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The Case for Going Low-Tech in Communications and Fundraising

Sheela Nimishakavi
September 8, 2017
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Public domain pictures.

September 6, 2017; Model D Media

Fundraising season is starting, and we’re publishing this so it might inform you as you do that planning. But, the need for the personal approach is worth a reminder at any time, across the board.

In this article from Model D Media, several Detroit-area nonprofit organizations have found low-tech engagement methods often work better than digital outreach alone for engagement of whole communities. We hope that no one is surprised, but with the ever-more-encompassing emphasis on social media and digital engagement, this seems to stand in stark contrast to the communications practices of enough  nonprofits for it to require self-assessments all around. Let’s face it, nonprofits with tight budgets are all too eager to jump on these cost-effective, digitally based methods, but nonprofits may be losing something in that shift.

Although most people have access to the Internet and smartphones, not everyone does. Those who do have access may not use it frequently enough for digital communications to make an impact. By focusing only on digital engagement, nonprofits can lose important stakeholders. The relevance of this idea to all nonprofits becomes clear when we look at Internet usage among the spectrum of ages. Only 64 percent of people aged 65 and older use the Internet at all. This is the key demographic group that nonprofits typically reach out to for planned giving. If an organization only uses digital communication to reach this group, they are completely missing 36 percent of their target population and ineffectively communicating with the remainder.

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Uswa Iqbal, program director for Be a Good Neighbor, recognized this when planning their latest community engagement campaign. She said, “We found that different methods reach different audiences. For us, since we wanted both youth and the older generation to participate, we had to try our best to cover both the digital and ‘real’ world.”

Going low-tech is not only for reaching out to baby boomers and beyond, however. For millennials and Gen X’ers, who communicate using all things digital, a mailed invitation or survey could actually stand out in the onslaught of emails. In fact, some reports indicate that millennials enjoy receiving mail and may actually respond better to direct mail campaigns. This makes sense, as stakeholders, whether they are donors, volunteers, or constituents, respond best when communication is personalized. Digital means of communication often lack in this aspect, especially when there is otherwise little direct engagement.

Alice Bagley, coordinator of Unity in Our Community TimeBank, offers the following advice: Digital communication can be used once you have already created a connection with someone through other means. This can be a rule of thumb, with the caveat that individuals have indicated that digital communication is their preferred method of contact. At the end of the day, the golden rule of stakeholder engagement still applies—digital communication is good, phone is better, but in-person is the best.—Sheela Nimishakavi

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sheela Nimishakavi

Sheela Nimishakavi is a nonprofit finance and operations professional with a passion for creating socially just and inclusive communities. She has held senior management positions at several community based organizations addressing access to healthcare and services for persons with disabilities, currently serving as the Director of Operations of the Brain Injury Association of Virginia. After working in the nonprofit field for over a decade and seeing many organizations struggle with the administrative requirements of running a nonprofit, Sheela founded ThirdSuite, a consulting firm that offers nonprofit administrative services and trainings to help organizations increase their capacity and further their mission. Sheela received an MA/MPH in Health Policy and Management from Boston University School of Public Health, and a BS in Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior from the University of California, Davis. She currently serves on the boards of the Central Virginia Grant Professionals Association and Empowering People for Inclusive Communities.

More about: donor engagementFundraisingFundraising PracticesNonprofit NewsSocial Media

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