Three years ago, when I started working in social media for nonprofits I began searching the Internet to find information about social media in the nonprofit framework. Back then (back then in the dark ages of social media time), there was little available. In earlier posts I talked about some of the resources you could use to help you find your way as you begin. Then later, I posted about some of the sites and supports that can help you get started.

Those posts were two years ago, and some of the resources mentioned have faded away. Some of them continue to offer great support for all of us working in social media and nonprofits. And, of course, in the way of this Internet age of ever expanding information, there are now thousands, even hundreds of thousands, of new blogs available claiming to offer you the essential information you need to build a social media campaign for your nonprofit. It is impossible for me to research, edit and reference all of the options you have out there. And as soon as I finished my work, it would be out of date. When I began, so little was available from a nonprofit perspective and it took a lot of work to figure out the good sources. Today, there is so much, and it takes a lot of work to figure out the good sources.

Those of us who work in the nonprofit sector aren’t in it for the money. We aren’t in it for the fame. We do have a passion for the work – for the difference the work can make in people’s lives. As I learned more about social media, I realized the opportunity it presented to communicate this passion for the work and increase our ability to make a difference.

So I started reading, researching and learning. As I learned more about the power of social media, I became convinced this set of tools could have an amazing impact on our ability to communicate our message. I kept searching for others who shared my passion about social media and nonprofits. There were lots of voices talking abut social media. But for what purpose? Social media are a set of tools – a “design point.” They can be used to accomplish something larger. Learning the technology was essential, but I kept looking for voices that understood the passion as well as the technology.

I found three sources for that voice. Interestingly, they are all women, or represented by women. (I won’t go into my theories on that fact.) The first voice I heard was Beth Kanter. Beth’s work was cutting edge, at a grass roots level that changed the very essence of organizations. The second was Heather Mansfield and her .Nonprofit Tech 2.0 blog. Heather worked as social media coordinator for change.org (which pretty much says it all in terms of the passion part). But she also provided strong, sensible, easy to understand training that helps all of us increase our expertise in this new technology. The third voice was Holly Ross, representing a wonderful group of passionate folks at the Nonprofit Technology Network. Take a look at the values of the organization and you will get what I mean.

I went to classes and webinars that these folks offered. I heard them lecture at conferences. I joined their networks and signed up for their information. And they are still offering the same quality information and support they provided from the very beginning. I wanted to tell you about a new book that just came out from Heather Mansfield called Social Media for Social Good: A How-to Guide for Nonprofits. I am scheduled to teach an elective on Social Media and Communication for second year social work students in January at Georgia State University and I plan to use this book for the text. That probably sounds weird that you would use a text for a social media class. But Heather knows so well what most of us in the nonprofit world deal with each day. We are the “tech guy”, the “pr person”, the ‘”web master” and the “social media coordinator” all rolled into one. This book will give you the tools and resources you need to accomplish the impossible. Enjoy.

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