Social Media Networking for Nonprofit Organizations – Most Effective Practices with Applied Analysis/Suggested Plan of Action for a Specific Academic Nonprofit Institution—Northern Illinois University’s LGBT Certificate Program

 Social Media Networking for Nonprofit Organizations – Most Effective Practices with Applied Analysis/Suggested Plan of Action for a Specific Academic Nonprofit Institution—Northern Illinois University’s LGBT Certificate Program 

Shelley J. Graff 

Communications 697, Section 00P7

Professor Brookey

November 30, 2012 

Social Media Networking for Nonprofit Organizations – Most Effective Practices with Applied Analysis/Suggested Plan of Action for a Specific Academic Nonprofit Institution—Northern Illinois University’s LGBT Certificate Program

The great, American author Mark Twain once wrote a letter to his friend, stating: “Let us make a special effort to stop communicating with each other, so we can have some conversation” (Personal Communication).  At the core of this sentiment is the same quintessential idea that seems to empower the agents of the ever-expanding social media networking movement.  The level of formality that has previously been associated with traditional nonprofit groups is no longer an essential component of successful social activism efforts.  The individual agent is more important than ever; insofar as they presently have the power to meaningfully impact the progress of an organization—be it for better or for worse.  The playing ground has been leveled in respect to who has the opportunity to reach others and be heard.  This includes people as well as organizations that are not backed by some investor with millions of dollars to spare (nonprofits for instance) to potentially build support around an issue from the ground up; and as of right now, the limit is the sky.  If an individual can connect with another person in a meaningful way through interacting with him or her online, then you most likely have the ability to connect with many other people meaningfully in the exact same way. 

The breaking down of social structures can begin separating people and those cultural barriers that endorsed acts of conformity seem threatened by some looming malevolent force.  Eventually it can begin to seem as though society as we know it may just crumble leaving us all doomed to live in a perpetual state of sheer terror and anarchy.  This seems to be a common apprehension during times of Cultural Revolution…fear is a conceivable response to any such aggressive form of change in our lives.  Pliability and room for change within one’s own identity has become a fairly necessary character trait to possess.  The same goes for the modern-day organization (or business) and its identity.  Personal boundaries are going to be crossed—and toes will be quickly stepped on (but that is only if you are saying or doing something right).  The future of social interaction is much more up front and forward in honesty and intentions; personal warmth and human emotion has to read through the words that are being said.  The expert’s privilege is no longer as impacting as it used to be.  Saying things at your network is not as effective as engaging them in a dialogue—letting issues of importance reveal themselves organically through the process of conversation.  This paper will begin with a review of some of the most highly regarded practices for nonprofit organizations using social media networking to promote their platform.  This will be followed by suggestions about the practical application of said practices when applied to the social media platform of Northern Illinois University’s LGBT Certificate Program.  Hopefully in using a concrete example to illustrate the ideological concepts a picture will form depicting how they could actually make an impact on the social media platform of an actual functioning nonprofit group.  The aforementioned best practices and application of said practices is sheer speculation as to what will work effectively based on some consistently referenced practices—there is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ kind of social media networking.  The idea here is that a group’s approach to this new and unique form of networking may play an important role in whether or not the group’s attempts at using social media are a success. 

If your group truly wishes to be taken seriously, then cultivate relationships with those interested in your cause through trust, respect, and organizational transparency; the return benefits will be astronomically greater than those accrued by the traditional groups that are still simply counting their followers while continuing to operate up on high.  Younger generations fail to respond to organizations in the same ways that their parents or grandparents may have.  The tech-savvy Millennial generation could make such traditional practices obsolete (and that includes the individuals that insist on adhering to such traditional practices becoming obsolete as well) as they grow and assume a greater degree of control over their cultural influence.  We are not in an era that is properly equipped to deal with nostalgia and reverence for the past as we used to understand it.  Dramatic change can now occur so rapidly that to mourn the passing of each and every passing thought would be a ludicrous waste of time.    Acknowledgement of what available only occurs once one sees it as a reasonably viable option or alternative.  Being on top of the game of tomorrow will require a great deal of courage as well as creativity.  The formulaic operation of systems already seems like a practice of the past.  Experimentation and innovation harbor the most room for new successes through social media. 

