When it comes to using social media in the world of non-profits, there are two things that immediately come to mind when asked what this new medium can help with: awareness and fundraising. And then of course, people gravitate towards fundraising, because that’s a lot more exciting than awareness. And you may think that it’s a great way to show ROI on social media. Stories of people raising millions of dollars on a social media campaigns lure you into believing that it is easy. But is it really?
The more we dig into the numbers, non-profits just are not raising as much as the hype claims. In 2008, $300 billion was raised by non-profits, $15 billion of that money came from online sources, and in the last 3 years only $21 million came from Facebook (Giving USA and Blackbaud). Many of the non-profits that we talk to who have already experimented in this area are coming to similar conclusions. But that shouldn’t be a reason to abandon social media.
Non-profits need to start thinking about how social media can help them cultivate the relationship between themselves, their patrons and their patrons’ friends. Be wary of circulating content that asks for money without a specific cause. Instead spread awareness around what your organization is helping with functionally. Talk about what you do, why you’re good at it, and what people should pay attention to. Only after you have developed a deep relationship and created an interest around the conversation, should you start the conversation around fundraising.
I think the key message here is that social media builds relationships and awareness of what you as an organization do really well. Focus on that part first, and the money will follow.