July 11: Beyond Reach and Likes: Uncovering the Social Media Metrics that Drive Campaigns

TechSoup Connect Western Canada is delighted to announce our next event with guest expert Syju John. Join us for an in person event on July 11 and learn about the world of social media metrics and explore how they can be leveraged to enhance the effectiveness of your nonprofit campaign.

Date and Location

In-person Event – iATS Payments – 1188 West Georgia Street Vancouver V6E 4A2

When you arrive, please come up to the 6th floor and ring the doorbell on Suite 600

🗓️ Tuesday, July 11th, 2023 at 3 PM PDT

🎟️ https://l8.nu/rCXu

More on Social Media Metrics that Drive Campaigns

Organizations often think likes and follows are bringing them social media success but these numbers are often called vanity metrics, and they may not be true measures of success. 

Successful social media marketing campaigns are not only strategized prior, they are also measured effectively and efficiently to get accurate information that will allow you to really reach your target audience. 

“Social media gives you more than just reach, says Syju John.” It gives you access to target audiences – It can be either broad audiences based on demographics or an audience similar to those who have taken action that will also benefit you.”

In addition to this says John, you get 

  1. Access to metrics at every stage of your audience funnel – be it awareness to engagement to conversions.
  2. Access to tools to have conversations with your audience – Messaging platforms, comments, groups, AMA, polls etc.
  3. Access to those who have an audience – Partnerships and collaborations to maximize impact and get more eyes on your organization as well

Learn More About Speaker Syju John

Syju is a results-driven performance marketing specialist with over 8 years of experience in the digital marketing industry. She leads digital media strategy at Girl Effect, a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering girls and young women throughout their journey.

During her tenure at Girl Effect, she has led various initiatives to drive impact and maximize results including Brand Lift Studies, leveraging data-driven insights to measure and enhance brand awareness. 

She has also organized digital marketing efforts related to AI-powered chatbots, improving the way Girl Effect engages with its target audience. Key contributions have been the development of performance-tracking templates specifically tailored for youth brands. 

Templates, we have established a culture of data-driven decision-making, allowing us to optimize our digital campaigns and achieve greater impact. I am deeply passionate about using data to inform and optimize marketing strategies.

Please connect with Syju via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/syju-john/

To connect with Syju directly via email, do so at syju88@gmail.com.

June 20: Unleashing the Power of ChatGPT: Practical Applications for Nonprofits

TechSoup Connect Western Canada is delighted to announce our next event with guest expert Erik Blanchard. Join us for a virtual event on June 20 for Unleashing the Power of ChatGPT: Practical Applications for Nonprofits.

🗓️ Tuesday, June 20th, 2023 at 12 PM PDT

🎟️ https://events.techsoup.org/e/m8tu5c/

Chat GPT is all the rage these days but do you as a nonprofit really understand how it can help you? 

This virtual event will see Erik summarize what ChatGPT and other AI tools can do from a practical perspective. He will also work through some live prompt engineering with ChatGPT with people providing ideas in the event chat.


More on Unleashing the Power of ChatGPT: Practical Applications for Nonprofits

“Technology like this will turbocharge nonprofits. You will be able to get out messages better, increase your fundraising efforts, and get more volunteers. Organizations are often limited by gaps in knowledge and experience that gives you a hard stop on a problem. Things like AI may be able to help”,  says Blanchard.

Learn More About Speaker Erik Blanchard

Erik has a background in managing and maintaining complex IT systems. He leads a team of three who help optimize infrastructure and provide exceptional client support.


He and his team have embraced using artificial intelligence in their daily operations. AI-driven technologies have significantly improved communication, decision-making, and productivity for them and their clients. Erik describes himself as a pseudo-programmer and renaissance man. 

Reach out to Erik on LinkedIn via his profile at linkedin.com/in/erikblanchardpdx or get in touch with him via email at erik.b.blanchard@gmail.com.

Why Audience Research Will Save Your Nonprofit Time And Effort

TechSoup Connect Western Canada is delighted to announce our next event with repeat guest expert Alison Knott. Join us for a virtual event on June 6 for “Audience Research: Save Time And Effort With Your Communications.”

🗓️ Tuesday, June 6th, 2023 at 12 PM PDT

🎟️ https://events.techsoup.org/e/m6vstb/

Nonprofits can get excited to start their marketing efforts immediately, but we must know our target audience first. In this workshop, Alison will share best practices for audience research and what nonprofits like yours should do before you get into the tactics.

