NGP News

NGP Announces NGP Teleforum: Engage Supporters, Raise More, Inspire Action

Claire — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 11:09:15 -0400

With NGP Teleforum, candidates and organizations are now able to engage in a personal and authentic way with large numbers of supporters, for a very low cost.

Teleforums are the high-tech version of the in-person town hall. They allow candidates to speak live to supporters in their districts, and campaign staffers on the call can vet participant questions, take real-time polls, and capture would-be donors and volunteers. Because Teleforums can be held anywhere a candidate has access to a phone and internet connection, they are particularly helpful for incumbents who spend much of the year away from their districts.

Candidates are using Teleforum to much success: an incumbent Democratic Senator has used Teleforum seven times this cycle to engage nearly 80,000 Democratic voters in his Western state and collect nearly 2,000 poll responses, 200 fundraising event enrollments, and 70 precinct captain sign-ups. Across the board, Teleforums boast an average participation rate of 50% of individuals who answer the call, and they hold audience members’ attention for an average of more than 16 minutes.

NGP clients can use their Campaign Office database to target their audience and Teleforum’s polls and reports to learn more about their donors and voters, make more effective calls to action and raise more money.

To learn more about Teleforum and to start connecting with your audience through a channel that gives you more bang – money raised and votes tallied – for your buck, please click here or contact us at sales@ngpsoftware.com or (202) 686-9330.

NGP at Netroots Nation

Claire — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 17:21:46 -0400

NGP is proud to sponsor the annual Netroots Nation conference.

For those clients and friends working in the trenches everyday and attending the conference this weekend in Las Vegas, we hope you'll say hi at one of our events or visit us at Booth 205 in the exhibition hall:

Democratic GAIN Kick-off Happy Hour, Sponsored by NGP
Wednesday, July 21, 5:30 - 8:00 pm

Panel: "Online Grassroots Fundraising for Candidates, Causes and Concerned Citizens," NGP's Christopher Massicotte, panelist
Thursday, July 22, 4:30 - 5:45 pm

Screening Series: "Coming of Age," Out in the Silence introduced by NGP's Christopher Massicotte
Friday, July 23rd, 10:30 am

Training: "Running Start: Five Things You must Do before You Tell the World about Your Campaign," Moderated by NGP's Sam Osborne. NGP's Chris Casey, panelist
Friday, July 23rd, 4:30 - 5:45 pm

For those playing along at home, keep up with NGP on Twitter (@LeftyNGP) and Facebook.

Democratic Campaigns See 62% Increase in Online Fundraising

Claire — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 10:51:29 -0400

NGP Analysis of Democratic Political Fundraising in the Washington Post

NGP Analysis of Democratic Political Fundraising in The Hill's Hillicon Valley blog

Democrats have seen the percentage of overall contributions coming through their online channel increase by 62%, comparing the second quarter of 2008 with the second quarter of 2010. The percentage of the total number of donations NGP’s clients are accepting through NGP’s online contribution system is now 29%, or almost a third of the total number of donations.

“NGP’s analysis shows that many Democratic campaigns are running more sophisticated online fundraising efforts in 2010, and as a result they’re raising dramatically more online,” said NGP CEO Stu Trevelyan.

NGP is in a unique position to analyze online campaign contributions, with over 1,700 campaign-related clients and a majority of Democratic campaigns using their online fundraising tools. Seventy-five percent of the DCCC’s Frontline candidates use NGP’s Contribution Web Package, and NGP’s CWP clients range from statewide Democratic campaigns to state legislative Democratic candidates. NGP’s fundraising database also stores offline contribution data, enabling an analysis of online versus offline fundraising performance. The analysis looked only at campaigns fundraising for elections in both 2008 and 2010.

The online channel continues to democratize political engagement, giving greater voice to a larger number of small-dollar contributors. While overall online contributions soared, the average online contribution amount decreased from $258.72 in Q2 2008 to $211.34 in Q2 2010. The online channel also continues to drive down the average donation across both online/offline, which fell from $471.92 in Q2 2008 to $357.81 in Q2 2010.

