Social media can solve non-profits' five most common challenges, including: Ensuring your mission and brand is accurately depicted. Creating advocates. Fundraising. Keeping volunteers engaged. Doing more with less money and less time. This presentation was shared during the Florida Blue Foundation's 2014 Sapphire Awards and Symposium at the World Golf Village Renaissance Resort by Annie Erstling and Kate Warnock.

1. 5 Real World Non-Profit Challenges
Solved through Social Media
#sapphireawards
@flblue
!
@mkatewarnock
@annieerstling

2. Building a Social Program
• Select the 2-5 business challenges that you want to
tackle using social media.
• Identify the target audiences based on those
challenges.
• Identify the right social platforms.
• Develop a voice and a content platform.

3. 5 Common NPO Challenges
• Ensuring your mission and brand is accurately
depicted.
• Creating advocates.
• Fundraising.
• Keeping volunteers engaged.
• Doing more with less money and less time.

4. #1:
Mission & Brand
Clearly establishing the
organization’s mission, vision and
brand to the right target audience.

5. Mission & Brand
• Mission needs to be clearly articulated at the Executive
Leadership level. Simple, clean, direct.
• Brand strategy needs to reflect the mission, vision and
values of the organization.
• Understand your target market and choose social
networks where your audiences are.
• Utilize consistent colors, fonts and imagery. Tell your
story through graphics and consistent terminology.

6. The Sierra Club

7. water.org

8. Shake-A-Leg Miami
#wecansail

9. #2:
Digital Advocacy
How to rally the troops (online) to
effect change and create policies in
line with your mission.

10. Digital Advocacy
• To enact your mission you need PEOPLE POWER
• YOU NEED:
1) an issue that resonates with people
2) a great plan
3) the right online tools
• Let supporters know the end goal
• Make it simple for people to participate and share
• Give advocates the opportunity to get more deeply involved

11. Rotary International: EndPolio.org

14. The Miami Foundation
Public Space Challenge

15. #3:
Fundraising
Raising enough money to remain
financially solvent - and thrive.

16. Fundraising
• In 2013 online giving increased by 14%
• Listen and build relationships. Use social to build offline
meaningful relationships through online conversations.
• Don’t forget the call to action: donate now, share this,
volunteer now… etc.
• Make it easy for prospective donors to donate.
• Thank donors and show the impact for donations.

17. American Red Cross

18. Wounded Warrior Project - @wwpinc

19. #4:
Volunteer
Engagement
Keeping volunteers engaged with
the organization over and above
the initial outreach or activity.

20. Volunteer Engagement
• Engage potential volunteers with great content that resonates.
• Keep volunteers informed before and after events.
• Recruit volunteers for specific opportunities through social media.
• Develop a social toolkit for your volunteers
• Include guidelines and recommendations
• Ask volunteers to contribute their story to yours
• Thank your volunteers
• Profile a volunteer of the week/month & connect to their social profiles in posts

21. American Cancer Society - Volunteer Stories

22. #5:
More More More
The old we need more time and
more money to do what we know
needs to be done.

23. Optimizing Resources
• Take the time to make a plan
• Put your content plan into place - use free or inexpensive social
management tools to schedule content
• Utilize the content eco-system. Share across multiple sites with some
customization
• Solicit content from others: partners, volunteers, executives, donors,
recipients/clients
• Partner with a big brand that connects with the same audience
• Network with your peers to get free ideas

24. Alex’s Lemonade Stand - Story

25. Resources Or Be a Social Media Hero

26. Social Media Strategy
Template
• Organization’s Mission
What does your organization stand for?
• Organization’s Objectives
What are the 3-5 things your organization is trying to accomplish this
year?
• Target Audiences
Who are you trying to connect with? Donors, lawmakers, Prospective
volunteers?
• Social Platforms
Where are your audiences?
• Social Media Strategies
What are the 3-4 social strategies you can implement to support your
organization’s objectives?
• Tactical Programs
What are the actual elements that make up each individual strategy?
• Metrics
How can you measure that your social strategies have had an impact
on the organization’s objectives?

27. Social Media Gurus
marismith.com
johnhaydon.com
marismith.com
johnhaydon.com

28. Connect with Us
• Kate Warnock - Social Media Strategist @flblue
@mkatewarnock
• Annie Erstling - Sr. Director, Emerging Media @flblue
@annieerstling