Social media is an amazing tool for spreading your nonprofit’s mission—it transcends distance, supports real human connections, and inspires action.
However, it can be difficult to gauge exactly how effective social media fundraising will be for certain organizations. This short guide will provide five questions to help determine how your nonprofit can maximize its social media use to support your overall online fundraising strategy.
Like any other fundraising effort, an effective social media strategy requires an understanding of the people you’re trying to reach. Smartphones make it easy for individuals to remain connected to their favorite platforms, but the diversity of the app ecosystem means that you have to know where you should target your efforts.
Consider these questions when you start to plan your social media strategy:
These questions require an understanding of your supporters’ habits, interests, and preferences. Use your donor database to keep this information organized. If you’re missing key donor insights, feel free to reach out to them directly. Send them a short survey asking about their social media preferences, or even host a focus group.
Your social media fundraising strategy won’t exist in a vacuum. To maximize your impact, take a holistic view of your nonprofit’s entire online presence. Your overall digital footprint, from your website to your email newsletter, will be the foundation of a new supporter’s first impression.
If you’re considering launching a social media fundraising campaign, the first place you should start is your current social media accounts. When was the last time you updated your X, Facebook, or LinkedIn pages?
Social media algorithms reward ongoing and sustained activity. To maintain an active social media presence, incorporate frequent posting into your team’s workflow.
Your nonprofit’s website is your online home base where supporters will go to find information about your mission, your programs, ways to donate, and any upcoming news or events. It’s also important for your organization’s credibility. If the first time someone learns about your nonprofit is from social media, and they want to see if you’re a legitimate nonprofit before donating, your website has to prove it!
For example, Bloomerang’s virtual fundraising platform guide recommends choosing a solution that allows you to create “customizable, branded donation pages that include your nonprofit’s unique logo, colors, and typography.” When you keep your branding consistent across your site, you signal to donors that they’re in the right place, making them feel confident in their decision to donate.
When considering your nonprofit’s overall online appearance, remember that other people may be discussing your work as well. This includes places like Charity Navigator and GuideStar, as well as local newspapers or blogs. Keeping an eye on mentions like these protects your nonprofit’s reputation and provides you with opportunities for increased visibility.
Creating videos, though more difficult than drafting posts on Instagram or blog posts for your website, can supercharge your social media fundraising efforts. Videos are effective because they’re engaging, personal, and entertaining. In fact, 93% of marketers have seen a high ROI from video marketing, making this a powerful strategy for businesses and nonprofits alike.
Consistent posting on a video-driven site like TikTok allows you to harness the power of trends to capture your target audience’s interest. These swells of potential can help you market an advocacy campaign, raise money for a specific program, or rally support for an upcoming fundraising event.
Investing in video requires more upfront time and effort, but if done properly, the payoff is significant. Consider the resources your nonprofit has at hand, whether that’s volunteer time or video editing software, and determine if video content could support your social media fundraising.
When your nonprofit accepts donations through social media fundraising, you must consider the logistics. Each social media platform will have different standards, regulations, and fees associated with accepting donations, so it’s important to research each of these ahead of time.
Instead of using the social media fundraising tools directly, it’s best to use these channels for what they do best: marketing your campaigns. Then, direct social media users to your website, where they can donate through your own form and payment processor. Before choosing a payment processing solution, Qgiv by Bloomerang’s guide to payment processing tools recommends considering each option’s fees, integrations, security, other fundraising features, and customer support.
Social media moves quickly, which can lead to challenges with donor retention and building strong relationships. Your nonprofit will need a strategy for stewarding social media donors to hold their interest and involve them more deeply in your mission.
Leverage the connection-building tools social media has to offer to further relationships with supporters on this channel. Give shoutouts to your donors on your accounts, repost their stories and updates related to your mission, and respond to their own posts as well. Keep track of how each individual donor responds to these efforts in your nonprofit CRM so you can continue stewarding them according to their preferences
Social media fundraising can be a highly effective avenue for your organization’s fundraising efforts. Building your online presence into one cohesive experience across multiple platforms can spread awareness about your mission, make it easier for new supporters to find you, and help you remain in contact with more of your community.
