‘Social Media’ is a phrase we’re all hearing a lot lately. Gen Xers like, totally, get it.  Baby Boomers and those of my generation (younger than baby boomers and older than Gen Xers) are starting to warm up to it. But don’t let the word ‘social’ fool you.  It’s not just for casual contact and social applications. Social media has a place in today’s business and non-profit world. Generally speaking, social media refers to using applications like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter to promote yourself, your business, or your cause. What may have started with a tidal wave of teens creating profiles on My Space to share everything there is to know about themselves with their friends and (sadly) enemies, has quickly been harnessed by business professionals as the marketing tool of the future. And this is why you should stand up and take notice if you’re responsible for fundraising within your organization.

About a year ago I read an article about Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream abandoning traditional marketing entirely in favor of social media. Instead of placing newspaper ads, they would rely solely on tweets (that’s what it’s called when you put a message out on Twitter) and other social media to promote their brand. The advertising community thought this was wholly unorthodox, but Ben & Jerry’s has always been an innovator so this bold move should have surprised no one. Most businesses and organizations aren’t ready to commit to quite that extent, but make no mistake, you should not be without a presence on these powerful sites. Why?

#1: It’s free. Free advertising and promotion!  Never, ever turn down free advertising.

#2: The reach is huge: Facebook alone has more than 500 million users, 50% of whom are “active users” who log on every day. Twitter signs up about 300,000 new users every day, according to an article in the Huffington Post.

#3:  The number of people who may see your marketing is limitless (“viral marketing”).

#4:  Allows your organization to benefit from person-to-person fundraising.

#5:  It’s fast and requires little monitoring.

Let’s take a closer look at #1 – #5.

#1 is pretty self-explanatory. All of the social media sites offer free membership. So, for no cost, you can set up a page and start promoting your cause. For the most part, the sites are pretty self-explanatory and if you’re relatively comfortable using the internet, you’ll have no problem creating your site.  Literally within minutes you can have your page up and running without the help of a professional designer. People will search for your organization on these sites whether you’re there or not, so you might as well be there! Plus, it’s really handy to be able to say ‘look for us on Facebook.’  In many ways, it’s easier than expecting someone to remember your .com or .org web address.  That’s not to say that you don’t need a website. You DO need a website. Having a social media site should be complementary to your website and help guide people to your website.

#2: The statistics are mind blowing and they’re growing so fast that it’s hard to keep up. Most of the sites have their own statistic pages so if you want to see how many users there are or more detailed information, just google ‘Facebook statistics’ for example. Note that this may take you to someone else’s site where they’ve posted their take on statistics, so make sure you’re getting information from the right place.

#3:  Viral marketing. It sounds like a bad thing, but it’s not. This is probably the one application where ‘viral’ refers to something good. It reminds me of that old Breck shampoo commercial from the 1970′s where the girl tells two friends about the shampoo and then they tell two friends and so on and so on and so. It’s like that, but on steroids. You may start with a small group of friends or followers, but they will share your information with their friends, and so on and so on and so on. You gain exponential reach, which is critical when you’re trying to increase your follower (and thus donor) base.

#4:  This is really key. It’s a known in the fundraising world that people are more likely to give when asked by someone they know. If my friend Rachel asks me to give to an organization that I’ve never before heard of, I’m far more likely to give than I would be if I just received a blind request from the same organization. I trust Rachel, therefore I trust the organization that Rachel has recommended. Chances are I’ll at least go to their website to find out more about them. Plus, Rachel knows me so she’s already done some pre-screening and probably wouldn’t send me a fundraising request from a group whose core priniciples I disagree with. A real example from Facebook is the case of Nelson Layang’s birthday wish (I learned about this at a conference). Nelson told all his friends on Facebook that in lieu of birthday presents, he wanted them to make a donation to the Women’s Cancer Resource Center. He made the request in memory of a dear friend he lost to cancer. He included a simple link to the cancer center’s donation page along with a heartfelt appeal and his friends really came through with the donations. Not because they had a link to the WCRC, but because they’re linked to Nelson and Nelson’s cause was important to them. This is the power of social media.

#5: Getting started is simple and quick. Considering that there are so many elements to running a business or organization, anything that’s going to be a major time sink is probably not going to rank high on the priority list unless it has a significant, proven return on investment. It literally takes no more than ten to fifteen minutes to set up your Facebook or LinkedIn site and posting updates can take as little as a few seconds.

