Discussion: Use of Social Media by Nonprofit Organizations

Increasingly, development professionals are using the Internet and social media to cultivate, educate, and solicit individual donors. Most donors do not begin giving to an organization by making a large gift. All organizations should have a base of donors who make small gifts ($1–$499, final amount determined by the organization) that often increase over time. The approach you use to cultivate, educate, and solicit donors who make small-to-medium-size gifts is different than the approach you use for major donors.

The Internet provides several opportunities to connect with potential and current donors. Social media may be especially appreciated by members of Generation X and the Millennial Generation.

Research and find an example of a nonprofit organization that solicits donations through its website or via social media.

The discussion must be at least 1 page and include:

• The name of the organization and the link to its website.
• Describe the different forms of social media used by the selected organization. If the site used Facebook or Twitter, did it demonstrate best practices in its use? Explain.
• Finally, explain the type of e-fundraising the organization was doing.

Assignment: Solicitation Strategies for Small and Medium Donors

It is critical to be proactive in creating specific solicitation strategies for new and/or existing “small–medium” donors. These individual donors (usually $1–$499 annual gifts) are an important base of support. Over time they may become major donors. Given meaningful cultivation and education strategies, they may also increase the size of their donations over time. They often learn of your organization and its work through special events, mail appeals, visits to a website, or simply through a board member or volunteer. The key is to encourage a one-time donor to become an ongoing, thoughtful donor!

In a 3- to 4-page paper (not including the title page or references), describe strategies for soliciting donors who make small-to-medium donations.

• Briefly describe the nonprofit organization you are using for your Final Project. (NAMI)
• Describe at least two solicitation strategies you might use to engage donors who make small-to-medium donations, and explain why you chose each.
• Explain how the solicitation strategies you chose might help build and maintain the organization’s donor base and entice donors to upgrade their gifts. Be specific.
• Finally, explain how the internet and social media can be used for your fundraising efforts.

Use proper APA formatting and include the following:

• An introduction that states the purpose of the paper
• Level 1 headings to define each part of the paper
• A conclusion to synthesize the entire paper
• A minimum of three scholarly sources to support your paper
• In-text citations as appropriate
• A reference list

Be sure to support your Assignment with specific references to the resources and other current literature in the Walden Library.

References

Sargeant, A., & Jay, E. (2014). Fundraising management: Analysis, planning and practice (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.

• Chapter 11, “Community Fundraising” (pp. 234–250)

Hart, T., Greenfield, J.M., & MacLaughlin, s. (2010). Internet for Nonprofits Management: Strategies, Tools and Trade Secrets. Hoboken, NJ, USA: John Wiley & Sons.

Mosawi, A., & Yuen, A. (2010). No borders. In T. Hart, J.M. Greenfield, S. MacLaughlin, & P. Geier (Eds.) Internet for Nonprofits Management: Strategies, Tools and Trade Secrets (ebrary version, pp269-287). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Williams, K.A. (2013). Leading the fundraising charge: The role of the nonprofit executive [ebrary version]. AFP/Wiley fund development series. Somerset, NJ: Wiley.

Yandow, H. (2014). Fundraising: Building your individual donor base. Stanford Social Innovation Review. Retrieved from https://www.ssireview.org/blog/entry/building_your_individual_donor_base

Garecht, J. (2013). Case study: How one non-profit moved from grants to individual giving. Retrieved from https://www.thefundraising authority.com/individual-fundraising/casestudy-from-grants-to-individual-giving/

Answer preview

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is the country’s largest grassroots mental health non-profit organization. It is committed to creating better lives for numerous Americans with mental illness (NAMI, n.d.). Through its education programs, NAMI ensures that hundreds of thousands of individuals, educators, and families have access to the mental health information and support they require. The Organization also organizes support groups for individuals with mental illnesses and their caregivers to ensure no person feels alone during their mental health journey (NAMI, n.d.). To learn more about NAMI’s programs and activities, one should access its website through the following link: https://nami.org/About-NAMI/Who-We-Are

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