Author: Atlantic BT

Ideas have been rolling in for our “Gives Back” 25K Mobile Grant Contest.
We are in the final stretch of accepting entries with only 7 days left to go!

We want to recognize and thank Forgotten Voices , Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky and Step-Up Ministry for submitting their ideas to our contest, understanding the importance of looking critically at mobile and how it can best support their missions.

Mobile technology is still a new dimension for most businesses and nonprofits alike.  I remember beginning my work in the nonprofit sector back in 2002.  Online giving was unheard of! Heck, people were barely buying things online, much less donating.  Now it’s like second nature to do either.

My employer, The ALS Association, raised well over 50% of  annual revenue through signature walk-a-thon’s.  Peer-to-peer fundraising had barely been born.  But leadership realized a new technology platform that accelerated online giving  HAD to be learned, then implemented effectively in order to remain sustainable.  I truly believe being an early adopter made all the difference in reaching our budgeted goals, providing needed support to those in our community living with Lou Gehrig’s Disease, an emotionally depleting and expensive terminal disease.

Everyone needs to understand something simple, yet severely overlooked:

Mobile technology adoption is growing SIGNIFICANTLY faster than the Internet.

According to Pew Research, 14% of Americans used the Internet in 1995.  

Today that number is 80%, a 66% growth in 17 years.  

In 2007, Smartphone penetration was roughly 3%.  
Today,  it hovers around 50%. A +40% growth in less than 5 years.  

This contest has delivered several thoughtful, tangible ways mobile can help improve communities and society at large, including:

• Decreasing # of cancer patients through early detection education
• Increasing number of people getting out of poverty through job readiness training
• Increasing number of orphaned children adopted throughout the world through story-telling
• Decreasing the incidence of childhood abuse through mobilizing advocacy campaigns.

In  yesterday’s post, I discussed how most nonprofits don’t even know how mobile marketing and technology can best support their cause.   However, nonprofit professionals and board members – time is not on your side.

Being overwhelmed is completely understandable and expected.  This is why Atlantic BT is providing mobile strategy sessions to 12 semi-finalists, selected from our esteemed panel of judges once our May 18th submission deadline arrives.

Our mobile strategy session will establish a solid direction by addressing such questions as:

• What are your biggest organizational challenges?  (funding is always first in mind – but not always right approach)
• Who is your target audience?  You likely have more than one.  What are these people really like and how do they want to be communicated with?
• Who is your competition and what are they doing?

One size doesn’t fit all.  Many nonprofits thought they could capitalize on Text2Give because others had.   This wasn’t the case.  But that doesn’t mean that mobile websites, mobile cause marketing and mobile fundraising applications can’t.

I STRONGLY believe if nonprofits do not start adding mobile technology to their infrastructure in some capacity soon they run serious risk of hurting their cause, the very people they exist to support.  

Learn from others and join the conversation by submitting an entry – only 1 week left to go!

Many of you are not sure how exactly to tackle mobile to best help your cause.  Understandable.  Seems like up until 2012, all we heard about was Text2Give.  Today there is mobile web, mobile apps,mobile web apps, SMS, mobile marketing – before anything it’s best to have a mobile strategy because what mobile solution is best for one nonprofit likely isn’t for another.

Keep reading…

I’ve been researching on and educating nonprofits since 2009 on how mobile technology can positively impact their missions.  When I launched iHeartCharity  and released the mobile app, Tap-N-Give (since purchased) – smartphones were considered a luxury item.

Today:

•  nearly 50% of all US adults own a Smartphone
• over 70% of those under 44 own one –
• 20% Americans bought something with their phone in 2011

All these figures continue to grow as mobile technology becomes cheaper & faster.  Mobile is here now.  Here for good.   Yet, as a recent paper published by Zero Divide points out, funding of  mobile strategy or mobile technology in our US nonprofit sector is severely lacking.   Why?

Most holding purse-strings still think mobile is synonymous with fundraising when it comes to nonprofits.

1. An enormous misconception?   “Mobile = Text2Give”  

Yes, Text2Give and SMS can be effective fundraising or engagement tools – for certain audiences – under certain circumstances.  But it’s NOT the holy grail – it’s NOT for about 97% of US nonprofits.  Period.

2. Truth: Mobile technology starts with engagement, ends with giving.  

Yet, I bet if you asked most nonprofit board members or Executive Directors (those who allocate and vote on budget), they’d say mobile would be best used for fundraising.   YES, fundraising via mobile is growing.  Best uses are when an online platform is extended to mobile.

3. Mobile is for Change-Makers.  

Mobile technology and marketing is more than just donations.  Under-served communities, minorities and youth are all buying smartphones or other web-enabled mobile devices faster than the average American. One bill = one device that does everything.   Such adoption and usage means mobile is where program delivery must shift to – NOT desktop.

