The world has gone “social” and fundraising has joined in. During the hurricane Sandy disaster public officials used social media to communicate to residents. Following the storm, fundraising organizations and disaster relief agencies went social to raise funds to help the more than 25 million people affected by the storm.
Technology and social media inspired creativity in some of those affected by the storm. One young girl set up a pop up internet café, in her storm ravaged town. Her only request for those using the power supply was to make a donation to the Red Cross. Another group didn’t waste time mourning the cancellation of the New York City Marathon, but instead launched the Facebook group New York Runners in Support of Staten Island. The group is using Facebook along with SurveyMonkey to organize a special run for participants to load up backpacks with much needed supplies and deliver them to the hard hit Staten Island neighborhoods.
A four-year-old boy who wanted to help Sandy victims tapped into social media through Indiegogo, where his parents set up a piggy bank for others to contribute and add to their son’s donation. The campaign page can be shared on Facebook or Twitter and features an area for updates and comments. Several companies, such as JetBlue and the Red Cross also used Indiegogo to set up campaign pages on and raise money for relief efforts.
So, what is the lesson for those of us in fundraising? Social media is here to stay and is a powerful tool to reach out to current and potential donors. People are paying attention to social media and responding to a call to action. With a little creativity, one post or tweet can capture the attention of countless people. So, if you haven’t already, it’s time to take your organization, and your fundraising efforts, social.
How are you using social media for fundraising?