Why nonprofit communicators need social media

Four social media sites help recruit donors, deliver the message

A three-person team of twentysomethings spend all day networking on Facebook, MySpace and other social media outlets to do their part to save helpless animals. They’re not just animal welfare advocates; social networking is their job.

The Humane Society, the nation’s largest animal protection organization, jumped on the social media bandwagon in 2006 with a MySpace page to draw attention to animal welfare issues.

Two years later, three nonprofit communicators work in evolving full-time positions using multiple social media networks to build an online community around the organization’s mission, recruit supporters, fundraise, create e-newsletter lists and promote e-advocacy campaigns.

Nonprofit communicators might be wary of taking the plunge into social media. How am I going to persuade my old-timer boss? Why should I waste my time? What is Facebook?