There are several factors underlying this trend:

Increased comfort with online giving: Individuals who have made an initial contribution online are much more likely to make subsequent contributions through that channel.

Improved online campaigns: NGP has seen an increase in the number of clients using sophisticated features that harness their donor data to ensure they never leave money on the table. For instance, NGP clients have the ability to create a “contribute” link in an email that populates a contribution page with a donor’s highest previous contribution amount, whether the previous contribution was made online or off. Another example: more and more clients are taking advantage of NGP’s recently release feature allowing campaigns to accept contributions through their mobile phones.

Increased adoption of social networking: Leveraging supporters’ social networks makes it easier to recruit new contributors. For example, NGP’s clients use Personal Fundraising Pages to provide their supporters with the tools to establish goals and raise money from their friends and family, extending their campaigns’ reach. Clients are also using the social network integrations provided in NGP’s tools to connect with supporters on Twitter, as well as to accept contributions and share their decision to support a campaign on Facebook.

Across all Democratic campaigns, online fundraising has increased even more; the analysis above only considers campaigns doing online fundraising in 2008. NGP has also seen a significant increase in the percentage of fundraising database clients also now using NGP’s online fundraising tools in 2010 over 2008, as those campaigns who didn’t do online fundraising in 2008 or who used unsophisticated tools adopt NGP’s tools.

Extended Support Hours for Filings

Claire — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 15:52:10 -0400

As July filing deadlines approach, NGP clients are reminded to take advantage of our extended support hours. The remaining extended hours follow:

Tuesday, July 13th - 9:00 am - 8:00 pm

Wednesday, July 14th - 9:00 am - 10:00 pm

Thursday, July 15th - 9:00 am - 12:00 am

Friday, July 16th - 9:00 am - 6:00 pm

Monday, July 19th - 9:00 am - 8:00 pm

Tuesday, July 20th - 9:00 am - 8:00 pm

Wednesday, July 21st - 9:00 am - 8:00 pm

Thursday, July 22nd - 9:00 am - 8:00 pm

Friday July 23rd - 9:00 am - 8:00 pm

Please don't hesitate to contact our support team during the above extended hours with compliance questions.

NGP Introduces Budget-Friendly Accelerator Websites

Claire — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 15:30:27 -0400

NGP is excited to introduce Accelerator websites, which are geared towards campaigns and organizations eager to quickly launch an outstanding online campaign on a small budget.

Automating much of the process of setting up a website has enabled NGP to offer budget-conscious campaigns and organizations the same powerful platform that our custom design-clients have used for six years to win awards and campaigns.

The Accelerator platform is integrated fully with NGP's Campaign Office database and Contribution Web Package (CWP), meaning that contributions and other sign-ups flow directly into the database, with the right coding to allow fundraisers to track their efforts online and off and raise more money. Tools like CWP's Smartlink technology make this possible, allowing fundraisers to set up emails so that the online contribution page automatically populates with each individual's highest previous contribution amount. Accelerator's integration also means an end to inefficient data silos and imports and exports across systems.

The intuitive administrative interface allows non-technical staff to easily tailor the colors and layout of a website to an organization or campaign's message and brand. Content additions and edits don't require coding experience, making creating features like multiple contribution and sign-up pages easy. Accelerator sites' powerful platform enables campaigns and organizations to harness the power of social networks like Facebook and Twitter, as well as tools like petitions, letters to the editor and e-cards. Built on an open-source Drupal platform, Accelerator sites can grow with you, adding more features and custom designs as you need them. You know NGP for our outstanding Client Services team, and those resources, too, are available to Accelerator clients when they need support.

Learn more about Accelerator websites' advanced features by clicking here, or contact our Sales team directly at sales@ngpsoftware.com or (202) 686-9330.

NGP at the Texas Democratic Convention

Claire — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 11:47:21 -0400

For the 2010 Texas Democratic Convention, NGP's Sam Osborne will be traveling to the Lone Star State. Sam specializes in outfitting Texas Democratic candidates with the perfect mix of political technology to hit the ground running and carry out outstanding, winning campaigns.

