Plus Three Announces National Competition to Award $50,000 in Web Design and Online Services to a Non-Profit Organization
Posted on 12/16/2010 @ 01:05 PM
Open to both national and local non-profit organizations, with applications due February 15, 2011, competition gathers panel of distinguished corporate and philanthropic leaders to pick finalists
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Plus Three—which has emerged as a go-to web design and technology company for non-profit, advocacy, membership, and political organizations—has announced the launch of a national competition to select an not-for-profit organization to receive $50,000 in strategy, design, and technology services including the fundraising and advocacy tools that Plus Three has pioneered.
“At Plus Three, we have seen again and again that cutting edge technology can allow not-for-profits to blossom and prosper faster than ever before. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to select a well-deserving organization and award them with the tools we have spent years refining,” said Juan Proaño, President of Plus Three. “This contest is a fun and unique way to promote the importance of new media to help a great organization raise money, build support, and achieve their goals.”
Interested organizations can visit plusthree.com/contest for more information on the competition, which will be judged by a panel of national leaders from the advocacy and business community. Along with the web-design and tools, the winning organization will receive one year of hosting and support. The deadline for entry is February 15, 2011 and winners will be announced in March 2011. On January 5, 2011, Plus Three will hold a national conference call to provide more information and answer questions about the competition.
The winning organization will be selected by this distinguished judging panel:
- Jennifer Vogel Bass
Communications Manager, Rainforest Alliance - Tom Castro
Entrepreneur and Civic Leader - Charlie Hale
Vice-President of IT & Operations, Food Bank of Central & Eastern NC - Wade Henderson
President, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights - Robert Raben
Founder and President, The Raben Group, LLC - Bonnie Reiter-Lehrer
Chief Communications & Marketing Officer, Greater Miami Jewish Federation
“Communications technology continues to advance at an incredible pace and many non-profits, working on some of the most important social justice issues of our time, find themselves scraping additional resources together just to keep up,” stated Tom Castro, entrepreneur and civic leader. “This is an incredible opportunity for an organization to boost its visibility and communications efforts, which, in turn, will help raise additional funds for its valuable programs. I am honored to be a part of the selection process.”
About Plus Three
Founded in 2002, Plus Three is a state-of-the-art web-design and technology company that helps nonprofit, membership, and political organizations promote social change in America. Plus Three’s demonstrated commitment to developing innovative and effective online fundraising and advocacy tools has helped its clients raise over $250 million and engage over 12 million people – educating them and moving them to act in support of the causes and candidates they care about. To learn more, please visit: www.plusthree.com
Guest Blogger Series: “Will You Donate $2 Today?”
Dec 3, 2010
Engaging the Hispanic Community in Online Fundraising & Advocacy
Every day, more and more Latinos and Latinas are going online. Whether for work, for play or to advance social causes, Latinos are increasing their presence and exercising political will with their laptops and cell phones. The mystery to many Latino advocacy and civil rights organizations has been how to translate that energy into online giving. Obviously, it’s not as simple as many people think or everyone would be flush with donors. Yet, at the same time, it is not as complex as many suggest. The Latino audience is supportive, but like most Americans doesn’t want to be hit up for money every other day. How do you find the balance?
When starting to think about fundraising for your organization online, you must do so in a way that is conducive to your base instead of trying to mimic others’ success. For example, people often hope to emulate the success Barack Obama had in his presidential campaign by following the same tactics. The fact is, though, that you are not running a presidential campaign and you are definitely not Barack Obama.
Latino organizations, this means focusing on the stories of the people you serve and the impact you have on those people’s lives. Every day, you and your co-workers provide valuable services to the community. In one day, you might help one person, one hundred, or even thousands. If you can tell their stories on a personal level, your message will get through to people in a way that makes them take out their wallets.
Another common mistake organizations make is to set the bar too high. This is especially true for Latino organizations because of the significant socioeconomic factors that differentiate Latino organizations from their counterparts in the progressive community. You can’t start by asking for $25. It’s a big number and the first thing a person will notice before deciding to contribute. Sometimes, even $5 is too high. If we can get people to get past the mental block of giving then we can be successful—and we can also ask them to give again and give more.
At Plus Three, we found that asking for $2 works well. Sure, it sounds crazy and like it’s not worth the effort—but before you stop reading, take a look at these numbers for a 501(c)(4) Latino advocacy organization that asked its supporters to give just $2:
| Contributions | 716 |
| Unique Donors | 697 |
| First-Time Donors | 692 |
| Average Contribution | $19.7 |
Take a look, too, at these numbers for a 501(c)(3) Latino nonprofit:
| Contributions | 678 |
| Unique Donors | 633 |
| First-Time Donors | 585 |
| Average Contribution | $67.21 |
These are the kind of results that we are seeing across the board for all of the Latino non-profits we serve. Once a person commits to making a contribution, takes the credit card out of their wallet, and enters the required information, they often decide they can give much more than $2.
The best part is that the demographic makeup of these donors was both over 97% Latino and 20 years younger than their offline counterparts who give through direct mail.
