A recent survey of top charities by the Chronicle of Philanthropy has revealed something that is possibly surprising.
The survey showed that while most major non-profits do have a presence on social media sites, they have yet to bring in the higher dollar donations typical in more traditional fundraising methods.
An excerpt From the Chronicle of Philanthropy’s article:
“Of the 177 organizations that answered the survey only 110, or roughly 62 percent, reported that they were using some form of social media as part of their online fund-raising efforts.
Of those, a much smaller number reported the amount of money that they raised through social media.
And the groups that did raise money reported modest totals.
Here’s a thumbnail look at the results:
• Thirty-six groups raised $408,000 on Facebook, with a median total of $1,000 per organization.
• Sixteen groups raised $36,000 on Twitter, with a median amount raised of $500.
• Six groups raised $245,000 through blogs, with a median amount raised of $11,500.
• Two groups raised $500 on MySpace.
What does this mean?
Not surprisingly, it means that the nation’s largest charities haven’t yet figured out how to raise large sums of money through social networks.
But a bigger question looms: Can charities effectively raise money through tweets and Facebook profiles?
The answer depends on your goals. If you’re looking for short-term results, the answer is probably no.”
Social media however is about building relationships, so it stands to reason that some of those relationships could flower in the future and result in higher levels of donations sometime down the road.
For now the levels of donations via social media still appear low.
What’s your experience raising funds through social media?