Now that we are immersed in the holiday season, people are beginning to reflect on the ups and downs of the past year. In the social media world, MDG Advertising prepared an infographic investigating the nature of fundraising on sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Although social media marketing can play a key role in generating more awareness for brands, it has also proven to be successful for various fundraising campaigns.

Nonprofits are making use of the popular social networks

Facebook indubitably led the pack as the most popular social channel with 98% of nonprofits surveyed reporting that they had created a branded page on the site. Twitter, Youtube, and LinkedIn were also popular among nonprofits, allowing them to increase their reach across a vast online environment. Facebook proves to be an effective channel due to the efficacy of various fundraising campaigns launched throughout the year, ranging from individual donations and event fundraising to causes and peer-to-peer fundraising.

Facebook’s “Gifts” feature proves to be advantageous for fundraising

Nonprofits such as LiveStrong, American Red Cross, and Water.org leveraged Facebook’s addition of the charitable donation option to their gift platform. Such a feature makes it easier for users to donate, removing potentially convoluted steps in the process. As a result, the average donation made through social media channels has increased from $38 in 2010 to $59 in 2012, and is expected to continue rising in the coming years. Twitter also proved to be an effective channel for fundraising activities, as the addition of the microblogging social site generated 10 times the amount of money raised for campaigns compared to fundraising activities not using Twitter.

#GivingTuesday is becoming a successful annual event

Black Friday and Cyber Monday allows users to indulge themselves online and take advantage of advertised specials all weekend long every year. #GivingTuesday, on the other hand, provides users with a more altruistic day, where social users are encouraged to make charitable donations worldwide. The average donation on this day was $101.60, nearly $40 more than the average donation made any other time of the year. These numbers will only increase in the coming years, as nonprofits become more engaged with social media.

Future of social media and donations

Online crowdfunding is also becoming popular, as platforms such as Kickstarter have helped many entrepreneurs and artists receive funding for a variety of projects. A total of $2.81 Billion has been raised through crowdfunding thus far in 2012, representing a 91% increase compared to 2011. An effective social media strategy can not only help nonprofits raise donations, but also help companies fund their various projects. Social media will continue to play an integral role in fundraising activities in the coming year, especially as nonprofits build their audiences online.

Infographic credit to PC Mag.