I met Kurtlan Massarsky in a recent #smNPchat on Twitter and initially contacted him to discuss his agency’s monthly giving program. During our chat he mentioned his experience in utilizing the shopping site Groupon for his nonprofit, Northeast Animal Shelter. I wasn’t very familiar with the concept of Groupon for nonprofits and asked Kurtlan if he’d be interested in a guest post. Take it away Kurtlan …
We’re all familiar with the laments of the non-profit one-person Development shop. Consistently staying on message, acting as marketing/branding/fundraiser and relationship manager whilst convincing our Boards that the time to make a change has come all fall under the purview of people dedicated to their organization and cause. Then again, we’ve asked for this, haven’t we? This is more than a profession: it’s a calling.
With the advent and increasing importance of the technologically savvy donor, our focus in the development world has had to add yet another layer to a persistently complex profession. Social Media. Capitalize those letters folks; you can no longer ignore the fundraising value of new and emerging businesses, vehicles and networking sites.
Our recent success at Northeast Animal Shelter with Groupon serves to highlight the importance of reaching out to intriguing new-ish businesses and, as always, reminds us: “don’t be afraid to ask!”
I initially contacted Groupon to feel them out as a potential sponsor. Perhaps for an event, or perhaps even as a major corporate sponsor. Their name was 
appearing everywhere, and their relatively new presence in the Boston area indicated to me that they might want to take advantage of the local marketing cachet that Northeast Animal Shelter can provide. As one of New England’s largest and most respected no-kill shelters, NEAS has been serving the North Shore (and beyond) for over 35 years. That goes a long way in the hallowed halls of Yankee pedigree. Alas, I was told that Groupon was not interested in participating in any type of sponsorship. Not to be deterred, I asked if there was any way in which they WOULD be interested in partnering with our shelter. The answer: A resounding “YES!”
The nascent non-profit Groupon campaign department were heartwarmingly enthusiastic about NEAS and our mission to rescue and re-home dogs and cats. A few short weeks of preparation and we were presented with the heartfelt plea to their over 800,000 LOCAL subscribers. The focus of our Groupon campaign was that NEAS pays a substantial sum of money to transport dogs from high-kill shelters to the safety of New England and a no-kill shelter. Groupon was careful to point out to potential donors that they were not receiving any goods or services for their donation, and that 100% of the donations went to the shelter. Following Groupon’s business model, we needed to get at least 60 people to donate $10. Once our deal “tipped,” we would get that $600 plus any donations that went beyond that amount. That being said, if we received fewer than 60 donors, no one would be charged and nor would NEAS receive any donations at all.
Here’s where the real work began, at least for me. Groupon had been superb about putting together the campaign with humor and compassion, but it was now up to us at NEAS to continue to promote the campaign to ensure that we would indeed “tip” our deal. I went to work furiously promoting the campaign through our Facebook page and Twitter account. Practically glued to the screen, I then pleaded with other local Facebook pages, local news outlets and popular bloggers to publicize the 3-day campaign. By about noon on the first day of the campaign we had surpassed our goal of 60 donors; but it wasn’t over yet! I promoted the campaign by offering incentives to the local community. A free birthday party at the Shelter if we reach $1,500! A $50 PetCo gift certificate if we reach $2,500! I involved individuals and businesses to keep people incentivized enough to continue donating. Most importantly, I answered every question posted on our Facebook wall, Twitter account or via e-mail. By the end of the 3-day campaign NEAS had acquired over $5,000 in new, un-restricted donations. We are the second highest-earning regional non-profit campaign Groupon has had to date.
Of course when you’re marketing material consists of adorable puppies and fluff-ball kittens, you start out with a bit of an advantage; but the results of our campaign surprised everyone. After our campaign I asked our campaign manager why he thought we had been so successful. He answered without hesitation, “Your neurotic attention to your social media and network and the sensitivity you showed new donors!” He had never seen someone so consistently encourage their followers with so much information, incentive and enthusiasm.
It isn’t enough to simply have “Likes” on Facebook or “Tweeple” on Twitter. One must ENGAGE. One must somehow dig deep in to those reservoirs of enthusiasm and commitment and communicate it outward. Our campaign with Groupon exposed us to nearly 1 million people in the Boston metro-area. That’s a great marketing bonus right there. What matters more, and has continued to have a lasting impact is the personal attention the shelter was able to show the people who had already showed their potential interest. By liking us on Facebook or following us on Twitter, thousands of people had already shown that they WANTED to be involved, but how to reach them? How do we engage? Start simple. Start small. Start with $10. Once someone has given $10 they are significantly more likely to read your newsletters, attend your events and tell their friends about it. Social Media affords all of us fundraisers to interact on that very important personal level that can lead to all sorts of rich and lucrative relationships. The 20-somethings donating $10 through Groupon today are the future corporate leaders that may donate $100,000 tomorrow.
About Kurtlan Massarsky
Kurtlan Massarsky is a non-profit enthusiast who has dabbled in nearly every aspect of fundraising and development. After having attended Bard College he has always tried to bring a philanthropic slant to his career, and is now happily ensconced in Salem, MA as the Development Officer at Northeast Animal Shelter. Kurtlan also spends time volunteering for local LGBTQ advocacy groups and hopes to continue his work towards equality for all creatures. His two dogs and cats are only in it for the food and fame.
Kurtlan can be reached via E-Mail (Kurtlan.Scott@gmail.com), Twitter (@ImEveryKurtlan) or on LinkedIn.
View Pamela Grow's profile
I can’t wait to meet with you personally.
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