If you've been avoiding getting your organization involved in Facebook, here are three good reasons to rethink that decision:
Facebook has an audience of 600 million and growing, making it equivalent to the population of the world's third-largest country.
Meet them where they're at: it is extremely likely that a considerable amount of your wired network is already engaged on the platform.
More and more donations are happening online.
Here are a few guidelines for getting started with Facebook:
First, create a "Page" for your organization—this is similar to a personal profile. It allows members to become a "friend" of your nonprofit, allowing them to subscribe to your updates and engage in dialogue with you and other supporters. To set up your Facebook Page, visit www.facebook.com/pages/create.php.
Second, create a Facebook Group: If you are interested in sending direct messages to the in-boxes of your supporters (and you have fewer than 5,000 followers), setting up a group is the way to go. Without a group, you are limited to posting status updates and having your supporters read them via their Facebook News Feed. To set up your group, visit www.facebook.com/groups/create.php.
Once you are established on Facebook and your supporters are accustomed to communicating with you through this platform, it is time to start raising money. "Causes" is a tool (application) built for Facebook that allows you to fundraise within the Facebook network. Although it's difficult to build a community within Causes, it's worth exploring as a fundraising supplement to your Page or Group. Get a better feel for this tool at www.causes.com.
Once you are set up on Facebook, a great tip for integrating fundraising activities is to use the platform generously and frequently to express thanks for member contributions—public recognition helps spread loyalty and reinforces generous support.