Twitter's Place in Nonprofit Fundraising Policy

Every nonprofit internet strategy should be guided by a policy that outlines the charity's goals, methods and boundaries, for consistency and ease of organization as well as to maintain control of the brand.

Social media opens up a whole new playing field whose rules are still being defined.  While it is certainly an avenue a nonprofit should consider, all platforms are not created equal and a bit of research is required to determine what's right for a particular organization.

Twitter is a convenient, portable and ubiquitous social media platform that delivers messages, or "Tweets" of 140 characters or less in real time.  They can be sent and received using mobile phones, computers and other electronic devices, and there are a number of additional benefits to using Twitter as a means to get a message across, gather volunteers, solicit donations and follow up afterward. It forces all users equally to be brief and to the point, ensuring clarity on an even playing field.  With messages limited to simple text messages and small images, the message really stands out.  It is portable and fast, so updates can be sent while they are still fresh.  In addition, Twitter messages can also be "re-tweeted", adding the potential for exponential expansion of the charity's network.

However appealing Twitter is in the world of social media for nonprofits, nothing is perfect and there are potential downsides to the service, in particular regarding its use by well-meaning, but perhaps misguided volunteers.  The platform's viral capabilities are a double-edged sword. Great pieces of wit and wisdom and total flubs alike can be instantly spread around the world, with little hope of controlling the end result.  A tweet can go viral if it is re-tweeted by enough people, and the postings do not necessarily end with Twitter, as postings have wings and minds of their own in Facebook, Twitter and social sites.

Tweets, like Facebook posts, are open to impulsive decisions that cannot be taken back.  Allowing volunteers to tweet on behalf of the organization opens it up to a lot of potentially positive exposure, but it limits control over public perception and the brand. One misguided post or even a benign one taken out of context could potentially go viral and spell either the end of the campaign or a world of trouble trying to manage damage control.

While Twitter is an emerging force in the world of networking, it is not the only social media platform for nonprofits.  Before deciding to go the route of the tweet, organizers should evaluate how the platform fits in with their demographic, nonprofit branding and their overall fundraising goals. Twitter is a double-edged sword, but a powerful one.

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About the Author:
Born and brought up in Oklahoma City, having a Ph.D. in European History, Kelly is a passionate writer and a voracious reader. She has been fortunate enough to live in many countries and cultures because her husband Lawrence works with the US embassy and has to travel a lot. Kelly volunteers for a local non-profit organization to help underprivileged children, and works as a freelance writer the rest of the time.
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