Plays Better with Others
In a recently-released social media survey of 200 of the largest charities in the United States as designated by Forbes Magazine, the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth's Center for Marketing Research found the following:
* 89% are using some form of social media—including blogs, podcasts, message boards, social networking, video blogging and wikis—to drum up new funds, friends, and awareness.
*45% of nonprofits surveyed said social media are very important to their fundraising strategies.
*Social networking and video blogging are now the most common forms of social media being used by nonprofits (79%); blogs are used by 57% of the charities surveyed, and 16% are using wikis.
*The use of video is up 38% over 2007; the use of social networking is up 47%, and blogging is up 23% over the previous survey. Of the nonprofits surveyed, some 90% reported that their blogs have been successful in keeping supporters up-to-date on their work and in engaging members and donors.
*About 1 in 4 of nonprofits with blogs use WordPress as their platform.
*Nearly two-thirds, or 65%, of the nonprofits surveyed use video on their blogs and upload their videos to YouTube.
*Nonprofits are "out-blogging" businesses and universities by nearly 2 to 1.
*Some three-quarters of nonprofits surveyed said they monitor the Internet for buzz, posts, conversations, and news about their institutions.
"Social media have become an incredibly important part of the communication strategy for U.S. charities," says survey authors Nora Ganim Barnes and Eric Mattson in their report. "The largest nonprofits are continuing to outpace businesses and even academic institutions int heir familiarity, use, and monitoring activity. These top [charitable] organizations ahve found a new and exciting way to win the hearts (and maybe the dollars) of potential donors."
(Illustration by istock.com)
Labels: Dartmouth Center for Marketing Research, fundraising, nonprofit, nonprofit strategy, social media, social networking, U.S. philanthropy
posted by Marcia Stepanek at
5:50 PM
3 Comments:
Really helpful post that really validates what we're seeing in the nonprofit cause-driven marketplace.
Social Media naturally lends itself to mission based organizations that are looking to connect with their constituents and donor base through their values. Not surprising data considering...
Thanks, Rob. I sometimes present at conferences about the use of social media in advocacy, and I've noticed in the past year that most people in my audiences now have the tools. There still is, however, a lot of demand for how to better use them for ever-more potent results on the fundraising and crowd-management fronts. Thanks for reading!
Your report is a concise summary of statistics proving charities are grasping all methods of media to reach donors and potential donors. good job.
Regardless of how the message is delivered, all donors should ask the following-"Does the charity match my values? Does the charity deliver on its promised services as well or better than available government agencies or private enterprises?"
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home