Social Media and the Not-For-Profit World

With the development of interactive Internet applications (known as Web 2.0 tools) and the popularity of social media, tech-savvy not-for-profit organizations have new opportunities to increase their visibility.

In the beginning, content on Web sites was static. Now, full interactivity is possible. Blogs, photo-sharing Web sites, and online social networks (OSNs) allow people to actively participate in discussions and share information, pictures, and videos. These tools have obvious applications in the social realm; how useful they are for businesses and not-for-profits is up for debate.

Some Statistics
Communication is at the heart of the new technology, so it’s not surprising that the not-for-profit sector is embracing social media. Cost is another element that appeals to not-for-profits. Compared to traditional print and broadcast media, social media costs are much lower. And the potential audience is considerably greater.

In a recent survey* of 980 not-for-profit professionals, 86.2% reported that their organization has a presence on a commercial OSN, while 30.6% reported having an in-house social network (i.e. a social network on the organization’s own website).

Of the organizations using a commercial OSN:

  • 64.5% dedicate between one quarter and one half of a full-time employee’s job to the task of maintaining their online presence.
  • 80.5% say the primary purpose of their online community is marketing.
  • 37.8% reported fundraising revenue from their online community of between $0 and $10,000; 61.1% are not fundraising.

Wait and See?
Social media tools and trends are still developing, and many organizations are waiting to see how things unfold. One advantage of social media is that you can try it out without having to invest anything more than time. An Internet search will uncover countless blogs. Choose one or two and begin following them. Then, if you feel it could be useful to your organization, begin participating. You can also research OSNs and other interactive Internet tools before committing to having a presence online.

Planning Steps
Merely starting a blog or establishing a profile on an OSN won’t guarantee success. Like any outreach campaign, you’ll want to formulate a plan. Discuss what success will “look” like as you establish goals and develop steps to achieve them. If you have staff members and volunteers who are familiar with social media tools, ask for their input.

The downside of our “ultra-connected” world is that it is difficult (if not impossible) to control the flow of information. A blog or photo that gives the wrong impression of your organization could be damaging. You can take steps to avoid problems by developing a written social networking policy with clear usage guidelines. Sharing the policy with staff members and volunteers will encourage them to consider the repercussions of their online actions.

* Nonprofit Social Network Survey Report, Common Knowledge, NTEN, ThePort, April 2009