18NTC: PS Digital takes on the Big Easy!

With my five collective years working on digital nonprofit marketing, I consider myself fairly new on the nonprofit scene. I tend to ask a lot of questions and I’d like to think of myself as a sponge; eager to soak up as much knowledge as possible. So when offered the chance to attend the fabulous Nonprofit Technology Conference (NTC) this year, I jumped at the opportunity. The fact that it was in New Orleans was a perk, but mostly I was excited to talk about fundraising with like-minded individuals.

The sessions were inspiring, the people were delightful and there were so many service providers I didn’t have a chance to talk with everyone. But after being swept away by it all, these  things really stood out:

The session, entitled, “Love ‘Em or Lose ‘Em: Find and Nurture Sustainers to Build Lifelong Relationships and Lifetime Value” with speakers Peter Di Maso of UNICEF, Paul Habig of Sanky, David Onate of African Wildlife Foundation and Josh Pearson of Drug Policy Alliance was by far one of my favorites. The takeaways that could be implemented right away resonated most for me, including:

• Transform your “Thermometer” graphic now. While providing an update on your goal can be very powerful, at some point your donors eyes are going to glaze over once they see ANOTHER thermometer graphic. Think outside the box and try to incorporate your organization’s missions and goals into it. Also it’s OKAY to report that you’re struggling to reach the goal – vulnerability translates to urgency and can increase conversions.

• Use an upsell modal. Pausing the transaction midstream to ask a donor if they’d like to make their one-time gift a monthly one creates a seamless user experience and makes it easy for your donors to convert. The modal shows up when the user clicks to process their donation so their transaction has not yet been completed. If they say “Yes, I’d like to make a monthly gift”, it automatically processes as a monthly gift. If they say “No”, it continues processing the one-time gift.

The exhibit hall was full of passionate people who were not only working hard making the world a better place, but moreover working with the nonprofits to make their lives easier. From eCRMs, to data processing dashboards, and technologies of the future in the form of auto-texting robots, and smart video camera services, there was so much to see. I really enjoyed the demos of the products, detailed explanations and how best to leverage the various tech offerings throughout our digital marketing strategies.

One of the most engaging sessions, entitled “Planning Effective Digital Engagement Campaigns with Limited Resources” incorporated interaction directly with speakers Chris Tuttle of GLSEN and Joe Moran of True Colors Fund. They provided live interactive tweeting on campaigns from the audience. The pair spoke to people individually as well as generally about how best to support their digital planning efforts. Helpful resources like a “Digital Engagement Campaign Plan” were also provided to attendees. I don’t know about you, but I love a good handout.

Overall the sessions had knowledgeable and energetic speakers who did an incredible job involving the audiences throughout the presentations. One thing I would definitely recommend you absolutely do not skip next year are the ignites. These fast-paced and thought-provoking, five minute sessions were spoken highly of by my colleagues. Business Development Director, Meg Ferguson stated: “They resonated personally and professionally and reinforced the importance of goals in all aspects of our lives.”

The 2019 Nonprofit Technology Conference will take place in Portland, Oregon and if it’s anything like 18NTC, you won’t want to miss it.