Social Media for Non-Profits – International Red Cross Day
Article posted May 8, 2009 in Speaking Engagements
May 8th is International Red Cross Day
Today is World Red Cross Red Crescent Day. This day marks the birthday of Henry Dunant, the founder of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. Henry Dunant started the Red Cross after witnessing atrocities during the Battle of Solerfino in Italy 150 years ago. The Red Cross has been using social media in the form of YouTube Channels, a Facebook Fan Page, Twitter, and last month, they started their own social networking portal called “Our World, Your Move“. The site lets users share their experiences, upload videos and photos, and write blog posts.
Any non-profit group’s effective use of all of the Web 2.0 tools that are available can lay the ground work for reaching an enormous amount of potential donors and volunteers. This is particularly true among younger, more web-savvy supporters that may not have the big dollar amounts to contribute, but can participate in other ways (joining fan pages, etc.). Additionally, free programs such as Youtube for Non-Profits, which incorporates the Google Checkout System, make online donations easier (Google waives fees for non-profits).
Non-profits can also incorporate viral marketing into their mix. In honor of this day, here’s a Red Cross viral video that was released last year by country music band Rascal Flatts:
