By John Murphy
Social networking is sweeping the nation and has quickly become one of the most popular ways constituents connect and meet people. Nonprofits are also beginning to see the benefits of incorporating social networking technology into fundraising and awareness campaigns.

The ultimate in viral marketing, social networking has become a vital element in any fundraising and communication strategy. Below are five ways nonprofits can use social networking to increase fundraising results and further fulfill their missions.

1. Set up a group page and individual profile: The first step is to develop a presence on social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook by creating a site and profile dedicated specifically to the nonprofit. An important thing to remember is that group pages and profiles should link to each other and link back to the nonprofit's Web site. This will help ensure that nonprofits engage potential supporters during the same Web experience.

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Constituents will be more likely to engage with the nonprofit, donate, or volunteer, when they are given the opportunity to act while their interest is peaked. This will also decrease the chances that potential supporters will get distracted while surfing the Internet.

2. Use gadgets: Gadgets, such as a fundraising thermometer or the honor roll tracking tool, create a visual representation of how well an individual supporter is reaching a personal goal and how well the organization is meeting its goal. Nonprofits can leverage a supporter's individual social networking pages by soliciting them to post gadgets that encourage giving and thereby increase fundraising results.

3. Post bulletins: Many organizations post bulletins on their social networking page to announce new tools that have become available for constituents to use on personal Web pages. These tools can be anything from promotional banners to news clippings. Like gadgets, bulletins should link back to the nonprofit's Web page, where visitors can explore more about the organization and its mission.

4. Recruit volunteers: Social networking can also be used to recruit volunteers to be "social networking ambassadors." Nonprofits often rely on volunteers to support fundraising initiatives and the organization's mission. Why not use volunteers to support social networking initiatives?

Volunteers can serve as an extension of the nonprofit's group page. Social networking ambassadors act as an additional hand reaching out to more people and enabling those people to reach out to even more potential supporters.

5. Promote: One of the most basic things nonprofits can do on group pages is to promote, promote, promote. Nonprofits can use social networking pages as another medium to communicate and promote the organization, events, campaigns, etc. Additionally, constituents should also be able to promote events, campaigns, etc. on their individual pages.

The most important thing for nonprofits to remember is to present a consistent face throughout all online interactions. Nonprofits need to ensure that their social networking site, gadgets, bulletins, promotions, and even their social networking ambassadors present the same images and messages as the nonprofit's Web site, newsletter, and all other communication.

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John Murphy is vice president, professional services for online fundraising firm Kintera in San Diego. His email is John.murphy@kintera.com

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