social media: find your niche · do your homework on the company before the initial meeting network...
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SOCIAL MEDIA: FIND YOUR
NICHE
MICHELE GRASSO, MPA Director of Development & Communications
Meals on Wheels of Lehigh County
Email: [email protected]
MEALS ON WHEELS OF
LEHIGH COUNTY Located in Allentown which is the 3rd largest
city in PA
• Serves seniors and adults with disabilities
who live in Lehigh County (population of
365,000)
• Urban, rural and suburban service area
• Depend upon 846 volunteers to deliver
meals and grocery shop
Needs: Funding
$1.6 million
Budget
Need to raise
$650,000 this
year
Client Fees 32%
In-Kind & Misc. 2%
Government Contracts
22%
Contributions
19%
Grants 18%
Special Events
5%
Investment Income
2%
Needs: Volunteers &
Community Support •450 needed each weekday to deliver meals on
33 routes
•Office volunteers to help with phones and
projects; groups for mailings
•Volunteers to collect and pack food for blizzard
bags and holiday gifts for clients
•General Community Support of program,
including government advocacy
Social Media Strategy
Steven Shattuck at Hubspot (Marketing
software company) proposes that social media
marketing for nonprofits be 3-part:
•Appreciation
•Advocacy
•Appeals
Which social media is right
for you? Hubspot survey of top 10 for non-profits:
Facebook (98%) Tumblr (5%)
Twitter (70%) Slideshare (<5%)
LinkedIn (55%)
YouTube (45%)
Pinterest (25%)
Instagram (15%)
Google+ (15%)
Meals on Wheels of Lehigh
•Don’t go down the rabbit-hole; find out where
people are in your community. ASK!
•Staff of one; limited time. Better to do well
what you can manage instead of too many
poorly.
•We limit to Facebook, Twitter, Linked-In and
YouTube. Most successful for our local
supporters is Facebook.
Facebook, Twitter, Linked-In & YouTube
Facebook Posts
Donor thanks Volunteers Needed
Facebook posts
Event Cross-posting
Facebook posts
Boosted post Example of an ask
Facebook Insights
Compared to other local nonprofits This was a really good week
Most of our followers are not local Great for advocacy & connecting with
other MOW programs
Takeaways
•Start small—don’t think you have to do it all.
•Find where your people are in the social media world. Ask!
•Share content from other MOW programs and other local nonprofits and tag them @. Hashtags great for Twitter & Instagram #.
•Set up Google Alerts for content.
•Consistent posting is important as is responding to comments/likes in a timely manner.
•Don’t stress and have fun! Our fun staff pictures are always big hits!
Effective Community
Outreach: It’s All About
Dispelling Myths
ANNE K. GROSS, Ph.D. Community Engagement Specialist
TLC Meals on Wheels
South Metro Denver
Email: [email protected]
Founded in 1968
• Serve 400 meals a day
• Annual budget of $638.00
Always relied on informal relationships
How can we reach isolated seniors?
TLC Meals on Wheels
South Metro Denver
Why Community Outreach?
What better way to
destigmatize our
services than through a
trusted referral?
More efficient use of all
of our time if we work
together.
Was Our Messaging on
Target?
What did people know
about Meals on Wheels
services?
What Other Services are
Available?
Share with our clients
what we learn about
other community
services.
What We Did
• Networking meetings, food banks,
increased our presentations
• Gave contacts something in return
• Do you know somebody else who might be
interested?
• Instituted a new referral tracking system
Bon Appetit
Publish a quarterly
client newsletter.
We Outreached to
• Library home delivery services
• Illness related non-profits
• Non-medical non-profits
• Government agencies
• Healthcare facilities
• Healthcare alliances and insurance
companies
• For profit home health care
Stuck in Time
1950’s soup kitchen that delivers*
*A Place at your Table: Meals on Wheels Consumer Insights + Recommendations , August 26, 2013. Commissioned by Meals on Wheels of Boulder.
Picture: Littleton Independent, Courtesy Littleton Museum.
If You Know One, You Know
Them All
Same eligibility
requirements
Same delivery model
Just a Meal Delivery Service
• Grocery delivery, weekend meals, congregate meals, pet food, etc.
• Daily visits and wellness checks.
• Intangible benefit that those in the community truly care about them.
