Catholic Relief ServicesSocial Networking for Religious Fundraisers

Bridge Conference, July 28, 2010

In Lieu of Handouts:

Download the slides:

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Or e-mail me:

ldurington@crs.org

Why all the fuss over social networking?

What’s all the fuss about?

1. Critical Mass: most visited websites in the US:

– #2 Facebook– #4 YouTube– #8 Twitter – #13 MySpace

source: alexa.com

Facebook has just announced 500 million active daily users.

U.S. pop is 305 million!

What’s all the fuss about?

2. Viral, viral, viral

3. Online actions inspire “real world” conversations. 

4. Users often self-identify as Catholic. 

 

6. Multi-channel engagement. 

7. Enhanced/interactive user experience – a conversation.

8. A way to listen. 

What’s all the fuss about?

Who’s using what?

-In your personal life?-In your organization?

And the rest…

MySpace: still big in mid-west; more widely used by Hispanic US pop/bands.

LinkedIn: Great for HR; Major Gift Networking??

YouTube: Get a nonprofit channel

Foursquare and Gowalla: Location-based is next big thing

A word about niche sites (Ex: Catholic social networking sites)

• Numbers are small• Hard to maintain too many sites

consistently• Plenty of Catholics in mainstream

networks

We’re keeping an eye on them, to see which ones will have staying power.

CRS’ SOCIAL NETWORKING STRATEGY

Where we are; what we’ve done

CRS’ Social Networking Strategy

CRS’ goals of having a presence on social networking sites are:

1. Increase awareness in a new audience of online Catholics

2. Use these sites as our own news channel and drive people to our website

3. Foster deep levels of engagement

Success Story: Haiti

• Supporters’ testimonies

• Ability to correct misinformation

• Coordinated messaging/Cross-promotion

• Tell the story we want to tell directly to our audience

They helped make the ask:

Haiti: How Our Supporters Helped

They corrected others’ misperceptions:

Haiti: How Our Supporters Helped

They offered unsolicited testimonials:

Haiti: How Our Supporters Helped

Haiti: Results

Facebook fans and number of interactions

Total $ raised online = $15 million…did our Facebook presence help?

The New Rules of Engagement

Crawl…Walk…Run:•Awareness•Engagement•Conversion

Getting Started

What to consider: Who should embrace social networking/who shouldn’t

Our communities of faith ARE social networks.(And probably the oldest ones!)

• Is your audience on social media?• Is your mission controversial?• Do you have the capacity?

Getting Started

How to promote your page and get fans

• Cross promote everywhere:– newsletters, e-mail footers, direct mail

(Find us on facebook).

• Ask partners to favorite your page and return the favor.

• Request staff and volunteers to join/promote.

Getting Started

What to post/how often• DON’T create a schedule.• DO post news, stories, press…but

with a human touch• DON’T post press releases…zzzzzz• DO ask questions, poll your

audience, ask them to act.

Getting Started

CYA stuff• Create a posting policy and link to

it often.• Make sure staff who are authorized

to post understand social media and your boundaries.

• Protect your privacy.

Reasons not to start…yet

• Get your house in order• Capacity matters• It has to be genuine

TAKEAWAYS

What else can I tell you about social networking for nonprofits?

Takeaways…

• One note of a symphony• See the forest AND the trees• Go big or go home• Can’t be everywhere• Don’t panic• Be genuine• Content is key• Learn the language, but stay true

to yourself, and your mission

CRS social networking sites:

• Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/CatholicReliefServices

• Facebook Causes (Main cause): http://apps.facebook.com/causes/1613?recruiter_id=1465928

• Twitter: http://twitter.com/catholicrelief

• YouTube: www.youtube.com/catholicrelief

Social Networking Resources:

• Nonprofit Tech 2.0 (Heather Mansfield)Best Practices Series; Webinars http://nonprofitorgs.wordpress.com/

• Nonprofit Technology NetworkNTC Conference; Webinars http://www.nten.org/

• Network For Good/Fundraising 911 Social Networking series http://www.fundraising123.org/social-networking

• HootSuiteGreat posting tool: http://hootsuite.com  

Thank you!

Laura DuringtonOnline Community Manager

Catholic Relief Services

e-mail: ldurington@crs.orgphone: 410-951-7210download slides from:

www.slideshare.net/lbdurington