An Interview With Meryl Sheriden, Chief Development Officer, Horizons for Homeless Children

FS: How do you reach out to supporters and potential supporters in ways other than purely fundraising? Are you engaged with social media and social networking?

MS: Horizons for Homeless Children reaches out to supporters and potential supporters in many ways other than fundraising. There are several ways in which current and potential supporters can get involved. From volunteerism to in-kind giving, community service to external events and advocacy, there is a fit for everyone, depending on their level of commitment. We also have a presence on Facebook and each day the number of "fans" grows exponentially. We showcase video material on YouTube, and we are also about to launch a Horizons for Homeless Children Twitter page. We are more and more invested in online communications and currently send the majority of news updates through an online Web tool called Constant Contact to our donors, volunteers and potential supporters.