7 Steps to Grow Your Nonprofit Donor Base With Social Media
7 Steps to Grow Your Nonprofit Donor Base With Social Media
By Julia Campbell
One of my most frequently asked questions is this: “Can social media really bring in new donors for our nonprofit?”
Good news! The answer is a resounding yes.
Even better? In order to be successful, you don’t need a large team, a huge budget, and oodles of time and tech-savvy.
Need some inspiration and specific examples of how to grow your donor base using social media?
Here are 7 steps you must take to attract new donors and grow your donor base using social media.
1) Make it compelling.
You thought I was going to start with some sexy, shiny new tool or trend, didn’t you?
Yep – the old school, traditional, never-going-away principles of effective fundraising still apply.
You MUST have a compelling reason for people to give to you – no matter the medium!
When raising money online (or offline) you must be able to succinctly answer this question for your potential donors:
Why this? Why now?
2) Make it urgent.
When driving donations online, especially on social media, the “ask” must be something that I need to act on right now, not later. People are scrolling their feeds for things that catch their eye and interest them. If your fundraising ask isn’t urgent or timely, it won’t stand out. The second your donors and I’ll think “oh that’s nice, I can just come back to that another time” – you’ve lost them! Along with urgency, clearly spell out how the funds will be used. What is the impact? What makes this campaign urgent, timely, and relevant?
3) Make it frictionless.
As nonprofit social media managers we have to be thinking about conversions. Conversions are simply marketing objectives for your audience to complete, such as subscribing to a mailing list or making a donation. For example, your conversion rate for social media donations would be the number of people who clicked on a post divided by the number of people who actually completed the action. And the way to increase conversions? Make the entire process frictionless.
Important note: A lot of what we do on social media cannot be quantified, and you shouldn’t be asking for money with every single post and tweet. But when you DO ask for a gift, make it incredibly easy to complete. Knock down all obstacles, challenges, and time-sucking distractions. Think of how we operate in a consumer environment. We have Amazon, GrubHub, DoorDash – all at our fingertips.
If you can eliminate any unnecessary steps in the donation process, do it! This is a huge reason why Facebook fundraising is so popular. It just takes two clicks to make a donation to a cause you care about, or to donate to a birthday fundraiser for someone you love!
4) Make it apparent.
Do you assume that people just magically know that they can give to your organization on social media? They don’t! You have to TELL them that this is a safe and exciting new option. Look at how the Malala Fund and the British Heart Foundation show potential donors how to use the Instagram Donation Sticker on their behalf:
5) Make it specific.
Specific asks on social media eliminate decision fatigue and analysis paralysis.
6) Make it personal.
Personal asks work best. There is no avoiding that people like to give to people, or on behalf of people. This is where social media storytelling comes in! Share a personal story from a staff member, a donor, or a client, with an ask at the end.
7) Make it irresistible.
In marketing, a lot has been written about ways to make your offer “irresistible”. As in – it’s a no-brainer to take part. For nonprofits, it’s a bit trickier because we don’t sell shoes, or clothing, or something that we can put on a flash sale. But I think we have something even better. Our offer is this: We are changing the world for the better. We are moving the needle on a cause that our donors care about. If you can get a matching gift and promote it online, this is the closest we can get to a “flash sale” – a limited time offer that will provide double or triple the value of the donation!
Final Thoughts
Growing your nonprofit’s donor base through social media isn’t about luck—it’s about strategy. When you craft compelling asks, create urgency, and remove friction, you make it easy for supporters to say “yes” to your cause. By being clear, specific, and personal in your approach, you tap into what truly motivates people to give. The key? Show up consistently, tell great stories, and make giving feel like an opportunity—not an obligation. Social media has the power to connect, inspire, and drive real impact. Remember, success in social media fundraising isn’t about chasing trends or going viral—it’s about consistently building relationships, telling impactful stories, and making it simple for supporters to contribute. Start implementing these steps today, and watch your donor community grow!
Named as a top thought leader and one to follow by Forbes and LinkedIn for Nonprofits, Julia Campbell is a nonprofit digital consultant, speaker, and author on a mission to make the digital world a better place. Host of the acclaimed Nonprofit Nation podcast, she’s written two books for nonprofits on social media and storytelling, and her online courses, webinars, and talks have helped hundreds of nonprofits make the shift to digital thinking. You can learn more about Julia at www.jcsocialmarketing.com/blog