Fabioneri; Spreading the Word: Social Media and Charity Donations

Spreading the Word: Social Media and Charity Donations

Gabrielle Fabioneri

Abstract:
With the widespread popularity and capability of social media in todays technology driven
world, information is easily spread and obtained almost instantly. With the click of a mouse or
even the swipe of a finger on a touch screen smart phone, we have access to endless information,
as well as the capability to connect with each other in ways never thought possible before. With
that said, social media such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest have become avenues
for charities and organizations to not only spread their message, but also create positive
relationships with people all over the world that in result, generates a sense of loyalty and
ultimately brings in more donations. My research topic will analyze the connection between
charities on social media and the people who become involved and donate, as well as explore
effective and ineffective methods of generating donations to answer the question Does social
media such as Facebook have a significant impact on fundraising and awareness for charities and
organizations? I used a wide selection of peer reviewed articles as well as a book on social
media and an article from the New York Times. All sources are credible and contain
unquestionably reliable information and resources that will help me accomplish this article. The
research in the articles is also backed by credible, trustworthy sources as well as detailed analysis
of experiments performed.

Fabioneri; Spreading the Word: Social Media and Charity Donations

Introduction
It is no secret in todays technology driven world that we have access to endless
information, as well as the capability to connect with each other in ways never thought possible.
Positive relationships built through social media are easier than ever before because these
interactions are done through mass media rather than traditional face-to-face. Social media has
brought friends and families together on a new level, as well as it also brings people together
based on common interests or goals. Social media such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube have
many functions like easy sharing, commenting and posting information with anyone we choose
online. This information is not just data floating in cyber space, it is content that has the power to
change how people view certain topics, as well as persuade them to act a certain way based on
what they read. With all of this in consideration, the internet has the capability to enhance and
change the world, and charities and organizations have latched onto this phenomenon. As a
Communications student with a special interest in how social media affects how we think and
act, I plan to explore how charities and organizations are using social media as an avenue to not
only raise awareness, but also generate positive funds in our current recession and economic
condition. My hypothesis is that with careful planning and action, charities and organizations can
utilize the tools of social media to not only gain awareness, but also gain more donations than
ever. This is very important because charities, both big and small, can now get their word out to
the world and form lasting loyal relationships with people all over the world. Previously, small
charities were limited to the community where they were founded in, now people all over the
world that have internet access can not only become involved, but also get others involved as
well.

Literature Review
The How
The best way to understand why charities are successful in using social media is to
breakdown how these organizations are utilizing the tools of social media for their own profit.
The methods are well thought out just like any other brand would try to sell their product to the
public. Charities are essentially trying to sell their message which is crafted in a way that
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Fabioneri; Spreading the Word: Social Media and Charity Donations

makes people want to do something about it, whether it be participating in a fundraiser or just
simply donate. There is a plethora of research that explains the mechanics of how the
organizations are planning their actions on social media based on the science behind human
behaviors. After knowing how these charities work, we can get a better grasp on why it works.
According to the Non-Profit Social Network Benchmark Report, nearly half of non-profit
groups say that fundraising is an important part of their social media strategy (Flandez, 2010).
Gaining attention is the main goal of most charities, and they hope that by gaining attention they
can also build connections that will attract contributions (Flandez, 2010). Facebook appears to be
the social media that charities turn to the most as it is deemed the best way to raise money
through building those positive connections. In Raymund Flandezs article Charities Look to
New Social-Network Managers to Bolster Fund-Raising Efforts, he mentions Wendy Harman,
the director of social media for the Red Cross, and she says that her team is constantly
monitoring what people are saying, and paying even closer attention to the negative feedback.
This is so they can better their campaigns to help weed out the frequency of negativity. Despite
the negativity, Harman found that 98 percent of those online critics were passionate supporters of
the American Red Cross and were mainly looking for more ways to interact with the charity.
Harman believes that by not only connecting with people, but also interacting with them over
social networks, has turned them into supporters who help spread the message to others (Flandez,
2010). Effort from supporters became evident when the Red Cross attempted to encourage
people to donate to support Haiti relief by sending text messages with instructions how to donate
on Twitter shortly after the destruction from an earthquake back in January 2012 left behind. The
results were massive; within 48 hours they had raised $3 million with the help of the 2.3 million
Twitter messages posted by the Red Cross supporters (Flandez, 2010). Not only were they
passing the information along, but they took action. It was almost like a social pressure thing
(Harman, as quoted in Flandez, 2010).
Carrie Lewis, director of emerging media at the Humane Society of the United States, has
become a strong leader in using social media tools to execute online fundraisers. She has raised
$372, 000 on Facebook Causes from its 13 million supporters. In April 2010, they raised $20,000
in one week to save endangered seals. She does this by identifying who solicits the most
donations, who recruits the biggest number of friends to donate, and who gives the most
(Flandez, 2010). This information is very useful and important for the organization, as well as for
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Fabioneri; Spreading the Word: Social Media and Charity Donations

