Presentation to graduate students at Milano | The New School for Management and Urban Policy about what leaders need to know about technology and social media

1. Nonprofit leaders and technology
Leadership Perspectives and Practice class
November 4, 2010
Farra Trompeter

3. Techie
guru
The
Twitter?

4. What can technology
do for your
organization?

7. http://beth.typepad.com/beths_blog/2010/02/reflections-social-media-and-ngo-workshop-in-
india.html

8. Get started
Image by http://www.elca.org/~/media/Images/Stewardship/Started/Getting_Started.jpg

9. • Programs
• Raise awareness
• Build brand equity
• Increase # of
downloads or requests
• Reach a particular new
audience
• Recruit volunteers
• Promote events
Set goals and priorities
• Fundraising
• Raise $XXXXXXX
• Attract XX% new
donors
• Advocacy
• Change policy
• Be the go-to org for
your issue
• Increase your list by
XX%

10. http://blogs.forrester.com/jackie_rousseau_anderson/10-09-28-
latest_global_social_media_trends_may_surprise_you

11. Time
Money
Audiences
Goals

12. Listen
Image by http://www.flickr.com/photos/smoovey/ CC BY-ND 2.0

13. • Sign up for alerts
• www.google.com/alerts
• www.twilert.com
• www.backtype.com
• Suites of listening tools:
http://socialmedia-listening.wikispaces.com/
Tools
Listen

14. • Your organization’s name
• Program or event names
• Peer/competitor names
• Individuals connected to your organization
• Tagline or key phrases
• URL for any web properties (website, blog)
• Related issues/topics
• Common misspellings
• Twitter handle and common hashtags
Select keywords/phrases
Adapted from a list on Beth’s Blog, by Beth Kanter

15. • Get your feet wet
• Sign up for alerts
• Research
• www.pewinternet.org
• www.mashable.com
• Survey your email list
• Conduct informal focus groups
Listen

17. Image by http://www.flickr.com/photos/gi/ CC BY-SA 2.0
Make a plan

18. • Revisit your goals and priorities
• Do they still make sense in light of the
listening you’ve done?
Make a plan

19. • Revisit your goals and priorities
• Identify barriers
• Buy-in from leadership
• Cultural change within your organization
• Staff time
Make a plan

20. 1. You have no control of your message.
2. You never did.
3. The conversation is happening, with or
without you!
Let go…

21. • Revisit your goals and priorities
• Identify barriers
• Decide which technology to use
• What suits your mission?
• What’s going to give you the biggest bang for
your buck?
• What can your team sustain and grow?
Make a plan

22. • Revisit your goals and priorities
• Identify barriers
• Decide which media to use
• Build your capacity
• Hire, if needed
• Offer training (reverse mentoring)
• Have and encourage realistic expectations
• Avoid outsourcing/use interns wisely
Make a plan

23. • Revisit your goals and priorities
• Identify barriers
• Decide which media to use
• Build your capacity
• Create & share a social media policy
Make a plan

24. Create a social media policy
• Scan sample policies from other orgs
• http://socialmediagovernance.com/policies.php
• Agree on contents
• Write them in a way that addresses concerns,
but feels friendly and easy to follow
• Try http://socialmedia.policytool.net/
• Rollout through staff trainings/meetings
• Update 2x/year

25. • How will we address negative comments?
• What is our policy about employees’ personal
use of social networks?
• What is our policy about employees using social
media for work-related activities?
• What topics are acceptable for staff to talk about
online, and what is off-limits?
• What is our privacy policy?
• When should a staffer ask for help in deciding
what to do online?
Questions to address
The Networked Nonprofit by Beth Kanter & Allison Fine, page 58

26. http://www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=52806

27. Image by http://www.flickr.com/photos/aussiegall/ CC BY 2.0
Assess

28. • Measure your progress (at least monthly)
• Set up a dashboard
• Website: Referrals from social media sites
• Facebook: likers, pageviews, comments, etc.
• Twitter: Followers, retweets, lists, etc.
• Blog: Subscribers, views, comments, etc.
• Bit.ly: track clicks and stats for the links you
share
Assess

30. • Measure your progress
• Check-in once a quarter
• What’s working? What’s not?
• Are you achieving your goals?
• If yes: How can you build on your momentum?
• If no: Why not?
Most common reason: Not enough time
• Determine your ROI (return on investment)
Assess

31. • Increased awareness of your cause
• Shift in your org’s perception
• New program participants
• Increased requests for info/programs
• Pageviews/clicks/comments/etc.
• New email addresses/contact info
• Signatures/actions taken
• Dollars raised
• Mentions online
Defining Success

32. • How much money are you spending?
• How much staff time are you spending?
• Is the return (meeting your goals)
proportional to the investment (time and
money)?
Remember: Return ≠ $
(necessarily)
Measuring ROI

33. Image by http://www.flickr.com/photos/spidermandragon5/CC BY-ND 2.0
Evolve

34. • Meet semi-annually to assess strategy
• New tools we should explore?
• Old tools no longer working?
• Examine goals—still relevant?
• Consider staff/time—is it enough?
• Reprioritize as needed
Evolve

35. • Meet semi-annually to assess strategy
• Become an “open leader”
• Respect that your stakeholders and
employees have power.
• Share constantly to build trust.
• Nurture curiosity and humility.
• Hold openness accountable.
• Forgive failure.
Evolve

36. What type of leader are you?

37. http://www.charleneli.com/resources/open-leadership-self-assessment/

38. http://www.charleneli.com/resources/open-leadership-self-assessment/

39. Resources
Resources

40. Resources
• Nonprofit Technology Network
http://www.nten.org
• Open Leadership by Charlene Li
http://www.charleneli.com/open-leadership/
• Internet Management for Nonprofits by Ted Hart et al.
http://books.google.com/books?id=Ct1u5HQkeA8C
• Pew Internet & American Life Project
http://www.pewinternet.org
• Big Duck: Website, eNews, and Duck Call Blog
http://www.bigducknyc.com
http://www.bigducknyc.com/blog

41. You might want to check this out:
Becoming a Nonprofit Tech/Social Media Superstar
Wednesday, Nov 17th, 6-8pm (free; @PlannedParenthood)
http://501technycnov10.eventbrite.com/
Online Engagement: Leveraging the Internet and
Social Media to Increase Visibility, Raise Money, and
Create Change
Spring semester, Thursdays 6-7:50pm (not so free; @Milano)
http://www.newschool.edu/milano/courses.aspx?id=37551

42. Let’s stay in touch
facebook.com/farratrompeter
trompetf@newschool.edu
bigducknyc.com/blog/?author=6
twitter.com/farra
linkedin.com/in/farra
slideshare.net/farra

43. Thanks!
© Jeremy Crow