To ensure that you effectively garner community participation, your organization can implement a social media campaign to highlight your initiatives and designate how to support your cause. Give followers easy, specific instructions on how they can donate or take action, and utilize trending, relevant hashtags. Consider content that will most resonate with your target audience and compel them to share it, to further expand your reach. Include graphics with your logo or a photo representing your cause to stand out.

Social Media Campaign

To ensure that you effectively garner community participation, your organization can implement a social media campaign to highlight your initiatives and designate how to support your cause. Give followers easy, specific instructions on how they can donate or take action, and utilize trending, relevant hashtags. Consider content that will most resonate with your target audience and compel them to share it, to further expand your reach. Include graphics with your logo or a photo representing your cause to stand out.

Media Outreach

You may consider reaching out to local and regional media outlets, if they tend to cover community organizations, to bring attention to the community’s needs as well as to share your current efforts and ways to support. In addition to highlighting the importance of giving back, they may welcome such a story to help balance negative news. If you have resumed hosting in-person fundraising events, leverage those as a timely opportunity to engage with media.

Digital Engagement

Consider adding a pop-up banner on your website homepage or promoting your efforts via email and newsletter blasts. Utilize any channels you feel appropriate for talking about your organization’s mission, how your work has been negatively impacted by recent challenging times, how the community can support you, and if appropriate, how those donations will make a difference in the near term. Using owned platforms can be an easy but effective way to attract supporters’ attention.

Non-Fundraising Activations

If you are hesitant about solely asking for funds, blend in non-fundraising-driven content such as:

• Spotlight volunteers, donors and sponsors to highlight your efforts and their impact. 
• Share stories of impact, highlighting specific examples of how your organization (and the donors who support it) is making a difference through its mission and work.
• Encourage supporters to share stories or photos of what your cause means to them.
• Amplify the work of other community partners by liking and sharing their content.
• Find a creative way to thank your supporters.
  

Fundraising Best Practices

If you are hesitant about solely asking for funds, blend in non-fundraising-driven content such as:

• Highlight your current efforts. Let your followers and supporters know how your organization has been supporting its mission and responding to issues as they arise. Showcasing your work and positive impact will contextualize how donations will help the cause. 
• Encourage community partners or major donors to match donations. Ask businesses or individuals to match donations to a set amount and cross-promote the fundraising campaign on their social media channels.
• Create a text-to-donate campaign. Using the Give Lively platform, this giving strategy is designed to let donors act immediately. Although text-to-donate contributions are typically very small – in the $5 to $10 range – they can add up. Give Lively typically offers free services for nonprofits.
• Set measurable goals. Setting a goal and explaining how the funds will be used can be a great motivator for potential donors. Don’t forget to report back after the campaign on your success!

Social Media Best Practices

• Share content across all channels. The best way to generate awareness is through social media. Post across all channels using trending hashtags to reach a larger audience.
• Choose impactful visuals. Especially when soliciting donations, include images that showcase the impact of the organization and personalize your mission.
• Create a text-to-donate campaign. Using the Give Lively platform, this giving strategy is designed to let donors act immediately. Although text-to-donate contributions are typically very small – in the $5 to $10 range – they can add up. Give Lively typically offers free services for nonprofits.
• Encourage team members to share your efforts. And make it easy to share. Whether utilizing their personal social media channels or spreading the word to family and friends, engaging employees, volunteers and friends of your organization is beneficial to generate increased organic awareness.