Our
Community Matters
• Edition 4 • August 2016
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Five ways not-forprofits can use Pokémon Go Incense, Poké Balls, lure modules, eggs, potions, super-potions, revives, Razz Berries, Great Balls, Ultra Balls, Master Balls – sounds a whole lot more fun than calls to action, conversion rates, CRM and lapsed donors, right? For new fundraising and engagement opportunities, American not-for-profits are looking to Pokémon Go, the mobile-phonebased augmented reality game that’s taken the Western world by storm in the past month. Here’s how. 1. Draw people to your location, like the Tasmanian Museum & Art Gallery has done. (Other museums have done the same thing too.) 2. Conquer your enemies – as did Equality House, an LGBTQI resource centre in Kansas.
3. Invite users to share their pics – it’s working for the National Mall in Washington, DC. 4. Save the Children US is raising funds using the combined power of Pokémon Go and Charity Miles. 5. Then pause and consider, too, this assessment from the founder of MarketSmart, Greg Warner: “For fundraisers, Pokemon Go is a shiny object. A time waster. It focuses on the lowest rung of the ladder. DO NOT chase it! Instead, redirect the time you might invest in Pokemon Go and “go” see half a dozen very important major donors, “go” visit your wealthiest legacy society members, and “go” reshuffle your Major Gift Officers’ caseloads to optimize them for results. Do just about anything else that will truly move the needle – fast! But for heaven’s sake, do not run around chasing this fad!”