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Social media networking is becoming crucial to the running of a nonprofit organization in the modern day. However, building your organization into its own small social media empire is a complex process to say the very least.  It is also the subject matter of the three books: Social Media for Social Good: A How-to Guide for Nonprofits by Heather Mansfield, The Nonprofit Marketing Guide: High-Impact, Low-Cost Ways to Build Support for Your Good Cause by Kivi Leroux Miller, and The Networked Nonprofit by Beth Kanter and Allison H. Fine.  In these three books the authors attempt to lay out the best practices of nonprofits engaged in social media. 

Before attempting anything in terms of content creation the organization must hone in on the essence of its brand.  Lay out the logistical foundations for your community of thought to be realized through by creating a solid, documented framework.  This includes creating rules and standards, as well as titles and responsibilities in writing, hopefully instituting group consistency and ensuring a sense of smooth functioning from the outset; therefore fashioning the potential for maximum development. 

Specifically some of those brand building tasks may include: Making sure that the organization’s managers/administrators (those with the most responsibility/those individuals in charge) lay out a detailed, but unified conception of the organization as a brand in writing.  In other words, your organization should define in writing such things as—a mission statement, a designated list of “administrators” and titles to be filled (i.e., volunteers, members, etc.), as well as drafted statements dictating both the tentative short-term and prospective long-term goals of the organization as a whole.  Finally, there should be the drafting of a ‘social media policy.’  According to Mansfield, “An organization’s social media policy should provide basic guidelines to staff members and volunteers about what is appropriate to post on social media sites, an overview of privacy and legal issues, and some general rules about using social media during office hours.  The overall message should be one of empowerment, not control and restriction…and create guidelines that can be applied across many social media tools” (p. 52).  Without a solid framework, the big picture will eventually fall apart. 

Yet most importantly getting involved with social media requires a new level of interaction with its audience, what Kanter and Fine refer to as being a “Networked Nonprofit.”  They write that: “Networked Nonprofits are simple and transparent organizations.  They are easy for outsiders to get in and insiders to get out.  They engage people in shaping and sharing their work in order to raise awareness of social issues, organize communities to provide services, or advocate for legislation.  In the long run, they are helping to make the world a safer, fairer, healthier place to live” (Kanter & Fine, p. 3).  Such a system allows for a nonprofit to act as its own small social network through the use of various forms of social media; and whereas the traditional nonprofit often spoke for a cause, the ‘Networked Nonprofit’ has a discussion about the cause, and ultimately wishes to build a meaningful relationship with everyone who gets involved. 

This requires a nonprofit getting to know exactly who its audience is composed of.  There is no longer a general public to appeal to, but rather publics or identities that are relevant to your cause.  An organization must ask itself important questions about its audience, such as: “1. Who are we trying to reach?  Define your target audience.  2. What’s our message to them?  Explain what you want them to do and why they should do it, or why they should care.  3. What’s the best way to deliver that message?  Pick the right channels to deliver your message to your target audience” (Mansfield, p. 18).  Once an organization has identified who their audience is, they must tailor their approach to these individuals.  One nonprofit that attempted to do this was the American Red Cross with their “Do More Than Cross Your Fingers Campaign.” 

The American Red Cross “…wants every household to do three things: to get an emergency kit, to make a communication and evacuation plan, and to be informed about the disasters that are common in their communities” (Miller, p. 18).  So, “To come up with the right message, the Red Cross hired the firm Catchword Branding, which specializes in naming” (Miller, p. 19).  In naming their campaign, they had to make every effort to reach out to those identities that may actually hear what they have to say.  However, not all approaches to reaching your audience involve hiring a company to help you—in fact one of the great advantages of nonprofits using social media is the fact that it is so inexpensive, and can be extremely cost efficient. 

