A recent post by Isaac Kiehl highlighted social media, and in particular the use of online photos, as a means by which nonprofits can improve interaction with the community. Online video takes this interaction one step further.

A report by tech giant Cisco found that 51% of all consumer internet traffic in 2011 was video traffic. The figure is expected to rise to 54% by 2016, at which time video-on-demand traffic will have tripled.

A particular benefit of videos for nonprofits is that, unlike the written word, or even still photographs, video uses moving imagery and sound to convey a message that in text often appears dry and disassociated from the viewer. The visceral experience allows the viewer to be effectively immersed in what it is you are trying to convey. Content is king, and according to content marketer Joe Pulizzi, nonprofits are the easiest of all to develop a content marketing strategy for, because they can tell the best stories: “All they have to do is go to their customers and do a short video or tell a story in words or pictures about how that person’s life was affected, as well as a short bit about how…

"We want/you need a social media campaign—Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Google+... and... and... and..."

If you have worked with associations within the last 7 years, chances are you have heard this at some point or another in a strategic planning meeting—somewhere. In an age where everything is at your fingertips and people are tweeting about what they had for dinner and checking into their favorite places in a blink of an eye, it has become taboo for someone to admit they don’t use social media in some capacity or another.

However, depending on the association you work for, getting the group to join the 21st century is more like getting a root canal than holding puppies. The challenge is explaining to your board the benefits of having the organization use social media tools, but also wondering how you are going to get a fan base when your members aren’t connected. Essentially, how do you start a social media campaign when your members aren't able to support you, virtually?

Justifying the means—for the naysayers.

The gentle, association staff response: Social media is the ultimate cost-effective grassroots movement—a word of mouth campaign that allows the world (if we want) to “hear” our mission, explore our causes, and essentially learn about our association in a matter of seconds.

The typical board member response: Why not? If we have a chance…

Have you ever been asked what you do for a living and when you responded, the person reacted as though you were Mother Teresa?

Some believe that nonprofit work is more of a calling than a career, but when one considers that this ‘calling’ is responsible for literally billions of dollars changing hands each year in our own country alone, it’s a calling of high importance. Not to mention one in which the skills set must be honed and finely tuned.

It’s rare to learn of someone who entered a nonprofit career having always known that this is what they were born to do. But, when considering helping young graduates transition to a career in nonprofit or even helping a mid-career professional make the leap from a for-profit vocation to one in the nonprofit sector, there are a few basics to keep in mind when mentoring a new nonprofit worker.

Encourage the employee to spend a few days doing information "downloads" from fellow staff members or if it’s a smaller nonprofit, from key volunteer leadership. Meeting with the people who have been active in the areas in which the worker will be assigned is invaluable. Urge them to become a listener and learner at first, rather than a talker. Have them prepare a list of contacts throughout these discussions that they should spend time reaching out to via telephone or, at times, in person, to acquaint themselves with these key people.

Work with the new…

Today the power and decisions of an organization’s top leadership are more apparent than ever. Susan G. Komen has been stumbling since the ill-fated decision to end its partnership with Planned Parenthood.

Komen’s leadership responded quickly to the public’s and their supporters’ criticism by restoring their partnership days later, but the organization has not looked the same since.  Recently, Komen’s president Liz Thompson announced that she will be stepping down in September but she leaves the organization with its long-term health in jeopardy; in some cases fundraising is down 20 to 30%, and as numbers for fall fundraising events come in, that figure may grow.

Susan G. Komen’s misstep is a loss for the entire nonprofit sector. Last year Komen was one of the most respected and well-known nonprofit brands, and served as a model for many organizations to aspire toward. Even for students of public relations crises, few predicted that Komen’s actions would prove to be this difficult to overcome.  Like many others, I hope to see Susan G. Komen regain its form and come out of these events as a stronger organization, but the mistakes made earlier this year provide an excellent learning opportunity.

Although the dust is far from settled on this story, I have been struck by how another organization has handled a similar public…

My term on the board of a national nonprofit professional association recently came to an end after more than 5 years—including a year as the chair of the board, and a year as immediate past board chair.

Per the by-laws, the immediate past board chair leads the nominations process for incoming board members. That process concluded in late spring and I have to admit that I learned some lessons along the way. I hope this blog post helps someone who may someday face the same issues that I faced.

Lesson #1. It might be obvious, but: get on it early.
Our by-laws stipulated the precise make-up of the nominations committee: a total of seven people. What was evident immediately is that coordinating the schedules of seven people plus an executive director—even for a phone call—is very difficult. This process will take longer than you think, regardless of how well organized you are.

Lesson #2. Talk with the full board about both the current and future composition of the board.
A month before the nominations process began, I asked the board chair for 20 minutes on a board agenda to discuss the board composition. In advance of that discussion, I sent an email to each member of the board asking them to answer 10 demographic questions, including their responsibilities (job titles can be misleading!) and “any…