Social Media for Nonprofits Conference Equips Non-Profits with Social Media Skills

More than any other moment in history, now is probably the best time to be a non-profit. Within minutes you can reach a massive donor base, share you vision, and generate donations all with a device as small as an iPhone or at a coffee shop armed with a laptop. I believe we are just tapping into the potential of social media fundraising, and Fundly is proud to support the SM4NP conference in San Francisco on November 4, 2011. With amazing speakers, intriguing presentations and time to connect with other non-profit leaders, this conference promises to be a valuable asset to the future of online fundraising.

Craig Newmark, founder of Craigslist, is sure to be one of the many highlights in this conference. He recently created craigconnects.org to advance philanthropy and public service. Approximately 40.8 million people visit Craigslist per month, so I am sure he has some great insight to share on creating a successful website and generating traffic.

I am honored to be one of the speakers at this exciting event and I can’t wait to share my presentation with you. “Social Fundraising 101: How to Jump Start Your Social Fundraising” will equip your non-profit with the guidelines and tools to make the most of the technology that is already at your fingertips. We have helped many non-profit organizations, charities, politics, schools, clubs, teams, groups, and many other causes to raise over $225 million using Fundly’s online fundraising platform and we would love to assist your organization, too.

From using Facebook and LinkedIn to engaging volunteers to use Social Media, the SM4NP conference is sure to touch on many valuable subjects to elevate your non-profit in the social media world. The staff at Fundly is eager to participate in this amazing event and we would love to see you there!

Social Media Brings Visibility to Non-Profits. Fundly Brings Donations

Craig Newmark founded Craigslist in 1995 and classified advertising was changed forever.
Today, social media is changing the world as we know it. Early this year, Newmark responded by launching craigsconnect to “link up everyone on the planet using the Internet to bear witness to good efforts and encourage the same behavior in others.”

A recent craigsconnect infographic looks at how the top 50 non-profits use social media.  Craigsconnect particularly wanted to see if high-earning non-profits outperformed lower-earning non-profits in the arena of social media. The verdict: a non-profit’s income does not increase their visibility and social media interactions.

Here are some other interesting facts:

• 92% of non-profits have at least one social media button.
• Only 12% of non-profits use LinkedIn (Lots of untapped connections here!)
• 90% of non-profits have a Twitter share button on their sites.
• The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is low on the income list but boasts an impressive 97,000 fans on Facebook.
• PBS has the greatest Twitter following. (PBS is also low on the income list.)

You can view the infographic by liking Craig’s Facebook page (smart way to boost fans, Craig!) and can keep connected by checking out craigsconnects.

Fundly’s social fundraising platform is keeping up with these top non-profits. We understand the importance of staying connected in this fast-paced, web-based world. Our Facebook fundraising application makes it easy for donors to share their support for your cause with their friends Facebook every time they make a donation.

Keep social, keep connected and thrive.

Craigslist Founder Releases Results of Study Involving Non-Profits and Social Media Success

Craig Newmark, founder of Craigslist and CraigConnects, published some interesting statistics pertaining to how non-profits use social media to further their goals. In this study, Newmark focused on which non-profits are using Facebook the most and who is using social media most effectively. It is also interesting to see if there is a correlation between the highest earning charities and their activity on these web related resources.
Here are some interesting findings from this study posted on Marketwatch.com:

• 92 percent of the top 50 nonprofits have at least one social media presence on their website homepage.
• PBS is the nonprofit organization with the most followers on Twitter – 840,653.
• The nonprofit following the most people on Twitter is the American Cancer Society – 200,522.
• The American Red Cross was the first organization on the list to create a Twitter account.
• Food for the Poor is the most talkative nonprofit on the list on Facebook, and has posted 220 posts over the course of two months.
• The organization with the highest net income, the YMCA, only posted 19 times to Facebook in two months, but has over 24,000 fans.

Newmark reflects that income of an organization does not necessarily make it more visible or cause more interactions on a social media site. Also, “some of the most social media savvy organizations are in the bottom quarter bracket in terms of income, yet they are clearly active on social media” explains the study.
“The deal is, it’s not about money, it’s about getting people to talk with each other to make people’s lives better,” said Newmark.

Basically, when non-profits and social media networks work hand in hand, the outcome is a positive one. Whether that translates into dollars raised via fundraising online or just getting the word out to more supporters, social media is an effective way to promote your cause.

Eight social media truths about eight types of top non-profits

Craig Newmark’s craigconnects team has recently released another interesting infographic titled “Who Rules Social Media?”

The info-graphic looks at the influence of non-profits and is a follow-up to the “How the Top 50 Non-profits Do Social Media” infographic. This time, over a two-month period, the craigconnects examined and compared social media activity of top non-profits in eight areas:  Animal, Children, Cultural, Disaster Relief, Environment, Health, Military/Vets, and Women.

Here are eight interesting truths about the kings and queens of the non-profit world.

(1)   They all use social media.

(2)   Animal and Environment non-profits average the most weekly tweets and facebook posts.

(3)   Animal, Disaster Relief and Environment non-profits get the most weekly @mentions on Twitter.

(4)   People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), CARE and Natural Resources Defense Council are the most talkative on Facebook and Twitter.

(5)   Military/Vets are the least talkative on Facebook and Twitter.

(6)   Facebook and Twitter users are talking about Women the least.

(7)   Facebook and Twitter users are talking about Animals the most.
 
(8)   The words of Animals and Disaster Relief have the greatest impact.

So many non-profits are using social media to get the word out about their causes. We can all benefit by learning from the examples of the top-non-profits. To check out the infographic for yourself, like Craig Newmark’s fan page on Facebook. You should also check out Craig’s recent piece for the Huffington Post about the infographic.

The craigsconnect team has connected with and studied so many non-profits. One thing that almost all of them share? A part-time or full-time social media writer/director.

Fundly can help your non-profit become more social media savvy. Check out our online social fundraising platform today!