communications

SXSW 2018 PanelPicker—Cast Your Vote by August 25!

Posted on by Case Foundation

Every year, the Case Foundation and our partners love to share some of our exciting work and ideas that we find compelling from the South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive stage. This past March, we celebrated the Case Foundation’s 20th anniversary at SXSW by hosting the #GetInTheArena lounge and presenting on four panels. We got to talk about Inclusive Entrepreneurship, Impact Investing, millennial engagement, social good and the important role citizens play in science in the 21st century. We worked with incredible speakers and learned invaluable lessons on innovation across movements.

This year, we submitted 14 panel ideas for the SXSW PanelPicker that discuss topics like diversity in entrepreneurship, women in Impact Investing, millennial engagement, open source technology, business journalism, user generated content, digital analytics and more.

We need your help getting them to SXSW 2018. Below you’ll find out about each panel and how you can vote for them. In addition to casting your vote, you can help these important topics be part of the discussion at SXSW by spreading the word with the social messages below and encouraging your friends and networks to vote as well.

See our panels below and be sure to vote before SXSW PanelPicker voting ends on August 25th!

Under Her Eye: Women Are Our Future

Women—nearly 4 billion strong—are our business leaders, entrepreneurs, investors, global leaders, journalists, scientists, philanthropists and CEOs making their mark on the world today. Women multiply the impact of an investment made in them by building businesses that outperform, creating better lives for their family and cultivating strong communities. Explore why women are vital to long-term business and community success and meet dynamic female leaders championing other women.

Speakers

Vote Here

Tweet this: Why are women vital to long-term business success? Vote for @CaseFoundation’s #SXSW2018 panel to find out: https://bit.ly/2wqwcSP

Gen Unaware: Can Millennials Invest for Impact?

The next generation of investors are bringing increased attention to the world of sustainable and impactful investing. As more investors and consumers put real focus on how companies stack up on environmental, social and governance criteria, these factors influence markets, and by extension, business. Learn new strategies that can turn you into an impact investor today.

Speakers

Vote Here

Tweet this: Interested in learning about how Millennials can invest for impact? Vote for this #SXSW2018 panel from @CaseFoundation https://bit.ly/2vGwBlQ

Building a More Inclusive Startup Culture

Leading women in tech continue to speak out about injustices in working with tech executives and investors, but gender and racial imbalances remain. Meanwhile, Paris, London and other European cities are pouring money into innovative startups. This panel will explore how government, big tech and investors can help build a more inclusive and innovative startup ecosystem. The panelists will also discuss getting past the unconscious biases of VCs that tend to invest in founders who resemble them.

Speakers

Vote Here

Tweet this: I’m hoping to discuss how to increase diversity in the startup world at #SXSW2018. Vote for my panel here: https://bit.ly/2vj28Zb

Get in the Arena: Fearless Changemakers Tell All

Meet the leaders, activists and social entrepreneurs who drive and inspire us to change the world. From igniting civic engagement, to creating sustainable oceans, and leveling the playing field for entrepreneurs of color, these social impact champions are catalyzing efforts to create transformative change. Join the Case Foundation as they explore the breakthrough organizations and individuals who are taking bold risks, and failing forward in order to produce exponential social returns.

Speakers

Vote Here

Tweet this: Want to know how social impact champions are living our #BeFearless principles? Vote for this #SXSW2018 panel https://bit.ly/2vdyJkG

The Overlooked Future of Entrepreneurship: Latinx

The Latinx community accounts for more than half of the population growth in the US, but Latinx entrepreneurs represent less than two percent of venture-backed companies. Hear from Latinx entrepreneurs and the investors who back them to understand who they are, what they’re building and why investors should be paying attention to this important group of entrepreneurs.

Speakers

Vote Here

Tweet this: Want to hear about the future of Latinx entrepreneurship at #SXSW2018? Vote for @CaseFoundation’s panel here: https://bit.ly/2vfMtJV

Creating a Movement through User Generated Content

User Generated Content (UGC) has quickly become a valuable form of marketing, and today’s rich analytics environment means we have more information than ever about how people are reacting to brands and using different platforms. But creating a campaign that leverages UGC across multiple channels—playing to each of their strengths—remains a challenge for many marketers. Join Nat Geo, ONE Campaign, NBCU and the Case Foundation to see how they are creating cross-platform campaigns centered on UGC.

Speakers

Vote Here

Tweet this: Want to learn how to create a movement w/ user generated content @ #SXSW2018? Vote for @CaseFoundation’s panel here https://bit.ly/2vdxO3t

Women and Wealth: The Drivers of Impact Investing

With news of the $41 trillion intergenerational wealth transfer, there’s a real opportunity to change the face of social impact. Wealthy women are taking over familial decision making, armed with a view of the world that blends profit and purpose. Young millennial women are also making waves to disrupt traditional structures and try their own hand at changing the world. This panel will examine the role women will play to truly tip the Impact Investing movement.

Speakers

Vote Here

Tweet this: How are women driving Impact Investing? Help @CaseFoundation discuss at #SXSW2018 by voting for this panel on #ImpInv https://bit.ly/2wnK002

No Margin, No Mission: Building Social Enterprises

Social enterprise is not always not-for-profit and having a great idea is not enough to create a sustainable impact venture. Generating revenue via sales or fundraising is critical to the sustainability of social enterprises. Learn from experts on how to weave mission throughout the fabric of impact ventures, while transforming idea into viable businesses. Join Halcyon for this session to see how we do it!

Speakers

  • Sheila Herrling, Senior Vice President for Social Innovation, Case Foundation
  • William Eggers, Executive Director, Center for Government Insights, Deloitte
  • Melissa Bradley, Professor, McDonough School of Business, Georgetown University
  • Ryan Ross, Program Director, Halcyon Incubator, Halcyon

Vote Here

Tweet this: Want to know how a for-profit startup can be a high-impact social enterprise? Vote for this #SXSW2018 panel: https://bit.ly/2vgqfZV

Build It & They’ll Come! Data Viz for the Dataless

Data visualizations are a great way to communicate a complex subject or issue, but how can you leverage this powerful storytelling tool with imperfect data? By being fearless! Using the Case Foundation’s Impact Investing Network Map as a case study, we’ll dig in with data science & impact investing experts to discuss leveraging available resources & creative problem solving to build a useful data visualization platform, while creating conditions and infrastructure to meet your eventual objective

Speakers

Vote Here

Tweet this: How does the Network Map leverage data visualization with imperfect data? Vote for this #SXSW2018 panel to find out: https://bit.ly/2fqyAoy

The $1 Million Club

Fewer than twenty African American woman have raised more than a million dollars in venture capital. What’s going on here? Meet some of those women and the investors who back them. Learn why they are building the next breakthrough businesses that will change America.

Speakers

Vote Here

Tweet this: <20 African American women have raised over $1M in VC. Vote for this #SXSW2018 panel that will discuss the issue https://bit.ly/2ujOo2I

Improving Digital Communications Through Analytics

In the fast moving world of digital communications, it can be hard to find the time to step back and evaluate what is working, what is not, and where there is room to innovate—but doing so has never been more critical. In this hands on workshop, take some time to learn how to build an internal Analytics, SEO and KPI’s (ASK) team, set up regular, smart digital experiments and report them out to senior staff in a way that is relevant, interesting and actionable.

Speakers

Vote Here

Tweet this: Want to learn how to step up your digital comms & analytics game @ #SXSW2018? Vote for this panel from @CaseFoundation https://bit.ly/2vd8muR

Next Frontier in Philanthropy: Open Source

As technology continues to be a pivotal element of social-change oriented activities, it is imperative that these efforts have access and tools to use open source software. Leaders from both the nonprofit and technology sectors explain why recognizing open source contributions made by individuals and organizations as a new form of philanthropy is crucial to the future of both sectors. This includes well-established projects but it also increasingly includes purpose-built technologies.

Speakers

Vote Here

Tweet this: #OpenSource is the next trend in philanthropy. Vote for this #SXSW2018 panel that will discuss how the 2 come together https://bit.ly/2uAeKJ5

Millennial Activism in the Trump Presidency

On Saturday, Jan 21, 2017 we witnessed a massive shift in social issue engagement. Millennials took to the streets with an energy, never before seen for this generation. Petitions began to drive online voice to real-life action, showing Millennials what issues affect them, how to contact reps and where to meet for protests. But what does all of this energy add up to? What do Millennials really care about and what action are they taking? Join a discussion on the research tackling these questions.

Speakers

Vote Here

Tweet this: How did the 2016 election affect Millennial activism? Vote for this #SXSW2018 panel that will look at the research https://bit.ly/2hDq0Dr

Covering America: Journalists Challenging the Business

Journalists are conquering stereotypes and busting myths everyday through their digital, online and print platforms. Meanwhile, newsrooms are taking increased steps to cover diverse audiences and the changing demographics of business in America. The Case Foundation leads the conversation on how news agencies are sharing stories that shatter the status quo. Seasoned journalists share how they are covering communities of color, inclusive networks and entrepreneurs who are the new faces of business.

Speakers

Vote Here

Tweet this: How are journalists’ stories changing entrepreneurship? Vote for @CaseFoundation’s #SXSW2018 panel to find out: https://bit.ly/2vLy23m

Our Most Popular Blogs of 2016

Posted on by Case Foundation

As we kick off the new year, we are taking a look back at our most popular blogs from 2016 to revisit key moments that inspired us here at the Case Foundation. We’ve collected the 10 most popular pieces—as determined by our community of readers. These blogs represent our areas of work in catalyzing movements and inspiring ideas that can change the world. We hope thes will remind us all to be bold, take risks and fail forward together around the issues you care most about in the coming year!

  1. Our Fearless Journey From Mission to Movements, by Jean Case

2016 was a year of transition for many, and the Case Foundation was no different. In August, our CEO Jean Case wrote about the journey we have taken from mission to movements, and how—as we have taken a journey of self-exploration and come to better understand our work & DNA—the Case Foundation has reframed our work. We’ve always been in the business of transformative change, but have come to realize that our real “special sauce” is that we use a Be Fearless approach to catalyze movements around social innovation and tip the scales form intention to action.

  1. Words Matter: How Should We Talk About Impact Investing?, by Jean Case

In March, our CEO Jean Case joined partners from Omidyar Network, Ford Foundation and MacArthur Foundation, together with the Global Impact Investing Network and the Global Social Impact Investing Steering Group, to unveil research that tracked and analyzed coverage of the topic of impact investing in traditional and social media and shared insight into how the way we talk about impact investing can play a powerful role in informing, educating and activating people around the movement.

  1. Trailblazing Women in Impact Investing, by Sheila Herrling

2016 was a year of momentum for Impact Investing. From the Treasury Department and IRS’s release of new PRI regulations, to high profile new social impact funds like TPG’s $2 billion Rise fund, it’s evident that the movement is picking up steam. And another noticeable trend has stood out: women are emerging as a driving force behind its growth. In August, our SVP of Social Innovation, Sheila Herrling, wrote what would go on to become our second most popular blog post of the year, highlighting these trailblazing women in Impact Investing. We can’t wait to see the momentum continue in 2017.

  1. The 2016 Millennial Impact Report – Phase 1, by Emily Yu

One of the hottest topics of 2016 was the election, so it is not surprising that on of our top blog posts of the year was about our Millennial Impact Report, which looked at how Millennials were engaging with the election and how the election effected their cause engagement. Among our top blogs was also “Millennials Cast Their Vote For Cause Engagement,” another post on the Millennial Impact Report, this time about Phase 2.

  1. 2016 Conferences On Our Radar, by Jade Floyd

2016 was an action packed year for the Case Foundation, and much of the great momentum we saw this year was fueled by wonderful in-person interactions at conferences and convenings. From SXSW, to SOCAP, to crisscrossing the country for #FacesofFounders activations at the White House, the New York Stock Exchange, Forbes 30 Under 30 Summit, Google’s headquarters and more, we loved getting the chance to reach beyond our bubbles and meet so many changemakers face-to-face. Keep an eye out for our upcoming list of 2017 Conferences On Our Radar.

  1. Twitter Lists:

We’ve loved the conversations we have and information we learn from the engaged social impact communities on Twitter. In 2015 we started a series of Twitter lists to help people join in these conversations and better know who to follow to find out more about topics we care deeply about. Several of these lists made it into our top blog posts of 2016:

  1. The Myth of the E-Word, by Sheila Herrling

Our Myth of the Entrepreneur series was started in the fall of 2015 to take a critical look at the common stories and myths told in startup culture, and as it continued into 2016, it was clear that the myths were striking a chord with our readers. The Myth of the “E Word” post contemplated the term “entrepreneur” itself as a possible barrier to expanding and diversifying entrepreneurship. “The Myth of STEM; The Only Way,” and “The Myth of the Coasts” also found their way into our top blog posts this year. We look forward to busting more myths in 2017 that are holding us back and breaking down barriers to entrepreneurship faced by women and entrepreneurs of color.

  1. One Fearless Question that Paved the Way for Women in Government, by Jean Case

On International Women’s Day, our CEO Jean Case shared a story about the fearless trailblazers Vera Glaser and Barbara Hackman Franklin. Vera Glaser’s #BeFearless question to President Richard Nixon questioning why more women were not a part of his cabinet set off an effort, headed by Barbara Hackman Franklin, that changed women’s access to high-level appointments in federal government. Our readers also enjoyed other Be Fearless examples that made it into our top blog post lists, such as our spotlight on the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Jean’s blog post “Confronting Risk in Today’s Nonprofits.” You can learn more about how to Be Fearless in your pursuit of social good on our Be Fearless Hub.

  1. What’s Trending—Using Your Business as a Force For Good, by Sheila Herrling and Hardik Savalia

We are proud to partner with B Lab and their ground breaking work to help businesses identify and measure their social impact, and through the popularity of this blog post, it is clear that our readers are also excited about the potential of the B Impact Assessment. We’re excited that the Assessment can help all businesses, not just certified B Corps, to join the movement to redefine success for business, and measure their ability to build stronger communities, create environmentally sustainable operations or cultivate empowering employment opportunities.

  1. Innovation Madness: Elite Eight, by Jessica Zetzman

In conjunction with the NCAA Tournament, the Case Foundation decided to put our own twist on March Madness and introduced Innovation Madness, a celebration of Women’s History Month and the women who have been influential innovators in exploration, business and the STEM fields—yet are not recognized as often as their male counterparts. Our whole staff got in on the fun, chosing their favorite innovators, and we loved that hundreds of people voted and participated in Innovation Madness on social media. Check out the original bracket, the Elite Eight, the Final Four and the Champion.

…

We are thrilled that these blog posts resonated with our readers in 2016, and look forward to continuing great conversations on and offline in 2017. Tell us what you want to read more about by using #CaseBlogs on Twitter.

“Making Ideas Move” at ComNet 2015

Posted on by Case Foundation

More than 500 social sector communications professionals from foundations and organizations across the globe gathered this month for engaging dialogues on using the power of digital storytelling to drive social impact, demystifying design and the making of movements. They joined together for the Communications Network conference in San Diego themed “Making Ideas Move.” Fellow communicators from organizations like the Ford Foundation, Grantmakers for Effective Organizations, Carnegie Corporation of New York, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Center for American Progress, Rockefeller Foundation, World Wildlife Fund, ONE Campaign and many others trekked to sunny California for the two-day learning event.

Here are highlights from two of the sessions that I participated in over the course of the convening and takeaways on how to move ideas forward, by making big bets and failing forward.

  • Fireside Chat with Soledad O’BrienI had the pleasure of joining Soledad O’Brien, one of the most well respected working journalists of our time, on stage for a fireside discussion on opening day. Our talk included a discussion on: the changing dynamics of news agencies; the rise of Millennials and how they are consuming news; and her launch of Starfish Media Group. A multi-platform media production and distribution company, Starfish Media Group is dedicated to uncovering and producing empowering stories that take a challenging look at the often divisive issues of race, class, wealth, poverty and opportunity. O’Brien produces two hit series “Black in America” and “Latino in America,” which are among CNN’s most successful domestic and international franchises.

    O’Brien also created the Starfish Foundation, an organization that sends young women to and through college. The organization has supported dozens of young women in their educational pursuits, believing that they too can succeed when faced with difficult circumstances. In her book, The Next Big Story: My Journey through the land of possibilities, O’Brien shares valuable lessons and insights into her journalistic career, many of which we discussed during our time on stage.

    “My storytelling is an exploration of the world’s problems—that people have the potential to do good and make good and seize from the bad if they will only make a choice to do it,” she noted. O’Brien also shared her lessons on failure with the audience, saying, “Making mistakes should be about learning lessons, not wallowing in failure.” You can watch the complete interview, below (beginning at 14:55):

https://vimeo.com/142297055

  • “You’ve Got the “Big Idea”, How the Heck Do You Execute It?”I also joined the panel discussion “You’ve Got the “Big Idea,” How the Heck Do You Execute It?” with Kate Emanuel of the Ad Council, Alex Kennaugh of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and Amy Levner of KaBOOM! We shared with attendees how communications can turn big, audacious goals into a tangible, executable and measurable strategy—that doesn’t take years to achieve—and how to use smart research to achieve those goals.

    Case in point, NRDC aims to combat food waste in the U.S., where 40 percent of food goes uneaten equating to more than $165 billion in wasted food each year. Kennaugh explained how the NRDC published an essential guide called the Waste-Free Kitchen Handbook, packed with “engaging shopping checklists, creative recipes, practical strategies and educational infographics” offering an easy ways to save food and money. Meanwhile, Levner explained how research confirms that play—physically active, imaginative and interactive play—is a powerful, healthy living solution that benefits the whole child. KaBOOM! has teamed up with the 50 Fund and the NFL Foundation to support nine counties of the Bay Area alone, helping to transform sidewalks and spaces that encourage activity.

I look forward to joining Communications Network in 2016 as they head to Detroit and gather social sector leaders from foundations and nonprofits who share the belief that big ideas, coupled with smart and strategic communications, have the power to transform society, improve lives and change the world.

Finding Your Organization’s Digital Road Map

Posted on by Case Foundation

Creating and maintaining a cohesive digital communications strategy – one that brings together proprietary websites, external outlets for content (e.g. Huffington Post, Forbes or Tumblr) and popular social networking platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat to name a few) – is a critical way for organizations to connect with audiences and solidify their online presence. However, with thousands of platforms and apps to choose from, and new ones emerging every week, it is becoming increasingly challenging for organizations to effectively utilize these communication channels.

As early adapters to new technologies, our team at the Case Foundation has learned from experience that juggling too many platforms can become a distraction when your goal is quality engagement with your target audience. What is an organization to do? The answer—start by creating your own digital road map.

Collaborating with our partners at Weber Shandwick for the Communications Network’s publication Change Agent (in conjunction with the ComNet15 conference), we’ve identified five simple steps for anyone looking to streamline their online channels and more effectively engage their audiences.

  • Define your audience
  • Map out your digital ecosystem
  • Leave room for experimentation
  • Define and realign your content strategy
  • Make adjustments as you go

Our hope is that these tips will help you focus your efforts in the ever-evolving digital sphere!

Digital Road Map 1

Digital Road Map2

Latest Email Marketing Benchmarks and Tips for Nonprofits

Posted on by Case Foundation

 

Email remains one of the most effective communication tools for organizations when they want to engage with constituents, peers, community members and others. But like many of us across sectors, we are not using our email channels as effectively as we could be—and for those of us in the nonprofit sector that is ultimately costing us volunteers, donors, advocates, website visitors and more.

Earlier this week, Laurie Hood, VP of Product Marketing for Silverpop, an IBM Company, presented a webinar titled, Email Marketing Benchmarks: How Do You Measure Up? Hood’s presentation aimed to answer one of the key questions communication leaders consider every time they hit “send” on an email to subscribers—how are your email marketing campaigns performing compared to the average? If asked this about your own email program, would you know the answer? Does it matter?

Hosted by the American Marketing Association, the session was based on Silverpop’s 2015 Email Marketing Metrics Benchmark Study analyzing emails sent by nearly 3,000 brands and 750 companies from more than 40 countries between January 1 and December 31, 2014. The takeaway for those of us in the nonprofit sector and really anyone providing communications through email is that yes, it does matter how your email is performing because the content you share is useless if no one opens what you have painstakingly prepared.

Here are some of the most often used benchmarks when it comes to email marketing that you can use to determine how you measure up:

OPEN RATES

Unique Open Rates: how many people “view” or “open” the email based on whether or not the recipient enables the images in the email or the recipient interacts with the email by clicking on a link.

Overall

  • Mean* = 21.0%
  • Median** = 17.4%
  • Top Quartile*** = 41.3%
  • Bottom Quartile**** = 7.0%

US

  • Mean = 20.7%
  • Median = 16.7%
  • Top Quartile = 40.9%
  • Bottom Quartile = 7.5%

Nonprofits, Association, Government

  • Mean = 27.5%
  • Median = 24.7%
  • Top Quartile = 48.1%
  • Bottom Quartile = 8.0%

Transactional Opens: transactional emails are most often sent by a company, store, vendor or service provider for example, as a follow up to an action taken by the email recipient. Opens for these specific emails are referred to as “transactional opens.”

  • Mean = 44.9%
  • Median = 45.9%
  • Top Quartile = 72.2%
  • Bottom Quartile = 16.6%

By nature of it being a follow-up with an already engaged recipient who trusts the sender the open rates are extremely high compared to when no transaction has occurred. In the social sector, transactional emails often occur after a donation has been made, a volunteer service has been performed or online engagement such as signing a petition has taken place. The follow-up email is often a good place to further engage with your recipient due to the predictable level of engagement shown by the transactional open rate.

 

CLICKS

Click-Through Rates (CTRs): the number of users who click on a specific link out of the total users who viewed the email.

Overall

  • Mean = 2.3%
  • Median = 1.4%
  • Top Quartile = 9.4%

US

  • Mean = 3.0%
  • Median = 1.3%
  • Top Quartile = 9.0%

Nonprofits, Association, Government

  • Mean = 4.0%
  • Median = 2.0%
  • Top Quartile = 11.4%
  • Bottom Quartile = 0.3%

Click-to-Open Rate: of the subscribers who opened the email, how many clicked on a link or image, etc.

Overall

  • Mean = 12.6%
  • Median = 9.4%
  • Top Quartile = 28.7%

US

  • Mean = 11.8%
  • Median = 8.5%
  • Top Quartile = 27.2%

 

LIST CHURN

Hard Bounces: a permanent reason an email cannot be delivered such as a non-existent domain or when a user has blocked your emails.

Overall

  • Mean = .547%
  • Median = .021%
  • Top Quartile = 0%

US

  • Mean = 0.568%
  • Median = 0.260%
  • Top Quartile = 0%

Unsubscribes: when someone chooses to no longer be on a mailing list.

Overall

  • Mean = .130%
  • Median = .021%
  • Top Quartile = 0%

US

  • Mean = .131%
  • Median = .021%
  • Top Quartile = 0%

 

TIPS

Hood also shared several tips to help anyone improve their email communications. I found these three to be particularly helpful when it comes to increasing the success of your email program.

 Tip #1: Make your email as easy to read as possible. The simplest way to do this is to increase the size of the font for the copy. Hood suggests using the following guidelines for font size:

  • Body Copy 14 px+
  • Headlines 22 px+
  • Buttons 44 px by 44 px

Tip #2: Remember to design your email for the devices your readers are using. Hood reminded listeners that in some cases, more than 50 percent of emails these days are being opened on mobile devices. This percentage is only going to increase over time, so be sure to take design for desktop, mobile, etc. into consideration.

Tip #3: Tell your readers what you want them to do – make it obvious! This means making sure your copy is action-oriented and provides readers with a direct and specific call-to-action.

 

One final note—remember, data and benchmarks should be used as a diagnostic tool and taken into consideration alongside elements of design, strength of your list and how active your subscribers are relative to your content, rather than alone or without context.

As part of the Case Foundation’s efforts to improve our own online presence and strengthen our communication channels, we too are taking a look at our own email program and assessing what we can do to improve the experience of our subscribers and future readers. I hope you can also put these benchmarks and tips to use in improving your email distribution!

If you have your own email marketing tips, questions or ideas specific to the nonprofit sector, please share and join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #CFBlog.

 

Definitions

  • *Mean – the “average,” derived when you add up all the numbers in your data set and then divide by the number of numbers.
  • **Median – the “middle” value in the list of numbers or data set.
  • ***Top Quartile – the top 25 percent of data, which Silverpop then took the average to determine what the “Top Quartile” was.
  • ****Bottom Quartile – the bottom 25 percent of data, which Silverpop then took the average to determine what the Bottom Quartile was.

 

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