What can we achieve together? Audience strategy conference, 26 May 2016

Engaging audiences in the new world

Tobin Aldrich CEO, Misfit Foundation & strategy consultant

Imogen WardCEO Lessons for Life Foundation

Where are we now?

Where are we now?

But is that the problem?Results have been declining for years for most channels

More and more charities

Channels are all congested

Supporter engagement is extremely low

Attrition is increasing steadily

Additional restrictions will just make this worse

The future: EngagementMore engaged donors = more loyal donors

Engaged non givers > donors

Passive recipients of charity messages > advocates and champions

Move from one way broadcast communications to genuine dialogue

At last a relationship with supporters

All charities want to do this. But how?

Engagement: PrinciplesTell compelling stories

Embed digital

Ask for feedback

Invest in supporter care

Get supporters to tell your story

Create opportunities to ask

Engagement: what it needsJoined up strategies

Focus on audiences & what they need

Holistic approach

Break down organisational silos and barriers

Kill “fundraising” , “communications” & “services” as separate categories

Examples

Story Telling

Lessons for LifeTransforming lives of children in the toughest parts of Africa through education

Charity founded by world's largest international cable company, Liberty Global

Has sent 50,000 vulnerable children to school since 2007

Programmes in Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda & South Africa

How do we get good stories?Hard to know where they are

Never get them in time

Written in project speak

Don’t get good enough photos or videos

Not a priority for project staff

How to get good storiesTechnology

Training

Motivation

Effective systems & processes

Integration

Snap StoryBridge the gap between donor & work they support

Remove the barriers between “us” and “them”

Link donations to outcomes

Show the impact in real time

Snap StoryAndroid app for field content collection

Beneficiary data, case studies, photos & videos

Collected in one database

Web front end

Available in real time

Used by marketing staff & programmes teams

Snap Story in ActionCandy showing Imogen Snap Storyhttps://vimeo.com/141789711

ImplicationsWhat donors need as feedback and what NGOs need to monitor programme effectiveness is the same info

So this is not just a marketing/fundraising tool but a programme management system

NGO marketing and programme management staff getting the same information at the same (real) time

Partners also use the same system

Making it workTechnology is easy part

Must engage project staff

Must become part of their day job

Must work for them

Need proper training in how to identify and tell good stories & taking good photos and video

Needs proper plan to deploy content across range of channels

Feedback is essential so they know it’s being used

Thank you!Tobin Aldrich tobin@aldrichfundraising.com

Imogen Ward imogen@lessonsforlifefoundation.org

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Conference26 May 2016

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