presbyterian foundation group
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Recommendation to PFB on how to create a sustainable competitive advantage using information technologyTRANSCRIPT
Presbyterian Foundation Group
Technology Analysis 2011 Robert Caplin, Keegan Clay, Ryan Hubbell, Sarah McElroy,
Maddie Philley, Andrea Wood
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Demographic Life Cycle Needs
How can The Presbyterian Foundation Group create a sustainable
competitive advantage using Information Technology?
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Step One: Target Demographics
building generations of giving
Before The Presbyterian Foundation Group (PFG)
can use technology to create a sustainable
foundation it first needs to target the population of
its prospective users. If targeted correctly, PFG can
build generations of giving. We have broken these
users into three age brackets: 10-30 representing
youth, 30-60 representing the middle aged core
group, and 60+ representing the elderly major
donor group.
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10-30 This group should be your foundation and
are the most tech savvy. These individuals
traditionally tend to not make major donations but
enjoy volunteering their time. If these individuals
can be reached, PFG will establish a strong next-
generation of core group of 30-60 year olds who
can help contribute financially and serve in various
leadership positions in the future.
30-60 This group is PFG’s core group. They consist
of working professionals and have many skill sets.
These individuals tend to volunteer less but have
large networks of professionals. They are able to
donate funds, and are most interested generating
wealth for their retirement.
60+ This age group is PFG’s chance to receive
large individual gifts. People in this group need
more personal attention and relationship building.
60+
10-30 30-60
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There is a large opportunity to establish a
network of planned giving members within the
church and its networks.
Step Two: Build a Board of Directors
consisting of at least one member
from each of the three target
demographics
The PFG currently has 19 board of trustee
members listed on the website. Most of these
members are over the age of 60. To have a
better understanding of younger
demographics we believe it’s in PFG’s best
interest to seek out new members aging
between 20-50 to develop a better
understanding of and a strategy to reach their
age demographic.
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Websites Tricks for Success 1. Make your site Donor Friendly
a. Media Friendly b. Volunteer Friendly
2. Organization’s Purpose Immediately Apparent
3. Consistent 4. Include News Section or Blog
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Step three: Innovate
It is much less expensive to renew a donor than to
find a new one. In the current economy it has
become more difficult to maintain a high volume
of donations and investments; however the
company that innovates in the current
environment, builds on donor information, uses
technology, and understands how to properly tie
them together will achieve future success.
Website
PFG’s current website, shown left, needs to be
redesigned. It’s too large for most computer
screens, meaning most people have to use the
scrollbar to navigate to the bottom of the page.
The page has too much information on the main
page. Users become confused when initially
opening the page. Think, “Less is More” when
developing a page. Having a simple, clean,
homepage design has the ability to reach all
demographics! We’ve listed a few websites below
that have received awards for their designs and
ease-of-use like the Greater Kansas City
Community Foundation also shown left.
Susan G. Komen for the Cure:
http://ww5.komen.org/
Metropolitan Inter-Faith Association:
http://www.mifa.org/
The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta:
http://www.cfgreateratlanta.org/
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Vanguard Charitable Foundation:
http://www.vanguardcharitable.org/
Donors are becoming more concerned with the
destination and effectiveness of their
contributions. PFG must value its donors. Having
an informative up-to-date website, is one of the
first steps.
Evaluating Fundraising Software
Currently, PFG runs on its own in-house
fundraising software. The advantages to this
system are simple: “Long-term users are familiar
with the system.” We strongly feel that PFG can
run much more smoothly on an outsourced
application service provider (ASP). PFG will,
incur initial costs to train employees and switch
the data to the new system. There may be initial
pushback from employees. Some comments
that may arise could be:
• Donor base may not be current, have
errors, difficult to extract information
• Computer systems may not be able to
support the system; only a few people
may know how to use it.
• Current system may not align with other
systems such as accounting, marketing,
and management.
These questions can all be answered by having
an application service provider.
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What can an Application Services Provider
ASP do for you?
What it all comes down to is this, if PFG chooses the
right ASP, over time it will reduce your system costs
and help your organization run more smoothly.
Consider the amount of money PFG is spending on
maintaining and running the current system.
Traditionally speaking maintaining and running an
IT system consists of 60%-80% of the total IT budget.
By outsourcing to companies who specialize in
these systems, over the long run, these costs can
be reduced by no less than 20%-40%. That
equates to a large amount of savings overtime
and allows PFG to focus on what it does best by
“acting as a vital part of the Presbyterian Church,
cultivating, attracting, and managing financial
resources of individuals and institutions to serve
Christ’s mission.”
Questions to ask an ASP
Our team cannot make the decision of which ASP
is right for you. We simply are not experts of the
inner workings of your organization. However we
have compiled a list of questions that will make it
easier for you to choose an ASP that will work for
your organization.
