You Ask, We Answer: Social Media and Fundraising

Fundly is excited to continue our weekly live Q&A on Twitter every Wednesday! We are getting some great questions and would like to expand on some of our answers. After all, there is only so much information you can give in 140 characters.

Q: How do I use social media to promote our fundraising efforts?

A: There are a ton of ways to use social media in your fundraising strategies. Consider sharing upcoming events on Facebook and adding little teasers about where it will be held, who your guest speaker will be, what project it will be benefitting, and pictures of last year’s event. You can also update the progress on a goal that you were fundraising for and display before and after pictures. Consider sharing a story about how your organization made an impact on one of your client’s lives.
Social media is also the perfect avenue for showing your appreciation to donors who contributed to your cause; it’s a fun way to highlight a people that have volunteered with your organization, advertise to others using social networking, or reach out to some of the respected people who support your cause. Finally, online resources can cast a huge net to acquire volunteers that can donate time and skills. Specify what you need and you’ll be amazed at the responses.

Q: Does online fundraising replace offline?

A: Not necessarily. Online fundraising can be effective in reaching out to existing donors with easy ways to give, while cultivating new ones. The variety of donors that you have probably varies by age, education, income, and involvement. Older donors may prefer receiving a letter in the mail, other donors may like to get a monthly e-mail, and still others just want to give a yearly gift or leave a bequest. Simply put, you need to meet your donors where they’re at. Just as one type of bait doesn’t appeal to all species of fish, the same applies to motivating your donors to give. To maintain relevance and to reach more donors, online fundraising and utilizing social networks are musts. You’ll stay connected to more donors and find potential ones in more effective and cost efficient ways than if you limited yourself to one avenue of fundraising. There is still much weight to be attributed to the personal touch of handwritten thank you notes, phone calls, and event fundraising.

Q: Should my organization’s social networks be focused on fundraising efforts?

A: Utilize social media tools to share stories and the impact of your organization is having on others, celebrate milestones, and to foster community. Let’s face it: no one wants to be constantly asked for money. Every Facebook post and Tweet doesn’t have to be an appeal, but it is a great way to stay in the forefront of your donors’ minds. Fundraising is a process which includes proving that there is a need, earning a person’s trust, and then showing appreciation. Online resources can successfully meet each of these steps. You may not be actually “fundraising” by asking for donations with every post, but you will be sowing seeds for a future harvest. Building a community online will integrate fundraising into an overall strategy of rallying supporters around your cause.

Do you have a question about online fundraising that you want to ask one of our Fundly professionals? Follow #fundraisingtips on Twitter every Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. Pacific time. We look forward to helping you create successful online fundraising campaigns to promote your cause. If you won’t be able to attend the Q&A, leave your question in the comment section below and look for it in the recap next week!