Mobilizing Communities in a Connected Age:

Using New Tech Tools & Strategies for Impact

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Audio line: Dial 866-740-1260, Access code: 7730388   

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Motivation for this Project

How can nonprofits improve their use of new technology tools and strategies to create social impact?

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Research Questions and Methodology

Research Questions:

• What are key characteristics, practices of successful orgs?

• What can funders do to better support nonprofits’ efforts?

Methodology:

• 16 nonprofit advocacy organizations– Grantees of Mitchell Kapor Foundation & ZeroDivide

• 2 non-grantees for benchmarks– Color of Change & CREDO Action

• Intensive interviews, reviewed websites, collateral material

• Full report at http://zerodivide.org/tech_advocacy

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I. Findings: Technology Integration Crucial

• Strategic use of technology throughout org operations

• Strategic use of technology to communicate with different stakeholder groups

• Executive team provides support and thought-leadership for technology experimentation and implementation

• Organizational culture embraces technology, seeks continuous improvement

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II. Increasing Impact: Leadership Development

Nonprofit LeadershipNonprofit

Leadership

Interest in technologyInterest in technology

Understand tech as an “enabler”

Understand tech as an “enabler”

Hire tech-savvy staff members

Hire tech-savvy staff members

Single largest determinant = Leadership, not size or budget!

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Future Funding Projections

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III. Recommendations to Funders – Others?

Pair fundingwith consulting

Fund tech forlong-term

Provide thoughtleadership

Fund tech for movementbuilding

Fund integratedCRM systems

Build acommunityof practice

Foster leadershipdevelopment

Enable automatedperformanceevaluation

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GABRIEL REY-GOODLATTE & RAVEN BROOKS

Special Guests

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Special guest: Raven Brooks, E.D. of Netroots Nation

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New Media Quick Tips

• Start with goals and strategy. That will lead you to tools and tactics.

• Empower your staff to act and create a collaborative and entrepreneurial environment.

• Be flexible. If the plan sucks, change it.

• Measure what you’re doing and adapt.

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Case Study: New Media at Netroots Nation

• What is Netroots Nation?

• How is it different than many nonprofit organizations?

• Quick usage examples + primary goal:– Mobile app - engage attendees– Video - engage non-attendees & potential supporters– Twitter - rapid response & assessment

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Special Guest: Gabriel Rey-Goodlatte, Color of Change

Pushed Huffington Post not to feature Breitbart

Traditional email campaign, but use of Twitter made significant impact

Suggested tweet for members:

Tell @HuffingtonPost not to promote liar and race-baiter @AndrewBreitbart: http://bit.ly/hyh8qi cc @ariannahuff @colorofchange

Case study: Andrew Breitbart/Huffington Post Campaign

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Maximizing advantages of chosen tool’s functionality

Pass along – spread word, encouraged friends to sign

Direct pressure on Huffington Post, in real time

Created negative public conversation about HuffPo and Breitbart, increasing pressure on HuffPo to respond and provoking reaction from Breitbart

Use of Twitter served several strategic purposes:

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Responding to emerging developments, opportunities

Achieved victory relatively quickly, but knew thousands were still signing petition and tweeting suggested tweet

Changed suggested tweet to stop directing pressure at HuffPo, appropriate since they had met our demand

Used new suggested tweet to spread news of victory:

Victory! After 43k @ColorOfChange members speak out, @HuffingtonPost agrees not to front-page @AndrewBreitbart http://wapo.st/gRGF9Q

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How we pro-actively integrate Twitter into campaigns

Encouraging members to share on Twitter is a built in part of every campaign – reminds us to regularly think through how Twitter can be useful

Whoever is leading a campaign takes the lead on drafting tweets – this means content gets drafted with an eye towards strategy and with programmatic insight

In general - Important to consider the unique properties and opportunities of social media tools, versus simply replicating old models using new tools

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Thank you + Resources and Next Steps

Raven Brooks - @ravenb

http://netrootsnation.org

Gabriel Rey-Goodlatte – gabriel@colorofchange.org

http://colorofchange.org

ZeroDivide – jeff@zerodivide.org

http://zerodivide.org/resources_1

The Mitchell Kapor Foundation

http://mkf.org

Mobilizing Communities in a Connected Age:

Using New Tech Tools & Strategies for Impact

Thursday, July 14, 2011