4. Mobile-specific program funding needs to open up now. 

We need to educate our foundations, corporate partners and granting agencies to this need, otherwise resources are being mis-spent. Funders need to understand technology, particularly mobile technology is NOT all operational spend, it’s program spend too.

Until this starts to happen, Atlantic BT is offering 12 nonprofits FREE mobile strategy sessions.  Our 25K “Gives Back” Mobile Grant Contest has received several submissions from across the Country.

There’s still 8 days left to hear from you.  Be a change-maker.  After all – isn’t that why you do what you do?

For your chance at a free strategy session and a shot at the 25K – enter now in a snap!

Mobile technology offers more than communication, it can save lives, literally.  At least that’s what UNICEF plans to do if they win our “Gives Back” 25K mobile grant.

Our 2nd Spotlight entry is the United Nations Children’s Fund, widely known as UNICEF, this global nonprofit helps youth around the world in the areas of health, education and basic needs.     Joseph Agoada, a member of the  technology & communications department at UNICEF, shared a wonderful initiative that, with our 25K mobile grant, could make the neighborhoods of Rio De Janeiro, Brazil safer, saving more lives.

Bureaucratic paralysis on the part of government to risks and hazards in the community has left much distrust and frustration throughout communities. One such area of concern is constant standing water in outlying areas of city slums.  Such water can be a breeding ground for mosquitoes that carry deadly Dengue fever.

UNICEF has created a program bringing Rio’s youth together with community, government and nonprofit leaders.  Training youth as community reporters, youth are equipped with mobile devices to report and tag stories and news via mobile GPS technology.   Reporting on unsafe environments, whether related to crime or mother nature, these youth have reported over 500 stories since the program began in 2011.

Just how quickly these stories are reported provides the greatest impact for saving lives.  Which is where Atlantic BT’s Mobile Grant comes in.    Check out our contest site for the full story on how UNICEF could save more lives with our mobile talent.

Today, mobile is about more than Angry Birds Apps and tagging your favorite song.  No, today mobile is about empowerment, education, employment and much more.

How will you better or even SAVE more lives using mobile?   You have 10 days left to tell us.
Remember – all 12 semi-finalists win a FREE mobile strategy session.  

Why mobile marketing is so important for nonprofits.
At the end of the year we write tax deductible checks to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Shelter Care, Link To Children, or the Jewish Federation of New Jersey. Our desire to help is important and, if you read Robert Wright (NonZero) or Michael Shermer (Mind of the Market), invested in our genes. Another way we help our favorite causes is to volunteer, serve on boards and make important recommendations.

Important Recommendation: Nonprofits Should Go Mobile Now

Before making a factual case for why adding mobile marketing should top every nonprofit’s 2012 To Do List, we need to tell a story. Nonprofits know emotions are the triggers that win our checkbooks. A nonprofits ability to share its story (or stories) impacts the size of their following, advocacy and donations. The need to share emotions via stories is why some of the best storytellers on earth are nonprofits.

The American Red Cross, Boys and Girls Clubs and the World Wildlife told great stories in direct mail letters, publications and on television. Then the web broke lyrical stories into keywords, search engines and social networks. Nonprofits have a hard time transferring a story’s magic to the new gatekeepers of keywords and search engines (Google). The American Red Cross, a great and well run nonprofit with a 4 star Charity Navigator rating, has 53,000 pages in Google. 53,000 pages in Google is excellent for a nonprofit but pales next to Amazon’s 600 million pages. The difference in search engine marketing sophistication is why RedCross.org comes up #5 on the search term “Red Cross Book” with Amazon in the #2 position.

Mobile Is A New Game, A Game Built For Nonprofit’s Storytelling Strengths

The great thing about Internet marketing is it always happens NOW and change is the only sure thing. There are already more intelligent mobile devices than desktop computers and within two years there will be MANY more mobile connections. Even more important than numbers is the answer to a single question.

What is on your phone? (take our what is on your cell phone poll)

If you are like most the answer to the question of what is on your phone includes friends, contacts, and baby pictures. Even a large group of bachelors and bachelorettes have baby and family pictures from sisters, brothers and friends. A little bit more each day your phone tells the story of YOU and what you love (and who loves you). Doesn’t get much more emotional than that.

If you are a nonprofit where should you concentrate your marketing efforts?
a. Ubiquitous social networks
b. Mobile
c. a plus b

Adding mobile marketing’s intimacy, your message is the same place as baby pictures, makes other nonprofit marketing better while readying nonprofits for the coming “phone as wallet” era. Here are a few numbers that define mobile as the most important nonprofit marketing need:

• Mobile payments “ubiquitous” by 2020 – Pew Research
• Consumer Loyalty 54% more likely during holiday 2011 for brands with effective mobile sites – Simply Zesty
• 27% all emails opened on mobile (April 2012) expected to surpass desktop by end of ’12 –Internet Marketing Grind
• People use mobile to research, review and share what gets into their desktops and laptops – Bit.ly research

Ever stood over your trashcan emptying junk mail as fast as you could shuffle? Mobile devices are becoming our gatekeepers. If your messages don’t make it past a cursory phone review they don’t make it any further. Nonprofits need to include mobile in their marketing NOW!

