Social Media Stewardship is Essential to Your Development Program | Carolyn's Nonprofit Blog
I have noticed social savvy corporate donors are starting to request a certain number of “tweets,” “retweets” and other kinds of platform posts as part of their grant contracts. I suspect the trend of dedicated postings will increase as companies clamor for the attention of nonprofit and “social good” audiences. And while nonprofits sometimes balk, I have found the task is far from odious. But this does require thoughtful planning, calendaring and ongoing curation. When it comes to grant follow-up reports, be sure to capture your social mentions and include those to underscore your appreciation. See my Twitter “captures” below for examples.
Nonprofits should be alert to these considerations and think smarter about the growing importance of their work to the business world. There are many creative and genuinely helpful partnerships yet to be formed! When you prepare your grant proposal to potential corporate sponsors, for instance, outline the ways in which your organization can recognize your future partnership(s) through social media. I have found it helpful to invite them to share their own ideas about ways their support can be recognized online. Keep the door open. And keep in mind, profits from companies are sometimes funneled to private grant making foundations. Hence, recognizing companies on social media makes sense, as they may also be linked to other potential sources of funding. The same stewardship principles hold true for partner nonprofits and government agencies you wish to thank and cultivate.
For my colleagues who still believe social media is a waste of time (you know who you are), I will share a story about how important being actively engaged online can help you with research and attracting new prospects.
I once participated in a sustainability Twitter “chat” featuring representatives of a leading American corporation. During the discussion, there was mention of the need for more STEM-savvy employees. Those participating discussed corporate efforts to support K-12 science, technology, engineering and math education, aimed at helping young people develop 21st century workplace skills.
Having raised funding for several K-12 environmental education efforts over the years, I shared a “tweet” about a particularly innovative STEM-focused nonprofit organization I thought the company might like to meet, along with the nonprofit’s Twitter handle. And I was able to connect the two online that day! I have done the same during other online conversations, and I would urge nonprofits to seek out, participate in and host more Twitter chats and Facebook live sessions, both for the sake of sharing information about their many worthwhile missions and for “prospecting,” to attract new sponsors and partners.
Twitter and other social media platforms are also marvelous research tools. Watching and reading the social media postings of prospective and current supporters is not a waste of time. In fact, be vigilant! I have learned new ways to “pitch” a nonprofit project to a potential sponsor by reading their postings. I have also supported companies during tough times, to show them my nonprofit is paying attention and continues to appreciate them. Funding interests also change, and social media will help keep you informed.
I have tackled the social media profiles of nonprofit organizations (managing them and creating them from scratch), and I know first hand that donor and partner stewardship online is critically important today, thoughtfully blended with postings containing other organizational information, of course. Questions or need help? Use my secure contact form to reach me. I authored a guest blog post for Qgiv that you might enjoy, “Nonprofit Social Media is Essential to Attracting and Retaining Donors” (January 2021). I recently heard a webinar by Julia Claire Campbell, and enjoyed this helpful article, “Thanking Event Sponsors: 5 Ways to Thank Corporate Sponsors with Social Media (Without Posting Ugly Logos)” (2021).
In Austin, you might like to see the RecognizeGood Thank You Wall. I think this type of corporate ethics platform concept could be useful to every community. Basically, you can complete a “thank you” form, and they will post your thank you on their platform. The format looks very good and is “sharable.” “RecognizeGood’s Thank You Notes provide both physical and digital means for the illumination and sharing of everyday GOOD. Opportunities to show gratitude are endless, but by making a Thank You public at RecognizeGood.org we have the chance to inspire others.”
Social Media Stewardship is Essential to Your Development Program was published in an earlier version by ADRP in the June, 2018 issue of, The Hub.