The average person worldwide has five social media accounts and spends an average of 1 hour and 40 minutes browsing these networks every day. In 2005 Facebook was only open to college students and professors, Twitter didn’t exist, and the iPhone was still in concept mode. The Internet was primarily a desktop PC or laptop experience and reading news and sending and receiving email accounted for the majority of time spent online.
Today, social media consumes the most time spent on the Internet and the majority of that browsing occurs on a smartphone or tablet. Also, over the last decade the amount of time we spend on the Internet has quadrupled. That’s radical change in a relatively short amount of time and it directly corresponds with the rapid rise of social media worldwide.
Nonprofits pioneered social media. They began actively using Myspace in 2004 and YouTube in 2005 – years before the Fortune 500 companies. And yet despite limited budgets, the early adopter nonprofits began using responsive web design in 2012 in order to adapt quickly to the new realities of Internet browsing. Bold imagery. Large font. Simplified, tappable navigation and calls-to-action. Dramatic use of color. Social, shareable content. These website design trends appeal to today’s Internet users on every device, from PC to smartphone, and are required to stand out from the tens of millions of brands active every day on social media. All that said, below are ten nonprofits embracing responsive web design in 2015 (view 2014 list) compared with their 2005 website designs.
1. GlobalGiving 2015
globalgiving.org
Global Giving 2005
web.archive.org/www.globalgiving.com
2. Hermitage Museum 2015
hermitagemuseum.org
Hermitage Museum 2005
web.archive.org/www.hermitagemuseum.org
3. Human Rights Watch 2015
hrw.org
Human Rights Watch 2005
web.archive.org/www.hrw.org
4. International Committee of the Red Cross 2015
icrc.org
International Committee of the Red Cross 2005
web.archive.org/www.icrc.org
5. National Audubon Society 2015
audubon.org
National Audubon Society 2005
web.archive.org/www.audubon.org
6. Natural Resources Defense Council 2015
nrdc.org
Natural Resources Defense Council 2005
web.archive.org/www.nrdc.org
7. New York Public Library 2015
nypl.org
New York Public Library 2005
web.archive.org/www.nypl.org
8. Oceana 2015
oceana.org
Oceana 2005
web.archive.org/www.oceana.org
9. Operation Smile 2015
operationsmile.org
Operation Smile 2005
web.archive.org/www.operationsmile.org
10. United Nations 2015
un.org
United Nations 2005
web.archive.org/www.un.org
Mobile for Good: A How-To Fundraising Guide for Nonprofits
Based on more than 20 years of experience and 25,000+ hours spent utilizing mobile and social media, Mobile for Good: A How-To Fundraising Guide for Nonprofits is a comprehensive 256-page book packed with more than 500 best practices. Written on the premise that all communications and fundraising are now mobile and social, Mobile for Good is a step-by-step how-to guide for writing, implementing, and maintaining a mobile and social fundraising strategy for your nonprofit.