Thus, another important aspect of social media is using the correct kind of social media for your unique purposes.  In respect to your organization’s online social media presence there are six particular online social media networks that currently demand so much societal attention that you (regardless of purpose, approach, whatever place you are coming from) would be foolish not to establish a presence on/within their respective communities.  Those six social media groups being: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, LinkedIn, and the personal website/BlogSpot.  Create content that can be passed along throughout a network of current, actively-involved members onward to various social media users who are connected to those members.  The medium is still the message—it is absolutely necessary to tailor-make content for each different social media platform.  There is a great deal of information in each of the texts devoted to guiding a nonprofit in its attempts to use these different outlets in the most effective ways.  Most importantly, such media needs to actually be used to be effective.  Mansfield even suggests that an organization define the amount of hours that should be spent on different mediums each week.  Her suggested breakdown is as follows: “Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube: 15 Hours Weekly…Flickr: 5 Hours Weekly…LinkedIn: 5 Hours Weekly…Niche Networks (Ning, Change.org, Care2, Jumo, WiserEarth, BlackPlanet): 5 to 10 Hours Weekly…Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Networks (Razoo, Crowdrise, FirstGiving, GlobalGiving): 5 to 10 Hours Weekly…Location-Based Communities (Facebook Places, Foursquare, Gowalia): 5 to 10 Hours Weekly” (Mansfield, p. 55-58).  However, depending on the size and nature of your organization such measures should be determined by your staff in accordance with its specific needs. 

Make sure that in setting up your platform you do not make the same mistakes that the 1010 Project did.  “Like many organizations, the 1010 Project, which works on global poverty issues from its office in Denver, made its first foray into social media by setting up a Facebook group, a MySpace page, and a small presence on YouTube—and then forgot about them…Their first step to correct this problem was to redesign their website to allow for more storytelling, including the addition of a blog.  They also jumped headfirst into Twitter, concentrating on finding both individuals and other nonprofits interested in their international development niche…They also went back to Facebook and YouTube and added more content there” (Miller, p. 165).  A significant change made by the project involved their platforms increased accommodation of storytelling. 

Part of reaching your audience as a nonprofit is the telling of specific stories about specific people and places.  The research done on this subject speaks to the fact that people identify with individuals far more than groups; in other words, the more specific narratives that they are provided with, then the more willing they will be to help.  In fact, a dog abandoned on a ship raised $48,000 in private money in an effort to save it; and that was all before the Coast Guard stepped in.  In 2004, a red-tailed hawk named Pale Male gained tons of support after being evicted from his nest on Fifth Avenue in New York City.  One person recalls being shocked that one hawk seemed to have managed to get more attention than two million homeless Sudanese.  The good news is that nonprofits are full of stories that people will be inspired by reading.  The reality of what your organization has done resides in these narratives.  Indeed, “Telling stories makes the needs and the successes of your organization real to your supporters” (Miller p. 90).  If they cannot connect to the cause, how can they be expected to contribute to it? 

Managing messages is at the core of what you do as a networked nonprofit.  Always try to say the most that you can in the least amount of words.  Brief, frequent communications should be the bulk of your output, but still try to be aware of the purpose behind every message you make—especially the lengthier ones.  According to Miller, “The most powerful messages used by nonprofits embody at least one of these characteristics: They emphasize the impact on one person, animal, or thing…They evoke specific emotions…They reinforce personal identity…They Validate a decision or action by appealing to reason…They have a clear, strong call to action” (p. 50).  One must also consider the fact that these messages are no longer one-way communications.  Marketing for a nonprofit using social media involves addressing detractors as well as supporters consistently and thoroughly.  Often, criticism can be a great catalyst for discussion, and addressing it indicates that you trust those involved in keeping your organization honest—another way to increase your group’s perceived transparency. 

Still, understanding how to use certain technologies plays a huge role in using social media to be heard.  Another equally important aspect of your platform is its ability to be accessed by mobile technology.  An example of this concept being implemented effectively would be Obama’s first presidential campaign. “Barack Obama’s presidential campaign amassed a list of about one million cell numbers and used text messages for special campaign announcements like the selection of Joe Biden as the vice presidential candidate and to push voter turnout” (Miller, p. 75).  The idea being that this approach speaks to a certain subset of the population that may not be reached otherwise.  “Campaign staff relied on cell phones to reach people who are less likely to be on a computer regularly, including young people, minorities, and the poor, says Colin Delany of epolitics.com” (Miller, p. 75).  Indeed, “‘Mobile access strengthens the three pillars of online engagement: Connecting with others, satisfying information queries, and sharing content with others,’ says John B. Horrigan, associate director of the Pew Internet and American Life Project” (Miller, p. 75).  Also, using QR Codes (or ‘Quick Response Codes’) to accompany your most important content can make the accumulation of mobile information even simpler for the user on the go. 

