Nick Yeo reports in from the MyCharityConnects Conference
By Andy Levy-Ajzenkopf
June 21, 2010
On June 7 and 8, Nick Yeo, project manager with CharityVillage™, attended the MyCharityConnects 2.010 conference in Toronto. Held at the city's MaRS Centre as part of Net Change Week, in collaboration with SiG@MaRS, and hosted by CanadaHelps, it was the second iteration of the conference.
The conference billed itself as two days "packed with great information about all that the online world has to offer charities and nonprofits: social media, community building, mobile giving...and so much more."
Below are Nick's thoughts about what he heard, saw, and absorbed. It should be noted that Nick is a tech expert in his own right and he was impressed with the conference and felt it might now become a must event for sector organizations going forward.
CharityVillage™: How was the conference?
Nick Yeo: It was good. I personally already knew about the topics being talked about re: social media, technology. The people who were attending didn't necessarily have the same knowledge I had. So I think it was really helpful for them to understand what charities can do to integrate technology to their fundraising or media campaigns or what have you.
CV: What did the conference re-affirm for you? Where is Web 2.0 going and being leveraged?
NY: One of the big things re-inforced for me was that social media, web 2.0 and all this stuff are just tools. You still need to have clear messaging and understanding of why you want to use things like Twitter and Facebook. You really need to understand who are on these media and how it relates to your charity's message.
Don't just jump into it because everybody's doing it. Go in with a plan. You can't expect thousands of dollars to drop into your organization just because you put up a Facebook page. It doesn't work that way. This message was hammered home time and again in the conference. And I think delegates really started to understand this. These are just additional elements for your toolkit. Direct mail still works. Newsletters still work. Phone fundraising still can work. Just because it's online, doesn't mean it's a cure-all. Integrate these things with your fundraising strategies.
CV: Were there any standout issues or surprises you didn't expect at the conference?
NY: The closing keynote speaker, Robert Egger, talked about the nonprofit sector specifically in the U.S., but it relates to Canada as well. He pointed out that the nonprofit sector is such a huge component of the economy. We represent such a large number of people and contribute to the GDP and yet we're not treated seriously. Why is that? Part of it is that we're still seen as the Oliver Twist [character], always begging for more. We do good work, but it's not valued. That was a surprise to me the way he analyzed it.
He also did a rough gender comparison/analysis on the sectors. The nonprofit world is seen as more of the feminine world while the for-profit world is still seen in more masculine terms. There's almost a patriarchic relationship between government and societal views with regards to the nonprofit sector. This mentality needs to be broken and overcome. And that if all charities and nonprofits got together and spoke up collectively with one voice saying "we do contribute, there's real value in what we offer." This could drive home a strong political message.
"Another thing, as I reflect on the conference as a whole, was the number of charities and nonprofits in attendance that were still quite new to some of this technology." |
|
Another thing, as I reflect on the conference as a whole, was the number of charities and nonprofits in attendance that were still quite new to some of this technology. There were a lot of people who didn't know what Twitter was, or what an RSS feed was. Some of the technology my generation might take for granted didn't seem to have the same adoption rate within many organizations. That's another interesting finding.
On that note, the demographic at the conference was definitely [skewed] to an older, caucasian crowd. I don't know what that means, but I noticed it.
CV: What's essential for charities to understand about technology right now?
NY: Don't be afraid of technology. If you think about 15 years ago, email was the new technology people were looking into. Look, technology is constantly and rapidly changing. Yes, it might be information overload, but there are ways to manage it. It can be a very powerful communications tool. I wouldn't want any charity or nonprofit to say, "Oh, it's too complicated. I'm gonna stick to what I know best" because frankly, the world is moving ahead and charities need to keep up with that world. You really need to understand where you can utilize technology in your missions.
Nonprofits should take the time to understand what it is that a particular technology can offer. There's nothing wrong, let's say, with setting up a Facebook account and just taking your time and listening. See how it's being used by people eon the network. Look at how other charities are using their sites. Question which ways you can best use the sites available. It's not going to be the same for everyone. That's the great thing about technology. You can really fine-tune it to suit your needs. It's not a one-size-fits-all. It's critical to understand that. There will always be problems and challenges, but it's all about learning how best to use this tech.
CV: How would you advise the sector to speak with one voice through technology?
NY: One of the things Egger was talking about was the fact the sector is so fragmented and competitive. Everyone's competing for the same resources. We have to get over that hump to get people working together.
In terms of what tech is out there to do that...on a macro level, it's the Internet. I know its cliché, but the key thing to understand is that websites aren't just your brochure. Web 1.0 doesn't work that way anymore. Right now, it's all about engagement. That's the buzz word right now. How are you engaging your stakeholders? Your donors? This idea of having a conversation with these individuals you work with, really has to be understood by the E.D.'s and boards of directors and anyone else working in your organization. Technology enables us to have great, interactive conversations; whether it be live webinars, video chat or what have you. At the end of the day, if you have nothing to talk about with your stakeholders, you need to rethink your strategy.
Conferences like MyCharity Connects are great for people to get a basic understanding of what [tech] is out there and what you can do with it. But it truly takes time and understanding to know how to leverage it to your specific benefit. What works for the Hospital for Sick Children [SickKids], might not work for Greenpeace or for World Wildlife Fund. Technology can be used in different ways.
CV: What was the overall theme of this year's conference?
NY: The use of technology and how to adopt it. But one of the main themes that came up was collaboration. How organizations can work with each other. Joining forces, sharing resources, learning from your stakeholders… all this is enabled by the Internet and new technology.
CV: What were the top learnings from the sessions you attended?
NY: One of the key learnings — and it's something a lot of charities and nonprofits fail to learn the first time around - is that it's OK to make mistakes with the technology. Learn from them so you can be better at what you do. In the tech world, companies release beta software to figure out what works and what doesn't. Fix and continue. But in the charitable sector, you have to give up some of your control to learn what's not working.
CV: What was the most popular topic with attendees?
NY: We had a keynote speaker every day and there were about 200 attendees from across the country. So while I didn't get to every session, the popular topics seemed to centre around social media policy; what guidelines should be implemented in my workplace, what can and can't be said online. Another was about improving your website and here the lesson was that taking small steps are often the best way to attract and improve your website i.e., going from a donation page to program page might be the best way to upgrade one's website.
CV: What do people think the future looks like for charities and social media?
NY: Broadly speaking, everyone who attended the conference understood the future for charities will include social media in some form. If they didn't believe that, they wouldn't have been at the conference, I believe.
From the crowd, they all knew this was important. Their children and friends are using it, corporate world uses it for marketing...but sector representatives at the conference wanted to know how to use it as well. Everyone understands that if I'm going to be using Facebook and Twitter, I might not know how I'm going to be using it right now, but I need to find out. It has to have a place in my toolkit as a charity.
Liked this article?
Check out the following links: |
|
|
|
Keep in mind, there were only 200 charities at the conference, there are still a lot more out there that need to get up to speed on what can be done with social media.
CV: Were there any charities singled out for being high-performers in the social media space?
NY: Yes. Campaigns by WWF were mentioned. Net Hope, a charity that connects nonprofits and charities working in developing countries that lack or need technological expertise and need funding for that. Its slogan is "Wiring the Global Village."
I also attended a panel on mobile tech applications and mobile giving. For instance, the YWCA recently launched an iPhone app that aims to educate young women about their sexual health. A related subject was how mobile giving is starting to really pick up.
Andy Levy-Ajzenkopf is president of WordLaunch professional writing services in Toronto. He can be reached at andy@wordlaunch.com.
Next week: Business: The better way?
Click here to learn more about
upcoming cover stories.
