Loads of new research has been released in the last month that can help nonprofits be more strategic in their approach to their work. These studies have findings that have major meta level implications for senior leadership down to nitty gritty details for fundraisers. Here's a round-up:

The John S. and James L.

Nancy Schwartz, president of Nancy Schwartz & Company and blogger at Getting Attention, has just finished analyzing data from a nonprofit marketing survey of more than 900 nonprofit leaders, revealing that they are doing a poor job connecting with their audience and community.  Nancy explains:

The Sobibor Death Camp  

We have heard many times over that traditional communication strategies aren't enough in the changing world of online applications.  Nonprofits are facing the challenges of engaging, communicating, and fundraising in new ways every day.  But, where are foundations with social media adoption?

"If you look at nonprofits, I think the successful ones have a passionate core that want to hear what's going on, that want to see what's going on with video, that want to get regular updates, that want to comment, engage, and participate. Social media very much facilitates that in an easy and, as I said, affordable way, so it's a natural fit for what nonprofits are looking for." --Eric Mattson

Before the holidays, I interviewed Eric Mattson, the co-author of the recent study, Blogging for the Hearts of Donors, about social media usage by the 200 largest charities in the United States. You can listen to the interview on the NetSquared Podcast, or read the edited transcript below.

Eric Mattson: Hello, my name is Eric Mattson. I am a Marketing Consultant and social media scholar based in Seattle, Washington. Over the last 12 to 18 months I've been doing a series of research projects with my partner, Prof. Nora Barnes of the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth looking at social media adoption in various industries. For example, corporate adoption by looking at the Inc. 500, university adoption by looking at college admissions departments, and most recently, and part of the focus of this podcast, looking at adoption by some of the largest US charities and nonprofits to see: how familiar are they with social media, are they using social media, are they monitoring social media? Some of these fundamental, foundational questions that seems to still be out there, despite the fact that social media has become a fairly well known space with the advent of MySpace and Facebook and blogs and what not. That's a little bit about me and that's a little bit about the high level view of our research.

BB: Before you did the study, what did you expect to find, and then, what surprised you the most about what you did find?

Yesterday at the MediaPost Online Media, Marketing, and Advertising Video conference analysts declared that the starting point for campaign design must be research and testing. This is because the window has grown shorter in getting attention, developing commitment, and converting on your call-to-action. Themes, storylines, and next steps have to be quick, easy, urgent, and readily acceptable. So sort out the highest value concepts and propositions in a closed survey before you jump, so that you can proceed with confidence.

Google, as the internet search leader, is given the lowest "black mark" and placed on the botton of the heap of the worlds major internet companies, with a "hostile to privacy rating"  by Privacy International.

Ethics and Corporate accountability procedures seem to be ineffective, in the publics mind space. Silicon Valley companies must deal with "Privacy" issues. As the number one concern of citizens, tech corporations need to get out ahead of the issue, and regulations. The creation of a clear code of conduct and practise would be a good start. Otherwize they will loose the trust and good will they need to continue to thrive.

A recent article on the Financial Times about a lack of skills and experience within the web advertsiment sector got me thinking about how the challenge is part of a wider picture in 2.0.

In a nutshell there seems to be a gap between 2.0 "real-time" and the sources of information that are meant to provide relevant players with the needed information and insights, if these are delayed then ultimately so is the development of skills and experience. I have been tracking data for a while, and noticed a widening gap as the information deepens. I believe the trend is integral to the very nature of the source and "information providers":