Donated tweets? How ordinary people can make an extraordinary difference for your nonprofit

By: Christian Williams, Social Media Specialist

From diseases and disorders like AIDS and autism to public issues such as homelessness and LGBT rights, everyone has at least one cause that affects them in some way. But what if someone can’t afford to support a cause they care about financially? How can you get them to participate in a way that still has meaning and impact?

Sree Sreenivasan, a technology blogger for CNET, had a good idea, one that capitalized on his influence on social media to make a difference for a few special nonprofits. Sreenivasan had his more than 30,000 Twitter followers use Facebook to nominate deserving organizations for pro-bono Twitter publicity. He announced that when he hit the 6,000 tweet mark, he would follow by tweeting about a number of the different organizations that were chosen. The campaign could have taken place solely on Twitter, but using Facebook allowed Sree to bypass Twitter’s 140-character limit.

The Facebook-Twitter publicity combo might have not generated much money for the organizations, but it did generate awareness among thousands of Twitter users that could translate into dollars later on. Don’t forget, awareness is always the first step in fundraising and this type of social media marketing can be used to promote your business or group as well. The key to success is in finding someone influential on Twitter that is passionate about YOUR organization and its mission and values.

I personally like staying engaged in my community through organizations whose missions mean a lot to me. One that I am always talking about is Autism Speaks (my little sister has autism), and my Twitter followers are influenced by the passion and knowledge I have for the New York-based nonprofit. If I can motivate or inspire just one person to click a link to their website, I have already been of service to their promotional efforts without them having to spend a single penny. It also makes me feel great!

We don’t all have 30,000 followers like Sreenivasan does. However, regardless of the number of followers, exposure among the public is key. And there’s always the possibility that someone out there in the Twitterverse is a millionaire that has been looking for an organization just like yours to support.