It has been a wonderful experience for us to see so many people named Juan, Jorge, Cynthia, Patricia, Eduardo, Emilio, Molina, Nieves, Hernandez, Reyes, Herrera, Ortiz, and Garcia commit their hard-earned dollars to Latino nonprofits that make individuals’ lives better and our communities stronger.
There is no doubt that the time to build this capacity is now. Latinos are a driving force in our economy, culture, and communities. Online fundraising that targets our community helps keep our collective mission moving forward and empowers an entire generation looking for a way to be a part of historic efforts in service of a myriad of civil and human rights issues.
Simply put, we must find the best way to tell our story, share our experiences, and reaffirm that any contribution, regardless of the amount, makes a difference in our struggle. Moving our community to give online is a realistic goal that should result every day in bigger returns. I wish you all the greatest success!
Adelante!
Juan M. Proaño is co-founder and President of Plus Three. He formed the company in 2002 to improve the way nonprofit organizations fundraise and build constituent groups by giving them immediate access to the widest array of contributors, while at the same time reducing the cost of each dollar raised. Juan has spent more than 17 years developing his expertise in the areas of product development, strategic marketing, and software integration. He has produced industry-leading technologies and best practices in the fields of database marketing and email delivery technologies.
At Plus Three, Juan’s extensive work with the Democratic National Committee (DNC), the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, John Kerry for President, and the NAACP has established him as an expert in online fundraising, constituency management and the political landscape. His leadership was instrumental to the creation of the DNC Demzilla database that enabled the Democrats to raise more than $85 million online in 2004 and surpass the Republican National Committee’s fundraising efforts for the first time in modern campaign history.
Juan frequently provides leadership training, sharing his expertise in using technology to win elections at national events such as the Democratic National Convention, Democratic GAIN and the DNC Latino Leadership Conference. He also provides political and technology commentary and has appeared in national publications, including the National Journal, Newsweek andTime.
In 2005, Juan was named one of the Top 100 Hispanic Entrepreneurs by Hispanic Trends magazine, and Plus Three was recognized as one of the top 100 fastest growing Hispanic business for three years in a row.
Read the full article here.
Plus Three and ZERO—The Project to End Prostate Cancer Announce the Relaunch of ZeroCancer.org
Posted on 12/02/2010 @ 11:23 AM
Plus Three and ZERO—The Project to End Prostate Cancer are excited to announce the relaunch of ZeroCancer.org.
The press release below was issued by ZERO to mark the occasion.
ZERO Debuts New Website
Provides Most Up-to-Date Information and Education About Prostate Cancer Testing, Treatment and Advocacy
Washington D.C. – Getting involved in the fight to end prostate cancer has never been easier! This week, ZERO – The Project to End Prostate Cancer launched its new website featuring a more user-friendly layout and one-stop-shop for anyone interested in prostate cancer education, advocacy, testing and treatments.
“As our organization and our cause continue to grow, we wanted to revamp the website and provide our supporters and anyone affected by prostate cancer with all the essential information they need in one place, right at their fingertips,” said Skip Lockwood, ZERO’s CEO.
Some new features of the site, which can be viewed at www.zerocancer.org, include: *An enhanced Legislative Action Center that lets advocates send letters directly to their elected officials through our site.
- An easy-to-find events schedule of the 2011 Great Prostate Cancer Challenges race series, and a roster of where ZERO is providing free prostate cancer testing across the U.S.
- Our DASH FOR DAD Endurance Team page allows you to lace up your sneakers to help save lives. Run a marathon or participate in a triathlon and raise money for prostate cancer education and testing. You can even join a virtual endurance team!
- ZERO TV – A compilation of ZERO’s nationwide news coverage and video clips from ZERO events.
About ZERO – The Project to End Prostate Cancer
At ZERO, we commit ourselves not only to reduce prostate cancer or alleviate the pain from the disease, but also to end it. We see a future where all men who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer will be cured or manage their illness with good quality of life, with the support they need to minimize physical and emotional suffering, and to cope effectively throughout their cancer journey.
To accomplish our goal, we provide comprehensive treatment information to patients, education to those at risk and conduct free prostate cancer testing throughout the country. We increase research funds from the federal government to find new treatments and we fund local grants to end the disease.
October Newsletter
Posted on 10/20/2010 @ 12:00 PM
 |  |
|
 |
 |
|
 |
In this issue:
-
Powering Campaigns and Committees Nationwide
Leading up to the November elections, Plus Three has increased its focus on political outreach and online fundraising, working closely with key committees, campaigns, and progressive organizations across the country. - Nonprofit News
Of course, Plus Three works not only with the nation's top political organizations but also with nonprofits of all shapes and sizes. We are pleased to announce this month the launch of several nonprofit websites.
We're Sponsoring NCTech4Good This Friday
Posted on 06/24/2010 @ 12:23 PM
Join us in Chapel Hill!
This day-long conference will bring together representatives of the nonprofit and technology communities to identify and address the technology needs of the nonprofit community in North Carolina. The conference will be an interactive conversation between nonprofit leaders, technology experts, and volunteers. Look for Plus Three's Alice Lincoln and Michael Peters when you register and throughout the day.
Friday, June 25, 2010 from 8am - 5pm
The William and Ida Friday Center in Chapel Hill, NC
