Hi guys, I am creating a new category special events!
I am going to share with you some notes and feedback form events, workshops or other I’ll intend. And what a better way to inaugurate it than the social media week 
So last week I was at the conference named “Networked Nonprofit” – How social web transform humanitarian action?
We can observe that engagement has changed, people take initiatives on the internet through facebook fan pages or comments for examples. Organizations decided to deal and interact with them in adapting their communication strategies and tools. Advices and examples below 
Contents:
- Speakers
- New volunteers engagement and Internet – Introduction by Edouard Jacquet
- Networked Nonprofit by Beth Kanter (interviewed by Frédéric Bardeau) – Video
- Facebook heart of the system by Yves Colin – Fondation Abbé Pierre
- Social networks allow a humanization of organizations by Sabrina Haddadi – Chaine de l’espoir
- Stronghold and social networks a complex relation by Kevin Clech – French Red Cross
- Web strategy adapted to their public by Jonathan Debauve –CPCA
- Extra – Social Medias, lobbying and press relations
Speakers
- Kevin Clech, Croix-Rouge Française : www.croix-rouge.fr / @kclech
- Sabrina Haddadi, La Chaine de l’Espoir : www.chainedelespoir.org
- Beth Kanter (Skype Interview), Auteur of « Networked Nonprofit » : www.bethkanter.org / @Kanter
- Frédéric Bardeau, Agence LIMITE : agence-limite.fr /@fbardeau
- Yves Colin, Fondation Abbé-Pierre : www.fondation-abbe-pierre.fr / @Yves78
- Jonathan Debauve, Conférence Permanente des Coordinations Associatives (CPCA) : cpca.asso.fr, www.depuis1901.fr / @jdebauve
- Edouard Jacquet, Gullibear : www.gullibear.com / @jcktt
New volunteers engagement and Internet – Introduction by Edouard Jacquet
At the end of the 1990s there were some interrogations concerning militancy. There is no end at it. They are still there, probably because people put their faith in the associative sector, knowing that it’s an actor of change more than politics.
The engagement nature has change, it is more occasional and internet is a good way to handle it.
It’s more interesting to base the communication on militants who can spread the word than spread ourselves too thin. It also affects how associations communicate from a centralized way (a message to determine interlocutors) to a decentralized way. It’s true that they don’t control the message, but it can reach more people.
The first contact with an association is essential; the public has to know how they can help.
Moreover a lot of volunteers take initiatives on the web like fan pages or Facebook groups. So the question is how organizations can manage and interact with them?
Networked Nonprofit by Beth Kanter (interviewed by Frédéric Bardeau)
Interview de Beth Kanter sur les « Networked… par agence_limite
The 1990s seems to be an important time for nonprofit organizations. For Beth Kanter it was the moment when NGO decided to invest the web through emails. Those NGOs are more inclined to evolve with technologies.
There are two types of organizations, those created with internet and strongholds more traditional, very structured where you need 6 months to create a press release or where it’s quite difficult to create changes for examples. Activist organizations are more adaptable and able to evolve because they’re originally networked. On the other side, area like health care can’t adapt easily due to confidentiality.
For Beth Kanter, organizations need to evolve slowly through 4 baby steps: « Crawl, Walk, Run, Fly ».
If they have fears or concerned about internet, web evolutions, etc. NGO need to think about it because « You have to be before you do ».
Simplicity is the key word!
The organization’s communication strategy requires concrete objectives and to use different channels. The important point is that social medias has to be integrated in the communication strategy!
Concerning engagement, people are not convinced at the first place and at the same time. So the communication strategy needs to include several steps to convince (interpellations, discussions, etc.). However, « supporters base » is an important element in communication and fundraising strategies, with the good training they are awesome fundraisers and spokespersons.
Facebook heart of the system by Yves Colin – Fondation Abbé Pierre
This year, Fondation Abbé Pierre celebrated its 20th anniversary! The foundation is acting for accommodation through public interpellations, feed with its actions in the field.
Its communication strategy is to assume the founder identity with rants in interpellatif ways and militant guerrilla.
For the campaign « mobilisation générale pour le logement » the strategy was built on a two year period through four steps:
1 / carton rouge – Nov 2010 – Juill 2011
2/ A webdoc wich recieved several prices like « Prix Europa 2011 » and « Grand Prix Communication & Entreprise 2011 » – « A l’abri de rien »
+ 100 000 views and approximately 20 minutes spent each time
3/ launching of the civilian mobilization call for accommodations
Objectif 400 000 signatures
4/ 1st February 2012 – accommodation day
Presentation of the official report
Propose to sign a social contract for accommodation engagements
Hope – presidential candidates will sign it
Impact on social networks
- Facebook: strong evolution of the militant base
sept.2011 to feb.2012: +8000 to +180 000
- Twitter: important evolution, but needs to be stabilize – direct tool
sept.2011 to feb.2012: +2000 to +11 000
They observed that the activity augmented when there was an event. So social networks are the guiding lights and support to the campaign. However, events, people and press relations stay central!»
Social networks allow a humanization of organizations by Sabrina Haddadi – Chaine de l’espoir
Chaine de l’espoir is an organization which works for children through education and surgery with children send in France for surgery, field missions, training and equipment.
Storytelling is the base of the communication strategy. The objective is raising funds. They socialize their website through share buttons and kids’ stories.
The interesting point is how people naturally socialise the organisation through social media:
- Surgeons in the field share stories and exchange with their former patients through their personal accounts.
- After a documentary about two children travelling to another state for a surgery, one unfortunately died. Immediately people went on the facebook page to support the team and families. The surgeon responded to comments with its personal account.
- Foster families can create a blog from the Chaine de l’espoir website to share their stories.
The digital strategy speaks to all people who communicate naturally. So the organization capitalized on their community natural communication to humanize its brand.
Stronghold and social networks a complex relation by Kevin Clech – French Red Cross
The French Red Cross will celebrate its 150 anniversary in 2014! That is quite an old lady! The central principle is neutrality, which is quite delicate with social medias.
The main difficulty for the web part is that everyone knows the Red-Cross, but no one really knows it. There are several missions in France and the International Field. This diversity is quite difficult to manage and to keep people interested because they are more interested in areas like international actions or « maraude ».
The organization started on social networks with specific campaigns, but didn’t do anything with it after the end. The changes are happening, but they are slow, it takes time for this type of organization.
The activity peak is more important during disasters
Moreover they have 17000 people working for the organization in France, 50 000 volunteers who are taking possession of the web. They count on professionals and citizen actor to communicate.
Web strategy adapted to their public by Jonathan Debauve –CPCA
The organization represents associations in France, but found some difficulties to communicate with them. Moreover, little associations don’t have tools to preach for their cause.
So CPCA decided to divide their communication in creating two websites: one more institutional for associations’ directors and another for the public.
The website for the public they started with social medias and then created the website.
Extra – Social Medias, lobbying and press relations
Organizations don’t use social medias for lobbying or interacting with politics. It’s a « private process » through networks, one to one exchanges.
However, you can’t have an influence on politics if you aren’t recognized and sustain by the public. So social media can be a tool to build influence, but it’s not a direct lobbying tool. Besides, you need to be someone to influence directly a political man like the director of Human Rights Watch when he called out Alain Jupé before his trip to Birmany.
Concerning press relations, Twitter is a good place to exchange with the new generation of journalists, like those specialized in the nonprofit sector as Youphil. It’s more an exchange, which takes time to create a link and there is no direct impact. You have to be patient.
You can follow the event on twitter with #SMWnetworkedNPO and #networkedNPO