Outcome Measures
• 181 new referrals in
first 6 months of
2017 compared to
132 in 2016.
• 32% of the referrals
were from
professionals,
compared to 16% in
2016.
Challenges
Difficulty generating
interest in hospitals,
hospices and
rehabilitation centers.
Tweaked our Messaging
• Every meals on wheels is different
• Message of care inherent in everything we
do
Community
Resource Guide
Clients requested
additional
information on
community
resources
Tips to Remember
• Most people have an aunt who delivered
meals, or a neighbor who received meals.
But did you know ….
• Can you think of another organization who
would benefit from this information?
• Give something in return: Send out their
information, client newsletter to share with
their clients, posted visits on Facebook.
COMMUNICATING WITH
CORPORATE PARTNERS
Marcie Kessel Director of Corporate Partnerships
Meals on Wheels People, Portland OR
Email: [email protected]
What are you doing related to
specific relationship
building/communication
effort?
Existing Corporate Partners
Establish trust
Provide corporate
partner with stories
about your organization
or theirs via your
donor newsletter
Existing Corporate Partners
Recognize partner in creative ways
Review deliverables/metrics several times per year
Seek partner’s input on specific topics
Existing Corporate Partners
Follow up and report results to partner
Provide referrals - we give them and we get them
Leverage relationships
Maximize co-op advertising
Attracting New Partners
Find a connector
Determine alignment - are they the right fit?
Target partners through mutual connections (other
volunteers, LinkedIn, Business Journal, referrals)
Set up an exploratory meeting
determine what areas to pitch (listen more)
Attracting New Partners
Creatively capture their attention
Volunteerism, employee
engagement opportunities
Determine how they are
partnering in the community
with other organizations?
Share a client story or letter
Create a marketing opportunity
that will draw them to your
organization
Attracting New Partners
Know their business goals in the community
Know what your organization can and cannot offer
Create a proposal that is unique
Relevant to their business strategy
Prepare materials that enhance your meeting that you
can leave behind
Don’t be afraid to ask when the time is right
Offer a tour of your central kitchen, headquarters or a
center to get them in the door
What success/outcomes have
you seen, how do you know if
you’re successful or having
the impact you want?
Success
Partners will include your organization in their planning
for marketing/funding
Ask for your input on their community outreach
Renew partnership
Success Stories
Wilsonville Subaru Share the Love
Portland Auto Show
New Seasons Market/Southern Glazer Wine &
Spirits/Gallo
Vital Life Foundation
Challenges
Finance of America
Portland Spring Luncheon
What advice do you have for
other programs that may be
considering doing something
similar?
Corporate Solutions
Be unique/creative
Distinguish yourself among
other charity partners in your
marketplace
Identify your organization’s
strengths and weaknesses
Help your existing corporate
partners brainstorm with you
to come up with ideas
Know your competition
Corporate Solutions
Leverage relationships
Know when to back off and
walk away
Acknowledge that not
everyone is a good fit for
your organization
Ask yourself, “Why would
this company want to
partner with us?”
If you don’t ask, someone else will
What would you do differently
if you were starting all over?
Things I have learned
Do your homework on the company before the initial
meeting
Network more
Know your market, competition
Practice authenticity - Beware of
“Fundraising 101 techniques”
Be bold - Don’t be afraid to say
something if the partnership is
not working
Things I have learned
Don’t forget to ask sponsors, donors what they want
Be transparent
Don’t be afraid to be a “fundraising professional”
Work at continuously building relationships - not just
when you need the money
What do you think peer
programs might want to know
about what you are doing?
Logo Placement
Wilsonville Share the Love
Meals on Wheels People
Strong Brand (Robust PR/Social Media)
Five years after rebrand, Meals on Wheels People among
top five recognizable charities in Portland market
Active presence on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
Award-Winning
CFO of the year in the Portland Business Journal
Volunteers received Governor’s Volunteer Award, Peter R.
Marsh Foundation Award, Light a Fire Award
Consistently tapped as “expert” in senior nutrition
Operations with large exposure
Nearly 30 dining center locations in three counties
Meals on Wheels People
Fundraising Department and entire organization is
entrepreneurial
Meals on Wheels People Delivers Popcorn
ED is engaged in the community and approachable
Our food is high quality
Consistently receive high ratings from clients