Mar 06 2009
Social Networking for Non-Profits
There seems to be a lot of buzz these days for non-profits to figure out how to make a presence for themselves on the Internet. That’s not just an organization website; it’s Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, RSS, blogs, podcasts, and a host of other tools that non-profits can use to increase the world’s exposure to the good work that they do.
Traditional mailings and campaigns are still definitely important for certain segments of some non-profits’ donor and support bases. However, it is important not to overlook the fact that a typical blogger is a middle-aged male making around $50,000 per year, or so I read somewhere recently. Also, I’ve read that many older adults are also getting into the Internet, e-mail, and social networking. I e-mail back and forth myself with an 85 year-old man who shows no sign of falling behind the technological times!
Also, I would imagine, though I haven’t verified it, that many older adults who are really into volunteering are using the internet to connect with organizations to volunteer with through the Internet, or are using the Internet while they are volunteering for all sorts of office tasks they may do. This population is also keen to keep up with family members and photos of birthday cake in the face of a one year-old grandchild or great-grandchild are most easily sent through e-mail these days.
Given the following that some blogs have, wouldn’t it be great for a non-profit to figure out how to get their name in these high-performing blogs? That’s just one idea of thousands that can bring more awareness of a non-profits cause to the world, and also potentially increase funding, which is so vital in today’s economy. Service demand is up, but budgets have been slashed. Despite this, I’ve heard that some non-profits are setting up entire full-time positions for people to manage their online social networking presence.
This is an area that I’m reading more and more about, and I am curious to see where this dynamic and ever-evolving field of outreach will lead.
