Are Non-Profits Using Social Media Strategically?

I recently pinned an infographic with data about foundation use of social media platforms. It is interesting, but not surprising. Selected data from the infographic shows that:

Facebook is the most popular platform by a considerable margin. Note that blogging was not included as a platform even though my guess is that it is widely used.

The majority of foundation users of social media do not have a formal strategy.

That's unfortunate, because a majority think social media is useful in several respects.











A recent study of non-profit organizations showed similar results. Facebook, used by 82% of the responding non-profits, was far and away the most popular. Twitter came in second with only 54% of using the platform. This study asked about blogging and that found only 32% have blogs while 48% host online discussion forums, which is an interesting juxtaposition.

Two things strike me. The first is to wonder whether Facebook is most used for its strategic value or for its familiarity. If it is a platform favored by the target audience of the non-profit, that's good. If it's a platform with which non-profit marketers are themselves familiar, that makes the choice questionable.

The second is to wonder about the nature of use of social platforms. Facebook and Twitter are excellent for announcements--programs and events, for example. Relatively little use is being made of platforms which convey in-depth information--blogging and YouTube as two good examples.

Non-profits need to make the best use of their resources, which are often scarce. Non-strategic use of social media is certainly not a best practice.

Boston Strong and the 100% Model

Bostonians rushed in to help in the wake of the devastating explosion that ripped through the festivities at the finish of Boston Marathon on April 15, 2014. Bystanders aided the wounded, storekeepers offered shelter, and first responders ran toward the chaos. Others of us simply sat in front of our TVs, watching in horror as events unfolded.  As the day went on it became clear that many of the injuries were extremely serious and would require multiple surgeries and long-term rehabilitation.

The philanthropic response was a model in several ways. Boston had a 5-term mayor and Massachusetts had a 2-term governor who took quick action. The next day they announced The One Fund to aid victims. Their names lent credibility as did the involvement of large Boston firms like John Hancock. By the end of the week a simple website was up, accepting donations but warning that the organization had not yet applied for 501(c)(3) status; that is only now in process. All the publicity surrounding the fund emphasized that administrative costs would be covered by separate fundraising with all donations going directly to victim assistance—the 100% model.

Responses have been many and varied—from the Boston Strong t-shirts sold by Emerson College students to a fund-raising concert to many efforts in social media. Twenty million dollars was raised within the first week. In July 2013 the fund was able to distribute almost $61 million to victims under the direction of well-known mediator Kenneth Fineberg. Another distribution is planned for this July. In the meantime, the first Boston Marathon to be held since the bombing will include a One Fund charity team. Many private fundraising events are anticipated.

To the best of my knowledge no whiff of corruption has been attributed to the fund itself—no mean feat for a hastily assembled effort. Of course, it brought out the scammers but from an outside perspective it seemed this was expected and swiftly dealt with. The fund appears to have raised over $70 million to date.  

Writing in the Able Altruist blog Stephanie Kapera lists 5 lessons from this success:

1. Act Quickly
2. Leverage Online Influencers
3. Use a Multi-Channel Approach
4. Use Hashtags
5. Use Visuals.

Does the success of The One Fund support both the importance of the 100% model and the speeding up of the fund-raising cycle? Probably. It also may support the difficulty of maintaining the 100% model. A recent announcement said that the salary of the new executive director of the fund would be paid from donations.

Any success has imitators and smaller charities can’t match the personal leverage of Boston’s power structure. This was recently brought home to me when I donated to a small non-profit. I was asked to add a small additional percentage to cover administrative costs. The platform was YouCaring., which says it remains free because administrative costs are covered by donations.

This was totally transparent and the extra amount was editable and optional. To me, however, it is not truly an example of the 100% model.

Thinking about it, I wonder if the lesson is that the model is best sustained by a single, often charismatic, individual not by a somewhat-faceless organization. Charity:water remains true to the model, but it is not clear that many others do.

Does anyone have direct experience with or thoughts on the subject?

Creativity is Indispensable in Social Media Too

Here's an interesting tweet from a UNICEF campaign in the UK. Matt Rhodes from Fresh Networks retweeted it, saying it's at the edge of social media. It was a UK campaign; I did not ever see it in the US.

I agree. It's a compelling call to action, and a reminder of the limits of social media.

Or is it a reminder of the reach of social media?

Either way, it is definitely creative fund raising!

If you are interested in creative campaigns in social media, here is a recent list, all of which have thought-provoking aspects. 

First published on April 23, 2013. Updated February 21, 2014.

MFA Shares Love of Impressionism Across Digital Platforms

An email invited me to participate in a contest. The “Boston Loves Impressionism” exhibit would be curated by MFA members, who would select the paintings to be exhibited. It was a great concept, well executed.

I saw the original email, but I’m not much of a contestant, so I hadn’t tried it out. Making a visit to the MFA during the contest, it was hard to avoid. This card graced our table with a QR code connecting to the contest page. Each week for 4 weeks a set of impressionist paintings was posted and visitors to the page were allowed to vote for their favorites. The museum has a set of computers that allow visitors to look for information—great idea--and it was easy to vote from them and people seemed to be doing so while we were there.

Your vote not only counted in determining the paintings to be hung, it qualified you for an invitation to the opening weekend. The MFA has built an entire weekend of activities around the opening. There are valentine-themed activities as well as gallery talks about paintings and painters featured in the exhibit. I should note that the special Valentines Day dinner at the Bravo café is already sold out! The MFA has long been a meeting place for upscale singles as well as having many family and children’s features.

The invitation email featured all of the above as well as a link to the Pinterest posting of the paintings to be exhibited—just in case you can’t make it to the museum. Note that the newsletter has the usual sharing icons. It mirrors the page on the museum site which also prominently features sharing opportunities. As might be expected this “crowdsourced” exhibit drew considerable favorable publicity. The Globe reports that 10,000 people voted in  the third week of the contest.

This contest made great use of MFA resources and its digital marketing abilities. It has been a wonderful membership engagement—and thank you—activity. I have just two suggestions.

I forget things like going to a site to vote. When I first voted, I would have happily opted in for email reminders each time a new set of paintings went up. In terms of voting itself, the number of votes for each painting were displayed on the page. I would suggest hiding the current vote tallies until the visitor has voted. Seeing them while you are voting makes you wonder how much you are being influenced, even if you are trying hard not to be.

I repeat. It was an excellent concept in the annals of social media for good. It was well executed, and I’m sure the exhibit, which of course starts on Valentines Day, will be a great success!