Fund Raising Tips Using Social Media For Non-Profit Organizations…

Many non-profit organizations look to me for support on how to raise funds for their organization using social media sites like Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, Blogs, and more…

Here’s what I tell them….

• First, decide on your social media strategy. Who do you want to target? What are your demographics? Will you use Facebook and Twitter alone? Will your CEO blog and start connecting with the community? If so, should you use WordPress, Blogger or Typepad? What if your CEO doesn’t want to write a lot? Does it make sense to use Tumblr?

• Make sure you have a social media policy implemented in your organization.

• Will words alone tell your story or do you need video? Have you considered a video podcast?

• Once your sites are determined, tell your story as much and as often as possible. People want to make a connection to your organization. They want to feel an emotion. They want to feel compelled to give. The way you accomplish this is through storytelling. Remember not everyone will care about your cause and that’s okay because there will be plenty of people who will be interested if it is told right.

• Next research various online software that can enable you to collect money via the Internet. Some companies that offer you services like this include: Paypal and ChipIn, among others. These allow you to put a widget on your Facebook or other social networking site home page.

• Engage your audience. Remember when someone writes to you, write back. Let them know that you care about them as much as they care about you and your cause.

• Show them what dollar amounts make what type of impact.

• Don’t forget about their ego. Make sure you send them a personalized note via Facebook, Twitter or any other site you are using and thank them for their donation, whether it is $5 or $5,000. Tell them what their $5 or their $5,000 does for your organization. Keep them engaged and interested!

• Lastly, consider hosting tweet ups and post photos on your social networking pages. Social networking sites are great but it’s that face to face contact that will bond them to your cause for a long time thereafter!

Take a look at other non-profit organizations that do it right, like Twestival. Formed in September 2008 by a group of London social networkers, the group organized “Harvest Twestival” which connecting people offline to raise money for homeless people. Less then three months later, in January 2009, Twestival Global was launched with one single tweet and within a month, there were 202 cities around the world hosting events to benefit charity: water! The total amount raised was more than $250,000 through events and online donations. All of this money was raised by volunteers and 100% went towards building wells and serving people in Uganda, Ethiopia and India.

With the right planning and implementation, your organization can be on the same path as Twestival…. Good luck and raise lots of money!