Using Facebook for Your Nonprofit

Source: Techsoup.org

can be a critical tool for nonprofit organizing, because it is a great way to connect with other organizations and supporters which might not have known about your organization previously.

It makes sense to create a presence on one of the top five Web sites on the Internet where people are already regularly visiting rather than expecting users to find you. If your nonprofit has video content, podcasts, interviews, or documents just languishing on your desktop, creating a presence on Facebook provides an easy way to upload these types of media, without spending the time or resources required for updating your own Web site.

It can allow organizations to plug into an existing audience of organizations that have opted into similar interest groups. It can also help organizations collaborate, connect easily, and increase their network of volunteer and supporters.

Facebook gives organizations a venue to quickly broadcast a message to a large list (their opt-in network) without getting blacklisted by an Internet service provider (ISP) or having their message get caught in a spam filter. In addition, the event-posting capabilities allow organizations to advertise upcoming events easily and efficiently. And best of all, it's free!

Finally, the way that Facebook interacts with other social media tools, like Twitter, blogs, Flickr, and others can enhance and grow an organization's network and can provide a simple interface to consistently and easily update your community of supporters with news of your organization's activities.

Nonprofits thinking about creating a Facebook presence should read CauseWired by Tom Watson, as it demystifies Web 2.0 community tools — like Facebook — and helps activists and social change agents mobilize and raise awareness about their mission.

Helpful Facebook Resources to Get You Started:

TechSoup resources:

• TechSoup’s Facebook Page
• A Beginner's Guide to Facebook
• Promote Your Cause on Facebook in Six Easy Steps
• Creating a Facebook Page

Outside resources:

• Best Facebook Practices for Nonprofits
• Nonprofit Organizations Facebook Page
• How to Set Up a Nonprofit Facebook Page
• Ivan Boothe's Slideshow: Using Social Networks for Social Change