10 Things Every Non-Profit Can Learn From The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge
This is TakeTwo’s first BuzzFeed list! You can see this list in all its visual glory on BuzzFeed here.
The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. Regardless of the different opinions out there about it, IT WORKED. The organization raised $94.3 million since July, an unprecedented number of people visited their website, and now just about everyone knows the acronym ALS, and many people also know what it stands for. The trend is shifting- from ice water pouring to clever videos on donating without wasting water to donating for other causes – one thing is clear, ALS continues to get more visibility and raise money.
What can the rest of us learn from this? What can non-sexy issue, and no-big-names-to-endorse-it non-profits learn about MARKETING & FUNDRASING from all this? Answering questions like these is what we do best. So we’re glad you asked.
- Social media CAN work for fund- and awareness- raising campaigns. But don’t expect it to do EVERYTHING for you. More than half of these donors may never donate again. They may unsubscribe from your newsletter in a few weeks. But that’s okay. Don’t expect for it to meet all your fundraising needs. It is not your very own butler.
- Before you begin handing out ice bucket…remember, you need a strong audience, a large or really engaged donor base, and a social media team – soaking wet or not – to pull off campaigns.
- Board members. Staff. Family. Friends. Pets. Check. Enlist the support of your entire team. The insiders know how to help your campaign gain more traction. It is the same reason you hire someone who comes recommended by a friend. The additional benefit is that the workload is shared and all the enthusiasm it will generate will be great for team building.
- The best activities are things you’d like to do. Just not all the time. The trend in non-profit marketing is shifting from telling stories, to ensuring people have “experiences” Create your own unique “experience”, then make sure it is all of the following things: Quick. Fun. Easy. Inexpensive. Uncommon.
- Don’t kill the fun with guilt. Some things are as simple as that. People may give or support your cause from feeling like they have to do it. But no one ever enjoys that feeling, and so those who give from guilt, are not likely to give more or continue to support you. If you want fundraising to be fun, remove the guilt to do it.
- Re-write KISS. Change it to “Keep It So Simple That People Only Have To Do One Thing”. You know, KISSTPOHTDOT.
- Don’t have Great Expectations. Most people who give via social media aren’t going to be donors for life. Accept it.
- Rome wasn’t built in a day. How the ice bucket challenge has grown and spread is almost intimidating. Like anything huge and impactful, you need time. But in our quick-and-now environment, you have to find a balance. Create a sense of urgency around the campaign, pushing people to get it done, but know that it is a process and raising money takes thought and work.
- Relax. The best campaigns on social media aren’t trying too hard. Do everything you can and let the rest happen. Build your team, strategize and execute. Then get your hands out of it. Social media works because of the masses. So you have to “tend the cattle”. The herd will move at its pace. You lead by guiding and filling in gaps.
- You will make mistakes. Then, you will learn. If your first campaign doesn’t wield the outcomes and funds you are hoping for, don’t fret. The learning you will gain from doing it is priceless for your marketing and fundraising strategy.