As mentioned before, a big difference between traditional nonprofits and networked nonprofits is the audience’s level of involvement.  Coinciding with this notion is the idea that control of the organization must be in many ways relinquished to the community in question.  Encourage everyone at every level of membership to contribute and facilitate discussion in every way possible.  “One constant in life is that human beings want and need to connect with one another in meaningful ways.  These connections are made through social networks that are the conduits for the conversations that power social change.  The job of nonprofit organizations is to catalyze and manage those conversations” (Kanter & Fine, p. 10).  Part of connecting with your audience in a meaningful way is relinquishing control and trusting them to not abuse their newfound power, but instead to connect to the cause on an even deeper level through their brand-new ability to contribute in a more meaningful way. 

Also, keep track of your progress in respect to your group’s goals.  Another way to gain respect from your audience is through transparency, and reporting the inner-workings of your organization can increase its sense of transparency.  Think of everyone in your network as a potential problem-solver—and then utilize this resource.  Make every effort to tell them everything that you know as an administrator.  “By revealing themselves in this level of detail, the organization invites the public to work with them to think about and try to understand what is working, what isn’t, and why” (Kanter & Fine, p. 75).  If an organization truly wishes to reach as many people as possible and build the broadest network that it can, then it must embrace these notions of transparency and trust wholeheartedly. 

Finally, the golden rule of social networking for nonprofits is that change is inevitable so take it as it comes.  There is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ in your approach, and you should be willing to try almost anything.  Do not fear failures…accept them as an inevitability that is simply a part of the learning process.  When something is not working out, acknowledge that fact and move on.  Make sure that you know the technology as it changes.  Whereas having a MySpace page was once essential to a successful platform, its use in the mainstream is now virtually obsolete.  Also, make every effort to know the concerns of your audience as they change as well.  Hone in on your listening skills, and act on behalf of what you hear.  Being informed can mean the difference between running a successful social platform and just being more useless noise. 

Henry David Thoreau wrote in his essay Life Without Principle (which was first published posthumously in 1893) that: “The greatest compliment that was ever paid me was when one asked me what I thought, and attended to my answer.  I am surprised, as well as delighted, when this happens, it is such a rare use he would make of me, as if he were acquainted with the tool” (p. 484).  Who amongst us has not at some point or another felt this to be true—and been moved by the authority of such considerations on a deeply profound and personal level?  This kind of concern is realized in such a way that one’s personhood is manifest not merely through noting one’s right to exist as a physical human being, but in additionally respecting that human being’s possession of an intellect—which sincerely does have inherent value—significance which results from the feeling that one is being actively acknowledged.  It seems to be a somewhat essential aspect of popular practices involving media influence today. 

The ideological immersion of oneself in the contemporary flow of information involves a message with the ability to convey messages with a believability and genuine attitude or charge so as to amass a sort of social network based current—which streams through our interactions and intends to be successful in facilitating the widespread and collectively weighed-in-on kind of conversational spark that has the capacity to leap throughout the innumerable channels of interpersonal transactions negotiated in the modern day and also be noticed along the way.  The most successfully communicated messages fundamentally result in the more identifiable the evidence of impact—as in, any occurrence or real-world action that results from it.  

            This brings us to the second installment of the paper, in which suggestions will be made as to how the LGBT Certificate Program at Northern Illinois University could potentially go on with their efforts towards becoming a social-media-savvy and truly “networked nonprofit.”  This would thus facilitate the program’s future growth by strengthening the group’s capacity to be an outlet that is regarded as an accessible catalyst for actionable, meaningful conversation in an institutionally structured, academically motivated setting.  Such a process is much less seated in the realm of theoretical discourse, and much more in the arena of plans and action. 

