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The Ice Bucket Challenge, By The Numbers. The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge has shown that other things besides Grumpy Cats and silly dance videos can go viral – even charitable giving. And while some questioned if having people dumping buckets of ice on their heads was the best way to raise money for the non-profit organization fighting Lou Gehrig’s disease, it turns out those concerns were unfounded: ALSA.org reports that as of September 2, it has received $106 million in Ice Bucket donations from over 3 million donors. Donations have ranged from under $1 to $200,000, the organization reports, and have come from individuals, corporations and other foundations. Individuals who donated between $100,000 and $200,000 have included actors Leonardo DiCaprio and David Spade, T-Mobile CEO John Legere and Chairman of Carnival Cruise Lines Micky Arison.

The Meme’s Spread The Ice Bucket Challenge has proven to be an interesting study into the spread of viral memes, as well. Affect On ALSA.org and Other Website Traffic. 112 Nonprofit Fundraising Ideas, Marketing Tips & Cace Studies You Can't Miss. It’s been quite the year. And if the collection of fundraising ideas, resources and highlights below are any indication, a lot has happened in the nonprofit industry over the past 365 days. From #batkid to #GivingTuesday, the Next Generation of American Giving to Content Marketing for Nonprofits, storytelling to social fundraising, retention rates to relationship building, the roundup below covers it all (and everything in between).

Before we get too far into the roundup … be sure to check out some great nonprofit resources from 2013: As we prepare for our leap into 2014, let’s learn from 2013′s ups and downs – triumphs and flops – and make this next year one for the record books. Here’s Your 2013 Nonprofit Roundup: Case Study: Charity Water | Upleaf. If there’s one charitable organization that has been kicking butt and taking names with online fundraising it’s Charity: Water. Launched seven years ago by twenty-something Scott Harrison, the NGO dedicated to drilling wells in impoverished communities around the globe has raised more than $40 million dollars, garnered 282,000 likes on Facebook and nabbed scores of celebrity endorsements and corporate sponsors.

They’ve done it all with unflappable hipness and massive appeal to the millennial generation, who serve as the organization’s foot soldiers. Harrison himself attributes his fundraising success to his obsession with branding and innovation, and thinking more like a tech entrepreneur than a nonprofit. Whether or not “hipness” is something your organization aspires to, Charity: Water is a great resource for ideas and inspiration. They have created an engaging, moving and beautiful interactive experience with their online community that is almost unparalleled in the nonprofit world. 1. Becoming a Social Nonprofit: LLSC Case Study. Social media’s low margins and potential for huge results is attracting a growing number of nonprofits. One such organization is the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada (LLSC). Their mission is to cure the world of blood cancer and improve the lives of those affected.

Donations, sponsorships and fundraisers are the lifeblood of LLSC. Moving away from traditional fundraising toward social fundraising can be both a lifesaver and a challenge. This case study highlights how LLSC tackled those challenges while centralizing control and empowering teams to embrace social. In doing so, they launched a coordinated, national campaign push that resulted in a 900% increase in registration of their annual Light The Night Walk.

The Challenge: Coordinating Nonprofit Resources Coordinating resources and staff fluctuations for campaigns or events is a challenge. Patricia Gilmore, whose role includes managing the nonprofit’s social media strategy, ensures control of their social channels using HootSuite. UNICEF Case Study: How a Nonprofit Uses Facebook to Drive Change. Nonprofit marketing has always been of interest to me, because it's a unique extension of traditional marketing goals. Rather than customers, we seek donors. Rather than profits, we measure positive impacts made. As social media has taken the marketing world by storm, savvy non profits have wasted no time leveraging the power of digital connections to tell their stories. UNICEF is a great example of a major nonprofit utilizing social media, and specifically Facebook, to make personal connections to drive donations, awareness, and participation.

