Keynotes get crowd revved up at Connecting Up

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by Anna Munhin May 16, 2022 News
Keynotes get crowd revved up at Connecting Up

The second day of the Connecting Up conference was full of valuable information for attendees, from the state of the sector post-COVID, to a new perspective on marketing and the future of philanthropy.

The first keynote of the day by Peter McNamara made it clear that the second day of the conference would be a lot of fun.

Many people have not been to an in-person event since the Pandemic hit. There was a feeling of optimism as the morning keynote on Thursday got underway, despite the fact that everyone knew that the epidemic isn't over.

Peter McNamara, the president of the Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS), told the sector representatives in the room to stay focused on their mission and purpose despite the obstacles in the way.

McNamara praised his peers for continuing to show up despite the crises of the past three years.

You are doing amazing work. He said that it really is.

He said that digital technologies provided many opportunities for the sector, but that digital illiteracy remained a problem for vulnerable communities. He told the audience that access in the right places and the right languages were vital to help communities stay informed and connected.

Many in the sector are still learning how to use digital technologies, but the tech sector has the right support to help them learn. He asked the tech side to help their colleagues.

He said that this is stuff that is so beneficial for the people they serve.

McNamara reminded the room that the rapid transformation that had taken place over COVID had seen people housed and given enough money to survive and thrive. McNamara challenged the idea that the country couldn't afford welfare.

He was disappointed that the government had not done enough to address crises like housing, family violence and the climate emergency.

He encouraged charities and advocates not to profit from these issues, as many people continue to be impacted by the ripples of COVID, with charities always the first to respond to their.

We saw government for a short time, but not long enough to focus on people's health, homes and livelihoods. McNamara said that the Job Seeker supplement moved from Newstart, which changed people's lives overnight.

Don't blink back at them when they talk to us. You don't understand when they say we can't afford that.

Better marketing on the agenda

The marketing funnel may not be fit for purpose as the audience heard in the second keynote.

The director of marketing at Hubspot drew in a large crowd for the second keynote of the day.

She focused on how technology can be used to improve customer experiences and meet customer expectations, given that expectations had been changed by the Pandemic.

She said that we need to constantly be assessing what is the gold standard of customer experience in the future.

Warboys said that customers want ease of use, personalisation, and speed when making a purchase or becoming a client. She said that new technologies can allow for-purpose organizations to hit all of those points.

Warboys proposed the marketing as an alternative to the traditional funnel. The customer at the centre is considered a vital force of growth by the flywheel.

She said that the key was for all teams to be aligned towards the customer service goal. Like a flywheel, forces can act in a variety of ways, slowing your progress or propelling it.

Warboys said that strategies should be applied to attract, engage and delight the customers on the flywheel and that communications tools, including things as simple as Messenger, are vital to tell your story and keep customers engaged throughout.

Finding the future of philanthropy

Everyone wants to be able to connect with funding that will help them achieve their mission, but knowing how to find those sources of money is a challenge.

The final keynote of Thursday was given by the GM of charitable trusts and philanthropy at Equity Trustees.

Kennedy said that persuading funders to give you money is part of the challenge. 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465 888-282-0465

A lot of trusts and foundations rely on stock market income. As a result of the impact of the stock market hitting a wall, a lot of available income that funds these foundations went down.

Demand went through the roof for charities and not for profits.

Kennedy said that one positive impact of the Pandemic is that many Australians have realised how important these service organizations are and are willing to put their money where their mouth is.

Kennedy said her organisation often has conversations with philanthropists about trust-based philanthropy and how to use the funds.

Don't give it to them to make more food for the homeless, give it to them to transform their technology platforms, give it to them to train their staff, and buy better tech equipment.

She said that she and her team are looking at funders of the future.

Next generations are going to have a historic amount of money and they think differently than we do. Kennedy said that they are eager to be involved through their lifetime.

We are starting to see people realize that giving should be something we all do. It is not just for the wealthy.

Reducing barriers to philanthropy is one of her work. On social media, for example, it could mean communicating about it differently.

She said that it was important for organizations to be able to tell their story in a matter of minutes. Demonstrating and measuring impact is important here as well.

If we don't start to listen, to engage and deliver content to these younger people in a way that they want to be spoken to and shared information with, they will win.

She said that technology is the key in this regard, enabling communication and easy donations at any time, anywhere.

If we don't provide technology solutions that make it easy for young people to share it with their peers, we won't succeed.