Skip links

Social Media For Non-Profits

More non-profits are taking to social media platforms to engage with their customers than ever. However, non-profits struggle with many of the same problems as small businesses – not enough budget, not enough manpower, not enough hours in the day. We recently consulted with the Make a Wish Foundation to help them identify their own needs for social media strategy and we wanted to share some of our findings that work well with non-profits in the social sphere.

The average value of a Facebook like for a non-profit is $161.30 over a 12 month period. That number jumps to $214.81 when combined with other social channels like Twitter and YouTube, meaning that it’s important to make use of multiple social platforms to maximize your exposure. The most successful non-profits post an average of 5-10 posts/week on Facebook and 25-50 Tweets/week on Twitter. Yes, that sounds like a lot, but non-profits often have a huge repository of information from which to draw in order to find social media success. Also, the average donation on Giving Tuesday (the day after Cyber Monday) is $101.60; the normal online average donation is $62.00. It is crucial to be present and engaged with your donors and fans during the holidays.

The key here is to focus on being proactive and consistent with the posting structure, along with using scheduling tools to focus on a social media strategy that results in donations.  Here are some of our top tips on social media for non-profits.

  • Use multiple posting formats to maximize engagement – questions, invitations to comment, and more. Listening is key.
  • Use as much visual content as possible – use pictures that tell a story. Long posts with verbal content can be difficult for fans to digest, but an evocative picture tells much more.
  • Use appropriate hashtags or tag people, parent non-profits, or local businesses. Share the love and increase your visibility with your hashtags (but don’t overuse them – we have a separate post on proper hashtag etiquette).
  • Follow trending topics with care and think about implementing things like #tbt or other popular topics.
  • Think about changing out your cover photos or profile photos monthly or at a fairly consistent pace. It keeps people visually engaged and interested in your page.
  • Post about things that go beyond soliciting donations – facts, statistics, volunteer opportunities, events, and stories should all be used as a way to inform, educate, and engage your fans and supporters.

By implementing this strategy, a non-profit can expect to significantly increase their online giving and social awareness. Social media is inherently social so it works well at getting your fans and supporters to feel like part of the fundraising system, helps them engage with you beyond a mailer or a phone call soliciting donations. By uniting your social strategy with other parts of your marketing and fundraising efforts, you can increase the average donation amount and gain traction in your online presence.