Imagine if a friend needed a dollar. You’d probably give it to him or her without thinking about it. Now imagine if every time you saw that person, you’d be asked to give another dollar. Before long, you might try to avoid that friend.
Don't become toxic to your supporters
That’s the same mistake that many nonprofits make in their use of social media. Too often, blogs, Facebook, and Twitter accounts are seen solely as fundraising tools. That’s a mistake that will cost you fans of your organization. Most of these people are already giving you financial support. Do you want to squeeze them for more cash and risk seeing them walk?
I know the recession has taken a toll on nonprofits and budgets are tight. But in your social networking, you want to share things about your organization with your supporters. Tell me about your successes, your long term goals, and your best kept secret. The idea is to give a quick bit of info that will strengthen the relationship between you and the supporter. And in the text, encourage them to forward the information to someone else who might enjoy it. That’s a good way to gain new followers.
You can include donation information but don’t make it the primary focus of your communication. Remember, the key to a long relationship is making people feel good about their investment in you. That’s accomplished through sharing and not shaking people down for spare change.
[...] A Common Mistake [...]