Social media can be a valuable tool in nonprofit fundraising and in raising awareness for causes. A social media presence can be used to attract donors, volunteers, and employees, not to mention it’s free publicity. So just as it’s changing the rest of the world social media is changing the world of nonprofits as well. Beth Kanter, who has a blog solely dedicated to how nonprofit organizations can use social media, has posted an entry on Mashable on the 4 major ways social media can be used as an ally in nonprofit marketing.  To recap her blog post she says:

• Social media is beneficial to nonprofts because it deepens relationships and engagement with supporters.
• Networking sites like Facebook provide tools (such as the Causes application) for individuals to put together their own campaigns outside of the organization to raise awareness for causes they care about.
• It provides a way to quickly and informally communicate with other institutions and collaborate with them.
• The social interaction can create a more positive internal corporate culture and improve employee morale because it can help close hierarchy gaps, speed up decision making, and improve programs and services.

Ways to become involved in social media include having a blog, creating a Facebook Page and using Facebook Fundraising applications, microblogging on Twitter and using Twitter Fundraising tools, sharing videos with YouTube’s Nonprofit Program, and connecting with others in the community through Linkedin’s “For Good” program. A even better way to become involved in social media is having a strategy that integrates all of these channels.

The best way to cultivate supporters for solicitation is to converse with them. A two way conversation, rather than a broadcasted one way message, is the key to engaging supporters of your cause and gaining more donors. So instead of just putting information out on a Facebook Page or in a tweet ask supporters questions, encourage feedback, and even ask for their ideas to help in decision making.

Click here to read how one organization, staffed by only 3 people, took off thanks to social media. Other great examples of nonprofits effectively using a social media strategy are the American Red Cross and the National Wildlife Federation.