Social Media for Community Foundations

Social Media &
Community Foundation Leadership
The Risks, The Thrills & The Whole Wild Ride

Tina Arnoldi, Director of Information Management Susie Bowie, Communications ManagerCoastal Community Foundation of South Carolina Community Foundation of Sarasota County

Welcome to the Ride

What we’re doing today
What’s Different About Social Media
The Case for SM & Community Foundations
Involving Your Leadership Team
Integrating SM in Your Communications Strategy
Social Media Guidelines & Policies
Measuring Your Success

Let’s take a short quiz.

A Little Social Media Background

What does this video tell us?

4 core principals of SM
It’s SOCIAL.That means you listen, you respond…it’s a conversation, not a billboard for announcements.
It begs you to ask “where does my audience live and what do they like?”In this aspect, it’s no different form any other kind of communication.

4 core principals of SM
3. It involves time and trust.Again, think “relationships.” Adding value is key.
4. It’s not if you’re going to play, but when.It’s not as much about Facebook or Twitter as it’s about a fundamental change in how people expect to participate in information.

What happens if you aren’t social, don’t know your audience, don’t build a relationship and hesitate to play?

Case study: Motrin

"Consider social media as a game changer...Social media is an evolution of how we communicate, an essential part of businesses and organizations that want to move forward in this new economy… Prioritize it as one of your most important tasks.”
-Nicole Harrison, Mission Makers blog

Why Community Foundations?

We’re community leaders.
We strive to set an example for the nonprofits we serve.
We often serve as a focal point for issues-based information and/or capacity building.

We’re “philanthropic thought” leaders.
We start conversations & facilitate discussions to make a bigger and lasting impact.

We want to be pro-active about our own reputation
Whether or not your Foundation is social media-active, people are there talking about you and the issues you address.

“…social media is on 24/7 so be prepared and do not be caught off-guard with No social media strategy… Be proactive, be transparent and be honest.
Your customers will appreciate that more and will become your legsin spreading your news faster if you engage and interact with them in an honest and transparent way….”

Sometimes we need to come back to earth.
Participating in SM can do a lot to make us more approachable.
“Off the Ivory Tower” program.

We’re innovative.
We want new ways to get the information so central to making decisions about grants & programs.
We like being active participants in community-based issues.
Consider engagement through new forms of grant making.

Social networks & social change?
Weaving community.
Accessing diverse populations.
Building and sharing knowledge.
Mobilizing people.
Coordinating resources & action.
-Stanford Social Innovative Review

Involving Your Leadership Team

Leadership buy-in is essential. How about involvement?
Who should be involved vs. who can be involved?

The CEO as Blogger/Tweeter/Etc.
(We’re talking personal vs. organizational accounts)
Pros
More likely to get engagement
Gives you a face & makes you more approachable
Provides another way for stakeholders to reach out to you
Allows you to showcase your expertise
[Perceived] Cons
“It’s about the foundation, not about ‘me’”
“I want to hold on to my professional image”
The lines are blurring too muchbetween personal & professional
“Do I really want to be MORE accessible?”
“What about the TIME?”

Ahh, but be careful.
Blogs work best when based on…*
Candor
Urgency
Timeliness
Pithiness
Controversy
Utility
Can your Foundation leaders do it?
*Source: Seth Godin

Integrating SM in Your Communications Plan & Foundation Strategy

Overall Foundation Communication Goals
Overall Foundation Communication Goals
Audience Using Social Media
Social MediaCommunication Goals
Known Social Media “Behaviors”
Selecting SM Tool
Posting Content
Listening
Monitoring &Measuring Outcomes

Your Audience Determines Your Goals
Who are you trying to reach?
Are they already living on Facebook/ Twitter/ YouTube?
How do they find you there?
Once they find you there, what is the action you want them to take, or level of engagement you want to achieve?

Is Your Target Audience…
Current donors?
Future/ next generation donors?
Professional advisors?
Grantees/ potential grantees?
Current/ future scholarship awardees?
Foundation partners/ sponsors?
Community leaders?