1. How many employees currently use the
internal system? When was the last upgrade?
2. What is the cost of the fundraising software?
Do you pay for different modules? Are there
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any add ons? Will it work with current
accounting software?
3. What hardware is required? What other
equipment or software such as internet
connection, and landlines, are needed?
4. What is the import capability for the ASP? Sent
electronically, manually, picked up? What’s
the cost?
5. How customizable is the system?
6. Where will the training take place? In-house?
Off site? Online?
7. What technical support is available? Is there a
charge?
By asking these questions you’ll have a better
understanding of the costs associated with the ASP
and support services available.
The Costs of Implementing the System
PFG must consider the full cost of implementing this
ASP system. One of the main costs that is
overlooked is staff time. Your current technical
manager and team will devote long hours working
with the ASP to convert the data properly and
implement the system in the following steps:
1. Clean the Data
Often the most expensive and time-consuming
process. This involves exporting the data to the
new software by mapping old fields to new,
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deleting redundant data, and testing data in
the new system.
2. Making the Switch
This is the point where you make the switch
from the old system to the new. It’s important
to schedule a grace period to work out any
bugs. The best time to schedule this change is
during slow volume periods in the
organization.
3. Implementing the System
Assign staff persons to be responsible for data
quality, creating reports, and defining security.
A manager should be appointed to oversee
the processes, responsibilities and train staff.
4. Training
Employees need to know how to use your
system. Establish online training sessions or
conduct them in- house. It is imperative that
training is administered on an on-going basis
to maintain consistency and uniformity within
PFG.
Tips for building your database
On the next page list 10 tips for you to help
build your next successful database
management system to establish the tie
between data and technology and make it a
successful fundraising tool. These steps were
compiled from Donor Strategies, Inc.
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The Social Network and the PFG
Currently the PFG does not utilize social media. We strongly feel that since
the PFG is not in the social networking game already, it better check in
soon. Wait much longer and the competition already utilizing the benefits
provided will pass PFG before it can make its first “Tweet.” If PFG has the
mindset that Facebook is only good for looking up friends, you’re missing
the boat! So what are the advantages of Social Media? Do you want to
tell your customers about a hot fund, or donor opportunity using little
resources to do so? One tweet can reach millions instantly. Do you want to
amass customer feedback across diverse demographics using a simple
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survey? Promote PFG’s Facebook presence in the marketing material and
website and watch the comments roll in! Do you want to increase
customer satisfaction and retain donors and investors? Respond directly to
their tweets and posts! Do you want to show how PFG beats the
competition? Post a video on YouTube telling a story of how a donation or
investment helped the community! Do you want to spread company
related news to third party sellers and clients or recruit highly qualified, well
connected employees? Create a LinkedIn account and network in a digital
way! The possibilities are endless. We will breakdown the networks on the
following pages and list how PFG can benefit from each one.
Tips for building a Successful Fundraising Database
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1. Determine what basic information should be collected on each donor or prospect. • Name, home address, telephone
number, office address, email address • Spouse name, other family members’
names • Gift and pledge information (date and
amount of gift or pledge, payment schedule.
• Source of gift (specific mail appeal, special event, personal solicitation, online)
• Purpose of gift (unrestricted, grogram gift, capital campaign gift, scholarship gift)
• Attendance at events • Newsletters, invitations, and other
organizational communications received
• Board and committee assignments • Board member or volunteer assigned
to donor (major gifts and capital campaigns
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2. Limit the number of staff and/or volunteers who enter data to ensure consistency and accuracy of data
3. Prepare a database procedures manual to train staff in proper procedures of data entry. This is critical for reports, mail merges, labels, and envelops
4. Have one or more mechanisms to capture the basic contact information you need such as on the reply card and/or envelope and required fields for making the gift online
5. Code reply cards and/or envelopes so that you can easily track the source of the gift.
6. Provide opportunities on reply card and online for donors to let you know what specific programs and areas that are of greatest interest to them
7. Train staff to carefully review response devices
8. Keep a record of all communications a
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donor or prospect receives. 9. Review your donors patterns of giving for
developing fundraising strategies and plans • Single or multiple gifts • Time of year gifts were made • Types of programs and projects supported • Fundraising method they respond to (mail,
event, online, personal solicitation) 10. Focus on gathering and tracking information
on major donors and prospects that you plan to use in developing personalized cultivation and solicitation strategies • Reports of meetings and telephone calls • Attendance at events • Board members and senior staff they
know • Their interests and activities with other
organizations.
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Facebook has over 500 million active
users, half of which log on daily for an
average session time of 55 minutes. That’s
1/12 of the entire human population! If
targeted correctly we’ll show you how
this technology can be used as a
competitive advantage.
