If you’ve decided to start using social media to connect and dialogue with younger donors, this resource guide will help you begin to plan your approach. Social media is a great connective tool for engaging constituents, but it is very different from other mediums traditionally used by non-profits. Feedback is what makes the difference – people can comment on your Facebook page, MySpace profile, YouTube video, or blog and everyone else who visits can see what they have to say – positive or negative. So it makes sense to approach social media thoughtfully and strategically.
1. a few examples of non-profits that are using social media effectively:
Running a Hospital is a popular blog by Paul Levy, President and CEO of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. Levy uses the blog to talk about the challenges of leading a large hospital. He has also specifically written about Facebook Causes and other social media fundraising platforms.
This blog is effective and popular because it is genuine, interesting, and written in a language that connects with younger people. Levy, a busy CEO, writes every post himself, and he focuses on interesting, real problems in his daily work life. He does not attempt to strike a narrative pose, sounding important or authoritative - he just puts his thoughts out there for others to consider. This is what blogging is all about, and Levy has mastered the art for the benefit of his organization.
The Alliance for Climate Protection has done a nice job with its Facebook page. The page currently has the second-highest membership of all Facebook Causes pages. Note that the dollar amount raised is extremely low compared to the number of donors, which emphasizes the fact that social media is really a connective tool as opposed to a straight fundraising tool.
There is nothing fancy or amazing about this Facebook page. It works because it really belongs to its users. They are passionate about stopping global warming, and the page is a gathering place for them to exchange ideas and information. They see themselves reflected in the page.
The Advent Conspiracy has taken advantage of YouTube by creating a text video. Simple and relatively cheap, the video has proven to be a thought-provoking way to get people to engage, marking up 179,000 views and 102 comments.
2. some perspectives on young people, social media and fundraising:
As with any communication effort, it’s extremely important to know your audience before you start engaging them. Following are a few interesting articles that shed some light on the next generation’s perspective on social media and fundraising.
"The New Face of Giving" by Andrea Stone of USA Today
"The Death of E-mail" by Chad Lorenz of Slate
"E-Mail is for Old People" by Dan Carnevale of The Chronicle of Higher Education
"The Direct Mail Addiction" by Michael Gilbert of Nonprofit Online News
"Building Membership with Social Media" by Bob Cramer of Philanthropy Journal
"Courting Generation Next" by Jennifer Berkshire of The Chronicle of Philanthropy
3. one social media expert shares his mistakes:
David Spark of Mashable has been using social media longer than most people – thus, he’s made just about every mistake possible. He candidly shares his advice and thoughts in this blog post.
Don’t let Spark’s comments scare you. Just use them to educate yourself, and think about how you can avoid some of these same pitfalls.
4. dynamic resources
One challenging aspect of planning your social media strategy is that the landscape is changing constantly. What is relevant and effective today might be dead and gone six months from now.
The following sites and projects are keeping pace with these rapid changes. Thus, checking in with them often will help you stay abreast of the latest developments, which will in turn help you keep your strategy and tactics fresh and effective.
SOFII is an organic site that serves as a collecting point for case studies, editorials, and discussions on fundraising. There is a section devoted to multimedia fundraising, with some interesting case studies involving social media. SOFII is full of great examples that you can learn from and great ideas you can adapt.
In 2006 the John D. and Catherine T. MacAurthur Foundation launched a five-year initiative called Digital Media and Learning. The goal of the initiative is “to help determine how digital technologies are changing the way young people learn, play, socialize, and participate in civic life.”
The initiative site is regularly updated with new reports and study findings – all of them related to how young people use digital media, and many of them related directly to philanthropy and civic engagement.
Campbell & Company is a leading national firm that specializes in strategy and marketing for non-profits. Their site is a clearing house for new, relevant information on donor engagement, and they frequently post reports on young donors and social media. Be sure to check out their recent post on a study showing how generous the next generation actually is.
Philanthropy Journal offers a good collection of news from the fundraising sector, with a particular focus on emerging tools and trends.
Nonprofit Online News presents posts from host Michael Gilbert and other fundraising experts. Be sure to read the recent post on the Obama campaign's successful use of conversational marketing.While a little more conventional, the Association of Fundraising Professionals resource section also contains some good material. Take a look at this recent article on a backfired attempt by Framingham State College to connect with younger donors.
Now it's up to you
These resources will help you think about how to make social media work for your non-profit. But don't get paralyzed by over planning. Get your basic strategy together, dive in, and enjoy and learn from the conversation that follows.