Directing outreach plans to mobile users in a nonprofit community

September 15, 2014

Directing outreach plans to mobile users in a nonprofit community

A nonprofit organization that wants to remain successful in the long term needs to put a significant amount of effort into its mobile outreach plans. This includes a variety of different components, such as a responsive website, educational and outreach content formatted for mobile consumption and an easy way for contributors to make their donations through a smartphone or tablet. Having these items in place is crucial for engaging with the general population as the use of mobile devices continues to grow. Here's a look at three ways to improve outreach and fundraising through the devices that a majority of the population carries and uses dozens of times per day:

A responsive website: Having a Web presence that is easily navigated on a mobile device is crucial. When a new visitor hears about a local program or is referred to a nonprofit by a friend on social media, the website is usually the first place to learn more. When the homepage can't be accessed quickly or is not viewable, there's not much left for a prospective donor to do except quit the site. Having a functional mobile site also allows for nonprofits to be more confident in directing all Internet users to their websites through social media and email outreach.
Easily digestible content: The Nonprofit Marketing Blog highlighted one of the unique features of mobile devices – smaller screens – as a reason to have shorter articles and news stories about nonprofit activities. It's harder to read long articles on a smartphone screen, and even tablets have limitations. Instead of having one long piece that describes a recent success or the announcement of a new program, it's a better idea to break up information and present it in the form of smaller pieces. This approach allows visitors to read the content that is most interesting to them, thus boosting engagement.
Simple donations: Just as content needs to be easy to read, so do the donation forms used by contributors. Adapting the same pages used by desktop and laptop computers may not be enough, as the lack of a dedicated keyboard and reduced visible area make any sort of in-depth data entry efforts time-consuming and difficult. The Chronicle of Philanthropy reported that a majority of nonprofits, including large, nationwide organizations, haven't taken the step to optimize donation pages for mobile visitors. This lack of simplifying mobile engagement likely means lost donations.

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Working with Marshal Whittey at First Nonprofit has been a great experience. He handles our request as a priority and goes above and beyond to resolve any issues we have in a timely manner. Marshall follows through to the end and ensures our needs are met. He has been a great resource for LSC and our “go to” for any tax questions we may have. With LSC transitioning several facilities into one federal tax identification number, First Nonprofit was able to assist and provide guidance with best practices resolving claims to each entity. Additionally First Nonprofit provided knowledge (information materials) and one on one training to HRS group with best practices to handle claims state adjudicated, fraudulent claims, and appeals. And processing information in the First Nonprofit [unemployment claims] system allows for timely information can be collected.

Lutheran Services Carolinas, Salisbury, NC

My experience with FNP has been wonderful. Unemployment in general is quite confusing and FNP has simplified the process for us. Everyone we have reached out to or worked with has been very helpful and follows up to be sure we understand the information. I am so happy we made the switch to FNP!

Stone Valley Community Charter School, Huntingdon, PA

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Jewish Silicon Valley, Los Gatos, CA

My experience with the FNP has been fantastic. The idea of setting funds aside for the unemployment tax liability is a bedrock for nonprofit organizations like mine, namely ASHBA; what is even more advantageous is having the FNP as a custodian of those funds. 100% recommended!

American Saddlebred Horse & Breeders Association, Inc., Lexington, KY

I would like to comment on my experience with FNP….to date our District has saved $1,000’s of dollars by being enrolled in the First Nonprofit program. My only regret is that we did not know about this method of paying unemployment tax years ago….as I had figured about five years

ago, had we enrolled 15-20 years ago, we could have saved our small school district upwards of $500,000 in payments to IDES. Also we would have had a pretty hefty sum of money in our Reserve Account. Thankfully I attended a workshop hosted by First Nonprofit back in 2015 which got the ball rolling!

Beardstown Community Unit School District 15, Beardstown, IL

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Visually Impaired Preschool Services, Louisville, KY

Luckily for us, our interactions regarding any issues with staffing has been very minimal! I can say that all other interactions with regards to billing, 941 reporting, etc. have been extremely pleasant, accommodating and easy to work with. Kim Ghanayem is always prompt, professional and friendly. Thank you so much!

Directing outreach plans to mobile users in a nonprofit community