Walmart Using Social Media to Promote Charities

It’s always great when a popular retail chain donates to charities in their area. Not only does it tie the corporation in with the community, but it gives the non-profit much needed funding and local attention. Walmart has perfected this strategy with their holiday Facebook campaign combining philanthropy, business acumen and social media to help those in need throughout the nation.

In a press release distributed by Walmart and posted on SacBee.com, the corporation stated that, “On the 10th day of its ‘12 Days of Giving’ Facebook campaign, Walmart is awarding $170,000 to eight nonprofits with remarkable volunteers who have lent a helping hand to members of their community who need it most. Over twelve consecutive days, Walmart will award a total of $1.5 million to 145 organizations in all 50 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico.”

“Walmart’s call for nominations for its ‘12 Days of Giving’ Facebook campaign resulted in more than 5,400 nominations from Facebook users who shared photos and short descriptions of a nonprofit’s impact in its local community. A panel from the Walmart Foundation reviewed submissions and selected nonprofits with a focus on organizations that are providing basic needs such as food, shelter, clothing and baby supplies.”

Once again here is an example of how social media can greatly benefit non-profit organizations. Not only were volunteers able to submit their entries on Facebook to receive grant monies, but this outlet reached thousands of people with the message of how their charity of choice was doing amazing work to benefit needy members of their community.

I applaud Walmart for their charitable efforts. It was brilliant how they had volunteers submit the charity for consideration and not just the typical grant writer submissions that many corporations choose to use. By tying in people who donate their time and efforts, they were able to broaden their audience and touch more people on a social media platform.

Social media is a valuable tool for non-profits and here is one success story. Let Fundly help you develop your social media fundraising strategies to increase online giving and donor engagement. Just think of the new opportunities that can become available when you tap into this low-cost, effective tool.