Besides being in the business of helping people- what do all nonprofit organizations have in common? Founder of LetsAllDoGood- Greg McHale thinks he knows the answer. Every nonprofit he speaks to whether it’s a large nonprofit or one that is just starting up, has the same problem. When trying to reach their donor base- emails just aren’t enough. Click-through rates of emails are steadily declining and organic Facebook ads aren’t filling that gap. McHale states, “If you’re not using paid posts- no one is seeing your stuff.” This is a problem he believes his smartphone app can fix. LetsAllDoGood is an app currently available on iPhones that lets charities reach their supporters through their smartphones. According to their website the app, “empowers them [supporters and potential donors] to be more actively engaged…by giving them a direct line to all you [the nonprofit organization] do- and then making it really easy for them to get involved and to share.”
In Use:
To date, close to 40 nonprofits have signed on to use the app and over 500 of their supporters have too. Among these organizations are WGBH, Autism Speaks: New England Chapter, Massachusetts Nonprofit Network, and Franklin Park Zoo. Users can click on the charities they want to hear more from and can opt-in for “Push notifications” or alerts whenever their favorite charities post to the app. Many of these organizations saw their click through rates skyrocket from 8.7% (on IOS) to 54% when their supporters opted in for Push notifications. Not only do their supporters click on the push notification but they spend an average of one minute and thirty seconds engaged with the platform.
In the future, the app wants to expand to all smartphones. They also want to be able to add tags to posts so supporters can easily find nonprofits that match their likes. Within the next year they want to be able to integrate the app into a supporter’s everyday life. For instance, “Buy cheerios-donation to the food pantry” informing users that a percentage of every box of cereal sold will go to helping a food pantry.
Technology Used:
Users and nonprofit organizations alike only need to own an iPhone to use the platform. While the app is coming to all smartphones soon, it’s currently only available on the iPhone.
Ease of Use:
The platform is user friendly for supporters who can opt in for push notifications, see what’s happening at a glance, and discover other nonprofit they may be interested in following. There is also a calendar where users can save events and share with friends who may be interested in attending. When it comes to the backend- nonprofit organizations can take advantage of the content management system which provides the user space to add events, news, pictures, and business sponsors.
Recap:
LetsAllDoGood is an app that allows nonprofits and supporters to connect via smartphone. With click-through rates on emails at a low, this app allows charities to continue to engage their supporters and keep them updated on events, fundraisers, and news pertaining to the nonprofit. If a user opts in for a “Push notification” from their favorite charities, they get updated whenever the charity posts on the app. With 60% of supporters opting in for Push notifications, nonprofits are reaching a majority of their supporters every time they post.
The app is free to use. Some nonprofits opt to purchase a “four-pack” to recognize their business sponsors. They do this by placing a small add at the end of each notification sent. The “four-pack” lets charities pick four sponsors for $99. Additional sponsors can be added for $25.
Advantages:
- The app allows users to control how frequently they hear from their favorite nonprofits, and with click through rates declining steadily this is a good option for nonprofits.
- Nonprofits can keep track of how many people received and opened their notifications.
- The app is free unless they want to opt in to recognize their sponsors
- 60% of supporters opt in for push notifications, notifying them whenever their favorite nonprofits send updates.
- There is a 54% click through rate
- The founder hopes to expand the reaches of the app in the next year
Disadvantages:
- While the founder wants the app to be available on all smartphones- at the moment, it’s only available on the iPhone.
- Because the app is so new, there’s no data that shows if the app is really effective at bringing in more donors and keeping supporters involved in the nonprofit.
My Opinion:
While there’s no data to actually back up whether or not LetsAllDoGood is helping nonprofits secure donors and reach the public, it does have impressive click-through rates. As someone who gets many emails from nonprofits-and doesn’t open them- I do believe this is a huge problem that this app is attempting to solve. With the right outreach, I think this app has the potential to be very effective.
