Things I’m not impressed by:

• How many Facebook “likes” or “friends” your organization has
• How many times your organization “tweets” or your tweet has been retweeted
• That your organization received an “award” from one of your VENDORS
• That you “gave up” a corporate career to work in the nonprofit sector
• How many hours your volunteers contributed last year
• How many hours of overtime your organization’s employees work most weeks
• That you are hiring a Rock Star-anything (Rock Star Membership Coordinator, Rock Star Social Media Manager) unless you are PAYING a Rock Star salary and providing Rock Star benefits.
• Your web site’s use of stock photos
• That your new web site is coming soon and all your descriptions of how great it’s going to be.

Things I am impressed by:

• Online activities leading to offline action
• How your organization handles negative comments on your Facebook page
• That your organization was recognized by your Governor’s volunteering awards
• That your tweet last week resulted in a $5000 donation (or more) than you wouldn’t have gotten otherwise
• What your volunteers accomplished last year, in terms of tangible results (literacy among your clients increased, trees planted, perceptions changed, legislation passed, etc.)
• Volunteers in leadership positions at your organization (leading a project, serving on an advisory board regarding marketing and outreach, producing a publication or online video, etc.)
• Happy employees that love going to work and supporting each other, that love collaborating internally and sharing information and resources with each other
• A competitive salary and benefits package for employees
• Photos of your own organization’s actual volunteers or clients, however out-of-focus such may be
• That your new web site is launched, on time, that it’s easy to navigate, that I can quickly find what I’m looking for without having to sit through a video or shut down your blaring audio that starts up automatically, that it works with any browser, and that you obviously incorporated the suggestions of others into the new design.