On the Bookshelf: Mobile for Good: A How-to Fundraising Guide for Nonprofits

Do you participate in your local immunization coalition or other non-profit organization in your community? If so, Mobile for Good: A How to Fundraising Guide for Nonprofits is a good resource. Written in an easy-to-follow style and tone, this guide by Heather Mansfield is useful even to those not well-versed in social media and other technologies commonly used today.

The book is divided into four parts that can be easily digested from cover to cover or in sections as needed:

• Create and Implement a Mobile and Social Fundraising Strategy – This section is comprised of six chapters and is full of useful information. Chapter one alone introduces the current state of fundraising as it relates to mobile and social media efforts as well as discusses demographics, such as who is currently donating money through these channels. A useful discussion of the different generations and their technology and giving tendencies is also included in chapter one.
  
  Subsequent chapters in this section address websites, including the importance of having a mobile-friendly website; email communications; online fundraising and mobile fundraising. Each of these chapters also provides a “top 10” list of best practices. For example, the email communications chapter highlights the “10 e-newsletter design best practices.”
• Create and Maintain a Mobile and Social Media Content Strategy – While part two is only comprised of two chapters, it is a useful section of the book for better understanding communication styles and how to create and leverage content on different platforms, such as blogs, e-books, apps and print, among others.
  
  Some readers will find the section about how to write a mobile and social content strategy (chapter 7) most helpful as it outlines the steps to creating two organizational documents — the strategy outline and goals and an editorial calendar.
• Using Mobile and Social Networks to Distribute Content – For those not well versed in the different social media channels, part three will be helpful as each chapter focuses on a popular social media platform. Separate chapters address Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Linkedin, and YouTube. A final chapter in this section addresses up and coming platforms including Pinterest, Instagram and Tumblr. Each chapter includes the “top 5 best practices for nonprofits” for that medium.
• Mobile and Social Media Campaigns for the Advanced Nonprofit – The final portion of the book addresses issues that nonprofits already using social media may face. Chapter 15 focuses on real-time communications, responding to crises and live events as well as leveraging awareness days. The final chapter discusses skills to look for when hiring a social media manager, a discussion of time requirements for social media undertakings and functional topics such as branding, advertising, copyrights and analytics.

The end of the book includes a “mobile and social fundraising success checklist.” The book is available at common booksellers and as an e-book.

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