Virilion Poll: Donors Interested in “Keeping-Up” Through Social Media

WASHINGTON, DC – A majority of donors say it is important for nonprofit and charitable organizations to use social media to communicate with their supporters (52 percent). Higher-level donors show greater interest in being kept informed through social media than lower-level donors. Half of high-level donors (51 percent) say they are interested, compared with 43 percent of medium- and low-level donors.

Supporters cite a variety of types of information that they would be most interested in being updated on by an organization’s blog, social-networking site or RSS feed. These include news and announcements (39 percent), success stories (36 percent), opportunities to volunteer (35 percent), and views on current events relevant to the organization’s work (30percent).

These are some of the results of The Donor Pulse survey conducted online by Harris Interactive between Dec. 27, 2007, and Jan. 7, 2008, among 2,275 engaged U.S. adults, those 18 and over, who volunteered, donated or advocated for a nonprofit or charitable organization within the previous 12 months. This survey was conducted in part in collaboration with Virilion.

Michele Salomon, research director at Harris Interactive comments: “These findings suggest that newly emerging outreach techniques are important to keep an organization’s supporters listening. This seems more pronounced among the most financially supportive.”

Adds Virilion CEO Dan Solomon: “For charitable groups, this survey points the way to remain relevant and continue to engage supporters. The Internets’ ability to build communities and deliver in-depth information on demand is driving this reliance.”