During the Convention, Sam will be in attendance at the Kick-off Reception on Thursday the 24th, as well as the Lady Bird Johnson Breakfast on Saturday, June 26th. For the duration, Sam will be available at NGP's exhibition booth at the American Bank Center.

Sam's eager to attach a name to a face, so, if you're attending the Convention, please stop by NGP's booth to meet him and score a foam Lefty Donkey of your own. If you'd like to arrange a time to meet one-on-one with Sam during the Convention, please email him at sosborne@ngpsoftware.com.

NGP Summer Happy Hour and Art of Political Campaigning Panel

Claire — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 13:34:57 -0400

Join NGP on Thursday, June 10th, at 6:30 pm for one of our famous happy hours. The forecast says sunny and warm, and the decks will be open. Some folks will be coming following the first day of the Art of Political Campaigning conference, hosted by Politics Magazine. But, whether you're attending the conference or not, we hope you'll join us to meet other Democrats, catch up with old friends, and down a few frosty libations.

Details:

NGP Software
1225 Eye Street NW, Suite 1225
Washington, DC 20005
6:30 - 9:00 pm

Please RSVP on our Facebook event page; we hope to see you on Thursday!

Attending the conference? Don't miss NGP's Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Christopher Massicotte, providing the Democratic perspective on a panel addressing how to run an outstanding campaign on a shoestring budget. The panel is scheduled for 10:15 am on Friday, June 11. Learn more about the conference here.

Accept Donations via Facebook!

Claire — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 13:07:46 -0400

Our award-winning social networking enhancements to our Contribution Web Package (CWP) technology just got better!

We're excited to announce that we have developed the means to allow you to accept online contributions directly from your Facebook page, enabling NGP clients to channel Facebook support into fundraising dollars.

Facebook Donate Tabs use CWP technology, so they're free for CWP clients and come with all the benefits of using CWP, including security and the ability to track donations with a 'Facebook' code. Campaigns with some HTML savvy and ambition can set up this feature using our help guide at no cost, and campaigns who need support can have a Facebook Donation Tab set up for them for a low one-time fee to cover our time.

To learn more, please contact our Sales team at sales@ngpsoftware.com or (202) 686-9330, and to see an example of how it works, click here.

Join NGP Staff to Celebrate 500 Days of Progress in White House!

Claire — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 13:01:50 -0400

Join NGP staff members and a host of progressive organizations to celebrate 500 days of progress in the White House on Wednesday, June 2nd.

Plan to be at Top of the Hill from 6:00 - 9:00 pm for a $5 fundraiser and networking reception. The evening will be replete with special guests and raffles prizes, and our staff is excited to partner with a dynamic group of organizations and their contacts to make the evening great!

Top of the Hill (upstairs of Pour House)
319 Pennsylvania Avenue SE
Washington, DC 20003

Click here to RSVP.

Former NGP Employee Wins Democratic Nomination in NC House District 60!

Claire — Wed, 05 May 2010 13:49:32 -0400

NGP congratulates our clients who were victorious in this week's primaries in North Carolina, Ohio and Indiana, and we are exceptionally excited for one of our own. Congratulations to Marcus Brandon, NGP employee 2004-2005, and now the Democratic nominee in NC House District 60!

Marcus pulled off an upset, winning 60% of the vote in his primary. Congratulations, future NC State Rep. Marcus Brandon!

NGP Spring Rooftop Happy Hour!

Claire — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 10:26:44 -0400

It's about time! As we usher out the last days of blustery weather, it only feels appropriate to invite a couple hundred of our closest friends over to our HQ for a rooftop happy hour.

There are few things that we enjoy more than (re)connecting with clients, friends and new acquaintances over cold, delicious brews, so we hope you will join us on Thursday, May 6th from 6:00 to 8:00 pm.

NGP HQ
1225 Eye Street NW, Suite 1225
Washington, DC 20005
(202) 686-9330

Feel free to bring friends, and please RSVP at our Facebook event page, so we can provide ample libations!

