Google+ for Nonprofits: A Quick Start Guide to Unleashing the Power of Google+ to Promote and Fund Your Nonprofit

Google+ for Nonprofits will show you fast, free, and extremely low-cost ways to put it to work. Author Marc A. Pitman, creator of FundraisingCoach.com, is one of the world's leading non-profit fundraising consultants. He knows what works. He'll show you how to use Google+ to interact more flexibly with board, staff, and donors…easily and centrally build and run your presence on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn; videoconference with your team, anywhere on Earth; even influence millions of Google searches by people who've never even heard of Google+!

Haven't used Google+ before (or even Facebook)? No sweat: Pitman gently acclimates you, writing from the viewpoint of a non-profit pro who knows you already have a full-time job! You'll find expert tips for everything from uploading images to getting board buy-in. Next, you'll walk through using Google+ to improve your entire donor relations cycle: research, engage, ask, and love. Pitman helps you discover what people are already saying about your cause–and then respectfully engage, involve, and thank them. To make it all 100% real, "Putting It Into Practice" sections interview leading non-profit Google+ practitioners–including a Monterey Bay Aquarium innovator who's achieved truly amazing results. Whether you're a fundraising specialist, non-profit marketer, manager, or executive director, this book empowers you with today's #1 new secret of fundraising success: Google+.

Online Sample Chapter

Why Google+ Is the Most Important Tool for Your Nonprofit

Sample Pages

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Table of Contents

    Introduction .....................................................................................1

1 Why Google+ Is the Most Important Tool for Your Nonprofit 3

    Why Should I Care? ........................................................................4

    Google+ Is All About Driving Traffic to Your Website ............4

    Align with the Biggest Search Engine ..........................................5

    Social Proof for Your Nonprofit ...................................................6

    Convincing the Powers That Be....................................................7

    Tying It All Together ......................................................................8

2 Getting Started on Google+ 9

    Sign Up ...........................................................................................10

    Sharing Posts ..................................................................................14

    Setting Up Your Profile ................................................................16

        The Posts Link on Your Profile .............................................17

        The About Link on Your Profile ...........................................18

        The Photos Link on Your Profile ..........................................25

        The Videos Link on Your Profile ..........................................26

        The +1’s Link on Your Profile ...............................................27

    All About Circles ...........................................................................27

        Shared Circles ..........................................................................29

        Sharing Posts with Circles ......................................................31

        Viewing Individual Circles ....................................................32

        Controlling the Updates in Your Stream .............................33

    Photos on the Navigation Ribbon ..............................................34

    Tying It All Together ....................................................................35

3 Getting Your Nonprofit on Google+ 37

    Creating a One-Page Nonprofit Profile .....................................38

         Setting Up Multiple Managers for Your Page .....................39

    Completing Your Nonprofit’s Page ............................................41

        Creating a Compelling Profile ...............................................43

        Using Images and Videos on Your Page .............................46

    The Size of Your Circles Matters ................................................47

        A Final Thought on Circle Size .............................................49

    Tying It All Together ....................................................................49

Putting It into Practice: Children’s National Medical Center 51

4 The Power of Google+ Hangouts 53

    Starting a Hangout in Three Easy Steps ....................................54

    Fine-Tuning Your Hangout ........................................................55

    Why You Should Hang Out ........................................................57

    Using Hangouts to Collaborate ...................................................58

        Chat ...........................................................................................59

        YouTube ...................................................................................60

        Google Docs .............................................................................60

    Hangouts on Air: What to Do When More Than 10 People Show Up ............................................61

    Tying It All Together ....................................................................63

5 Using Google+ in the Process of Fundraising 65

    More Is Not a Goal .......................................................................66

    Google+ Is Perfect for Research ..................................................66

        Listen and Observe ..................................................................68

        Use Your Circles ......................................................................68

        Research Prospects ..................................................................69

    Tying It All Together ....................................................................69

6 Engaging Your Donors with Google+ 71

    Interacting with Posts on Google+ .............................................72

        +1-ING ......................................................................................72

        Commenting ............................................................................72

        Tagging .....................................................................................74

        Sharing ......................................................................................74

        Hangouts ...................................................................................75

    Sharing Your Own Posts ..............................................................75

    Broadcasting Hangouts ................................................................76

    Tying It All Together ....................................................................76

Putting It into Practice: Monterey Bay Aquarium 77

7 Using Google + to Ask for Money and Advocacy 81

    A Word of Warning......................................................................82

    Building the Support for Advocacy ............................................82

        Types of Advocacy ..................................................................82

    Using Google+ to Ask for Money ...............................................86

        A Sure Way to Not Raise Money ..........................................86

        Make It an Event .....................................................................86

    Tying It All Together ....................................................................88

8 Using Google+ to Thank Donors 89

    Thanking Is Part of Your Nonprofit’s Mission ........................90

    Mix It Up ........................................................................................90

    It’s Not About the Nonprofit ......................................................91

    Surprising Donors by Using Google+ to Say Thank You .......92

    Tying It All Together ....................................................................94

9 It’s Your Turn 95