Lewis, to pinpoint who and where the supporters are. She has been able to drive new supporters
in social media to the charitys Facebook page, where they often sign up for newsletters and
such (Flandez, 2010). Lewis calls it a gold mine for grabbing influencers.
Cassie Moore (2014), author of, Choose the Social-Media Networks That Fit Your
Charitys Mission, explains how it is crucial to not only know your audience, but also know
which outlets to look for them in. Know your audience, front to back, urges Shari llsen, senior
online communications manager of VolunteerMatch, Know who they are, what they want, why
they should care about you, and especially where they are (llsen, as cited in Moore, 2014).
According to llsen, this is the best method for ease and success because non-profits have limited
resources, and it is crucial for groups to go directly to where their supporters are (Moore, 2014).
For example, the Nature Conservancy is monitoring how much attention and how many
followers it attracts on social media and is using that information to then decide which website is
the best to use (Preston, 2009). Garth Moore, U.S. digital director at One Campaign recommends
focusing on networks most likely to turn visitors into reliable supporters, or give you the most
bang for your buck (as cited in Moore, 2014).
Mr. Garth Moore also believes that charities should develop goals, and then decide the
proper platform based on the tools available. For example, Facebook and Twitter are both useful
for driving people to sign petitions by spreading information, while other social media sites like
YouTube and Pinterest are better for building brand familiarity (Moore, 2014). Facebook even
implemented a donation button on charity pages so donors can give money without even leaving
the site. This point is highlighted by Moore (2014) who states Deciding the primary objective
helps charities choose where to focus their efforts (Moore, 2014). Since many charities and
organizations rely strictly on donations and volunteers, it is very important for them to not waste
time and effort on campaigns that will fail. Setting goals and knowing how to execute them is
crucial to success. Look for ties between your charitys mission and the medium (Moore,
2014).

Methods
Maureen West (2011), author of How Non-Profits Can Use Social Media to Spark
Change, provides expert tips for a successful social media activism campaign. She believes that
online social media can be powerful tools for spurring social change. Chris Sarette, director of
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Fabioneri; Spreading the Word: Social Media and Charity Donations

business operations at Invisible Children, says that the trick is to pair virtual campaigns with
flesh-and-blood action (Sarette, as cited in West, 2011). Basically, not only is it a campaign, it
is also a call to action. The message is crafted to persuade the audience to act, such as join a
fundraiser or just simply donate. This is what the non-profits need to focus on, because they can
spread a message easily, but to be successful, there needs to be an easy outlet for people to act.
West provides a few tips from experts who have run successful social media campaigns, and I
am going to highlight a few of the most important ones. The first is to avoid broadcasting, or
blasting a message. According to Beth Kanter, a social media consultant who works for nonprofit clients, charities should build conversations rather than shove a message down peoples
throats (Kanter, as cited in West, 2011). First engage them through conversation, and then ease
in the call to action. Second, organizations should use an array of approaches to earn the trust of
their supporters and build relationships (West, 2011). For example, The Human Society in
Washington responds to every question and comment on its Facebook fan page no matter how
long it takes.Those interactions foster connections where people will take action on our behalf,
says Carrie Lewis (cited in West, 2011). So essentially, people will be more willing to become
involved with a charity that they feel personally connected with. They like to feel involved. The
third piece of advice West provides is to think visually. Rather than using long texts and emails,
videos and images can go much further, especially to give an emotional impact (Henn, as cited in
West, 2011). The reason this is effective, according to Jamie Henn, communications director for
the environmental activist group in Oakland, Ca, the use of visual content has resulted in more
activists forwarding them to their friends, which increases the likelihood that those friends will
become interested and join our network. Amongst all the other tips West has to offer, one of the
most important ones is to measure everything and have a goal from the start. Measuring
effectiveness, according to Barnes, is the best method of keeping track of what works and what
doesnt. She believes that many charities rush into social media without a strategy, but they
need one. The weaknesses are at the beginning and the end (Barnes, as cited in West, 2011).
Caroline Bermudez (2011) , in her article How Charities Can Find the Right Social
Media Tools, highlights 101 Social Media Tactics for Non-Profits written by Melanie Mathos
and Chad Norman. The article mentions that reaching local people is also important and how
non-profits can effectively reach them. Using a geo-location based network like Foursquare,