With that in mind, it's worth taking a peek into the world of UNICEF's Facebook page to see what theyr'e doing well, and how you can emulate their success on your nonprofit's social networks. Before we dive into their Facebook page, let's look at a quick snapshot of UNICEF's current standing (information via GuideStar): Mission statement: "UNICEF was founded in 1946 to help children in postwar Europe, China, and the Middle East. HBO Hedges on Social Media to Reach 'Challenging' Demographic. Innovators push the boundaries of the known world. They're change agents who are relentless in making things happen and bringing ideas to execution. In targeting millennials, social media channels have become a veritable playground for marketers. The HBO smash Girls, for instance, is making a full-court press in the digital sphere to hype its third season, which premiered last night.

The network is prioritizing micro video apps like Snapchat and Vine over traditional advertising formats to galvanize its sizable digital audience. "For us, this is an increasingly challenging demographic to reach with traditional means," Sabrina Caluori, HBO's vice-president of social media and marketing, told Mashable. Case Study: How One Nonprofit Raised Thousands Using Facebook – Part 1.

I first became aware of the St. Baldrick’s Foundation at the Inspire/BIO Conference in July. I was asked to speak about the latest social media tools for nonprofits, but I found myself learning even more from the other presenters – nonprofit professionals in the trenches who use social media every day to change the world. One of the best examples of a nonprofit effectively harnessing the power of social media is the St. Baldrick’s Foundation. A volunteer-driven organization, St.

Baldrick’s is committed to funding the most promising research to find cures for childhood cancers and give survivors long and healthy lives. If you doubt the power of video to tell a nonprofit’s mission, watch this. The video was created with the goal of making a seemingly insurmountable problem seem tangible to the average donor – to make them believe that they can make a difference. But what about using social media to get people excited about childhood cancer research?

What are their secrets? Stamer took over St. 3 Non-Profits Who Shine on Social Media. Much like any other business, today’s non-profits are using social media to connect with supporters and donors. According to [ed: possibly slightly dubious] research collected for this recent infographic, 98% of non-profits are on Facebook and 74% are on Twitter.

Social media allows for much more than collecting donations; savvy non-profits are also using social channels to attract new supporters, raise awareness around issues, and put pressure on politicians and corporations. Here are three examples of non-profits that use social media successfully to further their cause… One of the most recognizable non-profits in the world, Amnesty International has found success with social media by mobilizing their large support base and wielding their influence to make change. Dialogue with People in Power Amnesty International uses their social profiles to encourage politicians and lawmakers to support their issues. Cohesive Content Strategy Supporting Regional Efforts Keeping it Grassroots.

The Top 4 Nonprofit Social Media Campaigns of 2013 (And What You Can Learn) NPOs never stood a chance on social media. People aren’t there for us, they’re there to interact with their friends. Don’t act like those thoughts never crossed your mind. Sometimes social media can be discouraging. “How do we get more interaction?” “How do we make them care?” It’s easy to think that way. Oh, the possibilities! 1. The Campaign: They say you can’t predict when something will go viral. So what did they have to say about the power of social media? “We were able to change the conversation through social media. The outcome was providing over a million days worth of clean water to those in need as a result of the video. People had their own names for the strategy that Water is Life used. “We call it hashtag killer. The Takeaway: They say to accept the things you can’t change. 2. The Campaign: The photo speaks for itself. The Takeaway: Don’t be afraid to be bold. 3. The Campaign: 10k on 10:1 Social Mediathon We know, another clean water organization.

And guess what? 4. Imab-virtual-conference-3. Nine Valuable Marketing Lessons From a Nonprofit - Charitywater.org. Typically, nonprofits are not known for having stellar marketing strategies, but there are a few that do stand out. They recognize the power of investing time and energy in marketing to broadcast their message, build a loyal fan base, and obtain donations. Charity: water, a nonprofit that provides clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations, is definitely at the top of the list. They are exceptional at inbound marketing. (They focus on creating powerful content to inspire people to join their cause.) And their marketing has tangible results. Yet charity: water is not just a model for other nonprofits wanting to up their marketing game. 1. Charity: water truly has mastered the art of getting people to form personal connections with their brand.

