  A print company called MOO creates fantastic cards and stickers that are colorful, creative, and out-of-the box.  They allow you to print different images, either your own or from their designs, so that each card can be different from the other.  Bye bye boring!!

How can they help nonprofits?  Here are a few ideas:

• Their mini cards (2.75" x 1.10") could be used for word of mouth volunteer recruitment or client outreach.  With some interesting images or text on one side and your call to action and contact info on the other, they are portable and easy to share.  Give a stack to your biggest fans and ask them to spread the word. 

• Their postcards (4.13" x 5.82") could be used to advertise local outreach events or point people to your recently-posted annual report online.  It’s much cheaper than printing out a multi-page booklet each year!

•  Their greeting cards (4.13" x 5.82") could be used to create memorable fundraising event invitations. Or, include an inspirational quote for a one-of-a-kind thank you note.

• Their stickers (0.86"x 0.86") could be used as a volunteer recognition tool.  Award stickers for their contributions in a variety of areas -- leadership, helpfulness, customer service, referrals, training completion, etc.  Once they’ve collected the full set, give them a superstar award!

Check out their website here.

Quotes that Inspire

One simple way to add some pop to your communications is to include an inspirational quote or two.  Add them at the bottom of a meeting agenda, on your training slides, in your volunteer or staff manuals, in your email signature, on your website, or even at the top of partnership agreements.  It’s a really easy thing to do, and I often get enthusiastic feedback from the folks I’m communicating with about the quotes I include.  It’s a little bit of delight you can use to both inspire colleagues and supporters alike and emphasize your main message.

Here are some of my faves split into topic areas (feel free to use & share with others!):

Inspirational

• “Let your dreams outgrow the shoes of your expectations.” -- Ryunosuke Satoro
• “A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song.” -- Maya Angelou
  
• “Reach high, for stars lie hidden in your soul.  Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal.” --Pamela Vaull Starr
• “If the wind will not serve, take to the oars.” -- Latin Proverb
• “You cannot plough a field by turning it over in your mind.” -- Author Unknown
• “Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.” -- Albert Einstein
• “The tallest tree gets the most wind.” -- Anonymous
• “Where do you go to get permission to make a dent in the universe?  If you think there’s a chance to make a dent, go.” -- Seth Godin

Customer Service & Marketing 

• “Potential supporters [must] not only believe in your mission, but in your capacity to deliver on that mission.” -- Jim Collins
• “People are down on what they’re not up on.” -- Anonymous
• "As an organizer I start from where the world is, as it is, not as I would like it to be.”  -- Saul Alinsky
• “The large print giveth, but the small print taketh away.” -- Tom Waites
• “If we don’t take care of our customers, someone else will.” -- Anonymous 

Performance and Planning

• “A goal is a dream with a deadline.” -- Napoleon Hill 
• “A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way.”  -- Mark Twain
• “The sooner you fall behind, the more time you’ll have to catch up.” -- Steven Wright
• “If you think you are too small to be effective, you have never been in bed with a mosquito.” -- Betty Reese
• “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit.” -- Aristotle
• “If you don’t know where you’re going, how will you know when you get there?” -- Seth Godin
• “There are no rules here -- we’re trying to accomplish something” -- Thomas Edison

Public Speaking

• "Make sure you have finished speaking before your audience has finished listening."   -- Dorothy Sarnoff
• “Blessed is the man who, having nothing to say, abstains from giving in words evidence of the fact.” -- George Eliot
• "The human brain starts working the moment you are born and never stops until you stand up to speak in public.” -- George Jessel
• “No one ever complains about a speech being too short!” -- Ira Hayes

Volunteerism & Teamwork

• "Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on Earth." -- Muhammad Ali 
• “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.” -- Margaret Mead
• “Sticks in a bundle are unbreakable.” -- Kenyan Proverb
• “Teamwork divides the task and multiplies the success. -- Anonymous
• “We must all hang together or most assuredly we shall hang separately.” -- Benjamin Franklin
• “No member of a crew is praised for the rugged individuality of his rowing.” -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
• “Volunteers are love in motion!” -- Anonymous
• “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” -- Winston Churchill

Just for Fun

• “How do I set a laser printer to stun?” -- Anonymous (LOL!  I love that one!)

What is your fave? Please add to my list! Click on the comments link below and share it there.

 

In the Wake of Violence: Five Tips for Protecting Your Team’s Safety

My heart goes out to Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and the community members, staffers, supporters, and their families who were victims of last weekend’s shooting in Tucson.  It’s a sad reminder of the violent age we find ourselves in.  