Fabioneri; Spreading the Word: Social Media and Charity Donations

Groupon and LivingSocial, non-profits can offer special discounts on things like memberships.
This is another method of attracting support.
A strong point I would like to tie into everything is that gaining attention and donations
for non-profits is much like selling a product or a brand. In the book Branding Your Business,
written by James Hammond, he highlights something which is called the three Rs of social
media and I believe that the same tips can be applied to non-profit organizations. The first R
stands for regular. One way to make a splash on the social media scene is to invest you time
heavily. The more you share your content with the people, the more likely they are to have an
interest in what you are doing (Hammond, 2011). He believes that if you dont update your
social media account, it will damage your brand because you need to be more attractive online.
The Second R is Relevant. Hammond strongly advises against spamming content to keep up with
the regular. He warns to stray away from posting boring content just to post something. It must
be something new and exciting to keep the audience engaged. He advises that brands can pay
attention to the news and then build their posts upon that. And if all else fails, he allows humor to
gain attention. The third R stands for Remarkable. Hammond says that this is the trickiest of all.
The content needs to be out of the ordinary and stand out against all the competition. With so
many non-profits out there, they must keep their content fresh and interesting and make sure it
stands out against the rest, because chances are if your fundraiser is really similar to one already
going on, yours isnt going to generate too much interest.
The Why
Now that we know the mechanics behind how non-profits use social media, we can
analyze why it works. The social media experts for each successful non-profit are able to
effectively pinpoint the most important factors, such as target audience and knowing which
network to look for them.
Technology simplifies getting the word, and the help, out to wherever its needed, the
opening quote for John Quains article Social Network Cause and Effect (Quain, 2010). His
main theme is that technology, especially new age social media, is effective in getting the word
out, raising money, and drawing people to their cause. Just as personal computers changed the
face of business forever; social networking is changing the face of public service (Quain, 2010).
Actually, 97 percent of non-profits are using social media, which far surpasses even the business
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Fabioneri; Spreading the Word: Social Media and Charity Donations

world (Barnes, as cited in West, 2011). With that said, the question of why social networking has
been so successful for non-profits comes into play. The best way to understand this is to go
directly to the audience, the people, and examine their behaviors.
Social media provides a place where people can share the work they are doing in the real
world and gain a sense of momentum and community by seeing similar stories from around the
planet, says Henn. People get drawn into the website and see these amazing things others are
doing, and they figure they can go out and do them as well (Henn, as cited in West, 2011). So
why are these people so drawn into social media, and what is the motivation behind it?
Rita Mano from the Department of Human Services at University of Haifa in Israel
performed a study in 2013 that set out to examine whether the Internet and social media are
effective platforms for promoting online donations, and how individuals choosing online
engagement and money contributions differ from those who prefer offline voluntary engagement.
She based her research off of a few behavioral theories, which I will outline within the next few
paragraphs. She uses the social exchange and the pro-social behavior theory to look at various
levels of engagement motivation and their outcomes, and develops a social diversification
hypothesis that implies the internet adds, not replaces, existing social behaviors (Mano, 2013).
The pro-social behavior perspective enables to examine motivation for voluntary engagement,
assuming that such engagement reflects the need for belonging and self-fulfillment by helping
achieve non-egotistic goals (Cheshire et. al, 2010 as cited in Mano 2013). Mano makes the
point that formerly, this type of exchange was strictly face to face, which caused problems with a
group of people being able to meet for a certain cause due to time, distance and expense
restrictions. With this dilemma, people found new ways that involved different levels of effort
and communication. With social media, people were now becoming involved through telementoring, tele-tutoring, cyber services, blogs and journals. Essentially, all of the previous inperson efforts to come together for a cause became simplified through the power of the internet
(Mano, 2013). According to Mano, the internet is an effective medium of communication in
philanthropic activity because it generates a variety of voluntary engagement activities ranging
from endorsing a social cause to the more active form of online money contributions. Basically,
the internet is a convenient mode of communication that eliminates the previous obstacles that
face-to-face encounters presented.

