034: Tech is for people |
It’s easy to get lost in the sea of tech tools, apps, and AI news stories these days. There’s just so much noise around the space that it’s becoming impossible to keep up with it all.
But work has always been done by people for people. And if these tools aren’t used to connect people to each other or help them do their work serving other people, then they’re not tools at all. They’re simply in the way.
Tech’s purpose should be to create greater connections between people. Email makes sense because you’re sending a message to a person. But digital ads are no different. The same goes for social posts.
Marketing loses the market when these channels are viewed as activities that need to be checked off instead of relationships that need to be built over the long run with deep care and commitment.
Are your emails built with the receiver in mind? Are your ads adding to people’s engagement with your organization? Is tech getting in the way of your relationships or making them stronger?
Snackable snippets |
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Using partnerships to expand the impact of stories 📖 One thing we learned when we surveyed our community was the value nonprofits placed in partnerships. In 2022, partnerships came in fifth place in terms of advertising spend, but in 2023, nonprofits are expecting partnerships to be their second highest investment in terms of advertising. A part of the nonprofit model is the idea that together we can go much further, and this is especially true when talking about the reach of a story. Leveraging your connections to expand the distance your stories can travel is critical when looking to engage and cultivate new audiences. Humanize the digital experience 🎧 Everything Becky and Jon touch at We are for Good is absolute gold, and their interview with Nejeed Kassam, co-founder and CEO of Keela and co-founder of Fundraising Kit, was no exception. “Tech is not created equal,” says Nejeed, who pointed out ways that technology isn’t properly serving the people it was created for. He also has some amazing insights on AI, especially on when it’s useful and when it instead gets in the way. Don’t design for your “users” 📖 Adobe offers a unique perspective on designing effectively: don’t focus your energies on pleasing the end user. This person is usually hard to identify and will likely lead your team on a wild goose chase as you attempt to make everyone happy. As we know, attempting to make everyone happy is the quickest way of making no one happy, which is why Adobe focuses on “challenge people.” These people will help you focus your design questions around the people that truly matter, and when they’re happy, your organization will end up happy too! |
In the news |
The Charitable Act was introduced to the House on May 17. The bill, if passed, would reinstate the universal charitable deduction, which was available during the 2020 and 2021 tax years. This would be a big deal for nonprofits as this deduction has been a real incentive for donors.
The latest news in the AI world has been the hesitancy of AI experts and public figures with continued, unregulated research in the field. Collectively this group has agreed to this intense statement: “Mitigating the risk of extinction from AI should be a global priority alongside other societal-scale risks such as pandemics and nuclear war.”
Something for your inspiration folder |
You likely already know the power of email marketing. Nonprofits have some of the highest open and engagement rates, and it’s a key channel when it comes time to find donations, members, or volunteers.
But the Peninsula Community Foundation took email to a whole new level. Leading up to their local giving day, GiveLocal757, they told a series of impact stories, leading to one big ask on the day of the event. Who knew that the humble email could go so far?