Potential Plan of Action for Improving N.I.U.’s LGBT Certificate Program and its Standing as its Own self-sustaining, Mini-Social Media Network—(Suggestions for Development…)

            The LGBT (Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender) Certificate Program at N.I.U. is not starting from scratch.  In fact, at this time the group is using social media to assist those members in its already active community—which includes any students (from those interested in the program - to those presently seeking the certificate - to those who have acquired it before now), any staff members (administrators, instructors/Professors, and staff sympathizers hailing from other academic departments), as well as any interested observers who happen to reside in the public sphere (that is, outside of N.I.U.’s prescribed or ‘official’ boundaries as an institution).   The program is available to both Undergraduate and Graduate students enrolled at N.I.U., and pursuit of the certificate acts as a supplemental source of credentials (or a “mini-major”) which a student can reference in his or her achievements—speaking to an expanded intellectual and experiential base relating to the cultural trends (i.e., the observed social milieu) surrounding one of this generation’s most substantial civil rights issues or debates. 

FaceBook, Twitter, & LinkedIn—Program’s Uses Thus Far  

            The LGBT Certificate Program already uses three of the major social media hubs; those being FaceBook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.  All of which are used to serve specific purposes, and it would appear that they are using each properly and quite effectively at that.  Each site is properly branded as well as connected (in other words, other parts of the platform are made available via links on the other respective pages.  Communications are straight-forward in content and consistently updated without being obnoxious.  Building on a platform that you are comfortable with maintaining is an excellent place to start getting immersed in social media networking ways.  

FaceBook is one hub that is currently being used by the program in such a way that is consistent with its expressed purposes.  At first glance, their FaceBook page appears to be successful in its visually branded design; with images of their logo—the “rainbow-colored book bindings” –galore and seemingly apposite information appears to be forthcoming and aplenty. 

Brand Building: Short-Term & Long-Term Goals and Establishment of Standards/Means for Measuring or Assessing Their Success

            Part of running a remarkably successful organization is knowing who you are as an entity from front to back, and being confident enough to tailor your approach to your group’s unique needs and circumstances.  That being said, there is quite a bit that is going to change from institution to institution, and the certificate program is no different; it came to be and continues to exist in its own special, cultural habitat.  In particular, the LGBT Certificate Program is not as reliant on fundraising efforts due to its academic nature.  The desired ‘action’ comes through in educational activities and the pursuit of knowledge through research; a particular subset of nonprofit organization to say the least.  On top of that, the program is offered by a state university with a vast catalogue of disciplines, all of which must be recognizably part of the N.I.U. brand.  Thus, in many respects organizational freedoms are simply out of the question in respect to graphic design and layout of the platform.  This is not detrimental to the progression of the program.  Seeking out new social media based opportunities to accomplish your many various goals is as simple as defining and assessing them together as a group of equals that wishes to share a base of knowledge. 

            Meet with all current members and make plans that can somehow be held accountable and therefore deemed to be a worthwhile practice or not.  In the book The Nonprofit Marketing Guide: High-Impact, Low-Cost Ways to Build Support for Your Good Cause, Kivi Leroux Miller argues that the notion of marketing is so much more than an ancillary luxury, but is in fact an essential feature of any well-founded organization’s (be it for profit or nonprofit) stratagem.  Going on to assert that, “It’s much more than communicating about the programs or services that your nonprofit provides.  Marketing is also about creating those programs or services, from the outset, and delivering them to your participants and supporters” (2010, p. 12).  The adjustment that must be made in the alteration of deeply ingrained social practices in a group of people requires an open dialogue between its citizens.  Through social media, just about anybody is able to self-publish an astonishing amount of content for virtually nothing when compared to publishing costs fifty years ago. 

Miller seems to suggest that often a nonprofit’s main goal can be merely the facilitation of conversation and discussion about a controversial subject matter in modern society.  Thus, for a nonprofit to take a legitimate stance, it must have a well-rounded understanding of the topics that matter the most to the individuals that it aims to help.  More importantly, it must connect directly with individuals in that group in hopes of building a vast (yet relevant) social network with actively involved members.  Despite the seemingly limitless connection possibilities made available online, it would appear that the impact of dedicated individuals on a nonprofit’s success is invaluable. 

Perhaps one of the most valuable concepts offered by Miller is her three questions every nonprofit should ask themselves in respect to their marketing campaign.  Those being: “Who are we trying to reach? ...What’s our message to them? ... [And] What’s the best way to deliver that message” (Miller, 2010, p. 18)?  These questions seem important enough to warrant established answers agreed upon by the organization’s managers and supporters/volunteers.  It seems that a strong point of view is crucial to the survival of a nonprofit, but a point of view is only as effective as how it is conveyed. 

