Social Media: A Promising, Untapped Tool for Engaging High-Dollar Non=Profit Donors

Online philanthropy offers community foundations a new frontier. From Kiva’s dynamic global success with microloans to the Case Foundation’s accomplishment with the American Giving Challenge, it’s clear that the social web has great potential to inspire grassroots activism and fundraising. An early indication of the potential is the astounding success of charity: water, a nonprofit that recently raised $250,000 in one night through Twestival, a Twitter-based series of more than 200 concurrent networked fundraising events. This research report explores how fundraising efforts on the social web rely on thousands of “microgifts” to achieve their financial goals.

This report was originally published by the Society for New Communications Research, which officially merged with The Conference Board in January 2016.