This presentation done for Interactive Media Strategies module, uses DEC Haiti earthquake appeal as a case study. The aim is to identify an interactive media trend/theme, present our findings in a 10 minute commentary ending with a discussion. Additional comments are to be added into a final report. Presentation research pilfered profusely from DEC's website, social media channels, Third Sector, Mashable, Wikipedia and other online sources.

1. Are social media channels effective
fundraising tools for emergency appeals?
- A DEC Haiti earthquake appeal case study
IMS State of the Industry presentation
10.02.2010
Rebekah Hah

2. Trends in interactive media
• Increasing number of people are
using social media
• Those who use social media are
also using more of it

3. What is social media?
Media designed to be disseminated
through social interaction
• Interactions: from broadcast media
monologues (one to many) into social
media dialogues (many to many)
• People: from content consumers into
content producers

4. Why charities use social media to raise funds
• Cost-effective

5. Why charities use social media to raise funds
• Cost-effective
• Addition to other offline and
online fundraising methods

6. Why charities use social media to raise funds
• Cost-effective
• Addition to other offline and
online fundraising methods
• Broaden existing usage as a
marketing communications tool

7. Why charities use social media to raise funds
• Cost-effective
• Addition to other offline and
online fundraising methods
• Broaden existing usage as a
marketing communications tool
• Reach supporters who see new
media as a way of life

8. Why charities use social media to raise funds
• Cost-effective
• Addition to other offline and
online fundraising methods
• Broaden existing usage as a
marketing communications tool
• Reach supporters who see new
media as a way of life
• Already used as a platform to
promote good causes

9. Why charities use social media to raise funds
• Cost-effective
• Addition to other offline and
online fundraising methods
• Broaden existing usage as a
marketing communications tool
• Reach supporters who see new
media as a way of life
• Already used as a platform to
promote good causes
• Measurable and trackable results

10. Weaknesses of ‘social media fundraising’
• A tool more for raising
awareness and engagement in
vision rather than fundraising

11. Weaknesses of ‘social media fundraising’
• A tool more for raising awareness
and engagement in vision rather
than fundraising
• ‘Slacktivism’
Describes "feel-good" measures, in
support of an issue or social cause,
that have little or no practical
effect other than to make the
person doing it feel satisfaction

12. Weaknesses of ‘social media fundraising’
• A tool more for raising awareness
and engagement in vision rather
than fundraising
• ‘Slacktivism’
• Drop in the ocean compared to
other fundraising methods

13. Weaknesses of ‘social media fundraising’
• A tool more for raising awareness
and engagement in vision rather
than fundraising
• ‘Slacktivism’
• Drop in the ocean compared to
other fundraising methods
• Not sustainable

14. Weaknesses of ‘social media fundraising’
• A tool more for raising awareness
and engagement in vision rather
than fundraising
• ‘Slacktivism’
• Drop in the ocean compared to
other fundraising methods
• Not sustainable
• Direct donation platforms still in
its infancy

15. Case study: DEC Haiti earthquake appeal
(DEC) is made up of 13
member agencies who
provide humanitarian
aid in times of disaster.
For their Haiti earthquake appeal, the DEC has adopted
newer fundraising techniques using social media.

16. DEC appeal launch

17. Within few days of the launch
• Flickr account attracted • YouTube video of the DEC
34,000 views of images broadcast appeal attracted
from the DEC’s member nearly 3,000 views
agencies

18. Two weeks after appeal launch
• Website traffic reached
over 250,000 per day, hits
jump by 25,000%
• Facebook fans increase
from 800 to over 15,000
• Twitter followers increase
from 400 to 2,500,
influence ranked in the top
0.10% of users

19. DEC Twitter/Text campaign
• Mobile text donation
method publicised
on Twitter
• Text campaign goes
viral – retweets
from public figures,
celebrities and
other supporters

20. DEC Twitter/Text campaign
• Keep followers
updated with
members’ work –
remind people why
they should support
the appeal
• Answers questions
about the aid
process – reduces
negative
perceptions
preventing people
from donating

21. DEC Twitter/Text campaign
• DEC appeal inspires supporters
to be creative with Twitter
fundraising initiatives
• Direct traffic to TV and other social media
channels to reinforce the appeal message

22. Facebook
• Important source of information – donation methods, press
releases, links to video updates
• Provides supporters a platform for their own fundraising initiatives

23. Results from Twitter/Text campaign
• After the announcement on
Twitter, the appeal raised
its first £8m. This was before
the televised appeal or
availability of text donation
• People texting ‘GIVE’ to
70077 has so far raised over
£161,000 despite being
promoted almost exclusively
on Twitter – no mention of
mobile donation method in
televised appeal

24. Lessons from DEC Haiti earthquake appeal
• Mobile donation integrated with social media promotion
gets round social media’s direct donation issues
• When online communities are empowered to make a real
difference, it is no longer a case of slacktivism
• Haiti appeal shows that social media can be a feasible
fundraising channel
• Funds raised through social media still a drop in the ocean,
but Haiti appeal indicates trend or at least potential for
impact to be much bigger in future emergency appeals
• Sustainable? Only time will tell

25. Other musings
• Immediacy of social media similar to the nature of
emergency appeals, making these channels
appropriate for emergency fundraising
• Social media channels are platforms for viral
communication, but not every tweet or status update is
passed along or acted on - message has to resonate
with people first
• While measurable, it is still difficult to predict results of
call-to-action requests on social media
• Results can surprise and amaze you

26. A few questions to ponder over
• Would the same lessons from DEC Haiti earthquake
appeal apply to non-emergency appeals?
• What other strengths and weaknesses are there in
using social media channels to raise funds for good
causes?
• Which benchmarks are best to gauge whether or not
social media channels make good fundraising tools?