| Today, the web is a crucial part of any nonprofit | | | | media a superior way for organizations in need of |
| internet strategy. Social media encourages and | | | | funding to gather volunteers. First of all, it's free. |
| facilitates human interaction. These days the term | | | | While third parties may charge for their services, |
| typically refers to platforms such as Facebook, | | | | social media platforms currently do not, and a |
| Twitter, and MySpace that can be accessed from | | | | charity's success is limited only by time and ingenuity. |
| computers, mobile phones and other devices, allowing | | | | With the variety of nonprofit resources on the web, |
| users to communicate more or less in real time. Social | | | | almost anything a charity could think to do for their |
| platforms offer a variety of applications for | | | | cause can be aided by social media, including the |
| communication, marketing and file sharing, and are | | | | recruitment process. Social media can be used |
| served directly or indirectly by third-party websites | | | | successfully by those without marketing expertise or |
| such as Flicker (for photo sharing), YouTube (video) | | | | access to a professional print shop. |
| and PayPal (online money transfer). | | | | There is an abundance of websites geared towards |
| Social media is becoming the standard for nonprofit | | | | providing people with advice on just about anything, |
| fundraising and volunteer recruitment. The variety of | | | | much of it for free. While there will always be a |
| means to gather and organize people is almost | | | | period of trial and error with any new endeavor, |
| limitless. Facebook alone offers "walls" to post brief | | | | feedback and response is much faster with social |
| messages, an inbox, status reports that alert the | | | | media as they are web-based, and mistakes are no |
| user's entire network, and options like "pokes" and | | | | longer a waste of paper. |
| "likes" which can serve as little reminders and free | | | | Social networking speeds up the start-to-end time of |
| advertisement. | | | | a campaign because the recruitment process no |
| Perhaps the fastest and most concise way to recruit | | | | longer involves putting up posters around town, |
| volunteers is through Twitter. Users can post | | | | advertising in newspapers or cold calling. Social media |
| messages of 140 characters or less to which | | | | also make the prospect of volunteering more |
| everyone who subscribes to the user's feed - | | | | attractive as much of volunteers' work can now be |
| friends, family, and fans - becomes notified. One | | | | done from home. |
| simple message, or "tweet", is all it takes to make | | | | Today, the pool of potential volunteers is worldwide. |
| sure everyone you know is aware that you are in | | | | Access to social networking sites is available almost |
| need of assistance, and messages can be | | | | everywhere and information and money can easily |
| "re-tweeted" by the recipient, opening up a whole | | | | get from one place to another instantaneously. While |
| extended network of friends of friends of friends, | | | | this may mean increased competition from other |
| and so on. | | | | charities around the world, nonprofits in Facebook, |
| There are a number of things that make social online | | | | Twitter and social sites now have a global reach. |