The tragedy was heart wrenching and also made me think.  Will the violence perpetrated against public sector leaders and organizations affect the willingness of people to volunteer and serve, particularly in those arenas where conflict runs high?  Will more people volunteer as a show of solidarity or will less because they fear for their safety?  Or will things stay the same, business as usual?  Hard to say.

What can we learn from this tragedy, political debates aside?  I think it’s an opportunity for public sector organizations to review what they can do to ensure the safety of their staff and volunteers.  In Arizona, I’m not sure what could have been done to stop the shooter -- a mentally ill young man, on a rampage, in a public place.  I’m also not suggesting that violence of that magnitude will occur at your organization or that a paid security force is in order.  

What I am suggesting is that it might be a good time to consider what you can do to reasonably protect your staff and volunteers from unsafe situations, no matter how large or small. Here are a few ideas:

1) Do Background Checks --  Conduct both criminal background checks and reference checks (with former employers or volunteer supervisors) of both staff and volunteer applicants.  If your team will be working alone with vulnerable populations, such as children or the disabled or frail, do FBI checks with fingerprints.  Worried about the cost?  Ask your prospective volunteers to pay for their own background check.  Worried about what they will think?  If they understand why you are asking (to protect both the clients and the volunteers), they will understand.  If they don’t, they probably won’t understand any other requirements your agency has.  They’re not a good fit; let them go.

2) Buddy Up -- If at all possible, provide services in a public place or at the agency’s site.  If you must do home visits, pair volunteers and staff with another person.  It’s not only safer, it protects the reputation of your organization and the team from claims of impropriety made by unbalanced clients.  If you absolutely must do home visits solo, make sure your team is well trained on what they can and cannot do and they have a cell phone on hand.  There’s no easier place than a private home for professional boundaries to be crossed, however well intentioned.

3) Take ALL Complaints Seriously -- Investigate all complaints thoroughly and quickly, whether from your team or clients.  Make sure the process for making complaints is posted and available to everyone.  Don’t assume you know what happened.  Be sure to speak to more than one person and consider all perspectives before forming a conclusion and response.  

4) Allow People to Opt Out if they Feel Uncomfortable -- If your team has a “gut feeling” that a service site or client is unsafe, find an alternative service strategy.  Be careful about discrimination, though.  You must assess whether the discomfort has to do with some kind of bias, which should not be permitted.  If you encounter bias, straight talk about your agency's anti-discrimination policy is in order.  

5) Get it in Writing -- Make sure you have solid policies and procedures that protect clients, staff, and volunteers.  Include your confidentiality rules.  Also, don't forget to include any state or federal laws, like the Volunteer Protection Act, that protect volunteers and any mandated reporting laws in effect in your state. Your policies need to be in writing and everyone needs to receive a copy when they join the team.  Everyone, regardless of their role, should be trained on how to respond to a complaint and how to react in a crisis. 

Develop Your Safety Plan: A Few Questions You Should Ask

• How should your team attempt to de-escalate an agitated person?
• What personal information can be shared and with whom? 
• What should be done if child abuse, domestic violence, or elder abuse is suspected?
• Can service be denied when a client is acting inappropriately?  If so, under what circumstances?  
• Who can your team contact if they have questions or need immediate back up?  
• Is there an emergency gathering place for each service site?  
• When is it OK to call the police?  
• Is there a hotline your team can call to get updates after a crisis?
• If a crisis occurs, how will your agency handle public communications? How can your team support this strategy?
• Where can your team get First Aid & CPR training? Will the agency pay for it?

Has your organization weathered a crisis or had a safety issue?  What did you learn?  What would you do differently?  Please share.  We'd love to hear about it.

 

How to Motivate People: New Research

The Harvard Business Review recently posted an interesting article on how to keep New Year’s Resolutions.  The research they shared about what motivates individuals and teams is fascinating stuff.

Here’s the upshot:

• Men are 22% more likely to achieve their goals if they write them down.
• Women are 10% more likely to achieve their goals if they share them with family and friends.

and, 

• Individuals and teams with a weak level of motivation accomplish more when it is pointed out how much progress they have already made toward their goal. 
• Highly motivated individuals and teams are more productive when their attention is focused on how much work still needs to be done.

As leaders, we often try to motivate others using tactics that we ourselves find inspiring.  This data points to the need to evaluate the current level of motivation in our peers, staff, volunteers, board members, etc. and tailor our efforts accordingly.  

