“If the child isn’t chubby then there is definitely some problem. Every mother has this concern and my mother is no different,” said Virat Kohli during an online chat with teammate Mayank Agarwal.
“They (mothers) don’t understand the difference between having concern and having professionalism about a sport you’re playing.”
Virat’s transformation is an inspiration. He is a leader who leads from the front and gives everything to each game. The Men in Blue have never been so fit and active on the field.
One of my priorities in life is to keep working for a fit mind and body. I spend time on the tracks running and I keep a watch on what I am eating. I am not Virat. I fail every other day but I keep pushing.
As a result at 42, I am in my best physical and mental shape. I have never been like this in my entire life.
Touchwood :)
But my mother is seriously unhappy. She thinks that I have become weak and crazy. Okay, the crazy part is not new for her.
Our society generally believes that being unhealthy is a sign of a prosperous life. “We value quantity more than quality.”
Hold this thought here.
During one of my weekend hangouts with my society friend, he remarked: “Why do Indian nonprofits struggle to articulate the “WHY” on the website. We write so much and don’t believe in simplification.” He(works in an IT company) said right after when I showed him the website and communication of Food For The Hungry.
#MaskUpForEducation
Let us now explore and analyse the latest campaign of The Akanksha Foundation - a 29 year nonprofit educating children from low-income communities across Mumbai and Pune.
“The Akanksha Foundation is a non-profit organisation with a mission to build the largest network of innovative schools that empowers children to maximise their potential and that influences systemic reform,” says the website.
Additionally, the nonprofit has two more paragraphs describing the WHY.
I believe it is not required and confusing.
Now let’s look it from a donor point of view. She searched about the nonprofit organization and lands on your website. This is the mobile preview for her or the first impression.
Simplify the first impression:
The first impression should tell the donor your purpose. Can you write in 140 words? This way you have said your WHY without confusing the donor.
Do you really need those certificate logos on top of your home page? The job of the home page is to tell why you do what you do, the impact you are creating via storytelling, and finally providing a simpler way to donate.
Why do you have the donate button hiding in the below sections?
Besides, there are far too many loopholes in the website. I understand anything requires funds and it is a challenge in the given times. But burn your money on the website because it will bring you funds from digital. Do shed all the extra weight from your website. Simplify starting from the categories.
Moving on to the present campaign #MaskUpForEducation which has been launched to bridge the digital divide in the country.
As we know that the ongoing pandemic has thrown us far too many challenges. One of them is the growing digital divide. While the wealthier section of the society is accepting the new norm of attending online classes; but at the same time, we have seen far too many stories where students from the low-income communities’ are suffering.
According to a recent NCERT survey, 27% of students in India do not have smartphones and laptops. 28% of students are not able to study properly due to frequent power outages.
Lack of decent smartphones, cheap data connections, and reliable electricity are some of the major problems that has widened the digital divide not just in our country but around the world.
With its ongoing campaign, The Akanksha Foundation is raising money for 1500 tablets for their 9 and 10 students. The cost of each tablet along with internet connectivity for six months has been estimated to Rs.10,000/-. To raise Rs 50,00,000/- it has tied up with third-party funding platform Giveindia. So far it has raised more than 28L which is a great effort.
If you wish to contribute to the cause then here is the donation link
To promote the campaign it has associated with Bollywood celebrity Boman Irani. From his social media channels, he has been asking people to support the cause and also tagged his Bollywood friends to give a shout out. We are yet to hear from them.
Meanwhile the nonprofit on Twitter is asking the influencers to wear the new kind of mask for a noteworthy cause.
Few questions to ponder
Bridging the digital divide in the country during an ongoing pandemic is a commendable effort from The Akanksha Foundation.
In my earlier posts, I have shared how Teach for India “Don’tStopLearning” and 17000ft “Tablet in every hamlet” are also doing their best to reduce the digital divide in the country.
Time for a few questions on the campaign. I am only asking them from the perspective of Digital Fundraising.
Why do we have two hashtags for one campaign? On the website, it is #LearningUninterrupted but on the campaign page and social media it is #MaskUpForEducation Why increase the confusion for a donor? Keep it seamless and simple with whatever active campaign you have.
I understand the two-fold reason for going with a third-party fundraising platform like GiveIndia - One the current donation page on your website is not up to the mark and second GiveIndia will give you the reach and technical support.
In the short run, this is an effective solution but it is always better to own your donors and campaign. You can’t build a digital business on a third-party platform. Publishers did the same with Facebook and now they are breaking their heads. Whenever you have time and money invest in your Website and Donation Page.
I believe that this has been an ongoing campaign. How are you keeping the donor updated and building a relationship with them to make a repeat donation? GiveIndia won’t do this for you.
This is why you need to invest in Email Marketing. I didn’t see an email subscription option on your website so my assumption is that the efforts are negligible.
Besides your copy or the description of the campaign on the GiveIndia page needs attention. Can you elaborate more on the campaign, how you plan to use the money, and the status so far? This will build trust. That’s why a blog comes in handy which is also my final question.
You have a blog on a free WordPress site. I fail to understand why a 27-year-old organization is having a blog on a free domain. The blog obviously needs a serious revamp but the important question is why haven’t you blogged about the ongoing campaign.
Your blog can be the entire repository for the campaign, the impact, and the work you are doing. Your social media updates will be gone as I swipe up my feed but the blog article will always be sitting on the search for years. Which one would you prefer?
I am not saying to ignore social media but use it for amplification and engagement.
The blog is your content hub that will tell the world about your work which will motivate people to donate via your donation page.
Email is a tool for one-to-one relationships with donors and future donors.
And use your social media for amplifying your content and driving people to your website/donation page.
Digital fundraising is already playing a crucial role in nonprofit fundraising. Raising money from digital won’t be a one-time effort. So nonprofits will have to look at this medium of fundraising beyond social media updates and campaigns. If they want the existing donors to become recurring donors and acquire new donors.
Meanwhile, my mother:
“At 42 are you going to win an Olympic medal for India. Zada mat kar, jawan nahi hai tu. Ab bas hadi bacha hai( Don’t do so much, you are no more young. All I see is bones.)”