March/April 2005

Encouraging Support for Your Nonprofit's Most Important Issues

by Gene Austin, Chief Executive Officer, Convio

An increasing number of organizations are realizing that the Internet offers far more potential for advocacy programs than just an efficient means for sending email action alerts. The Internet also can be a powerful tool for building ongoing, more loyal relationships with constituents who are ready to support the issues most important to organizations.

This edition of Convio Connection includes two articles highlighting the Internet's role in transforming the way nonprofits energize and mobilize activists in support of a cause.  In Online Advocacy: How Online Constituent Relationship Management is Transforming the Way Nonprofits Reach, Motivate and Retain Supporters, Convio founder and chief strategy officer, Vinay Bhagat, reviews how organizations can leverage online constituent relationship management (eCRM) technology to drive more effective advocacy campaigns and build a more loyal support base. Using Vote Data to Ensure Ongoing Support for Advocacy Issues takes a look at Convio's new vote-driven action system that helps organizations drive the actions they want, from the constituents they want, on their most important issues.

Covering another key topic for today's nonprofits, Shabbir Safdar, acting secretary of the Nonprofit Innovation Alliance, examines how business method patents threaten to stifle technological innovation and increase fundraising costs for nonprofits. Shabbir's article will help you learn more about this important issue and what you can do to express your concerns.

Also in this issue, guest columnist Mitch Arnowitz, managing director, Tuvel Communications, explores how Every Child Matters created an integrated, online/offline campaign that encouraged hundreds of thousands of voters to make children's issues a priority in the 2004 U.S. presidential election.

Take a look, too, at this edition's Ask the Expert article — Convio's chief technology officer, David Crooke, answers the question, "What does my organization need to keep in mind when synchronizing online and offline data?"

This issue of Convio Connection offers a wealth of information about online programs for encouraging constituents to support the issues most important to your organization's mission. As always, I trust this issue will motivate you with fresh ideas for using the Internet to its full potential.

P.S. Did you enjoy reading this issue of Convio Connection? Why not forward it to a colleague who might also find it helpful?