Smaller nonprofits find it particularly difficult to keep up with the time and tools needed to create more visibility about their causes and to take advantage of the social network. This challenge directly impacts their capacity to build more relationships and fundraise.
Part of building stronger communications capacity is having the technology to support it. For many small nonprofits, that’s the first hurdle. When there’s inadequate internal capacity for focused communications efforts, attempts will be spotty. And inconsistency is the devil in the details.
Happily, there are tools that can help your nonprofit become a sophisticated user of online and mobile media without it being cost prohibitive. Today there’s so much demand for tools to take advantage of social networking platforms that sorting through the options can be overwhelming. Following are some popular and free or reasonably priced choices.
A Nonprofit Tech for Good recommendation, Wibbitz, converts text-based posts and articles into interactive videos. Since videos have proven to be a hugely popular form of engaging people online and via mobile phone, that makes Wibbitz a highly useful tool.
It can be added to Web pages or articles and requires an iOS 7.0 or later operating system. Wibbitz is compatible with iPhone, iPad and iPod touch and is optimized for iPhone 5. You’ll need to have iTunes on your device to use Wibbitz.
Qwiki automatically turns pictures and videos from events you’ve captured on your iPhone into brief movies to share. Go to qwiki.com to see impressive examples of how it works. It requires iOS 5.1 or later, is compatible with iPhone, iPad and iPod touch and is optimized for iPhone 5.
Nonprofit Tech for Good also suggests a look at Windows Live Writer to generate HTML code. For non-techies, HTML will allow you to add “Donate Now” buttons, e-Newsletter and text alert sign-up boxes, and/or call-to-action images to your social media profiles. See the tool in action at explore.live.com/livewriter.
As mobile phones have become the preferred communication tool for donating, Web surfing, video viewing and the like, mobile phone apps have become critical tools. Mozes offers text and voice campaigns that start at $10 per month. TextMarks offers a free trial for broadcast text messaging group, and has options ranging from $19 to $199 per month. Tech Soup offers nonprofits about a 50 percent discount on Connect2Give, a respected package for mobile fundraising.
Tech Soup is well known in the nonprofit community. If your organization is a registered 501(c)(3), do take advantage of this group whose mission is to distribute inexpensive technology to nonprofits. Registration is free online, and you can receive deep discounts on everything from accounting and donor tracking software to computer hardware. Cloud computing continues its rise in popularity as a way to reduce infrastructure costs and increase ways of collaborating across locations. NpCloud offers cloud-based technology prooducts to nonprofits at about 40 percent off retail. Many cloud computing products are also found on Tech Soup at reduced prices.
Because photos are important for your media communications, a great tool for the non-graphic designer is PicMonkey, a photo editing tool that allows you to embed text, add your logo and create collages for great Facebook covers and other uses. A basic account is $33 per year. I’ve been a fan of free photo editor Photoscape for basic editing needs, but PicMonkey offers some more elegant solutions to these.
I’ve not tried ustream yet but have been hearing about this easy tool for creating Web-based Internet “TV” stations. They also provide smartphone and tablet apps so you can broadcast live from anywhere at no cost. How great to bring your fans and supporters live feed of an important conference or your fundraising event. Visit them at ustreamtv.com.
If your nonprofit tries on these solutions it can transform your communications and your ability to attract supporters, volunteers and donors. And you can do it without spending thousands of dollars.
Sarah Todd is founder of Change Pioneers, a resource on effective social change leadership. She can be reached at 912-224-2120 or changepioneers@gmail.com.