Ideas have been rolling in for our “Gives Back” 25K Mobile Grant Contest.
We are in the final stretch of accepting entries with only 7 days left to go!
We want to recognize and thank Forgotten Voices , Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky and Step-Up Ministry for submitting their ideas to our contest, understanding the importance of looking critically at mobile and how it can best support their missions.
Mobile technology is still a new dimension for most businesses and nonprofits alike. I remember beginning my work in the nonprofit sector back in 2002. Online giving was unheard of! Heck, people were barely buying things online, much less donating. Now it’s like second nature to do either.
My employer, The ALS Association, raised well over 50% of annual revenue through signature walk-a-thon’s. Peer-to-peer fundraising had barely been born. But leadership realized a new technology platform that accelerated online giving HAD to be learned, then implemented effectively in order to remain sustainable. I truly believe being an early adopter made all the difference in reaching our budgeted goals, providing needed support to those in our community living with Lou Gehrig’s Disease, an emotionally depleting and expensive terminal disease.
Everyone needs to understand something simple, yet severely overlooked:
Mobile technology adoption is growing SIGNIFICANTLY faster than the Internet.
According to Pew Research, 14% of Americans used the Internet in 1995.
Today that number is 80%, a 66% growth in 17 years.
In 2007, Smartphone penetration was roughly 3%.
Today, it hovers around 50%. A +40% growth in less than 5 years.
This contest has delivered several thoughtful, tangible ways mobile can help improve communities and society at large, including:
- Decreasing # of cancer patients through early detection education
- Increasing number of people getting out of poverty through job readiness training
- Increasing number of orphaned children adopted throughout the world through story-telling
- Decreasing the incidence of childhood abuse through mobilizing advocacy campaigns.
In yesterday’s post, I discussed how most nonprofits don’t even know how mobile marketing and technology can best support their cause. However, nonprofit professionals and board members – time is not on your side.
Being overwhelmed is completely understandable and expected. This is why Atlantic BT is providing mobile strategy sessions to 12 semi-finalists, selected from our esteemed panel of judges once our May 18th submission deadline arrives.
Our mobile strategy session will establish a solid direction by addressing such questions as:
- What are your biggest organizational challenges? (funding is always first in mind – but not always right approach)
- Who is your target audience? You likely have more than one. What are these people really like and how do they want to be communicated with?
- Who is your competition and what are they doing?
One size doesn’t fit all. Many nonprofits thought they could capitalize on Text2Give because others had. This wasn’t the case. But that doesn’t mean that mobile websites, mobile cause marketing and mobile fundraising applications can’t.
I STRONGLY believe if nonprofits do not start adding mobile technology to their infrastructure in some capacity soon they run serious risk of hurting their cause, the very people they exist to support.
Learn from others and join the conversation by submitting an entry – only 1 week left to go!
