Social Media and Online:
Current Trends For Your Organization To Follow

By Judy Keller, Senior Vice President
Midwest Region

Whether your organization is on the leading edge or behind the curve when it comes to using social media, there is no doubt that online activity will impact your fundraising, either as a useful resource or as a stumbling block to securing relationships with your donors.

A recent Blackbaud study identified five trends in social media use by nonprofits:

1. No more silos
The days of segmenting donors into categories for annual appeals or special events are over. Donors don’t see themselves as distinct segments, and neither should we. Development officers need to acknowledge that donors “multi-channel,” which means that they give to and communicate with organizations in more than one way, e.g., mail, email, Facebook, Twitter, etc.

2. Generational giving is key
We all know Baby Boomers give for specific reasons and have a different relationship with nonprofits than their parents had, but we need to understand the giving motives of Gen X and Y equally as well. They are entering their peak earning years and are the future for our organizations. And, they interact and engage quite differently than their parents’ generation. Gen X, and especially Gen Y (also called Millennials), grew up on social media. They give, but they want to see tangible results. Their peer-to-peer communication is instantaneous, and often they are in control of when, how and if they’ll get your messaging. For these donors, a traditional general appeal for the annual fund has much less appeal than a text message indicating there is a crisis that needs immediate attention.

3. Online is a growth segment
Online giving is the fastest growing means of giving in the United States today. Of the $303.75 billion given to charity in 2009, 5 percent was transferred online. That $15 billion in giving should not be ignored. The largest online gift to date was $60,000. Online gifts should no longer be thought of as small, grassroots donations that come at the end of a campaign. They should be a key component of your entire fundraising strategy from the start. This is especially true in disaster and relief services, where huge amounts of funds transfer within the first four to five days of an online appeal. Organizations that are ready when disaster strikes will seize the moment with effective online appeals.

4. The future is mobile
Email is old news. Gen X and Gen Y are forcing their parents to learn to text, and the communication that is most vital to these two key populations is available to them 24-hours a day, seven days a week, on phones and other personal electronic devices.

5. Connect virtually
Friend-raising and relationship building are happening online more and more, so the organizations that will be successful online will need to learn how to build relationships electronically. We need to engage our donors and prospective donors electronically. Just as the traditional major gifts officer knows to engage in person, the next generation will need to do so electronically.