Calendar

Kickstarter may be the biggest dog in the crowdfunding world, but nonprofits have raised small amounts of money from large groups of people since the first collection plate was passed. What’s new is five specific elements that make a fundraising effort a crowdfunded campaign, and often brings more success to the nonprofit which engages all five principals in the right Internet tool.

Join Steve Boland, Managing Partner of Next in Nonprofits, for a primer on what makes a successful campaign, and how your nonprofit can take the next steps to bring this new option to bear for your mission.

“Big Data” is all over the news. Learn how to put it to work for your organization! From audience development to marketing to highlighting outcomes, Big Data can help your arts nonprofit make decisions that will increase your impact. Your organization can access for free (or nearly free) several larger, outside data sets that can be used to connect with untapped audiences, make strategic decisions based on comparative data, and/or extrapolate your results to a larger community. In this session, you will learn how to access and use data from:

• The Cultural Data Project, which tracks the trends and performance of arts and cultural organizations,
• The American Community Survey, which has updated and ongoing U.S. Census information,
• GuideStar, which has information based on IRS 990 forms that can be sorted by codes, and
• ESRI.com, which collects consumer information such as buying power, and where people spend their leisure time and money.

By the end of the session you will understand how these sources can help improve programs, explore trends, inform your evaluation, and bolster your own theories of change.

Part of a regular series, this Lunch’n’learn will discuss the key elements of crowdfunding – getting capital contributions from lots of small donors to achieve a specific project. The presentation will review the common tools (Razoo/GiveMN, Kickstarter, Indiegogo) and the elements of successful campaigns that leverage the unique assets of social networks to accomplish an end.

This presentation is part of the 2014 Nonprofit Technology and Communication Conference. Tickets are available for the entire day, and include keynote and other sessions. Sure, content marketing is a great idea. Fresh, relevant ideas on your blog, your social media presence and even in partner sites and communications can improve engagement and show your organization’s leadership in meeting your mission is a great idea. Charities that lead are the ones that get resources and can show impact.   Now for the refrain: “We don’t have staff (or time) for that”. Tips and tricks for the lean and mean nonprofit to use the same content strategies as large organizations, but scaled for groups with small (or no) staff. It starts with a calendar, includes planned spontaneity, and leverages the work of others. After all, great artists steal. Great content marketers always repost with permission. Session Track(s): Marketing and Communications; Social Media

Wait – Give to the Max Day isn’t until November 13. Why talk about it so early?

A successful giving day needs much more than just a few emails and social media posts in the weeks leading up to the event. A strong strategy with the right lead-time can produce higher results both in terms of dollars raised and in how you engage your volunteers. Join us for an hour to learn how your plan can come together, and understand the components of success on a day when just about everyone else is looking for support.

This second part in our series on social fundraising helps your organization think about training your staff, board, volunteers and other supporters to be the face and voice of your giving day event. Supporting your teams with easy-to-use tools early will boost all your results. The webinar includes case-study examples from 2013, and access to a new white paper on what leverages giving day events for the most mission impact.

Crowdfunding is a tool to seek and secure financial contributions from many donors in order to achieve specific project goals in a short period of time.  This exciting presentation will review the common crowdfunding tools such as Razoo/GiveMN, Kickstarter, Indiegogo, and discuss the essential elements of successful crowdfunding campaign.

This vaulable course will be presented at the Initiative Foundation’s office on Thursday, April 24, 2014 from 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. for $20 per individual.

Participants will learn what makes a crowfunding campaign different from tother fundraising and capital campaign techniques, and learn to lean on allies as the key messengers.

Crowdfunding is getting capital contributions from lots of small donors to achieve a specific project, using social tools and a deadline to increase urgency and leverage social support. This session will review the common tools (Razoo/GiveMN, Kickstarter, Indiegogo) and the elements of successful campaigns that leverage the unique assets of social networks to accomplish an end. Participants will see examples of what makes a crowdfunding campaign different from raising any other type of capital, and learn to lean on allies as the key messengers for bringing in significant money through many small donations.

The session will cover five specific elements that make a fundraising effort a crowdfunded campaign. These elements often bring more success to nonprofits which engage all five principles via the right internet tool. Participants will leave with:

• an understanding of platform costs and benefits
• strategy priorities for engaging your supporters as advocates
• ideas for rewards to encourage both donations and sharing, and
• tools to measure which parts of your campaign are lighting up with energy (and of course, which may be going dark).

Join this session for a primer on how your nonprofit can take the next steps to bring this new option to bear for your mission.

This session will follow Facilitating Innovation in Your Organization from 9 a.m. – noon. Sign up for both sessions for a full Day of Innovation!