Steps towards Increasing the Appearance of Organizational Transparency: Relaxing the Internal Locus of Control and Learning to Build Meaningful Trust

            Step one: tell more stories of specific successes.  Step two: ask the audience for their input…reach out for valuable information from everyone, but especially those certificate pursuing students.  Inquire about anything and everything that allows you to get to know them personally.  Bring up topics such as motivating interests or attraction to subject matter.  Survey them, study them—technology has enabled any person interested in data compilation to reach new levels of intimacy in regards to details about almost any subject matter imaginable—be it person, place, practice, or thing—including the practices of your own organization.  Step three: set up a dashboard on your homepage/official website (and your main FaceBook page as well) detailing all available information pertaining to the inner workings of the group.  Dashboard data for the LGBT Program could include statistics such as those concerning: the number of students who have successfully sought the certificate, number of students who are currently seeking the certificate, number of prospective students (students that have shown interest in the program), number of staff members, number of jobs or internships gotten with the help of the certificate, number of classes currently in progress, number of internships currently in progress, number of Facebook friends, number of Twitter followers, number of ‘Likes’ on Facebook, or number of professional connections on LinkedIn.  Whatever you think is relevant to the group that the members might just want to know. 

Invite your community to join the management team, and in doing so invite them to see no ulterior motives—instead the expectation that you hold each other accountable for any major decisions gone awry considering you both had the same information available to you at the time.  Ideally, administrators are then able to nurture an outwardly trusting appearance while simultaneously emphasizing personal responsibility’s level of importance amongst its members too.  As a nonprofit organization, reputation can make or break you—and should be taken quite seriously when called in to question.  This too is an opportunity to become a better branded entity.  As Allen P. Adamson (2008) writes in his book Brand Digital, “…the smartest organizations recognize this transparency as the positive dynamic it is: the ability to monitor consumer feedback to deliver a consistently better brand experience.  Astute companies make consumers de facto collaborators in the brand-building process” (p. 75).  It is a partnership--each merely relinquishing some of their power, in hopes of doing bigger and better things that they simply could not have done otherwise.  Shared power can be embraced—in no way should such a surrendering of power be equated with weakness or an outlook marked by indifference. 

Platform Additions to Set up & Test-Drive—Start Failing as Fast as Humanly Possible to Find Out What Really Works… (A.k.a. give it the Ol’ College Try…)

            Technologically speaking the pressures of a new tomorrow could not be coming any faster, and that next “big thing” in technology and social media networking is right around the corner.  Despite a healthy dose of uncertainty in the media industry of the near future, it is safe to say that computer oriented communication is not a fad or a trend, but a developmental milestone in the evolution of communications as we know it.  So the safest way to stay on top of everything is to be willing to try pretty much anything that sounds reasonable.  Abandon all reservations and be willing to fall on your face once in a while only to get right back up.  Encourage members to become contributors in any newfangled way they might know how.  Wait for the results before assuming anything if possible. In short, make sure you can keep moving with the times—do not fear that which is unfamiliar.  So when in doubt, give it a go.  Risks are part of trying to succeed.  Do something out of your comfort zone and I will bet you that you might pick up a little life-lesson nugget of gold along the way. 

Creating a Sense of Empowerment through Bestowing Legitimate Agency in the Hands of All Agents Involved

            Recently, marketing for the program has incorporated the use of QR (or “Quick Response”) Codes—which seems to be a promising development.  Considering the importance of the cell phone to younger generations, mobile accessibility is an important part of attempting to reach a large portion of the program’s audience.  This practice should be cultivated and fully incorporated in to the program’s platform.  Other attempts at making the platform more mobile-friendly are highly encouraged as well.  The population demographic that is likely to access mobile media regularly also happens to make up much of the populations inhabiting N.I.U.’s college-oriented communities.  Media will only get more and more mobile as time goes on; neglecting to acknowledge the ever-growing importance of mobile technology would be a foolish policy for any organization attempting to be actively engaged in a social media network. 