Also (although the article doesn’t mention this) I think that if we’d like to see sustainable progress, mid-course re-evaluation will likely be necessary.  Small successes may reawaken the enthusiasm of the unmotivated, converting them to real believers, and thus changing their motivational requirements.

How do you motivate others?  Do you need to take a new tack?

 

Jumo: The Next Frontier in Volunteer Recruitment?

Have you checked out Jumo yet?  The beta version of the site is still a bit clunky, but it’s worth a look.  Don’t know what it is?  Chris Hughes, one of the founders of Facebook, has started a new social media venture called Jumo.  The aim is to connect supporters with charities and projects that matter to them. It could be a powerful new volunteer recruitment tool.

It’s an interesting concept -- the web  site marries the Facebook interactivity and news feed with a search engine.  The search engine funnels info on causes, related to the interest areas you select, to your profile wall.  You can also search and follow specific projects you choose and are suggested to you.  And, similar to Facebook, folks can add their own feedback and connect with friends through Jumo.  If you’ve used Facebook, Jumo will feel familiar.

Although Jumo’s founders note that the aim right now is deepen ties between its users and their favorite causes, these ties may inevitably lead to greater levels of engagement -- most notably, increased donations and volunteering.  The biggest challenge will be to move people from merely following and “liking” to actually doing.  The site doesn’t list specific volunteer opportunities the way Volunteer Match does.  Rather, they are posted in the organization or project’s news feed.

So what’s the upshot?  Jumo isn’t a volunteer recruitment listing site.  It’s a social networking site that brings people together around causes.  If you’re willing to spend the time building a network of supporters in this platform, you may find you have a cadre of fans who are eager to respond to your calls for action. The good news is that your audience is already right there.  The site's search engine and database helps do some of the sorting, so that you are already closer to the people you want to reach...and they are folks who have been getting educated about the issue all along and are primed to help.  

Right now is a good time to get started.  Because it’s relatively new, you org won’t have to compete with the hundreds of thousands of others that will likely join later.  You’ll have a higher profile.  It’s a great opportunity to recruit your fans early and often.

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Cool Tool: How Will Your Organization Shape Public Policy?

The public trust in our institutions appears to be at an all-time low.  It feels that way anyway.  As our country becomes more polarized, mission-based organizations will be called on to take sides or, at the very least, inform key debates.  They may also find it necessary to wade in to the fray, in order to protect the interests of the people they serve or their organization’s financial future.  Are you ready?

Many nonprofits recognize their role in shaping public policy, but struggle to find the right balance.  Clarity is important -- get the most out of your efforts and protect your organization from claims of impropriety. Here are some tips and a free tool to help.

I suggest using the following three areas of activity to help define where you stand on the public policy continuum (for a graphic, see my Sample Public Policy Continuum):

• Community Education -- You provide information to the public and partners and encourage them to share your message with policymakers.
• Advocacy -- You advise policymakers directly to influence their decisions, advocate on an individual client’s behalf, or inform authorities or regulators about illegal or unethical behavior.
• Lobbying -- You work directly with legislators to change or create new laws, rules, or regulations.

You may define them differently.  That’s OK.  What’s important is that you have a common framework that everyone understands.   Once you’ve decided where you stand on the continuum, then you need to answer some key questions.

Key Questions to Answer

1) How will Shaping Public Policy Help Your Stakeholders? What is your primary objective?  Don’t engage until you know the outcome(s) you are working toward.

2) What Specific Activities Does Your Organization Allow? Staff and volunteers need to be clear on what they can and cannot do.  Is it different, depending on your job title?  That’s OK, but make sure your team has been trained.  Also make sure your rules are in writing, so that they can refer to them as questions arise.

3) What is Your Value to Policy Makers? Can you describe it succinctly?  If a policymaker asked you, “Why should I work with your organization?” could you answer them on the spot?  You’ll need to, if you want them to listen.  

4) What Do People Need to Know about Working with You? What is your primary mission? What are your limitations?  What are your requirements for a successful partnership?

Cool Tool: Sample Policy Continuum

I’ve attached a sample framework for understanding that answers some of these questions.  Click to download the Sample Public Policy Continuum. It describes work I did for another organization (and presented at a conference), but may help get you started.  Feel free to tweak it to fit your needs.

A Final Word: Storytelling is Key

 As with any communication, it’s always good to have stories on hand, stories about how your clients have changed their lives with your help.  Be ready to share them in your conversations with policymakers.  First change hearts, then minds.