Social Media Tools for Nonprofits

“Nonprofits are the keepers of the stories of the most marginalized and vulnerable in our midst, and they’re able to use this in ways that command the public interest and generate support for their organizations.” -Michael Seltzer, former program officer, Ford Foundation

Through the World Vision organization, I supported a young girl in Ethiopia for several years. We occasionally exchanged letters and I was able to learn about her and her family. Unfortunately, I had to stop contributing as my financial situation had changed. I felt guilty. Here I was with running water, electricity, transportation, education, and access to health care. How could I not afford to help a child afford minimal access to health services and education?

It’s not surprising that nonprofits have seen a drop in funding over the past two years (Gopal). Individuals, such as myself, have had to prioritize and cut expenses often at the cost of being able to give. What’s worse is at the same time there has been a rise in demand for these services. Animal shelters are experiencing an increase in the number of homeless and abandoned pets as pet owners can no longer afford to keep them. Similarly, homeless shelters and food banks are financially unable to aid the poor and unemployed. In this down economy everyone is feeling the pinch, especially nonprofit organizations that depend on donations for their very existence. Fortunately, old fashioned ingenuity and social media tools can help raise awareness and funds.

It seems like everyone and their mother (and even grandmother) is on Facebook nowadays. Nonprofit organizations such as March of Dimes are now using Facebook and other social networking sites to engage with donors. March of Dimes has even created a Facebook widget that allows people to make a donation without leaving the page. This widget promotes their annual fundraising walk and tracks participants goals and progress. In fact, 56,000 of their 71,000 Facebook fans have installed the widget and have generated donations as a result of its use (Daniels). Patricia Goldman, VP and CMO for March of Dimes, says, “You can no longer do major fundraising events without the involvement of social media.”

This kind of micro-giving adds up fast and not only benefits the cause but empowers the donor as well. By identifying and connecting with various causes, donors become part of a virtual community. According to Bob Cramer, Nonprofit World, “The ability to become part of an online community’s discussion in this manner is truly transformative, taking supporters from passive to active participation.” The donor becomes an advocate for the cause! What a powerful tool this can be. People are also a lot more likely to share a link on their Facebook page than send an email to each of their friends.

In addition to social networking sites, there are several programs available to nonprofits to help alleviate some overhead costs. Google Grants, for instance, provides free AdWords advertising to qualified nonprofit organizations. YouTube has a nonprofit channel that charitable organizations can apply for in order to participate. And there are other sites, such as Giveo.com, that, for a small fee, help nonprofits optimize their online fundraising initiatives.

Even though I am still not able to write a monthly check to a charitable organization, I have donated small amounts of money to several organizations over the past few months. It has been empowering to participate with a variety of causes by giving some money and attention to a cause. Being only twenty-something, too, I hope that my contributions can increase as I establish a career and steady income. I certainly feel like a more informed donor.

Works Cited

Cramer, B. (2009, May/June). Increase donations in a down economy? With social media, yes, you can! Nonprofit World, 27 (3) 8-9.

Daniels, C. (2010, July). Nonprofits discover power of social media fundraising. PRWeek, 13 (7) 18.

Gopal, P. (2009, February). Nonprofits scramble for funding. BusinessWeek Online, 10.