The first step for PFG is to create a
Facebook page. It looks like either PFB or
someone else has already created a
page or several. To ensure that it’s your
organization adding the info steps must
be taken to set up a page. During this set
up phase, use the company logo, add
contacts and edit basic information. The
next step is promoting your page. Use the
Facebook advertising page to create ads
Tips for Successful Facebook Page
1. Create a Facebook page for your business
2. Promote your page 3. Don’t make it static 4. Measure your pages success 5. Keep putting in the effort
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to reach the target market. Visit
www.facebook.com/advertising for more
information. It’s a simple concept
advertising creates more interest and in
Facebook’s case more friends/fans
The third step is probably the most
important. Don’t make your page static.
What we mean by this is that you need to
give users a reason to keep coming back.
Simple updates such as a quick news
announcement of what’s going on in the
organization, encouraging feedback,
letting users take polls, and scheduling
and promoting special events are all
ways to keep members coming back.
The last step is measuring your success.
This can be as simple as reviewing the
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number of fans, comments, and likes.
These things mean more people are
viewing your page. The next cool feature
is that page administrators can view the
pages insights or statistics pertaining to
the number of monthly users as well as
other useful info. (Click see all in the
Insights box on the left side of the official
page)
REMEMBER! Facebook can be an
inexpensive but powerful way to reach
your audience but it isn’t magic. You
have to put in the effort and keep it
going.
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LinkedIn is a business-to-business
networking and sales tool. Profiles should
be set up for both the company and
individual employees. Managers,
executives, and board members should
be saying positive things about the PFG,
because interested parties will be most
likely to click on their page to find more
information. Currently when entering the
Presbyterian Foundation into LinkedIn only
Doug McArther and Mark Klemm are on
the list as leaders of the organization. We
were not able to find a company page
for the PFG.
So how can LinkedIn help you? Research
shows the number one benefit of a
LinkedIn account is for an account
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manager who wants to continue contact
with the client. Sales managers have said
their clients were more responsive via
LinkedIn than they were over voicemail or
email. Studies have shown that once
people make a connection with
someone, both parties place a higher
value on communication.
Create an individual and company
profile.
Choose between basic (free) business
(24.95per month) Business plus (49.95 per
month) or Pro (499.95 per month) It’s
recommended to start with basic and
build up from there.
Individual – Adding a photo makes it
more personable. The most important
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area is the summary because that is
where you can tell prospective clients or
employers what you can do for them.
Think of the summary section as your
space to pitch your strong selling points to
visitors.
Company - Company name, mission,
website. Link with Twitter and blog to
update real time messages to users. The
product and services tab show what you
can offer. The careers tab lets you post
job offerings
Be cautious of who you connect with. If
you don’t know your new contact and
they don’t appear to be interested the
business ask them why they want to be
LinkedIn with you.
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Twitter is a key resource in reaching
younger tech-savvy donors. Members
sign up to follow a company or individual
to receive updates. The key advantage
of Twitter is that it serves as an all-
encompassing informational outsource.
Members post updates called “Tweets”
that instantly send information to
subscribers. Imagine the consistency of
PFG’s message! One tweet distributes all
information! That’s “Tsweet!”
Key’s for Social Media Success
PFG needs to be ahead of the game.
One way to do this is by creating a strong
social media presence. That said, there
must be buy in from Senior Management
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and a dedicated resource team
committed to updating Facebook via live
Twitter “Tweets,” posting valuable
information on the site, and keeping the
content clean and transparent. Don’t
over post and don’t trust marketing
blitzes. Instead establish yourself as an
expert first and act as a resource and
you’ll pick up more customers along the
way. Finally, Update, Update, Update. A
static site is not going to continue to
generate interest. To help you learn more
about Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter
resources we’ve listed a few helpful sites
below for additional information:
All Facebook www.allfacebook.com go
to website for keep up on Facebook
developments good and bad
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LinkedIn Learning center
www.learn.linkedin.com best guide for
learning LinkedIn basic, site features and
users guides.
Lewis Howes www.lewishowes.com Expert
on using LinkedIn to help your business.
John Jantsch www.johnjantsch.com small
business marketing expert who addresses
both traditional and web marketing
techniques.
;
ITEC: Daniels College of Business Final Project
3/8/2011
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Conclusion
PFG is at a turning point. It can
continue to do what it’s doing today
or choose to innovate and become
a leader within the Presbyterian
community and other Foundations.
We hope our guide to finding the
right ASP and integration with Social
Media strategies is helpful and
benefits the PFG foundation for years
to come. We enjoyed working on this
project and thank you very much for
taking the time to listen. If you have
any additional questions regarding
our handout and presentation feel
free to contact us.
Sincerely,
Robert Caplin:
Keegan Clay:
Ryan Hubbell:
Sarah McElroy:
Maddie Philey:
Andrea Wood: