Websites Can be Fun

In the world of websites often designers and developers are faced with the reality that functionality and usability are the two most important factors in a website. While there is room for creativity, when building a website it is important to put functionality first.

While building GoodTube, a team of developers said it was “too pretty”. There are rotating backgrounds for each region represented and a lot of color.  Often time pretty elements like photos and elaborate backgrounds increase the load time and are discouraged by developers. GoodTube however, has a simple layout on the informational pages that are focused on text. The design of GoodTube works for a video site that is ment to be visual.   An organizational site however, will have be centered around text and providing information. I was reading a white paper from Marketbirght the other day which essential said that lengthy flash intros are out and simple fast loading html is in.

Does this mean that your organization can’t ever let loose and create a beautiful masterpiece online? No! In fact I was delighted to find the perfect example of beauty and functionality from one of my favorite organizations – The Nature Conservancy.

Take a look at their website below. It’s a great site with straight forward navigation. All of the search and browse items are located in the top left with relevant links close by.  Their promotional items are placed further down the page and use more graphics to get people attention. It’s functional,clean and has a great heirarchy of information but it isn’t pretty.

On the other hand The Nature Conservancy built a microsite to promote their Plant a Billion campaign- www.plantabillion.org.  This page is visually striking, with an image as a background and flash elements. The great thing about this promotional site is that the information is easy to find and the purpose of the site is simple and straight forward. A users can clearly see what the creators wanted them to do- learn about why more trees need to be planted and how to help.  The donation link is easy to find  and one can learn more without leaving the page.

For the next promotional campaign try creating a site like this that is fun and functional.  The plant a billion site is exciting and made me excited about giving my money to the organization. Here some tips to creating a visually stunning, promotional microsite:

- Use imagery that sums up the campaign. Think outside the box.  Instead of using a photo of acres of tress The Nature Conservancy choose a close up image showing the soil and roots.

- Select two or three main tasks you want users to do while on the site. Place links on the first page, above the fold near the left side of the site.  The Nature Conservancy selected has three goals: educate about the problem,introduce the solution and donate.

- Once you have determined the tasks , order them that is logical to how users will make a decision. With the first task closest to the left. (people read left to right) For instance, on the plantabillion.org the first peice of information is called the facts, this introduces users to the problem. Second is a tab called the solution, the user knows that there is a problem and now they see the solution.  Finally, the act now tab encourages users to help solve the problem by helping with the solution.

- Select a url that sums up the campaign and is easy for a person to remember after visiting your site.  The Nature Conservancy set out to plant a billion trees thus the url is www.plantabillion.org.

- Place a share option prominently on the page, after the final task. If you place a share link after users have read about your cause they are more likely to share the page because they are now invested in the cause. People are more likely to share sites that are fun and visually interesting make it easy for people to share.

- Include a tally of the success of the campaign.

- Place promos on the right of the page. Promos are ment to peak the interest of users that are already interested in the cause. Placing the promos to the right gives users the next step after they have leared about what your organization is trying to accomplish. Remember people read from left to right, top to bottom. Organization your information this way, with the most important near the top left corner.

- Don’t clutter the page, focus on a primary design and don’t overdo it with to many elements.

- Finally, make the site fun. Plantabillion.org has a fun feature in the lower right hand corner. When you roll over the markers they pop up and you can learn more about the trees you are helping plant. Remember this is a fun element not the primary purpose so put elements like this on the right toward the bottom.

Have you stumbled across a get website promoting a cause that demonstrates the topics I covered? Tell me about it.

Have you stumbled across a horrible website attempting to promote a cause? Tell me about it.

Harsh Economy Equals Fewer Donations. How Can Your Non Profit Survive?

The sluggish United States economy is affecting millions of people across the country. We are all searching for areas to cut back and save money. Non profit organizations are feeling the pitch as well, finding it increasingly difficult to raise funds. An estimated 29 percent of individuals say they will decrease their charitable giving this fall, according to a study conducted by the Grizzard Communications Group.

Only 13 percent of the 500 individuals surveyed said that they planed on increasing their giving from the previous year. An important consideration for non profits becomes who are these people and how do I reach them. Respondents between the ages of 25-34 are the most likely to increase their giving the study found. Gizzard’s vice president and senior strategist, Terry Barber, emphasizes the importance of attracting these young philanthropist. Younger people usually don’t have as much invested in the stock market so they are less affected by falling stock prices. People age 25-34 are also less likely to have families and mortgages.

Reaching this younger audience will require non profits to rethink their marketing strategies. Those organizations that take advantage of the new media will be more successful than those organizations that don’t have an online marketing strategy.

Social marketing is key to reaching people between the ages of 25-34. Non profit specific sites like change.org and idealist.org are a great place to get your organizations message out and increase donations. Not only will you introduce your organization but also start a conversation about what your organization can achieve with their support.

Non profit marketers must rethink how they are delivering their message online. A great new technology is online video and web users have responded to this medium in a profound way. YouTube’s non profit program and GoodTube.org are video sites specific to non profit organizations and chartable causes.

Videos allows people to connect more emotionally with your organizations cause. You are no longer limited to text and photographs, you can now take potential donors where you work and introduce them to who they can help.

Blogging is another new technology non profit organizations should take advantage of to start a conversation about their organization.

The best thing about all these new technologies, they are all accessible and affordable. The people you reach with these mediums are not only younger but they are seeking out causes to support.

I would love to here is any success stories of non profit organizations that have incorporated blogging, videos or social networking into their marketing.

Clean Water

When it comes to water the hardest thing we have to do is decide between Smart or Fiji, sparkling or still. A bottle with a sports top or twist top. We have no idea what it would be like to go thirsty or die of dehydration.

This is not the reality for 1.1 billion people in the World today. People have to walk miles to collect water for their families, the water is dirty and full of disease. It is the sad reality of many developing countries.

Luckily, for some of those 1.1 billion people Scott Harris founded charity:water. A charity devoted to bring clean water to third countries around the World. The organization sells twenty dollar bottles of water, with all the proceeds going to a fund that build wells in developing countries.  Clean water improves health, hygiene and overall quality of life. Having water accessible saves families time allowing mothers to work and children to get an education.  

Check out charity:water’s new video starring Jennifer Connelly  and directed by Terry George (director of Hotel Rwanda).

The video is great because it takes a situation happening in African villages everyday and brings it home. It shows what we would have to go through each day, what our children would drink if we didn’t have clean water in our taps, fridges and shelves. 

This year the World Health Organization dedicated World Health Day to “Protecting Health from Climate Changes”. As the climate changes due to an increase in greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere our water supply is affected. While most developed countries don’t notice, the countries who get their water from rivers and streams do notice. Flooding, sporadic rainfall and drought all affect the water supply and the spread of water born viruses.

Water is a necessity of life, H2O is used in nearly all of humans cellular functions. It’s great to see an organization be so successful in bringing water to those who need it most. You go charity : water!

 

 

 

Volunteer Trips

Spring break is a popular ritual for college students around the country. Students flock to places like Mexico, Florida and Lake Havasu to get away from books, homework and professors. Spring break is often associated with parties, drinking and crazy college antics. However, more and more college students are opting for a very different kind of spring break.

Alternative Spring Break Trips are vacations for students who want to do service work. The trips are set up by non profit organizations, colleges, universities, charities and religious organizations. Students either work in large or small groups do anything from tutor children, build schools or help the homeless.

Choice Humanitarian is a non profit organization that sets up trips for students and families all over the world. Check out a video about Choice Humanitarian’s work in an African village on GoodTube. The volunteers dig ditches, build schools and play with African school children. All in all the trip is a win win situation for all involved.

Ascend is another organization that connects volunteers with humanitarian vacations. Ascend’s primary focus is helping impoverished people ascend from poverty. Volunteers travel to the poorest regions in the world to help people learn skills to be self sufficient.

The following are tips from of an article from Suit 101.com entitled “Alternative Spring Break Tips” by Naomi Rockler-Gladen. It is helpful for students or parents who are interested in finding out more about Alternative Spring Breaks.

” Where do I find out about Alternative Spring Break Trips? Many colleges and universities now organize Alternative Spring Breaks for their students. Contact your school’s Office of Community Service (or similarly named office). You may also look into Alternative Spring Break programs at nearby colleges. Many colleges and universities organize trips with the help of Break Away, an organization that has been very active in the Alternative Spring Break movement since 1991. Check out their website to see if your school is affiliated with Break Away, and to see if there’s a link on their site to your school’s Alternative Spring Break Program.

What kinds of activities do students participate in? All kinds of things. Some of the volunteer work involves manual labor, such as building houses and schools and clearing away debris from storm-torn areas. Habitat for Humanity, an organization that builds homes for families, offers a Collegiate Challenge for groups of five or more students to get involved. Other work involves tutoring children, working with the elderly and hospital patients, teaching English to immigrants, or registering voters in rural areas. Do some research to find an activity that you find meaningful and feel comfortable with.

Do these trips cost money? Most of these trips do come with fees, which vary greatly. Does it sound odd that you’re expected to pay to help people? Maybe. But charitable organizations don’t have the money to pay for the expenses of thousands of volunteers, so the fees are necessary. If money’s tight, do some research for inexpensive volunteer opportunities, and some organizations may be willing to waive your fee if necessary. Suffice to say, none of these volunteer efforts will cost as much as it would to spend a week in Cancun.

Can anyone participate? Many Alternative Spring Break trips require students to apply for participation. In some cases the application process is simple and almost everyone who applies can participate, but some opportunities are more competitive. Again, do some research to find trips that suit you best.

How far in advance do I need to plan an Alternative Spring Break trip? As far as possible. This trips are complicated to organize, and many have deadlines to apply for participation.

Is there still a need for students to volunteer to help Katrina victims in New Orleans and the Gulf Region? Absolutely. In 2006 and 2007, thousands of students spent their Spring Break rebuilding homes, parks, and schools throughout the Gulf Region, and help is very much still needed. Campus Crusade for Christ, an organization responsible for organizing the participation of thousands of students in Katrina relief efforts last year, is organizing four-day long relief trips to the Gulf Region for students. Many local affiliates of Hillel, the largest campus Jewish organization, also are organizing trips. In conjunction with thinkMTV, The United Way also is organizing an Alternative Spring Break effort in the Gulf Region.

Are there international Alternative Spring Breaks? Absolutely. These trips are considerably more expensive than domestic trips, but your experiences will be unforgettable. If you’re interested in international volunteer work trips, you may want to wait until summer or winter break and take a longer trip. One organization to contact is United Planet, which organizes volunteers to help people in need worldwide. i-to-i, a similar organization that focuses largely on environmental volunteerism, is organizing Spring Break trips to Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, and Honduras.

These trips aren’t just for students, many organizations set up trips for anyone who is interested. National Geographic lists volunteer trips for people interested in doing research. Here are a couple of examples from an online exclusive from nationalgeographic.com.

1. Carry Chimps in Uganda
Supported by the Jane Goodall Institute, the Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary (www.ngambaisland.org) in Uganda is at the front line of primate research. You’ll hike through the forest, recording observations in a diary as juvenile chimps swing from tree to tree alongside you. “Some of them want to be carried,” says Liz Roodt, a staff member. Bring an extra camera battery. Year-round, one-week stays start at $1,500.

2. Explore Jurassic Park, USA
Roughly 140 million years ago, a 6,000-foot-high (1,829-meter-high) plateau in Red Lodge, Montana, was a stegosaurus watering hole. During a dig with the Cincinnati Museum Center (www.cincymuseum.org) you can lay trowel to the site, now chock-full of fossils. The week-long trip in July 2006 costs $1,200. The Wyoming Dinosaur Center (www.wyodino.org) in Thermopolis, Wyoming, offers a similar, day-long program for $125. Both sites are two hours from Yellowstone National Park.