“How do organizations decide what they are going to talk about? That’s going to be worth our time, our very limited time as nonprofit teams,” says Knott.  “We are going to measure twice and cut once and research before we start thinking about what to put on TikTok and Instagram, in newsletters and webinars.”

Who Is Alison Knott?

Alison K supports brands putting good into the world with marketing consulting and training. She shows you how to make your marketing ethical, doable, and lovable so you stick with it to get the goods and do more good.

More on Audience Research: Save Time And Effort With Your Communications

“While it can be tempting for staff working for non-profit organizations to be turning out things for the sake of churning out things.” Knott says that “it’s getting back to easy, affordable, enjoyable research that will help you create content ideas and content and understand who we want to reach from an advocacy perspective or educational perspective.”

“Perhaps there is a fear of greenwashing, excluding voices/perspectives or other concerns that make team members unsure how to communicate effectively,” says Knott.

The challenges faced by non-profits are many and before you act on the tactics of your messaging without really understanding why it is you are doing what you are doing.

Learn More About Alison

Her presentations are an unusual blend of high-octane enthusiasm and actionable lessons. Boring tech jargon has no place in her talks!

Alison aims to engage audiences at the highest level. Action plans, workshop sessions and giving out candy are just a few examples. Whatever it takes to have people leave inspired, she’s on board.

In addition to public speaking, Alison has held teaching positions at NSCAD University and NSCC IT Campus, mentoring hundreds of students about design and the web.

Learn more about Alison’s work: https://alisonkconsulting.com/

May 9: Hot Topics in Nonprofit Technology: AI, VR, and Mastodon [IN-PERSON]

We are thrilled to announce an upcoming in-person event exploring the hot topics in nonprofit technology, including Artificial Intelligence (A.I.), Virtual Reality (V.R.), and Mastodon.

This event will take place on Tuesday, May 9th at the Creekside Community Centre, and will look at what you, as a small to middle-sized non-profit, need to know about these technologies.

Register: https://events.techsoup.org/e/mghs6s/

Venue map: https://goo.gl/maps/osjTCRCC896da2f38

Jai Djwa will share his knowledge and insights on how these technologies can be used to advance the work of nonprofits. AI will impact how nonprofit organizations handle things like engagement and conversion, while VR helps us think about different aspects of perception.

Our agenda for the evening

  • 5:45 PM Doors open
  • 6:00 PM Event Starts
  • 6:15 PM: Artificial Intelligence for Nonprofits. AI and its applications in nonprofit organizations
  • 6:30 PM: Virtual Reality for Nonprofits. The potential of VR in creating immersive and engaging fundraising campaigns.
  • 6:45 PM: How Mastodon can be used as an alternative social media platform for nonprofits.
  • Q&A 7:00 PM

In addition to the informative presentations, we will provide ample opportunities for networking and engaging in discussions with fellow nonprofit professionals.

We would like to thank our sponsors and partners for their support in making this event possible. If you are interested in sponsoring or partnering with us, please email eli@vandergiessen.ca

Events like this one allow us to come together as a community, share our knowledge, and support each other. So please mark your calendars, spread the word, and let’s make this event a success!

Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

Ben and Eli, TechSoup Connect Western Canada

An Interview with Rowena Veylan about Indigenous Protocols For Nonprofits

TechSoup Connect BC is proud to present our next event, Indigenous Protocols For Nonprofits on Tuesday, April 11, 2023, with Rowena Veylan from the New School of Fundraising. This workshop is designed to help non-profits understand the role that indigenous protocols can play in their events and functions and how to be able to do such things authentically.

“We encourage non-profit organizations to approach things authentically when it comes to including indigenous protocols in events. What it means, Why it’s done. The nuts and bolts. Make it personal to you. Read from your heart and ensure that things come through in a meaningful way.”

Rowena Veylan

There are differences between how First Nations groups conduct things like a traditional welcome or a land acknowledgement and many non-profits don’t know even know what the difference is between a welcome and an acknowledgement. There is also a lack of consistency at non-profit events regarding a welcome or acknowledgement as they are present at some events and not others.


“In the non-profit industry, we are empathetic and compassionate and we want people to feel that it’s ok to call an admin office or friendship centre of a nation and ask how this can be approached.”

Some other key parts of the workshop will also look at how to help organizations foster lasting relationships with groups and Nations as its the ongoing relationships that are key. Correct name pronunciation of both the individuals and groups that may be involved in an event will also be covered.