How Social Media Connects Philanthropy

Stuart Frost
2 min readMar 8, 2021

Internet access has made it possible for people worldwide to sign up to various social media channels such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. According to statistics, in 2020, there are approximately 3.6 billion social media users, and the number is expected to reach 4.41 billion by 2025. Surveys have shown that almost 9000 nonprofit organizations use Facebook as their primary social media platform.

Moreover, nonprofit organizations utilize social networking sites to carry out their daily activities, such as advertising events and sharing fundraising links. By utilizing social media, nonprofit sectors with tight budgets can reach huge audiences faster and effectively. Additionally, through social media, nonprofit organizations can share their stories and mobilize people to donate. This article outlines the different ways in which social media connects to the philanthropic sector.

Public Relations
Public relation is the most straightforward way that social network sites link to nonprofit organizations. Based on a report by the American Red Cross, public relations is essential for the nonprofit sector to remain relevant in the digital era. Furthermore, nonprofit sectors use channels like Facebook to spread awareness about their events. Apart from that, PR on social media platforms helps nonprofit organizations raise more money through donations, engage a broader audience, and attract more volunteers and ambassadors.

Accountability
Nonprofit sectors need to be accountable for every dollar they receive from stakeholders. Social media provides a platform for nonprofit organizations to disclose financial and performance details to stakeholders freely. Doing so enables donors globally to evaluate how the money they donated was spent. Additionally, web-based accountability builds trust among stakeholders, which enhancing referral growth.

Communication
Nonprofits organizations often use social media as one of the main communication channels. Through social media, nonprofit organizations can actively engage with their stakeholders worldwide. This enables them to collaborate and link, and receive feedback from stakeholders, which is essential for the organization to achieve its objectives. Furthermore, social media allows nonprofit sectors to nurture their online communities, which builds a viral marketing effect.

Social media has numerous connections to philanthropy, and every nonprofit should embrace it. Besides communicating, promoting accountability, and boosting public relations, social media is a good marketing tool for nonprofit sectors. If managed properly, social media can make nonprofit sectors grow and acquire more donations from donors.

Originally posted on stuartfrost.org.

--

--

Stuart Frost

Stuart Frost Laguna Niguel, has 30 years’ experience in founding and leading successful data management and analytics startups.