It’s difficult to site statistics on social media use in fundraising because it’s just so new. But given the investment and the potential, it’s worth doing. If nothing else, having a presence on social media sites makes it easier for your organization to be found in Google. The social media sites actually update faster than Google so they help your search ranking improve and most people are still using google as the #1 search engine. The easier it is for people to find you, the more potential donors you’ll have. There’s really no down side to using social media so long as you follow basic business rules of thumb like spell checking your entries and making sure your content stays fresh. So go ahead and get started. What have you got to lose?

There are a lot of books out there on grant writing, but one essential you should have on your bookshelf if you’re responsible for fundraising and grant writing for your organization is Kim Klein’s Fundraising for Social Change. This book is now in its fifth edition so make sure you pick up the most recent version as she adds important content and resources with each new publishing. I bought mine online through Amazon.com from a used book vendor and it cost me about $12 plus shipping as opposed to about $30 new at a big box book store. It’s worth every penny – full of helpful and inspirational ideas and great resources. Kim Klein is a highly respected grant writer and generously shares her knowledge with her readers. This book is a MUST HAVE.

Occasionally, I’ll post links to specific funding opportunities on this blog post. Today’s posting features funding for fire departments and fire safety – very important in this time of dire economic need when our public safety departments, often funded by City and County general funds, are facing serious layoffs and budget shortfalls. Please note: FEMA’s 2010 fiscal year grant applications will not be accessbile until January 3rd, 2011, but here’s a sneak preview:

First, FEMA has released a NOFA (Notice of Funds Available) for Fire Prevention and Safety Grants which will fund fire prevention activities, education and research and also to enhance fire departments’ and nonaffiliated EMS organizations’ firefighting and emergy response needs by funding additional tools and resources necessary to more effectively protect the health and safety of the public. Maximum grant award is $2,750,000. Fire departments and non-affiliated EMS organizations are eligible to apply. Deadline is February 4, 2011. Review the funding guidelines at http://www.firegrantsupport.com/docs/FY2010_FPSGuidance.pdf

Applications will be available at the following websites:

• AFG:  www.firegrantsupport.com
• US Fire Administration: www.usfa.FEMA.gov
• Grants.gov website: www.grants.gov

There’s really no time like the present to consider contracting out for grant writing services. If your organization does not have a staff grant writer – someone whose sole responsibility is grant writing and grant administration – chances are, you’re not getting nearly enough grant writing done.  Often, organizations assign grant writing to someone in the organization who is already maxed out with their “normal” responsibilities or who has no experience grant writing but wasn’t bold enough to say ‘no thank you’ to the assignment.  Other times, a well meaning volunteer is cajoled into taking on the task.  Volunteerism is grand and definitely a great source for free services for non-profits, but successful grant writing takes a particular skill set and knowledge of the grant writing process so unless you’re prepared to deal with a lot of trial and error and missed funding opportunities, you might consider calling in outside help.

Freelance grant writers are readily available.  The trick is finding one that meets your organization’s needs.  Start with your local grant and resource center or small business assistance program.  Grant centers will often provide a list of qualified grant writers that they personally know and have worked with or who have gone through their training sessions so you can have some level of confidence that you’re connecting with a skilled individual.  Also talk to other non-profits or similar businesses in your area to find out if they’ve had success using a particular grant writer in the past – but beware, sometimes they don’t want to share their resources if you are in similar fields of service and could be competing for the same grant funds.  Any of these methods are safer than simply posting a job advertisement on Craig’s list or the local employment website.

That said, don’t limit yourself to the local grant writing scene which, in some cases, can be very limited if you’re outside of a major metropolitan area.  Visit websites like the Association of Fundraising Professionals or the American Grant Writer’s Association, which publish consultant’s directories and/or operate a free referral service. And remember, your grant writer doesn’t need to be located in the same town as you. Today, 100% of the grant writing process can be done over the phone and online, which is why freelance grant writing is a more viable option today than it was even ten to fifteen years ago.

If you’re not ready to or can’t afford to commit to bringing on paid staff to focus solely on grant writing, consider hiring a freelance grant writer. Freelancers are responsible for their own insurance and worker’s compensation if they have employees. You don’t pay payroll taxes on a freelancer or consultant, either. Expect to pay anywhere from $75-$200 per hour for a qualified grant writing professional. The price tag may seem high at first glance, but remember that a) the freelancer is paying all of his/her own expenses including self-employment taxes, and b) you get what you pay for.

Look for our next blog which will discuss how to pay a grant writer and tips for interviews and contracting…