Social Media Behaviors
60% of all donors—online and offline—did research online before giving.Source: Kintera
78% of organizations that fundraise using Facebook raised $1,000 or less in 2009. Source: 2010 Nonprofit Social Network Benchmark Report
The fastest growing population on Facebook is women ages 55+.

So? One Goal Might Be…
Use Facebook as an entry point to develop Foundation awareness for 10 potential Boomer generation donors.
Strategy 1 : Engage donors’ adult children on Facebook through content featuring the impact of grants made through established funds. (Idea from Community Foundation of Jacksonville)
Strategy 2:Post financial planning tips useful for Boomer generation donors. Include charitable giving options, tied in with upcoming open house for interested donors.

5 Ways Foundations Can Engage Using Content & Stay on Brand
Ask questions about community issues related to your funding areas. (And then listen, respond!)
Showcase your expertise with tips relevant to youraudience(s).
Feature news from local nonprofits, linking to theirwebsites, or link to a positive news story from media.
Post short, conversational announcementsrelating to your grants/programs.
Post interesting trivia about staff/board members or your community.

5 Ways Foundations Can Use SM to Achieve More Impact
Ask questions about community issues related to your funding areas. (And then listen, respond!)
Follow other grant makers and nonprofits for short updates on how philanthropy is working in other communities.
Follow Chronicle of Philanthropy, GuideStar, Foundation Center, etc. to stay on top of philanthropic trends.
Use SM channels to access capacity building resources.
Network with other foundation leaders for more productive colleague relationships.

The Overseer
Various Community Foundation models
Who at your Foundation is passionate & savvy in social media?
Tasks:-Oversee & plan content and strategy-Monitor & check metrics-Provide feedback & encouragement for others on your team to participate-Stay on top of the trends

A Word About Integrating Your Messages and Channels

Social Media Guidelines/ Policies

SM Policy Essentials
Guidelines for appropriate content for your organizational posts and others comments. This includes staying on brand & observing privacy of donors.
Guidelines for appropriate content relating to your organization on a staff/ board/ volunteer’s personal SM account.

SM Policy Essentials
Appropriate use of time using SM during work hours.
Who’s in charge of SM at your organization.
Encouragement of others to participate within SM guidelines.

Let’s look at a couple of examples.
Kodak Company.
Coastal Community Foundation of South Carolina.

Measuring Your Success

When numbers are important.
Measuring followers/”likes” vs. true engagement

It’s not just a numbers game.
Do you measure your offline relationship- building in numbers or in quality?
How do you measure the impact of a press release or an ad?
It all goes back to your goals.

Looking Beyond 2,400+ followers and 860 “likes”
We’ve built our brand: “caring aboutpeople, community and issues that matter” and the “go-to information center”for philanthropy
We’re saved time staying up to date on philanthropic trends and news

Looking Beyond 2,400+ followers and 860 “likes”
We’ve connected with new expertise:they have blogged on our site and presented at our events for nonprofits
We’ve been a better friend to the nonprofits we support: spreading their goodnews, events and stories virally

Google AnalyticsReferrals to your website (and specific web pages) from Facebook, Twitter, external blog siteHow long people stay on your blog, Bounce rate, etc.

Measuring Engagement?
Facebook InsightsTracking level of engagement through number of (and change in) likes, commentsNumber of men/women. Age groups. Geographics.

Facebook Insights
Likes
Shares
Increase in fans
Their activity

Measuring Engagement?
HootsuiteTracking clicks on specific links, especially when they aren’t tied to your own website.

HootSuite
Manage multiple twitter accounts
Track clicks
Include FB page
Monitor other social media accounts
Team-tweeting
Schedule tweets

Review
Social media is big.And it’s not going away.
Community Foundations are leaders.It’s our job to embrace trends with impact.

Review
It’s not all about your message.It’s about asking questions, listening, getting new info hot off the shelf.
You need a plan.Your audience, your goals and measurement are key.

Review
Foundation leadership has to be on the boat.Without an organizational culture that allows social media to live, and without your blessing, it doesn’t work.

Questions?Comments?Thoughts?

Find us on Facebook and on Twitter@NonprofitSRQ@TinaArnoldi

Social Media for Community Foundations

by Coastal Community Foundation on Sep 16, 2010

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