Today, the web is a crucial part of any non-profit internet strategy. Social networks encourage and facilitate human interaction. Currently, the term generally refers to platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace that can be accessed from computers, mobile phones, and other devices, allowing users to communicate in more or less real time. Social platforms offer a variety of applications for communication, marketing, and file sharing, and are served directly or indirectly by third-party websites such as Flicker (for photo sharing), YouTube (video), and PayPal (money transfer in line).
Social media is becoming the standard for nonprofit fundraising and volunteer recruitment. The variety of ways to bring people together and organize is almost limitless. Only Facebook offers “walls” for posting short messages, an inbox, status reports that alert the entire user’s network, and options like “pokes” and “likes” that can serve as little reminders and free announcements.
Perhaps the fastest and most concise way to recruit volunteers is through Twitter. Users can post messages that are 140 characters or less so that everyone who subscribes to the user’s feed—friends, family, and fans—is notified. A simple message, or “tweet,” is all it takes to make sure everyone you know knows you need help, and the recipient can “retweet” the messages, opening up an extended network of friends. of friends of friends, etc.
There are a number of things that make online social networking a superior way for organizations in need of funding to recruit volunteers. First of all, it’s free. While third parties can charge for their services, social media platforms currently do not, and a charity’s success is limited only by time and ingenuity.
With the variety of nonprofit resources on the web, just about anything a charity could think of doing for their cause can be helped by social media, including the recruiting process. People without marketing experience or access to a professional printing company can use social media successfully.
There are a plethora of websites geared towards giving people advice on just about anything, mostly for free. While there will always be a period of trial and error with any new endeavor, feedback and response is much quicker with social media since it’s web-based and mistakes are no longer a waste of paper.
Social media speeds up the time from start to finish of a campaign because the recruiting process no longer involves putting up billboards around town, newspaper advertising or cold calling. Social media also makes the prospect of volunteering more attractive, as much of volunteer work can now be done from home.
Today, the pool of potential volunteers is worldwide. Access to social networking sites is available almost everywhere, and information and money can easily move from one place to another instantly. While this may mean increased competition from other charities around the world, nonprofits on Facebook, Twitter, and social sites now have a global reach.