NGP is Proud to Support EMILY's List's 25th Anniversary!

Claire — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 16:42:34 -0400

We are thrilled to be a part of EMILY's List's celebration of their 25th year, through our sponsorship of the EMILY's List Alumni Reunion and the 25th Anniversary Luncheon, "Changing the Face of Power."

Since Ellen Malcolm founded EMILY's List in 1985, the PAC has grown into one of the nation's largest. On this momentous occasion, we commend Malcolm on the growth the PAC experienced during her tenure, as well as its effect on the political landscape, and we celebrate the arrival of Stephanie Schriock, who promises to be a dynamic and effective successor.

Please consider joining NGP in our support of this occasion by attending EMILY's List's 25th Anniversary luncheon, taking place on Thursday, April 29th from 12:00 to 1:30 pm. Find more details here.

Find NGP on POLC 2010 Email Fundraising Panel!

Claire — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 15:34:26 -0400

On Monday, April 19th, Christopher Massicotte, NGP's Vice President of Sales and Marketing, will be on a panel at the annual Politics Online Conference, discussing one of our favorite topics: email fundraising.

The panel, "Red Rover Revolver," will cover optimizing your fundraising emails, list building, and improving the rate at which readers follow your emails' links. NGP is the leading provider of campaign technology to Democratic candidates, and most Federal Democratic candidates use the integrated email system in NGP Campaign Office Online. NGP has worked with hundreds of campaigns, helping them get their emails noticed and maximizing their fundraising efforts, and Chris is eager to share wisdom gleaned from his years of experience on the campaign trail and working with a wide range of clients at NGP.

If you're planning on attending the conference, we hope you will find us to say hi to Chris and meet our foam donkey mascot, Lefty, if you haven't already! The panel is taking place at 2:00 pm on Monday, April 19th, at the Washington Marriott, and the conference continues through April 20th. To view the full agenda, please click here, and to reserve a spot, follow this link.

NGP Clients: Extended Support Hours This Week and Next!

Claire — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 13:39:56 -0400

As the FEC and many state filing deadlines approach, we would like to remind our clients about our extended support hours that started on Monday and extend until April 15th:

Thursday, April 8 - 9:00 am to 6:00 pm (normal hours)

Friday, April 9 - 9:00 am to 7:00 pm

Saturday, April 10 - 11:00 am to 5:00 pm

Sunday, April 11 - 11:00 am to 5:00 pm

Monday, April 12 - 9:00 am to 8:00 pm

Tuesday, April 13 - 9:00 am to 8:00 pm

Wednesday, April 14 - 9:00 am to 10:00 pm

Thursday, April 15 - 9:00 am to Midnight

All times are Eastern Time. Please don't hesitate to contact our Support Team during the above hours with your compliance questions!

NGP Honored Four Times at Pollie Awards!

Claire — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 12:18:50 -0400

At this weekend's Pollie Awards and Conference, The "Oscars of Political Advertising," hosted by the American Association of Political Consultants, NGP was honored four times in the following categories:

Best Use of New Technology - NGP's Personal Fundraising Pages
Best Facebook Application - NGP's CWP/Facebook Integration
Best National Organization Website - RFK Memorial Center Website
Best US House Website - John Garamendi for Congress Website

Please read the following profiles to learn more about the products and projects that were honored by this year's Pollies!

NGP's Personal Fundraising Pages (PFPs) - Best Use of New Technology

NGP's Personal Fundraising Pages were honored with first place in the Best Use of New Technology category. Alan Khazei, candidate for the Senate seat held by the late Edward Kennedy for nearly fifty years, demonstrated the power of PFPs as a fundraising tool. With a very small investment of human capital to get started, Khazei's use of PFP's was a runaway success. The tool accounted for 15 percent of his total fundraising and integrated effortlessly with his other NGP products and established fundraising process. Having never before run for office, PFPs allowed the Khazei campaign to extend its fundraising reach beyond their contact universe to those of friends, family and colleagues and kept him in the primary race in the face of formidable opponents.

