Chad Norman
Manager of Internet Marketing at Blackbaud
Blackbaud is a global provider of software
and services designed specifically for nonprofit organizations.
Why did you get involved in charitable work?
I am passionate about
sustainable living, and Go Green Charleston has become a vital community
resource for others sharing that interest. I work hard to provide residents and
tourists the most thorough, accurate, and up-to-date information about
Charleston's green scene. This means lots of blogging, coding, answering email,
planning events, and developing programs for the community.
How can charitable giving be improved?
Simple things can make an
improvement: Let your supporters reach out to prospects, provide opportunities
to give smaller/targeted gifts, and engage in timely campaigns that are focused.
What can nonprofits do to improve their fundraising or
operations?
Managing relationships is crucial to successful fundraising
today, and technology has certainly made this easier. When nonprofits integrate
multiple channels of communication, they cast the net wider and deeper. Adding a
social media component to a traditional campaign allows your supporters to not
only develop relationships with your staff, but with each other. These
connections are the new platform for fundraising.
What makes an effective leader?
An effective leader can take many
forms, but the one that realizes they can't do everything themselves will have
the most success. With so many channels of communication available, it's easy to
get staff, volunteers, supporters, board members, and recipients involved in
your fundraising efforts. The key here is to let go of control and enable
others, something an effective leader will do naturally.
What changes would you like to see in the charitable sector?
I
would like to see more organizations putting supports on the front lines of the
marketing campaigns - they need to be telling and sharing the story themselves.
New technologies like social media are allowing this kind of interaction to
become commonplace, and the charitable sector must integrate these emerging
channels into their fundraising efforts.
