This article is courtesy of Idealware , which provides candid information to help nonprofits choose effective software. Social networking sites like facebook & twitter have received a lot of attention from the nonprofit world because they expand their reach to larger communities. There are a number of success stories about nonprofits using social networks to reach new volunteers, locate audiences interested in their cause, build up supporter lists, and even raise money.
On the other hand, the huge investment in the staff time required to build and maintain an online social network can be substantial. Each nonprofit has its own set of priorities, and it’s unlikely that social networking will top the list for every organization.
The article explores a few guidelines: first, how to know if social networking isn’t right for you and second, some of the ways that social networking might benefit your organization.
see: http://www.techsoup.org/learningcenter/internet/page7935.cfm