Lessons in social media fundraising: Applying global tactics at a local level.

摘要

Social media is playing an increasing role in fundraising efforts by charities, aid programs and community-based organizations. An examination of two case studies---one the international response to the earthquake in Haiti and the other a small-scale, local animal welfare project in Los Angeles---explores the uses of social media on vastly different scales. While the scope of the response differed hugely between the two, similar tactics were used.;In Haiti, charities used social media to post stories of survivors, pictures, and videos on a variety of popular websites. Oftentimes the platform on which the horrifying images and words were posted was the platform on which to give directly to those affected by the quake, in real time. This was huge. Grassroots and celebrity involvement were also amplified by social media.;The animal welfare project used social media as a word-of-mouth campaign. The project started off on a small blog but was magnified by people reposting and resharing the need for donations on Facebook, Twitter, and a number of blogs. Traditional media picked up on the story off the blogs and shared the project on their platforms, increasing donations even more. Both the Haiti relief effort and the animal welfare project would have experienced far different results without social media. The animal welfare project wouldn't have existed without it. Based on my experiences raising money, I compare and contrast the two case studies and glean knowledge to employ in my next fundraising project.