A  nonprofit with a Washington State U.S. office, World Vision works in almost 100 countries in sustainable international development, disaster response and U.S. anti-poverty projects to create better lives for children worldwide.  Spending 86.7% of funding on program expenses, this Christian-based organization notes in its vision statement that it serves “all people, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or gender.

Beyond the excellent work the organization does, I like that it reaches its audiences on multiple levels.  The handwritten card denotes time,an incentive for certain levels of donation  and customer consciousness.  Looking into World Vision’s web content, it is clear that the organization knows their audiences, where they click and   meets them there. 

A video and interactive map compose much of the landing page, but don’t overshadow nice orange tabs to programs, sponsorships, galleries and slide shows.  Without overwhelming an audience member of any generation or web 2.0-savvy, World Vision presents great content.  Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube channel links mark the top of the page, but don’t clutter any content.

Marketing Strategist David Meerman Scott   looks to reaching various audiences as crucial to any online marketing.  he notes that knowing what is important to your target demographic is key to success. 

Here is World Vision’s recent YouTube Video requesting donations for Haiti  featuring Hugh Jackman:

What are your thoughts?  Should large nonprofit organizations switch completely to online marketing methods?  If you are a donor, what correspondence and/or marketing reaches you best?  If you work for a nonprofit organization, what methods of outreach compel the greatest response?

In regards to AIDS work, AMREF works on three levels to combat the virus in Sub-Saharan Africa, home to 60% of the population living with HIV.  They do this by strengthening efforts to educate, manage and treat HIV/AIDS within the existing medical system.

With so many worthwhile and award-winning projects, AMREF should have some wonderful stories to tell.  Yet, the pictorial, video and written accounts are buried and hidden withing pages of  website text.

The story of  George, one of AMREF’s community health workers, is fantastic.  However, it takes some savvy site navigation to find it.  The same goes for George’s corresponding video- a fantastic piece, yet a hidden gem:

Admittedly, my thoughts about the need to promote the stories within an organization come on the heel of a conversation  regarding The Cluetrain Manifesto.  We were discussing the need to incorporate, as the authors assert, the humanistic qualities into marketing approaches.  One might argue that a health relief organization is as humanistic as an organization can be.

However, I think that true sucess in web 2.0 can be better attained in conversation and story telling.  Let media pieces shine on the site.  Open platforms for people to join the conversation.  As noted in Cluetrain, and a decade in forethought, organizations need to allow for human and true conversation.

With these musings, I offer my hopes for AMREF and organizations worldwide who strive to combat and treat HIV/ AIDS.  More to the point, I offer my thoughts  to those suffering the virus, and those survived by a loved one with AIDS.

A Few Related Resources:

Directory of AIDS Charities and Support groups worldwide

A great prevention fundraising video by Avert.org:

The true reason I mention Mercy Corps, however, is for the nonprofit’s use of  Twitter.  While I sometimes debate the true effectiveness of microblogging when it comes to garnering donations, I think Mercy Corps developed the right blend of 140-character fueled public information and public solicitation, and encouraged retweeting.  Here is an example of the last few tweets:

“Writer @loudmind shares his most memorable meals from the field. (And how it all started w/ Indiana Jones.) http://bit.ly/5XIdcR about 9 hours ago from web

If you can spend $10 on cranberry sauce, can you spend $10 a help feed a family? Put the “giving” back in Thanksgiving: http://bit.ly/QKG4X about 13 hours ago from web

Take a look at what women in CAR and our team around the globe are thankful for. Then add your thanks: http://bit.ly/4oXciH #thanksgiving “

They connect followers to the Mercy Corps blog, encourage donation and foster interaction with the nonprofit. 

Interestingly, Beth Kanter, social media and nonprofit expert and author of “Beth’s Blog”, notes some interesting trends in Twitter solicitations that Mercy Corps appears to  adopt.  In particular, the fostering of “person to person asks.”

She advocates, and I agree, that the strategy behind the posts that can lead to the ultimate goal, donations.  What do you think?

I had the opportunity to work with this Maine-based organization as a project for a nonprofit public relations class, and it is too spectacular not to mention.  Working within the Justinian Hospital system, Konbit Sante strives to sustainably improve health care in northern Haiti.

In a country where poverty, food shortages and poor health care spell fatality, Konbit Sante makes a difference.  They are finding success in their development model, Konbit Sante-creole for “together for health.”

Check out the site, and find out more about the nonprofit’s efforts in one of the world’s poorest countries.