What Are Your Options Besides Social Media And Newsletters?
A few weeks ago I was on a webinar with a breakout room topic of “Digital Communication and Engagement for Nonprofits” - I was excited because this is what MilkCrate is all about. Imagine my surprise and a touch of disappointment when the only topics and tools being shared were social media platforms. Luckily during the discussion I was able to bring up the additional tools that we work with - specifically mobile apps - as well as other tools like learning management systems, sms tools, newsletter distribution tools, and more. Several of these were brand new to many of the attendees and so the idea for this blog post was born - to help nonprofit professionals working in or around the organization’s communication and engagement efforts to make sure you are aware of ALL your options not just the ones that make these giant tech companies rich by feeding off your users’ personal data!
So! To begin, we all know that the main goal of most nonprofit organizations is to make the world a better place in some measurable way- which almost always requires them to broaden their reach and directly engage with people who care about their mission. Creating content on social media and crafting email newsletters are two of the widely used methods to achieve this goal. However, what about when you want to regularly engage and reach people beyond these tools? You can see on a previous blog post the challenges that relying on Facebook and similar tools have so I won’t repeat them here but they are numerous! (Click here to read the blog post!).
Creating your own ‘walled garden’ where you can freely engage with and collect data from your users is by having a mobile app. Until MilkCrate, this was widely inaccessible technology for most nonprofits because of cost and expertise. We are very proud of the templated system we have created that has allowed so many nonprofits to launch an app that broadens their reach, boosts engagement, and increases their impact. Having an app for your organization is a unique asset that will help you run better programs that can prove impact to funders.
How can having an app help your organization achieve its goals?
Beyond leveraging social media, having an app allows you to regularly engage users, track progress, and more effectively reach your goals. MilkCrate templated apps allow your nonprofit to customize your users’ experience within your organization’s app platform. MilkCrate offers many customizable features for your app including tracking users’ demographics, managing content, setting goals for users, and much more. These features allow organizations to be engaged with their members and track their progress. Along with these features, organizations can take control of the app with their brand’s logo, colors, and font. MilkCrate also offers features that foster conversation and interaction among app users. For example, users can complete tasks for points and then compete against each other on a leaderboard. Another available feature is a social feed in which users can share their progress and keep up with other users. Having an app allows your organization to post content, engage with users, and manage your goals all in one place. There are so many possibilities when building your own app with MilkCrate.
How has MilkCrate helped build apps for nonprofit organizations?
MilkCrate works closely with clients to ensure their vision is executed when building an app. MilkCrate offers templated apps to serve different types of nonprofit organizations such as volunteer management, community engagement, and even more specific types such as for farm gleaning and social justice programs. From there - clients can customize these apps to their liking to ensure the best possible experience for users.
Testimonial
“A Really Important Tool for Communication and Housing Information”
“Having an all in one platform where we can pull our volunteers and supporters into one place has been really helpful, especially as we plan for and think about what this program year will look like.”
Julia Quintavalle, Program Director, Youth Volunteer Corps, Read the case study, “An App for Engaging Youth In Volunteer Work.”
Click here to read more testimonials from MilkCrate’s nonprofit clients!
What are some other options for digital communication besides an app?
There are many tools to boost engagement that exist within social media such as interactive videos, scheduled posts, and more. However outside of social media, newsletters, and apps, there are other tools that can be used to promote your organization to the world. Writing blog posts is an effective way to educate and engage your audience on various topics related to your organization. Within a blog post, you can feature your work within the organization, any topics related to your organization, or even highlight testimonials from your community. Another tool is creating Youtube videos. Youtube is a social media platform in which users can create video content to share with viewers. Youtube videos can act as a visual aid for your organization. Outside of marketing tools, there are also many digital communication tools for fundraising for your nonprofit. For example, the app Donorperfect allows organizations to manage and track donations. Another app called Classy offers services which focus on peer-to-peer fundraising and crowdfunding. Finally, the app Givesmart provides customized tools for mobile event bidding and event management. These apps provide useful tools for your nonprofit fundraising efforts. Finally, there are several apps that are geared towards program delivery and ensuring that information and services reach your participants. For example, Coursera and Blackboard are two widely used learning management tools which offer online courses, certifications, and course management. The app Apricot allows you to securely schedule appointments and track your participants attendance goals. Finally, MilkCrate provides tools to build program participant and volunteer tracking apps. These apps allow your organization to ensure that your content is reaching your participants and volunteers to ensure that your goals are being fulfilled.