            Author Christina Katz suggests that as success mounts, layers present themselves as being possible platform supplements to consider offering.  “In the future, and as you become more known, you may wish to add the following pages: For media or press room or press kit, FAQs, a tip sheet (ten tips for your specific audience), a one-page, downloadable press page summarizing everything you do, links (to social networks you participate in), a thank-you page, a personal page for photos or your story, news (once you have been featured enough” (p. 234-235).  Social media networking can often be management of material that one must react or respond to.  The best decisions are those made based on a solid understanding of the most up-to-date version of your institution’s social environment.  Social Media Networking can seem like the poster-child for the Aesop’s tortoise and his mantra: “slow and steady wins the race.”  It seems this way due to the fact that oftentimes it is a game of patience and wisdom with the intent to teach those reached not torture them.  Trustworthy with an agenda is inherently a difficult visage to sell to the masses.  The truth of it all is that it may simply take some time and elbow grease to get your fledgling institution to reach the rank of ‘Networked Nonprofit.’  Persistence could not be a more precious quality to possess when it comes to tackling a nonprofit networking scheme of any kind. 

Never Stop Nurturing/Cultivating Further Reaching Informational Channels—Network Connections and Attaching to Reputable Associations

If a message can create a work force and the resources for change then a business transaction of sorts has occurred—even nonprofits are selling something in the end.  It could be a message calling for your support in belief, or a call to action on someone/something’s behalf, or it is most likely that a nonprofit must ask of both ideological and physical support via the efforts of those who care about the mission beneath the message—the representation that a nonprofit organization has the collective membership as credibility and considerable mass to make changes with far-reaching consequences.  Through discussion and education and communally constructed initiatives we can work towards deeper understanding…the organization is no longer calling the shots.  Rather the individual agents have retrieved their autonomy by becoming the very connections any media network needs in order to properly assemble.  Become the branded identity as your own mini-media mogul—but be aware that the management/organization of a nonprofit works for its employees (i.e., always stay business savvy, because ultimately you will be expected to know what resources [if used] will most likely return on their investments).  No useable capital for the organization means no fundraising event—no benefit function, which means no plans—no momentum forward—no more forward period.  Just a cacophony of complaints behind a whole lot of finished.   Losing sight of the purpose of your organization must be avoided at all costs.  Ignoring one’s managerial duties within an organization can be a death sentence. 

Be above all else an echoing receptacle for the concerns of your community through which to be heard…accommodate their cries of injustice and feed the fire that motivates their passion for the cause.  Become the facilitation of functions within the organization itself.  While maintaining the logistical matters at hand, make sure that the organization is reacting by listening to those individuals with interests, and instead of dictating to a crowd or orchestrating a demonstration— be malleable, humble, and available—be a resource which is able to to guide their expressed concerns in the direction of concerted efforts to possibly make change a reality. 

            Money, connections, con-artistry and snake-oil peddling still sneak their way in to organizational endeavors, yet everyone with the ability to write is already equipped with an arsenal capable of crumbling nations—the powerhouse practice of persuasive speech.  Words are at the core of all that we deem meaningful in this world.  Argument is a form of seduction geared towards John Q. Public and the rest of everyone within the faceless crowd.  Words put in to play are as powerful as any physical presence can ever hope to be.  Rudyard Kipling gave a speech in London in 1923 during which he made the claim that “Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind.”  It all depends on context and delivery style when compared with the collective beliefs of the world at large.  Such reach may seem impossible to achieve—improbable yes, impossible, no.  The first step is as easy as taking a stand, transforming that in to revolution is evidence that behind communications is the loudly-beating heart behind so much more. 

References

Adamson, A. P. (2008). Brand Digital: Simple ways top brands succeed in the digital world.         New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

Kanter, B., & Fine, A. H. (2010). The Networked Nonprofit: Connecting with Social Media to       Drive Change. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Katz, C. (2008). Get Known before the Book Deal. Cincinnati: Writer’s Digest Books. 

Kipling, R. (1923). Proceedings of speech Feb. 14, 1923. London: Times.

Leroux-Miller, K. (2010). The Nonprofit Marketing Guide: High-Impact, Low-Cost Ways to           Build Support for Your Good Cause. San Francisco: Jossey- Bass.

Mansfield, H. (2012). Social Media for Social Good: A How-To Guide for Nonprofits. New           York: McGraw-Hill.

Thoreau, H. D. (1863). Life Without Principle. Atlantic Monthly, 12(71), 484-495.