NGP's Contribution Web Package (CWP)/Facebook Integration - Second Best Facebook Application

The Obama campaign ushered in a new era of campaigning with their commitment to and fluency in engaging voters using Web 2.0. As campaigns of all shapes and sizes seek to emulate Obama's success with a focus on having a presence on social networking sites like Facebook, we saw an opportunity to provide oft-requested Web 2.0 tools as part of a complete integration between our full suite of software offerings. The free add-on to our Contribution Web Package (CWP) allows donors to broadcast their support for your campaign on their Facebook wall and friends' newsfeeds, directly from the contribution thank you page, effectively driving traffic to their website and facilitating fundraising and a robust and outstanding online campaign.

Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Center Website - Second Best National Organization Website

An established organization, NGP reworked the RFK Center's logo concept to incorporate the familiar profile and initials of the late RFK into a fresh, iconic logo and new website that educates the public and makes it easier for people to see the impact of the organization's work and support its goals. We built the RFK Center site with advanced features, such as an interactive flash map, which allows visitors to learn about the work of recipients of the Center's prestigious Human Rights Award. 2009 winner, Magodonga Mahlangu, and her organization, Women of Zimbabwe Arise, are featured on the map with an embedded video of the White House ceremony where they were presented the award by President Obama and Ethel Kennedy. Built on Drupal, an open-source CMS, RFK Center employees were empowered to keep their site up-to-the-minute without advanced computer skills. The site received considerable press, including a feature on MSNBC's Morning Joe.

Representative John Garamendi's Website - Second Best US House Website

We designed Garamendi's site with advanced features, including a rotating top story, a Google Map with a district boundary overlay, and integration with social networks such as Flickr and Twitter, encouraging voter engagement with the issues. The campaign effectively drove turnout at events through the use of our integrated Broadcast Email technology, unique "splash" pages, and a dynamic events calendar with embedded Google Map. Built using an innovative Drupal API module, we integrated Garamendi's donation pages fully with his NGP online database, allowing the campaign to change the look and feel of the site, knowing that the changes would be instantly reflected on every page, maximizing the potential for conversions. The integration extended to contact information provided on the site; whether a supporter commented on the blog, RSVP'ed to attend an event or donated, a record was instantly populated in their NGP database, creating a new universe of prospects.

NGP Wins Reed Award for Best State Legislative or Local Candidate’s Website

Chris Casey — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 10:03:03 -0500

On January 29^th, NGP was recognized at Politics Magazine's 2^nd annual Reed Awards. NGP won in the category honoring the best state legislative or local race website for Bill de Blasio'swebsite in his campaign for Public Advocate of New York City.

When the de Blasio campaign came to NGP for website design and development, the candidate lagged by double-digits in the polls for the Democratic nomination. Through the integration with social networking sites on the website's homepage, the campaign successfully extended their message to new audiences, and an innovative, unique feature attracted media attention.

Determined to relate his commitment to tenant rights, we worked with de Blasio's campaign to develop his Slumlord Watch List, which identified landlords in all five boroughs who have neglected their tenants and allowed their buildings to fall into dangerous disrepair. The accompanying interactive Google Map illustrated the reign of existing slumlords and allowed New Yorkers to submit their address to determine if their residence met the Watch List's criteria. De Blasio experienced a dramatic rise in the polls, and he ultimately won the Democratic primary and runoff elections in September.

NGP was also a Reed awards finalist in the category recognizing the Best National Public Affairs Advocacy Website for our design and development of the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights' website. Like de Blasio's site, we built the RFK Center's site with a unique tool that illustrated the Center's international work with an interactive flash map, featuring embedded video.

NGP, NOI and Democratic GAIN Post-Election Happy Hour

NGP Admin — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:04:16 -0500

Join NGP Software, Democratic GAIN and NOI for a happy hour to celebrate the hard work of the campaigns in the 2009 election on Thursday, November 5 from 5:30 to 8:00 pm. Cider cocktails, seasonal brews and fall fare will be provided, and progressive-minded company is guaranteed.

