Lessons on digital from the not-for-profit world
When associations are more connected than businesses
It is estimated that about 57% of the world’s population is connected to Internet and that gives us huge clues as to where brands must be to reach their audiences (prospects, leads, clients) and develop their business. Indeed, digital has taken a huge place in organizations’ strategy and therefore has become their priority area of investment. According to Euler Hermes, in 2018, French companies have invested more than 7 billion euros in digital.
However, people tend to think the for-profit sector is the only one that has realized the importance of a digital presence to survive and of embracing new digital opportunities. While it may have been the commercial sector who took the first steps, the not-for-profit sector is now catching up fast. For instance, UNICEF France increased its budget in digital by 19% between 2017 and 2019. This article will highlight how much the non-profit sector has digitized — even more than certain companies in some ways.
Aurélie Montheard, digital fundraising officer at UNICEF France and former SEA/SEO manager at Pierre & Vacances Center Parcs Group, understands better than most the differences and similarities in terms of digitalization between companies and the nonprofit sector. Here she gives us an insight into the challenges facing both sectors.
- Can you tell us more about your current job?
(Aurélie Montheard) I’m working as a digital fundraising officer at UNICEF France. I’m in charge of different acquisition channels: SEO, SEA, social ads, display, native ads… My role is also to optimize the conversion rate on the UNICEF website and to AB test different elements on several pages to increase donations.
Moreover, I work on transversal campaigns including every department of UNICEF. So, I mainly have fundraising objectives, but I also help other services (legacy, volunteering, partnership, advocacy and more) to achieve their specified goals on that involved the digital environment.
- Before going to UNICEF, did you fear a gap in terms of digital strategy and technologies related to the fact that it is an association?
My previous work experience was in the private sector (tourism, Pierre & Vacances Center Parcs) where the vision was very ROI and data-oriented. I learned to work in an environment with the pressure of turnover and sales objectives. So, indeed, before going to UNICEF I thought that the charity sector would be less requiring in terms of results, less updated in terms of digital tools and have a lower budget.
- Do you feel a difference in the digital ecosystem (practices, tools, strategy) between your former organization and your current one?
I think that there is a difference in digital strategy according to sectors because the general objectives are different. Indeed, in the private sector, every euro invested must ensure the profitability of the company. It’s a bit different at UNICEF because ROI is not the main objective at times. Indeed, there is a huge challenge that relies on being present on media each time an emergency happens in the world (typhoon, hurricane, floods or war). According to this kind of scenario, the digital strategy is not focused on ROI but more on visibility and immediate fundraising.
However, it doesn’t mean that we do not pay attention to the money invested. On the contrary, we are constantly trying to implement an audience segmentation strategy to touch the best person at the best moment.
In terms of digital innovation, I think that UNICEF is well above Pierre & Vacances. Indeed, UNICEF has implemented a lot of highly digitalized projects these last years. For instance, in 2018, UNICEF and the advertising agency BETC reinvented free giving with Operation GAME CHANGERS, the first humanitarian fundraiser using a cryptocurrency, the Ethereum. Furthermore, UNICEF just implemented a chatbot on its website few weeks ago. Recently, UNICEF also organized a hackathon to find solutions about specific issues related to children in need thanks to the blockchain process.
Finally, UNICEF has nothing to envy to private companies about digital tools used to optimize campaigns or websites. We are using the same kind of tools and even trying new ones that are not known in the private sector. Here are some examples of the tools we used: Google analytics/ads, AB Tasty, Hotjar, Pixelme, Admo…
- Would you say that in some ways, the non-profit sector is more digitalized than some companies?
Yes, because of the reasons I have explained previously, I would say that the nonprofit sector can be in some ways in advance in digital. Moreover, tech companies that are looking for more social impact, are also actors of the digitalization of the nonprofit sector. For example, last year, Facebook offers us some ads credits to use the donation tools on their platform. Also, Google allows us to have a Google grant account and to diffuse free ads on their search engine.
In addition to that, I spoke a lot about digital strategy in the office, but UNICEF is also in advance in terms of using new technologies on the field. For example, UNICEF delivers vaccines to the most inaccessible places with drones.
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Profit and non-profit, is there a difference?
Even if they are different, the way they reach their objectives is quite similar. It is critical to understand that although profit and non-profit actors use different, their processes are not that far apart. While companies are looking for increasing their sales and their number of customers, associations are looking for increasing their donations and their number of donors. Based on this observation, the marketing strategy declined by both sectors is pretty much the same.
So it is for the digital area! The use of digital marketing is mandatory whatever you are trying to achieve in order to bring you visibility, traffic and sales/ donations. Associations have understood that and have digitalized their processes.
· In terms of acquisition, associations have increased their online presence. Indeed, they use online channels as FB ads campaigns, SEA, SEO, display to reach new people. According to the objective they want to achieve and the audience they want to target (volunteers, donors, legacy) they invest on the channel that suits better.
· In terms of loyalty, associations have built an email timeline journey for donors in order to raise loyalty (newsletter, thankful email, information on the use of their donation…). Thanks to the data collected on donors, they know which content to send them, at what time of the year, in order to optimize their interest and finally their donation.
· In terms of communication, the use of social media is now generalized (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) in the nonprofit sectors that counts some actors that have built strong communities. For instance, MSF has almost 1.5 million followers on Facebook, same for the RED cross.
The nonprofit sector has digitalized itself much more than what people think. However, this evolution has mainly occurred in the big beasts in the sector and non-digital fundraising such as postal letters remain a big channel for donations and funds. As smaller organisations catch the larger ones, digital development will continue to be a huge opportunity just as it has been for the commercial sector — and for society as a whole.
