The Worldly Nonprofit, 2.0 » twitter

Recognizing Donors With Social Media

sarahkassel — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 18:43:39 +0000

Dave Fleet recently wrote an interesting post about the power of recognizing a customer base using social media. Going the extra step to acknowledge special customers and appreciate their business can make a difference.

I whole-heartedly agree. Applied to a donor/supporter base, I think social media can make a tremendous and easily-fascilitated impact. A simple example is the use of twitter to acknowledge publicity and financial contributors. For retweeting several Mercy Corps posts, I was tweeted a thank you for my support.

similarly, the crisis in Haiti spurred numerous efforts to use social media for fundraising and public information. The American Red Cross uses its Facebook page to offer personal thanks to “fans” and contributors to aid in Haiti. Such an effort also allows a community to congregate.

However, Beth Kanter, social media and nonprofit guru, cautions nonprofits against using social media as the be-all, end-all. She notes that nonprofits should use social media with caution, realizing that the platforms are tools, not strategies. Most platforms follow Gartner’s hype cycle, ending in a plateau of performance.

Regardless, responding to donors, contributors and “fans” on the platforms THEY use demonstrates a flexibility and fluidity not usually associated with nonprofits. But as Dave Fleet mentions, sometimes the handwritten or personal touch is best. For thanking those large donations, perhaps in the words of Marshall Mcluhan, the medium is the message.

What other nonprofits use social media platforms to thank donors and contributors? Do you think it’s a good tactic?

Twitter-pated Nonprofits

sarahkassel — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 17:41:03 +0000

Coincidentally, I was just glancing through the November edition of PRSA Tactics, and the newsletter includes a great spotlight on Twitter. In my last blog post, I noted that it seems the most successful posts are tactics resulting from an umbrella strategy. I thought I might add a few interesting points.

In an article entitled Politweets: “Embrace the Twitter Side of Government 2.0,” Jack O’Connell, California’s superintendent of public instruction, lists three attributes for Twitter tactical success. These are: transparency, passion and humanity. The right blend of tweeted honesty, communicated need and likability make for a supportive online community.

Shel Israel, author of the touted Twitterville and Global Neighborhoods blogger, notes the powerful force of using social media to spread and garner good will. Giving is subjective, he says. Could the strategic use of Twitter could mean the difference between donation numbers?

Great Ways to Use Twitter? Look to Mercy Corps

sarahkassel — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:08:02 +0000

Some bias: I love Mercy Corps. The Portland, Oregon-based nonprofit is a steadily growing, and sustainably conscious international development organization. moreover, Mercy Corps utilizes 86.3% of funds on program expenses, and is a parent organization to programs that economically develop the Portland area.

The true reason I mention Mercy Corps, however, is for the nonprofit’s use of Twitter. While I sometimes debate the true effectiveness of microblogging when it comes to garnering donations, I think Mercy Corps developed the right blend of 140-character fueled public information and public solicitation, and encouraged retweeting. Here is an example of the last few tweets:

“Writer @loudmind shares his most memorable meals from the field. (And how it all started w/ Indiana Jones.) http://bit.ly/5XIdcR about 9 hours ago from web

If you can spend $10 on cranberry sauce, can you spend $10 a help feed a family? Put the “giving” back in Thanksgiving: http://bit.ly/QKG4X about 13 hours ago from web

Take a look at what women in CAR and our team around the globe are thankful for. Then add your thanks: http://bit.ly/4oXciH #thanksgiving “

They connect followers to the Mercy Corps blog, encourage donation and foster interaction with the nonprofit.

Interestingly, Beth Kanter, social media and nonprofit expert and author of “Beth’s Blog”, notes some interesting trends in Twitter solicitations that Mercy Corps appears to adopt. In particular, the fostering of “person to person asks.”

She advocates, and I agree, that the strategy behind the posts that can lead to the ultimate goal, donations. What do you think?