The party will be hosted at NGP's headquarters, and the roof deck will be open for those who wish to brave sub-60 temperatures. NGP is located at:

1225 Eye Street NW, Suite 1225
Washington, DC 20005

Our offices are located on the 12th floor. We hope you'll join NGP, NOI, GAIN, and our big network of friends for a great party. Please RSVP; we hope to see you on (thirsty) Thursday, the 5th!

NGP Welcomes Patton Technologies' Staff and Clients to the NGP Family

NGP Admin — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 12:34:04 -0400

NGP is excited to announce that NGP has acquired Patton Technologies, and that Chris Patton, his staff and his clients have joined the NGP family. Patton Technologies clients will now have access to the broader offerings of NGP. This event combines two of the strongest campaign software companies serving Democrats and their allies. Chris Patton is a fantastic addition to the NGP team bringing decades of experience with campaign finance compliance and accounting.

Patton Technologies' clients include 28 Democratic State Parties, the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, and other candidates, PACs, and caucuses. With these clients joining the NGP team, NGP now serves every major national Democratic committee, as well as almost all the Democratic State Parties. This complements the over 75% of Democratic Senate and House members already using NGP, and all our over one thousand clients.

Patton clients will now also have access to NGP's software, including Internet modules like NGP's Contribution Web Package, Broadcast Email, and Personal Fundraising Pages. They will also have access to NGP's top-notch support, our award-winning Online Campaigns web site development team, and our excellent Data Services team.

NGP will continue to provide excellent software and outstanding service at a reasonable price. Please join us in welcoming the Patton community to the NGP family.

Netroots Nation 2009 and NGP in Pittsburgh!

Michael Nordman — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 12:04:09 -0400

NGP's Director of Sales and Marketing Chris Massicotte will be moderating a panel on redistricting at Netroots Nation 2009 held in Pittsburgh. The panel titled "Redistricting is Coming! Why Progressives Must Focus on the State Legislature in 2010 and How You Can Help" will be held on Thursday, August 13th at 4:30 p.m. in Rooms 301/302 at the Conference Center.

The panel will feature blogger Matt Glazer from Burnt Orange Report, Matt Compton the DLCC Communications Director, Sam Bennett from the Women's Campaign Forum, and State Rep. Chelsa Wagner (D-Pittsburgh). Join the Facebook event for the group if you are attending and follow @leftyngp on Twitter or submit your own questions to the panel by using the hashtag #redistricting2010.

Also if you are going to Netroots Nation in Pittsburgh and need a way there, NGP is chartering a party bus to Pittsburgh from D.C. Sign up here to travel with NGP for only $75 as the bus will feature NGP-provided snacks, drinks, and entertainment. You only need to bring your party hat and suitcase. We will be meeting outside our offices at 1225 Eye St. NW at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, August 12th arriving in Pittsburgh around midnight. The bus is slated to head back to D.C. on Sunday, August 16th at 2 p.m. with drop off back at NGP's office at 7 p.m.

NGP Wins 2009 Pollie Award for Best House Campaign Web Site

NGP Admin — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 16:51:42 -0400

NGP received the highest honors in the category for the best Website for a Democratic U.S. House Candidate. The Pollie was awarded for the work done on Rep. Mazie Hirono's re-election website, which you can visit here.

Her web site allowed her to establish a direct connection with her constituents through use of web 2.0 components like MazieBlog, MazieTV, as well as strong image and text content regarding her accomplishments and issue stances. The site uses an innovative new Drupal API module (open source), which allowed the campaign to create donation pages in Drupal but have them automatically integrated with the NGP online/offline fundraising database, allowing them to change the look and feel of their site and have the donation pages automatically change to match design. Studies have consistently shown that conversion rates on donation pages are higher if the look and feel of the main site is continued on the donation page. The same is true of the Volunteer signup and Event signup pages. When site visitors registered to make a blog comment, a record was automatically created in the NGP database, providing a new universe of prospects.