CEDAM blog

[This post is part of the How To Ruin Your Reputation on the Internet series, written by CEDAM Communications Intern Olivia Courant.]

This series highlights mistakes nonprofits make online that hurt their reputation or make their online communications strategies ineffective. Today’s topic: fact checking.

—A Very Bad Statistic—

Imagine opening the newspaper tomorrow morning and reading this statistic: “Every year since 1980, the number of unemployed people in the state of Michigan has doubled.”

Wow. This statistic would be a great way to show that unemployment is a big problem in Michigan. So without further thought, you quote the newspaper article in a newsletter about unemployment. Soon, other Michigan nonprofits pick up on this statistic and they too use it to point to the problem of unemployment. Eventually it is common knowledge that unemployment is doubling each year in Michigan.

What is wrong with this? Let’s assume that there is one unemployed person in Michigan in 1980. In 1981, there are two. By 1990 there are 1,024 unemployed people. Not so bad, right? When we reach 2000, a little more than one million people in Michigan are unemployed, or 1 of every 10 people living in Michigan that year.

According to our faulty statistic, we can expect one billion people to be unemployed in Michigan next year, 2010. In other words, the entire U.S. population three times over would roughly equal the number of unemployed in Michigan.

This is an example of a bad statistic. As nonprofits, part of our job is to keep our numbers straight so that others have an accurate picture of how big the problem is, who is being affected, what is needed, etc, so that the problem can be addressed correctly. Fact checking does not only apply to numbers; it also applies to information. While some of us have no problem evaluating the credibility of information, we may balk at the idea of checking numbers. Fortunately, there are two simple, basic principles to fact check most anything.

1. Common Sense
Does the number or fact make sense based on what you already know? If not, is the source credible? (see #2)

2. Source Credibility
Where did the number or fact come from? Something you overheard? A flaky looking website or a chain letter? A partisan think tank? An established nonprofit? The U.S. Census Bureau? Obviously there are some sources we can trust more than others.

Finally, always remember to mention the specifics of any statistic or fact you use, such as the time, place, and people it applies to. No one wants to be caught accidentally applying data from the 70’s to the current situation.

Interested in learning more about how to fact check?

• The University of British Colombia has guidelines on evaluating internet resources (here) and print resources (here).
• See how PolitiFact.com does their fact checking in this YouTube video.
• If you enjoy reading and want to learn more about how statistics can be misleading, I highly recommend Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics by Joel Best. It is an easy, entertaining, and enlightening read and you do not need to have advanced knowledge of math to understand it. Google Books will give you a limited preview of the book here, and also of the “sequel.”

[This post is part of the How To Ruin Your Reputation on the Internet series, written by CEDAM Communications Intern Olivia Courant.]

This series highlights mistakes nonprofits make online that hurt their reputation or make their online communications strategies ineffective.  In the last post, we talked about how out-of-date information on your nonprofit’s website can drive away your audience.  Today we turn to another common problem: improper tone.

—Nonprofits, Nonsense, Negativity, and Cats—

Every day, nonprofit employee Sarah goes through many emails, Facebook posts, and Twitter posts from her coworkers and other nonprofits.  Today, she has seen:

• One Facebook update from Nonprofit A that reads, Every1 come to Rob’s 30th birthday partyyyyy!!!!
• One very negative blog post where Nonprofit B rants about Nonprofit C’s latest publication.
• Two emails from coworker Dan that are full of cat pictures and are carbon copied to everyone on Dan’s contact list.

These are all examples of improper tone and/or mixing personal life with business.  In the first scenario the nonprofit publicly announces a personal event that should be kept between staff members.  It is unlikely that this nonprofit’s volunteers and members are interested in Rob’s birthday party.  The second scenario is an example of unconstructive negativity.  Extreme criticism will cause an organization to be viewed the same way it treats others: negatively.  Finally, sending or forwarding an email, especially a “chain letter,” to everyone on your contact list is a good way to get people to start ignoring your emails.

The best way to avoid using improper tone is to match your tone to your audience.  Ask yourself, who is reading this? There will be a difference when you are writing to a group of professionals about foreclosure resources, versus announcing a fun community event.

In some cases it is perfectly acceptable to write about personal stories – for instance, positive testimonies from the people your nonprofit works with can give your organization legitimacy and show how it is directly involved in the community. CEDAM member Jackson Affordable Housing Coalition has a “success stories” section on their website that demonstrates a perfect use of personal stories. No matter what you are writing, be sure to proofread for spelling and grammar mistakes.

Ultimately, the goal is to balance formality and personality so that you do not look too bland but also avoid putting off your audience.  Having fun is great, but not everyone on your contact list wants to see pictures of your cats.

A CEDAM cat chows down on some pet grass.

[This post is part of the How To Ruin Your Reputation on the Internet series, written by CEDAM Communications Intern Olivia Courant.]

Welcome to the “How to Ruin Your Reputation on the Internet” blog series.  This series will highlight common mistakes nonprofits make online that hurt their reputation or make their online communications strategies ineffective.  In other words, this series is about bad web practices.

—The Nonprofit That Never Posted—

Let’s begin with the following scenario: you hear about CEDAM and want to see what the organization is about.  You search for CEDAM on Google, find the website, land on the CEDAM homepage, and what do you see?  An announcement from 2005.  It is 2009.

Does CEDAM no longer exist?  Or is the staff just too lazy to update the website?  Either way, having old information on your homepage will drive away your audience and make your organization look less professional.  When a nonprofit sets up a website, online profile, or Facebook page, it must consider how much time and how many resources it has to put into its online presence.

TIP: If your nonprofit is too busy to maintain a full-fledged website, consider using only a Facebook page.  Having a Facebook page lets Internet users learn about your nonprofit, and at the same time it is easy for you to post news or events to show that your nonprofit is, in fact, still active.  This video will show you how to set up a Facebook page.

What are your experiences with running a nonprofit website or Facebook page? Share them with us in the comments section.