Tips for Nonprofits to Maximize Facebook Causes

Now that you've finally convinced your manager, executive director, or your development team to sign up and use Facebook Causes, what's next? The following tips are some helpful points in making the most out of Facebook Causes for your nonprofit, whether it be for fundraising, advocacy, or just touching base with your donor community.

1. Multiple Facebook Causes. While you can maintain a Cause Page for your organization, remember that other people - your donors, beneficiaries, advocates, etc. - can also make their own Cause Pages that will benefit your organization. Facebook Causes is a great way to encourage individuals to be fundraisers in their own circles, in their own capacities. If you already have a good database of supporters, why don't you e-mail them and let them know that they can create and manage their own Facebook Cause Page to support your mission? It will be helpful if you can give them a simple how-to guide for creating their own Cause Page. Be sure to remind them that they have to choose your organization as the beneficiary, so any funds donated through their Cause Page still goes directly to you. Provide your supporters some tips on how to recruit and engage members, as described in the next points below. You may also want to give them your logo (be sure to check your organization's policy on distributing your logo first) so they can use it as the Profile Picture of their Cause Page.

2. Actively Recruit Members. Facebook Causes makes it easy for Cause Page managers to invite their own friends to join their cause - you just have to click "Invite" and select people from your own friends list. You can invite up to 75 people per day. It's a good idea to invite people by groups; for example, invite your friends from college on one day, friends from your sports club the next, and so on and so forth. This will allow you to include a more personal and customized note with each group invitation. Once your friends start joining your Cause, be sure to thank them by sending them "Props," also a feature easily available through Facebook Causes.

3. Post Interesting Photos, Links, Bulletins, Videos Regularly. They keyword here is Regularly. Your nonprofit organization probably already releases a monthly or weekly newsletter, or for the more social media-savvy, you might also already have a ready stream of videos and photos showing your nonprofit's work. Feel free to recycle some old articles or videos or photos and post them on your Cause Page. Remember, your newsletter is probably reaching a different audience than your members in Facebook Causes. Videos and Photos are particularly eye-catching and more attractive than a text-heavy article, so film and shoot as much inspiring work as you can!

4. Make A Wish. Facebook Causes has a great feature that allows any member to raise funds for your organization on special occasions. It won't hurt to remind your members that on their birthday, they can ask their friends on Facebook to donate to their chosen Cause (hopefully your nonprofit!) instead of giving them a gift. Facebook also has this feature for Christmas (they call it Holiday Wish instead of Birthday Wish).

5. Link Up! Lastly, make it easy for your contacts outside of Facebook to know that your nonprofit has a Cause Page (or that they can make one) by providing a direct link to your Cause Page in your e-mail signature, e-newsletter, website, and other online spaces. Promote, promote, promote! Getting the word out online is free and very easy, so take advantage of this and spread the word!

For more tips on how to maximize social media and the internet for your nonprofit organization, stay tuned for more articles. Feel free to comment and send in your questions or concerns as well, so I can address them in succeeding posts. Thank you for reading!