Article by Josh Hirsch and Dave Tinker, CFRE from Summer 2104 Issue of NTEN's Change magazine.

1. 6 NTEN CHANGE | JUNE 2014
We live in a hyper-paced world.
Our attention spans have
become non-existent. There is
an overwhelming need to be
connected through our smartphones,
tablets, and computers. It is more
important than ever for a nonprofit
organization’s communication
strategy to be clear and concise with
their donors and stakeholders, and to
start integrating channels such as
social media into their comprehensive
communications strategy.
A recent Pew Report found that
today’s Internet consumers live in a
world of “instant gratification” and
“quick fixes.” This means that
nonprofit organizations do not have
time to waste in delivering their
message. Whether the intention is to
educate donors and stakeholders
about the latest conditions in
pediatric cancer research, to inform
them of the ongoing genocide in
Darfur, or to issue a call to action
to donate in order to unleash the
full potential of gifted students;
a nonprofit organization’s
communication has to be timely and
to the point. Know the story you are
trying to tell, and how it impacts your
donors and stakeholders. This is
critical to your communications
strategy. This is the 140-character
world that is our reality. It is our
constant.
Forget the old thought of having a
two-minute rehearsed elevator
speech with the hopes of sharing this
with a potential donor. How do you
measure performance and
communicate your successes in
accomplishing goals? How do you
inspire the community to engage in
REINVENTING THE
ASK: FUNDRAISING IN
THE DIGITAL AGE
BY JOSH HIRSCH, THE WEISS SCHOOL AND DAVE TINKER, CFRE, ACHIEVA

2. NTEN CHANGE | JUNE 2014 7
supporting your nonprofit
organization’s mission through
donations, volunteerism, and
collaboration on projects? Donors
and stakeholders want to know the
differences you are making and what
positive change you are able to
accomplish over time. With well-
written copy and appealing visuals,
you can capture the attention of your
donors and stakeholders, even if it is
for a moment in time. Sometimes this
brief interaction is all that it takes for
a donor to act upon your desired
intent.
An integral part of any nonprofit
organization’s communication
strategy has to be diversification in
online presence. Over the past five
years, there has been exponential
growth in the ever-evolving existence
of social media and how it can benefit
fundraising in the nonprofit sector.
This cannot be ignored.
If a nonprofit organization has yet
to establish a foothold in the social
media world already, they need to do
so immediately. If your organization is
not on social media, no one is
speaking in that space on your behalf.
You may not have a social media
presence, but people may be talking
about you on social media behind
your virtual back, or even
misrepresenting your organization.
You need to make sure there is
someone official speaking online on
behalf of your organization to ensure
your overall brand integrity.
Today’s donor, with an already
diminished attention span, needs to
be able to reach out and touch your
nonprofit organization whenever is
convenient for them and they so
desire. Your online presence is your
brand. It is your voice. It is a 24-hour
billboard showcasing who you are and
what you do. Your online presence
goes beyond just having an
aesthetically pleasing and functioning
website, but having an existence on
multiple social media platforms. For
any nonprofit organization that is
trying to capture the attention of
donors, investing time and resources
into having your nonprofit
organization represented on social
media is imperative. One such
example is a Facebook page. This is
where your nonprofit organization’s
brand is alive and interactive.
Whenever I meet with a potential
donor or new family to The Weiss
School, I always refer them to not
only visit our website but our
Facebook Page, as well. It allows them
to get a sense of the school’s
heartbeat and personality.
Setting up an account on Facebook
or Twitter only requires an email
address and a few minutes of your
time. Make sure you have your logo
and a compelling image ready to
upload. Facebook and Twitter even
have easy to follow instructions and
pointers for new users. Once you
have your accounts set up, make sure
to find your constituents on the
platforms, friend or follow them, and
engage with them. Announce that
you have set up your profiles so
others can start following and
interacting with you. And most
importantly, make sure that you have
a strategy in place for posting on
these channels. The last thing you
want is to set up channels without a
content plan to make sure that they
are up to date.
With a multitude of tools readily
available at a moments notice, an
educated and well-informed donor
expects constant access to
information about your nonprofit
organization. They need this in order
to make informed decisions about
what nonprofit organization(s) to
support. In order to accomplish this,
make sure your nonprofit
organization’s communications
strategy is defined and well thought
out; so you are able to stand on your
soap box, scream from the highest
mountains, and share with the world
the great impact and inspiration you
have on your community everyday.
JOSH HIRSCH, MS (@JoshHirsch1)
is Director of Development at
The Weiss School in Palm Beach
Gardens, FL. He serves as Marketing
and Communications Chair for
the Association of Fundraising
Professionals Palm Beach County Chapter and is
a proud member of the #AFPeeps.
DAVE TINKER, CFRE
(@davethecfre) is Vice President of
Advancement at ACHIEVA in
Pittsburgh, PA and adjunct professor
of informatics in the Master of
Information Strategy, Systems and
Technology program at Muskingum University. He
has written extensively and spoken internationally on
social media, fundraising, and nonprofit
management.
“KNOW THE STORY YOU
ARE TRYING TO TELL,
AND HOW IT IMPACTS
YOUR DONORS AND
STAKEHOLDERS.
THIS IS CRITICAL TO
YOUR COMMUNICATIONS
STRATEGY.”
“TODAY’S DONOR,
WITH AN ALREADY
DIMINISHED
ATTENTION SPAN,
NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO
REACH OUT AND TOUCH
YOUR NONPROFIT
ORGANIZATION
WHENEVER IS
CONVENIENT.”