Guest post by Kanwei Li, Double the Donation
How often does your phone light up with a social media alert? Whether someone liked your picture on Instagram, retweeted that funny joke on Twitter, or commented on your latest Facebook status, you’re likely getting notifications of some kind.Gone are the days when all of your donors mailed in checks once a month. Many more are using technology like mobile giving and online donation forms to give to their favorite causes.
Check out the top three strategies for harnessing social media to fundraise more effectively.
And for more guidance on fundraising, check out Double the Donation’s Ultimate Guide!
1. Start asking for donations on Facebook.
Social media, and Facebook in particular, can be a great avenue to ask for and receive donations.
While you are likely already posting statuses to remind donors of how they can give to your organization, you can now receive contributions with a donation tab right on your Facebook page.
Of course, you won’t want to constantly be asking your followers for donations.
You should also use Facebook to:
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Promote your events.
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Let donors know about other ways to donate (like text-to-give).
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Advertise for your upcoming fundraisers.
- Praise your donors and volunteers.
- Give updates about projects.
2. Use social media to stay in touch.
It’s vital that you use social media as a way to stay in touch with your advocates, donors, volunteers, and prospects.
It’s important to remember that social media is a dialogue, not a monologue. You aren’t just posting, tweeting, and commenting into a void.
Your supporters are interacting and talking to each other on these different platforms, and if your nonprofit wants to be part of the conversation, it’s crucial to be aware of what you’re posting.
- You should be responding to donor messages on social media in a timely manner.
- You should be liking or commenting on donors’ statuses that mention your organization.
- You should be posting pictures of your volunteers and donors during events.
3. Promote corporate giving programs on social media.
Some of your biggest supporters may work for companies that will reward their gifts of money and time with matching gift programs and volunteer grant initiatives.
But your donors and volunteers might not know these programs exist at their jobs!
Your nonprofit can help by promoting corporate giving programs within your social media posts.
However, just like you don’t want to bombard donors with donation appeals on Facebook 24/7, keep your promotions of corporate giving programs to once or twice a week. The more saturated the information becomes, the more likely it will be tuned out.
Social Media Affects Everyone
About the Author
Kanwei Li is the CTO of Double the Donation. He has over 10 years of software development experience. He holds a master’s degree in Computer Science from Emory University and resides in Atlanta.
He is passionate about developing software to solve everyday problems.
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