Fabioneri; Spreading the Word: Social Media and Charity Donations

To attempt to prove her hypothesis, Mano performed a study that involved 6270
individuals in the US that had internet. A survey was administered that had questions based on
online money contributions, voluntary engagement online and voluntary engagement offline.
Questions such as how much have you contributed to charities and or non-profits on the
internet? and have you posted comments on a website or blog about a political social issue?
were asked to help gauge the participants involvement in social causes online. Variables such as
internet use, availability to internet, demographics, and scope of internet use (social media used)
were identified and taken into consideration before and during the study as well as during
formation of the results. The results showed that her hypothesis was correct. Findings showed
that The internet provides important communication media affecting civil engagement,
furthermore, social media moves individuals from knowing to doing, and the people involved in
social networks are more likely to engage in voluntary activities that are related to the cause
(Mano, 2013). Exposure to information about a social cause on the internet serves non-profit
activity well, even if the donations are made offline. Our findings provide strong support for the
social diversification hypothesis because they emphasize that the internet does not alter existing
social relationships, but compliments and even reinforces them (Mano, 2013). To sum that up,
social media is effective in moving people towards a change, it encourages them to become
involved which then leads them to be more inclined to donate. This then backs the social
diversification hypothesis because now that we know that social media does have a positive
effect, Mano could then draw the conclusion that social media does not replace the existing
traditional offline relationships, but it only builds upon and enhances it.

Real-Life Examples
Presenting real-life examples of successful social media campaigns is an effective way to
help people bring together the how and the why. Vincent Stehle (2012) wrote an article
called Kony Video is Just the Lastest Social-Media Effort to Show the Power of Charity
Campaigns that highlights the sudden success of the online revolt against Joseph Kony through
all social media platforms. In 2012, few people knew of the existence of Josephy Kony, a
despicable and highly sought-after African warlord. He was responsible for abducting children in
Uganda and putting them to either become sex slaves or child soldiers. Activists caught wind of
what was going on, and turned to social media to make sure that the whole world knew as well.
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Fabioneri; Spreading the Word: Social Media and Charity Donations

Almost instantly, people were campaigning for Kony to be captured and brought to justice after a
video made by Invisible Children entitled KONY 2012 surfaced on the internet that revealed
what it was that Kony was subjecting these Ugandan children to. With the help of Invisible
Children, awareness was spread rapidly. Behind the scenes, it was often the work of non-profits
and foundations that produced stories and organized advocacy campaign that sparked popular
revolts (Stehle, 2012). This also spurred involvement by the United States government to help
gain their interest in putting a stop to his evil.
The second example is on a lighter note. Tom Held wrote the article, Savvy Use of Social
Media Help Propel Rapid Growth for Giving Tuesday and he includes a story about Giving
Tuesday, an organization dedicated to persuading people to be generous during the holiday
season. On November 20th of 2014, Hallie Tamez plans to carry a five-gallon jerry can across a
10 mile trek of Manhattan to promote a fundraiser for WaterAid. With the help of social media,
she is going to ask all the people she encounters on the walk to take pictures and post them on
social networks to draw attention to the charity during this years Giving Tuesday on December
2nd (Held, 2014). Giving Tuesday hopes to achieve a movement fueled by social media and inperson events and to spark volunteerism and donations while expanding the base of donors from
which charities can solicit gifts long after the holidays (Held, 2014). Last year, which was the
first year Giving Tuesday used online campaigns, they generated $19-million in online
donations, which was 90% more than in 2012. The hashtag, #GivingTuesday was used 270,000
times on Twitter and reached two billion followers which was an increase of a whopping 338%
compared to 2012. With that said, Giving Tuesday plans to continue using social campaigns
every year with the help of its volunteers, and of course, social media (Held, 2014).

