The Friendlist
The Friendlist
An easy way for nonprofits to immediately begin participating in Fundraising 2.0 is to create something called the Friendlist.
This is not a replication of an existing donor, volunteer, or other in-house database. The Friendlist is a list of Habits, Emotions, Aspirations, and Rituals that a nonprofit feels is most accurately representative of their prospects. A Friendlist may change based on corresponding changes in nonprofit campaigns, shifts in economies, new trends in pop culture or social media, etc. Having said that, it is a great exercise in ensuring an accurate understanding of prospects such that ensuing Brandraising and Friendraising activities are as effective as possible.
Habits are “live” activities that prospects engage in on a regular basis outside of their home and workplace. The outcome of this exercise is to categorically identify potential host venues and activities that can be affordably engaged for Brandraising and Fundraising on a regular basis. Examples:
· Eating out
· Watching sports
· Playing sports
· Getting manicures
· Working out
· Attending networking events
Emotions, in this context of making a Friendlist, represent the manners in which the core commitment of the nonprofit may be articulated by prospects. It will be these keywords, or variations of articulating emotions, that facilitate online social networking (online Friendraising). Examples:
· Fight against Breast Cancer
· Mom and Breast Cancer
· Walk for Breast Cancer
· Help Breast Cancer
· Stay Healthy Breast Cancer
Aspirations are activities that prospects do NOT engage in on a regular basis, but wish they could. These activities are ones that the added layer of a call-to-action from a nonprofit might compel prospects to engage. The point of this exercise is to identify potential venues and content for F20 events. Examples:
· Test driving luxury cars
· Spa services
· Food tasting
· Cooking class
· Meet a celebrity
Rituals, in this context, are professional and social communication activities that prospects engage in on a regular basis. Listing these mediums will identify where Brandraising and Friendraising may be most productive. Examples:
· YouTube
· MySpace
· Blogging
· Bookmarking
· Mobile Messaging (SMS, MMS, etc.)
· Proximity Messaging
Once a Friendlist is created, it will serve as a great roadmap for nonprofits and/or complimentary Fundraising 2.0 event planning resources in expediting and negotiating live events for nonprofits to help them raise money sooner than later.
Nice blog. You got this one up in no time and it looks great.
Ira Lichtenstein
April 27, 2009