Enter Atlantic BT’s Gives Back Mobile Grant Contest
Raleigh, North Carolina web developers and Internet marketers Atlantic BT created a $25,000 contest to help a nonprofit develop a winning mobile strategy, mobile marketing campaigns or creative use of mobile technology. If you manage a 501(c)3 nonprofit be sure to apply for Atlantic BT’s Mobile Grant (the deadlines is in a few days). If you are loyal to and love a nonprofit, make sure they know how important mobile marketing is and tell them to apply for our Gives Back Mobile Grant.

Learn More About Atlantic BT’s Mobile Grant Contest  

Had a great call today with a development professional from a large health-related nonprofit.  Her voice panicked, she was wondering how I could help arm her with next generation engagement tactics and information to build up their list of new donors.    Her fear?

Her large, established (dare I say archaic?)  organization could eventually go by way of dinosaurs – extinct.   Size, complexity, bureaucracy, steeped in traditition.  None of these words sounds even remotely like innovative.

This fundraiser is far from alone.  Most larger, even some small and mid-sized institutions, do not embrace change well and they certainly aren’t fearless.

In fact, they are fear-FUL.  Of making the wrong choices.  Of choosing the wrong technology.  Of focusing budget on the wrong things.  Of looking incompetent to their bosses. (Even though the status-quo is not cutting it!)

Ten years ago, this was not a concern.  Ten years ago there was less competition.  Fewer channels to market through.  Frankly, fewer differing generations to communicate and engage with since people weren’t living as long.  You had brand recognition, people blindly gave without question because there was no transparency in the system. Now everything is about transparency and group-think.  Ask Bank of America, Netflix and Susan G Komen.

Those newer nonprofits sprouting up who opened their doors recently with little more than inspiration?  Um, they did so out of frustration.   Frustration over slow-moving bureaucracy and inability, or refusal, to innovate.

They ARE the younger generations and thus know which messaging, channels and technology will connect with their (ehem – YOUR future donors).

They (new nonprofits and generations) are also the ones most quickly adopting mobile technology. 

Survival of the fittest is the name of the game.

So how to get F.I.T. on mobile. 

Focus.  Innovate.  Test.

1.  Focus 

As a large (or even not so large) organization, you likely have a lot of different programs, so many in fact,  it  may be impossible to know where to begin to innovate in mobile.

Pick one audience or program and drill down.  

I”m not talking their demographic, WHO are they?

• “Bobby” who works a full and part time job but a client of your food pantry because he can’t afford rent, transportation or enough food for he and his two kids.
• “Angela” who is bullied in school for being new, overweight and latina (who can’t speak English well) but doesn’t feel she has anywhere to turn with her parents being immigrants.

Their persona.  What do they need?   What types of technology are they using? What is the program that’s being delivered.  Is it mission focused (ie. delivery of services) or operationally focused (ie. managing your volunteers or fundraising events)?

2.  Innovate

Next, look at mobile technology options as a whole, including: mobile web, SMS text, mobile marketing, QR Codes, smartphone applications – how is your audience using each of these mobile technologies?     How will this program be delivered and organized differently through the mobile channel?  How about offline marketing and delivery?   Examples of how to build out a scale-able mobile strategy, while newer and therefore scarce, do exist.

3.  Test

Test and fail fast!   Set up metrics, landing pages and potentially other slightly intricate integration to facilitate accurate results that will give you the data you need to make adjustments.  Everything is much more precise now – people’s behaviors can be monitored, tweaks can be made to get desired results.

Campaign Mobilization Example 

In early 2012 MADD launched their Power of Parents Campaign.  Atlantic BT built out a simple mobilized site that corresponded with billboard and bus wrap adds in select markets.   Our client’s primary objective was to get more parents educated about how to talk to their kids about binge drinking.  Their secondary objective was to grow their list of potential supporters by capturing emails and starting to build a relationship online.

Parents could review certain items of value created by the organization, but in order to receive their free handbook, site visitors had to provide their email address, which a pdf version was then sent to.  While only a one month test campaign in few markets, the mobile site was visited over 16,000 times and collected hundreds of new emails.  While not a permanent program, this campaign with mobile integration are precisely the types focused campaigns innovation and testing I’m referring to.

Yes, funding is scarce.  But you aren’t doing your mission any good by not innovating.  In fact you may very well be wasting funds on things that don’t work and eventually that fact will be clear as day.  ~Tonia

Are you ready to get F.I.T?  Get a kick-start by joining our $25,000 Atlantic BT “Give’s Back”Grant Contest.  All semi-finalists will receive a FREE mobile strategy session with our mobile team.  Join our mobile conversation at our Facebook Contest Page too!