Negative Factors
Throughout my research, most of the results had positive outcomes and the research had a
lot of useful information to help support my research question. Although most of it was for the
good, I did find examples of how using social media can fail if not done correctly. According to
Raymund Flandez in his 2014 article Nonprofits Must Guard Against Imposters, it is important
to remember that there is bad in the world, even when it comes to charities and non-profits.
Scammers can try and impersonate charities and put the generous donations into the wrong
hands. Flandez says that there are ways non-profits can gain control over that. Services such as
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Fabioneri; Spreading the Word: Social Media and Charity Donations

Namechk are available to help prevent scammers from taking their names and impersonating
them by keeping track of the particular name and how many times it is taken on social media.
This will give you an opportunity to really get control, which means that you will not have to
spend time later dealing with squatters (Flandez, 2014).
New York Times writer Stephanie Strom writes an article entitled Social Networks
Meant for Social Good, but at a Price, that brings up a valid problem with non-profits that use
intermediaries for their social media campaigns and presence. Crowdrise, Causecast, and Causes
on Facebook are all examples of intermediaries that help non-profits bring in donations. Brian
Gallagher, chief executive of United Way of America, calls this a pass through business
(Strom, 2010). There are three problems associated with this business. First off, the
organizations are handing off partial control, which leaves room for them to misinterpret the
message of the organizations. Second, the intermediaries stand between the charity and their
donors and supporters, which Gene Austin, chief executive of Convio, believes that the
supporters value a direct connection rather than communicating with a middle man (Strom,
2010). Lastly, and most importantly, the intermediaries take a cut of the proceeds they raise.
What they forget is that these middle men are responsible for efforts to advertise, marketing
research, and pay for technology fees associated with their website and payment processing
(Mahan, as cited in Strom 2010). For example, United States Artists, a non-profit that raises
awareness for artists and their work, are using an intermediary to promote support and donations
for artwork posted on social network sites. They charge an 18 percent fee, but there is simply no
way around it. The intermediaries need a way to keep the lights on (Strom, 2010). So
essentially, 100 percent of any of the donations does not go directly to the non-profit. A
percentage of it is lost to the intermediary, which is hindering to the non-profits who cannot
successfully promote themselves on social media on their own.

Conclusion
After taking the analysis of the research into consideration, I can confidently say that the
research supports my hypothesis that with careful planning and action, charities and
organizations can utilize the tools of social media to not only gain awareness, but also gain more
donations than ever. I effectively broke down how organizations use social media by setting their
goals, targeting their audience, using the proper social network, and connecting with their
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Fabioneri; Spreading the Word: Social Media and Charity Donations

supporters. There is a lot of work and preparation behind the campaigns, because they can fail if
not executed correctly. Organizations needed to find a way to connect and build relationships
with their donors so that they will be more inclined to share their support with their friends and
create a viral effect. The more people reached the better. The reason why people donate is
actually more complicated than first thought as well. Behavior research behind it concludes that
online campaigns do not replace traditional methods, but actually enhances them because people
are more inclined to become involved when it becomes easier to accomplish. On top of that,
involvement helps humans achieve a sense of belongingness when part of a community with the
logic of the pro-social behavior perspective. Although there was research that outlined the
negatives, they were both easily fixed with active involvement of the organization leaders.
Overall, social media is a very powerful tool and is used to connect people all over the world. It
can help build and foster positive relationships, and non-profits and organizations have latched
onto that phenomenon to make their message known. Mass media is explosive and can transfer
information within seconds. It takes Facebook approximately one second (depending on internet
strength) to post whatever it is that you want your friends to see.
This literature review was definitely a learning process that will stick with me throughout
my entire life and with any research I do in the future. I didnt realize how much time and
preparation goes into researching, forming a strong hypothesis, and logically organizing all of
the information into one paper. I spent at least 75 percent of my time and effort simply reading,
researching and changing my mind about how I wanted approach things, and only 25 percent
was the actual writing. In the future I will definitely learn from my mistakes and give myself
much more preparation and research time, because I found that the better prepared and informed
I am, the easier it is to write.

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Fabioneri; Spreading the Word: Social Media and Charity Donations

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