Is it being “optimistically pessimistic” or “pessimistically optimistic” that involves a lot of worrying, while working and hoping for the best? Whichever it is, it’s certainly how one might generally describe non-profits. It’s an attitude that, for better or for worse, seems to be inherent to the non-profit existence: doing vital work in neglected arenas, and with limited resources.

As it turns out, non-profits have that same general feeling when it comes to their impact in the digital world. Thanks to Communicopia’s “Non-profit Digital Teams Benchmark Report””, we’ve got a bit more insight into the mindset and habits of non-profits utilizing their digital teams. Our own co-founder Michael Silberman contributed to the report and the subsequent Stanford Social Innovation Review articles that grew out of it, and a lot of what he learned working with clients over his time here went into the ideas that were generated.

It’s absolutely worth the free download, and I won’t regurgitate it here, but I’ll share with you a few of of my favorite insights:

• Email is old, but not antiquated. Social tools are important, but email remains key for both mass and two-way communication with supporters and donors. According to the report, most organizations are still growing their lists, which is good news. Just be sure to:

1. grow your lists correctly;
2. never buy or rent lists (they don’t work and they hurt your future mailings); and
3. collect email addresses when the opportunity presents itself (you should absolutely be requiring it for online donations).

I’ll also add that the effectiveness of email shouldn’t keep you from trying new approaches on Twitter, Facebook, and elsewhere. Keep experimenting.

• Don’t follow. Maybe the most encouraging trend illustrated in the report is a move away from using digital teams in a reactive capacity (being a “service desk”) and towards a model in which they push forward their own programs. Online and digital tools are good compliments to traditional methods—including events and direct mail—but that’s not all they can do. The online world is a growing medium, so try things that are hard to do elsewhere: hold a public forum with community members through a Google Plus Hangout, launch a social fundraising competition, or survey supporters about ideas they have for your events and programs.
• Measure, but know that some numbers can lie. This is where the optimistic nature of non-profits really shows. According to the report, “92% of respondents believe they manage social media somewhat or highly effectively.” That’s a big number, but it’s also a “feel.” There are a number of tools out there, like ThinkUp and Klout, that help you measure and track your influence online. Just don’t fall into the trap that the most important number is how many followers you have on Twitter or Facebook. Especially on Twitter, follower numbers can be inflated by spam accounts, mindless bots, and faceless companies. Work to measure influence instead, and don’t be afraid of having a small, but engaged following.

Anyways, that’s all I got. Download the report and take a look. It’s even a nice, short read for the attention span-deprived.