January 19, 2017
In 2016, nonprofit organizations relied on social media for funding more than ever before. On #GivingTuesday social media donations increased by 33% from the previous year. Increased use of technology in 2016 solidified nonprofit giving as acceptable in the social media space and the current trends for 2017 point toward even greater acceptance of donating to charity through social media platforms.
For nonprofits, enduring financially year in and year out is the key to keeping an organization relevant. This year, try making a push in the funding community via social media for monthly recurring donations and imagine an increase in donation revenue.
Also, advancing results-driven stories will be crucial in 2017. Using social media tools like live streaming video is a clever way to humanize donor outreach, augment marketing and enhance meaningful nonprofit storytelling.
Email marketing has seen a resurgence in today’s “mobile” generation. Litmus data shows that 56% of emails are opened on mobile devices and the number one activity is reading those opened emails. Obviously, mobile website compatibility to an active website, current newsletter, and a dynamic email list is a necessity today for fundraising success.
Digital payments are becoming the norm on social media platforms. In 2016 several major social media companies integrated a payment button within their email platform to test digital payment effectiveness. And although service was limited for those tests, the ability to contribute using digital payments in 2017 will be on the rise using email and social media for nonprofits.
Regrettably, many social platforms have become oversaturated and engagement rates have been on the decline for brands, businesses and nonprofits. In order to see any true results from social media, it’s important to invest in current technology, a paid skilled staff and shrewd advertising.
Along with that rapidly changing digital capability, becoming nimble enough technologically to make a strong and authentic human connection ever more convenient for donors is vital in 2017. Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn for more content exclusively for nonprofits.
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We’ve been a member of First Nonprofit’s Unemployment Savings Program since 2011 and highly recommend joining. The program is terrific and allows us to earn interest on our own funds while still meeting the state’s requirements on unemployment payments. In addition, the staff are great and always helpful sorting out any questions we may have. Thank you all!
CCSCT was approached by First NonProfit to discuss its Unemployment Savings Program and ways the program could significantly reduce the amount of unemployment taxes we were paying. At the time, our agency was paying approximately $80,000 per year. First NonProfit conducted an analysis to determine if making the switch would be in our best interest, and it clearly was based on our circumstances. The first year on the program, CCSCT saw a 70% reduction in its unemployment costs and each year, continues to experience further reductions as a result of having minimal claims. Some additional benefits of the program including having a fixed annual cost, an interest-baring reserve account, professional unemployment claims management and representation at all unemployment hearings. This has been one of the best decisions we have made.
We first started using First Nonprofit’s Unemployment Savings Program when we were a small startup nonprofit. We didn’t have an HR department and needed expertise in the event that an unemployment claim was made. We knew we were eligible to be a reimbursing employer, but weren’t sure how to navigate that process. They made it easy to set things up, plan for, and then manage claims when they came at a very reasonable cost. The amount of time and stress they’ve saved us dealing with all this has been worth way more than the cost. We’ve now grown to a large nonprofit and do have an HR department but have no plans to stop using their services. I highly recommend them to every nonprofit I come into contact with!
Throughout our membership in the Unemployment Savings Program, First Nonprofit understood our demands, community dynamics, and the importance of seamless services; that allowed us to serve our constituents better.
Because INCS advocates for the operating conditions that allow charter public schools to provide high quality public education, partnering with First Nonprofit was an easy decision. First Nonprofit’s unemployment programs provide our member schools two operating elements crucial to their ability to provide high quality public education: savings and budget certainty. Capable, committed teachers are the key to student success. By participating in the unemployment insurance savings plan, charter public schools gain peace of mind and are able to invest more money in their teachers.
It has been our sincere pleasure to maintain a strong, vibrant business partnership with First Nonprofit. We greatly admire their strong industry knowledge, technical expertise, constant professionalism, knowledgeable and dedicated staff. They are always extremely responsive, personable and provide us with the necessary guidance and recommendations on a numerous variety of employment scenarios.
NYCON members who use First Nonprofit’s programs enjoy enduring savings and improved efficiency. Our association knows that success, because from the beginning, we achieved the same great benefits. Great savings, seamless technology, and responsive service. NYCON highly recommends First Nonprofit’s remarkable unemployment solutions.
Visually Impaired Preschool Services has been a client of First Non-Profit since it was first offered as a benefit of VisionServe Alliance. We completed a thorough evaluation of cash savings to our agency before taking advantage of this wonderful benefit and it has been a very wise decision. Our experience with the processes from accounting to claims have been professional, expeditious and easy.