Social media use by nonprofit organizations

1. Modeling the adoption and use of social media
by nonprofit organizations
Purpose
 This study examines what
drives organizational adoption
and use of social media
through a model built around
four key factors:
1. Strategy
2. Capacity
3. Governance
4. Environment
 Also examines two different
types of social media
(Facebook and Twitter)
 Analyzes the presence and
frequency of updating
messages as well as the
frequency of sending specific
kinds of messages
Method
 Large-scale nonprofit
organization’s use of social
media,
 Sample: NonProfit Times 100
 List contains the 100 largest
US nonprofit organizations in
terms of revenue
 Data Collection Sources:
 The National Center for
Charitable Statistics
 2008 IRS tax-return forms
 The Internet Archive
 Google, Twitter and Facebook

2. Hypotheses
H1: Fundraising expenses will be
positively related to social media adoption
and use.
H2: Lobbying expenses will be positively
related to social media adoption and use.
H3: Program service revenues will be
positively related to social media adoption
and use.
H4: Organizational size in assets will be
positively related to social media adoption
and use.
H5: Website age will be positively related
to social media adoption and use.
H6: Website reach will be positively related
to social media adoption and use.
H7: Membership-based nonprofit
organizations will be less likely to adopt and
use social media.
H8: Organizations with larger boards will
be more likely to adopt and use social
media.
H9: More efficient nonprofits will be more
likely to adopt and use social media.
H10: Donor dependence will be positively
related to an organization’s social media
adoption and use.
H11: Government dependence will be
positively related to an organization’s social
media adoption and use.

3. Hypotheses
H1: Fundraising expenses will be
positively related to social media adoption
and use.
H2: Lobbying expenses will be positively
related to social media adoption and use.
H3: Program service revenues will be
positively related to social media adoption
and use.
H4: Organizational size in assets will be
positively related to social media adoption
and use.
H5: Website age will be positively related
to social media adoption and use.
H6: Website reach will be positively related
to social media adoption and use.
H7: Membership-based nonprofit
organizations will be less likely to adopt and
use social media.
H8: Organizations with larger boards will
be more likely to adopt and use social
media.
H9: More efficient nonprofits will be more
likely to adopt and use social media.
H10: Donor dependence will be positively
related to an organization’s social media
adoption and use.
H11: Government dependence will be
positively related to an organization’s social
media adoption and use.

4. Critique
 Not generalizable to midsize and small nonprofit
organizations
 Combines results for two different social media platforms
 Could be used for different purposes
 Graphics would be useful to help readers visualize findings
 Examples of social media posts would also be useful
 In-depth explanations of how and WHY nonprofits adopt and
use social media
 Interviews
 Surveys