Future Fundraising Now

What’s not true about social media and fundraising

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by

Jeff Brooks
in

Here are some good warnings about social media from Frogloop: Five Social Media Myths You Need to Know. The myths:


  1. A Facebook page can replace your website.
  2. Social Media is a great fundraising tool.
  3. Build an app.
  4. Social Media is a free way to build your brand and list.
  5. Social Media should be its own department.

I’d like to add one additional myth about Social Media: Social Media is the next big thing in fundraising.

Social Media is still a very small thing in fundraising. The jury is still out on whether it will ever be a big, or even medium-sized thing.

In the mean time, the best candidate for next big thing in fundraising is email. It’s still a fairly small thing, but it’s been growing steadily for a few years and shows no sign of losing ground.

Unlike with social media, you are not wasting your time if you’re spending it learning and perfecting email fundraising.

    Comments

    10 responses to “What’s not true about social media and fundraising”

    1. Karen Zapp, nonprofit copywriter Avatar
      Karen Zapp, nonprofit copywriter

      Five … er, six myths on social media and fundraising that I too hope nonprofits heed.
      On the positive side, one of the strengths of social media (and this is also true for mobile), is its ability to cultivate.
      I believe Facebook and Twitter are great tools for nonprofits to share success stories, invite people to engage, and move a portion of that list a step or two closer to becoming a donor.
      But the best fundraising channel remains direct mail, email is probably second and they both involve backing by a quality website. Having said that, I also firmly believe ALL should be supported by social media, mobile, and every channel available.
      Integrated fundraising is the most successful approach. Today no one channel is as effective as multiple channels working to reinforce each other for any given effort – fundraising, advocacy, etc.

    2. Karen Zapp, nonprofit copywriter Avatar
      Karen Zapp, nonprofit copywriter

      Five … er, six myths on social media and fundraising that I too hope nonprofits heed.
      On the positive side, one of the strengths of social media (and this is also true for mobile), is its ability to cultivate.
      I believe Facebook and Twitter are great tools for nonprofits to share success stories, invite people to engage, and move a portion of that list a step or two closer to becoming a donor.
      But the best fundraising channel remains direct mail, email is probably second and they both involve backing by a quality website. Having said that, I also firmly believe ALL should be supported by social media, mobile, and every channel available.
      Integrated fundraising is the most successful approach. Today no one channel is as effective as multiple channels working to reinforce each other for any given effort – fundraising, advocacy, etc.

    3. Lisa Sargent Avatar
      Lisa Sargent

      Jeff, bless you for this post. ‘Nuff said. Lisa

    4. Lisa Sargent Avatar
      Lisa Sargent

      Jeff, bless you for this post. ‘Nuff said. Lisa

    5. Ail Giving Avatar
      Ail Giving

      I have been noticing Facebook becoming bigger and bigger lately on gathering people around different causes, so that may be a sign social media can help when it comes to fundraising.

    6. Ail Giving Avatar
      Ail Giving

      I have been noticing Facebook becoming bigger and bigger lately on gathering people around different causes, so that may be a sign social media can help when it comes to fundraising.

    7. Ben Holgate Avatar
      Ben Holgate

      Normally I like your posts and you have heap more experience than me in fundraising – but this one is naive – essentially value judgements with no substantiation. It hints at your discomfort that the use of social media as a fundraising tool is not yet understood and thus a threat to the clearly defined and immutable definition of fundraising that is your stock in trade as a ‘guru’ in the business. Try and be a bit more open minded – or back up your assertions with evidence.

    8. Ben Holgate Avatar
      Ben Holgate

      Normally I like your posts and you have heap more experience than me in fundraising – but this one is naive – essentially value judgements with no substantiation. It hints at your discomfort that the use of social media as a fundraising tool is not yet understood and thus a threat to the clearly defined and immutable definition of fundraising that is your stock in trade as a ‘guru’ in the business. Try and be a bit more open minded – or back up your assertions with evidence.

    9. Dan Avatar
      Dan

      Agree with Mr. Brooks. Show me the ROI…

    10. Dan Avatar
      Dan

      Agree with Mr. Brooks. Show me the ROI…

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    The future of fundraising is not about social media, online video, or SEM. It’s not about any technology, medium, or technique. It’s about donors. If you need to raise funds from donors, you need to study them, respect them, and build everything you do around them. And the future? It’s already here. More.

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    Jeff BrooksJeff Brooks has been serving the nonprofit community for more than 35 years and blogging about it since 2005. He considers fundraising the most noble of pursuits and hopes you’ll join him in that opinion. You can reach him at jeff [at] jeff-brooks [dot] com. More.

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    The future of fundraising is not about social media, online video, or SEM. It’s not about any technology, medium, or technique. It’s about donors. If you need to raise funds from donors, you need to study them, respect them, and build everything you do around them. And the future? It’s already here. More.

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    About the blogger

    Jeff Brooks has been serving the nonprofit community for more than 30 years and blogging about it since 2005. He considers fundraising the most noble of pursuits and hopes you’ll join him in that opinion. You can reach him at jeff [at] jeff-brooks [dot] com.