This is pure genius for enlisting others to spread their message. At the time of writing this article, nearly 180,000 people have raised collectively almost $29 million on charity: water’s online platform. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Case-study-sjv-09.2013-FINAL2. How Nonprofits Can Use Images and Video to Engage: A Case Study. Soles4Souls has one primary mission: to put shoes on the feet of the 300 million children around the world who have none. This isn’t just a matter of fashion or vanity. It’s a very real need as they seek to eradicate disease and other issues caused by lack of footwear. Getting shoes improves the children’s health, improves their chances of getting an education and a job, and improves their chances of breaking the cycle of poverty. In order to do this, the organization has created a strong online presence, with social media managed by Rebecca Cicione, and within the past two years has shown how using visuals can help a nonprofit experience great growth online.

Visuals are at the forefront of how Soles4Souls is using social platforms like Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and YouTube. But it’s not just a matter of slapping up the occasional picture or video. It is all part of a well-planned strategy that is intentional, not incidental. 1. It’s rare to see them just post a status update. 2. Video Production: Non-Profit Entrepreneur Stories for Rising Tide Capital. Food & Wine Launches New Brand for Millennials, FWx. It's debatable whether millennials are special, but one thing is certain: Their relationship with food is. They want it to be authentic, they want to know how it was produced, and they want it to be a shared experience, preferably involving small plates eaten at communal tables. Time Inc.’s Food & Wine is becoming the latest to target the generation, with a new food brand, FWx.

Because millennials grew up online and consider food part of a way of life, FWx, going live today, is designed responsively with smartphones in mind, with a heavy emphasis on content related to eating and going out. “We feel like it’s a totally untapped market for lifestyle content,” said Alex Vallis, the editor of FWx. That means that in addition to cocktail recipes, readers will find advice on recovering after a late night out, tips on assessing your date’s sexual personality by his eating habits and cheat sheets to make you sound smart at the next cocktail party. Marketing to Millennials: 5 Ways Coca-Cola is Embracing Creativity and Innovation.

PHOENIX, ARIZ. – Staying relevant in a Millennial-driven marketplace requires creativity, risk-taking and constant reinvention, Chief Marketing and Commercial Officer Joe Tripodi said earlier this month at the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) conference. Addressing a standing-room-only audience of more than 2,200 senior executives from Fortune 500 companies and advertising agencies, Tripodi explained why brands and marketers must constantly innovate and evolve to keep pace with the altruistic, entrepreneurial and tech-savvy generation of 18-to-30-year-olds.

He explored how Coke’s five-pronged approach to innovation is fueling its aggressive 2020 Vision to double its business this decade: 1. Packaging: Customizable packaging with a strong link to mobile technology and social media is creating “shareworthy” content around the world. 2. 3. 4. 5. “Without creativity or a strong story, you can’t make a strong connection,” he said. Marketing to Millennials | Case Study | TOMS | Reach Smarter Insights Blog. Last week, we talked about the millennial generation, a group of teenagers and young adults who are expressive, impatient, and tech-savvy. A retail company called TOMS has found a way to reach this generation, all while making money and promoting a good cause. TOMS started in 2006 with a hope of bringing shoes to underprivileged children globally through a unique business model. For every pair of shoes that a customer buys, TOMS donates another pair to charity.

In 2011, the company expanded this model to eyeglasses. The entire brand built upon the premise that consumerism can be the same thing as altruism—a perfect appeal to the millennial generation. Thirty-seven percent of millennials report being drawn to products that co-brand with cause campaigns where their purchase is a form of support. 3 Ways Credit Unions Can Win Big with Millennials | CafeGive® Marketing Strategies: Why Giving Donations Works Better Than Buying Ads.

You have a great product that nobody's buying because they've never heard of it. Without sales, you don't have the money to advertise. Without advertising, you can't build sales. It's a familiar conundrum, but there might be a good solution: Instead of advertising, give your product away to support worthy causes and build brand loyalty.

That discovery helped Barefoot Cellars go from a tiny company in a garage to an international wine brand selling 600,000 cases a year--without placing a single ad. It came about by accident, recalls Michael Houlihan, Barefoot's co-founder and co-author of The Barefoot Spirit. But the young company didn't have that kind of money. "I thought, Do you have the right number? " Though disappointed not to get actual money, the caller accepted the wine, Houlihan sent it over and that was that. Figuring they were onto something, Barefoot next selected a tony San Francisco neighborhood and went looking for community-based efforts. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.