Charity and Social Media: Does Corporate Make it Crass?

I just read this great blog post, Social Media and Charity: Philanthropy or Crass Opportunism and wanted to comment on it and hear from others.

Well I appreciate the author's point, I think she's commenting more about corporations being involved in social media on behalf of charities rather than charities themselves. There are many other ways charities are involved with social media then just selling t-shirts on the Internet.

But it does raise the question? When does social media for your organization become less about connecting and more about marketing? Or is it intended as a marketing tool only?

Since I'm not every charity I can't answer that question on behalf of them but I do believe that social media can be used as more than just improving a brand. I think it allows the opportunity to connect with donors and raise funds as well.

I have to say, I'm not sure how I feel about this Feed America/Tide partnership. On on hand, a lot of money has been raised for the organization, but on the other, Feed America isn't getting the opportunity to promote themselves. The t-shirt is all about Tide and almost gives off a sense of bragging rights as if they need to shout to the world they are do-gooders.

So what do you think, good idea or misstep?

And what do you use social media for?

How to Manage Your Communications

With all that you do, it's easy sometimes to forget about an avenue of communication that you had previously created. Your communication tools are like wheels; they need to be constantly moving in order to work. Managing all of it can sometimes be difficult and it's easy to let things slip.
So how do you manage everything?

Assess
It's important for you to assess all of your communications and determine what is needed and what isn't. If you have so many communication materials you can't keep track of them all, then you have too many. Too many things may confuse your donors as well. It's important to have a streamlined communications process that informs donors but doesn't bombard them with information.

Segment
Separate everything into different categories according to what needs attention. For example, your brochure once it's created and printed doesn't require a lot of upkeep until it's time to update. A blog on the other hand, needs to be updated constantly. This way you can always be aware of what is a priority.

Schedule
Develop a schedule for each of your communications. A well planned direct mail campaign, for example will ensue higher donations then a hastily written letter.

Create a Master List
Post a master list of the various forms of communications you use on your wall/bulletin board, etc. This will help you be aware of the tools you use.
Communicating to your donors/clients is one of the most important things an organization or business can do. Having your ducks in a row makes all the difference.

Keep It Simple

When it comes to putting together your communications plan, don't freak out. It's very important to keep it simple and to be realistic about the goals you want to accomplish.

There's no point planning for a huge direct mail campaign or a shiny flash website if you don't have the budget or the time for it.

When putting your communication plan together, you need to answer the following questions:

• What are you trying to convey?
• Who's your audience?
• What's the best way of reaching them?

Let's start with the first:

What are you trying to convey?

This can be the most difficult to determine and one of the first things you should do. If you can not clearly and concisely state your position or your cause, then you cannot be expected to have clients and donors understand where you are coming from.

Often, I've heard members of charities wax poetic about their cause, but when asked pointedly why someone should donate, they stumble. Know what message you are trying to convey and make it simple.

Who's your audience?

Who are you trying to reach? Answering everybody isn't good enough. It's important to segment your audience; determine who has the most potential. They are the people you want to communicate to.

What's the best way of reaching them?

This is an important question. Although you may not specifically know the dislikes and likes of everyone on your client list, take the time to think about what would work. Have a group of tech savvy people? Try an email blast as a way of getting their attention.

Answering these questions will undoubtedly help you develop your communications plan better.

And remember, Keep It Simple.