Is everybody talking about you yet?

The mysterious Don't Tell The Donor blogger has a column now in The NonProfit Times, the first of which asks an interesting question: Our Donors Are Talking -- What Are We Afraid Of?

How would you feel if you discovered that 500 of your donors had created a group on a social networking Web site like Facebook to publicly discuss their experiences donating to your organization?

"A Fundraiser" thinks you'd freak. I hope you'd throw a party. The point is, sooner or later, this is going to happen. And it won't be on your terms. People will just start talking about you -- and their topics will be the things that matter to them, not what your brand guidelines mandate as the talking points.

So here's what to start doing now:

• Do something worth talking about. Something good, not a scandal.
  
• Serve donors flawlessly. No mistakes. No long delays. Get everything right.
  
• Respect donors. Treat 'em like they're your Mom.
  

Then get out of the way and let them talk. You'll have little to fear and a lot to gain.

Technorati Tags: fundraising, cgm, nptech

Comments

[David Brazeal]

I'm with you up to a point, Jeff.

I think your second bullet point might be inadvertantly intimidating. Part of the reason nonprofits are so hesitant to participate in online conversations is that they're paralyzed by fear of making a mistake. We're trapped in that brochure mentality -- we feel like we have to proofread everything we say 100 times before it goes to the printer, because once it's "out there," it can never come back again.

I'd like to see you tweak #2 to "Try to serve donors flawlessly, and be open and honest with them when you've screwed up."