In the past posts I have talked about

• Indentifying who social media major donors – power users and supporters
• Cultivating social media major donors – personalized outreach

In this post, let’s talk about a new way of engaging them in fundraising. Social media offers new opportunities to fundraise. However, I think the same old fashioned rule applies – “People give to people.” Social media is very much person to person (and lots of them!) – but on-line or virtually.

Let’s set up the traditional event leadership structure, but ask those we have identified as social media major donors to lead the campaign. You have now identified and cultivated your friends and followers who are the power users of your network. You can have more than one follower leading this effort and they can be from anywhere – near or far.

Like traditional fundraising, we need urgency and a time frame. So establish the need, fundraising goal and a 2-3 week window.

• Ask them to be the “chairs” for the social media fundraising effort
  • Ask them for their ideas, commitment, willingness to support
  • Prominently feature their support on your Causes page
  • Ask for donations of Twollars from all their friends and followers
  • Asking them to create their own Cause page linked back to yours
  • Adding your cause to their Wall, Info, Boxes on Facebook
  • Posting messages to all their friends and followers asking for support
  • Setting a personal fundraising goal
• Decide if the fundraising will include or culminate in an in-person event (see Twestival) – happy hour, networking, party
• Set up a schedule of posts, info to support their leadership
• Continue to encourage their support throughout the process
• Ask for feedback

Try new outreach to your social media constituents. A little time can raise awareness and money from a new group of donors.

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