The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have drastically altered charitable giving fundamentals as demand for the use of philanthropic services rises, so too the reliance on donations to keep the services running, resulting in charities facing onerous financial burdens.
The solution, amplifying their cause beyond the means of off-line interaction, a comprehensive social media strategy, relying on behavioural science to retain and recruit supporters, raise awareness and drive policy.
The cost-effectiveness of social media as a tool for campaign initiatives makes it increasingly ideal for non-profits with an already limited budgeting capacity, the opportunity to scale up their cause to a larger audience. The ability to increase reach and participation, leverage social influence, raise awareness in fundraising initiatives and build donor trust is vital in the growth of the organisation and its inventiveness.
Statistics:
9000 non-profits had used Facebook as their primary social network1.
84% of Facebook users share non-profit organisations, to show support for their cause, highlighting the issues that are important to them1.
57% of people who view non-profit videos go on to make a donation1.
54% 18-24 would donate if they saw a friend of relative on social media asking for donations1.
Facebook had raised 1.6 billion through its platform2.
A successful social media presence can expand the organisation\’s reach to target their specified donor persona, pivotal in focusing fundraising efforts and mounting community support.
Social media provides the non-profit with access to the broader community to create a lasting legacy on a small budget. To understand your target persona is to research your audience, tailor your content, and use social media pages relevant to your audience to give you the most value. By doing this, you are inevitably defining your goals, setting expectations and KPI\’s, allowing you to retain your focus in growing your organisation and providing a leading service.
Education, empowerment, and advocacy are critical when communicating your initiatives within the wider community, connecting individuals who need the support and individuals who want to support.
An Example:
Facebook (Meta): a free and effective tool that enable your supporters to donate directly to your charity whilst building online community efforts at a 0% fee. All donations received will have 0% deductions.
How to Create a Social Media Presence:
Post interactive content to encourage engagement
Schedule posting
Visuals to drive website traffic (viral video campaigns, behind the scenes)
Easy to follow donation process (direct button on page, sticker on story)
Data analytics, insights, and engagements to identify successful posting response (manipulating algorithm to your advantage)
Showcase your real-world impact
Communication with donors (regular updates, interactive q&a engagement)
Run online events (crowdfunding) to engage in supporter participation
Use of trending/relevant hashtags
Advertisements (upcoming donor events, volunteer call outs)
Monitoring story engagement
Influencer endorsement
Adjust programmes to your target audience for real time results (create a donor persona)
Personal stories
Use of creative mechanisms to encourage donation behaviour (ALS ice bucket trend)
Your donations are crucial in giving our pilot profiles the donations they so desperately need. Once the app is complete, and we have created the first user profiles in each location, your donations will be distributed equally to the homeless people in that area.
References: 1.https://yougov.co.uk/topics/philosophy/explore/concept/Charity 2.https://www.cafonline.org/about-us/publications/2019-publications/uk-giving-2019