Social Media Club’s motto is “if you get it, share it” and never before have we seen our tagline in action than with a few chapters around the country who we’d like to highlight for their charitable activities in their communities.
Over the last few years, Social Media Club chapters in Lawrence, Austin, Cache Valley and Philadelphia have either dedicated monthly events to benefit local nonprofits and government organizations or aligned with local nonprofits to help with social strategy. With the help of their local professional members these nonprofits and community organizations have had access to experts in the fields of social media, marketing, advertising, web design, and more.
We all know local nonprofits are underserved and rely heavily on donations and to keep them competitive, they must take advantage of social media tools to build community, awareness and generate donations.
Our chapter leaders and members have gone on to help train organizations on the basics to helping to execute entire campaigns.
Philadelphia
Most recently, SMC Philadelphia held a toy drive at their holiday party and donated the toys to the Northern Home for Children and Covenant House. Northern Home for Children has been the recipient of more than just toys from the Philadelphia chapter, they were included in an event dedicated to nonprofits and cause awareness campaigns in 2011 and during the event, attendees crowdsourced several social media strategies for the Northern Home.
Simply the access to social media industry professionals that the Northern Home for Children has received is a great benefit but the most rewarding part is how these professionals give back by sharing their knowledge to help a local nonprofit.
The Philadelphia leadership team has also partnered with the William Way Community Center, an LGBT community center, that has provided them meeting space for their monthly events. Several of the chapter members have gone on to share their social media knowledge and best practices to local nonprofits all across Philadelphia.
Cache Valley
The Utah chapter has made a commitment to helping local nonprofits in their community by having several chapter members dedicate time to working one-on-one with a few local organizations.
Each nonprofit they work with has different needs and the Cache Valley professional community comes together to deliver some really creative campaigns.
Back in November, some chapter members and the American Festival Chorus took to the Cache Valley Mall to spread some Christmas cheer in this flash mob.
Holiday Christmas Music Flash Mob of the American Festival Chorus at Cache Valley Mall
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAdDSsnWafY&w=560&h=315]
Austin
Social Media Club Austin does something quite different, rather than hosting focused events around nonprofits, they work closely with two nonprofits every year to provide individualized social media strategy, training and more.
Some of the past charities they’ve helped include, Mobile Loaves and Fishes, which provides food delivery to the homeless, Women of Hope, an organization dedicated to helping women in Ethiopia along with Glimmer of Hope Foundation, The Superhero Foundation and CASA of Travis County.
They have a structured process which requires the nonprofit apply to partner with the chapter. After applications are received the local board judges the applicants based on criteria including,
- Identifying their needs
- Time commitment of chapter leaders
- Current level of social media knowledge
- Physical service location
- Time they’re willing to spend on social media
- Concrete objectives/missions
They look for nonprofits that don’t have advanced knowledge or ones who are not engaging at all due to lack of education or resources.
The local chapter team dedicated to providing the training helps to create a strategy, monitor activity and trains them around measurement tools and importance of engagement. The Austin team also explains automation tools, content calendars and most importantly, helps them identify which tools can help them be more effective.
Volunteers from the chapter dedicate approximately five hours per week to this initiative for six months for each nonprofit selected. Since only two charities are selected each year, this opportunity provides great hands on learning for nonprofits who often times can’t afford to outsource their social media activities.
Lawrence
Lawrence, Kansas has made its mission to use social media to make a positive impact in their community. Every month they host a “solutions meeting” where they brain storm solutions to social media challenges with a local non profit organization or small business. Typically, these organizations need guidance in implementing social media or expanding existing social media use for a specific goal.
“Through our solutions meetings we have helped a diverse group of non profit organizations including Lawrence Public Library, Habitat for Humanity, Douglas County Dental Clinic, Big Brothers Big Sisters, University of Kansas School of Business, Lied Center for Performing Arts, United Way of Douglas County, Homegrown Lawrence, KJHK (KU student radio).
We’ve also helped several businesses facing specific social media challenges, including a local hotel that wanted to use social media to better connect with guests, a local hospice wanting to change perceptions through new marketing, and even a regional utility provider Westar Energy as they readied to launch a new smart meters initiative.” via Ben Smith, SMC Lawrence Founder and Chapter President
It doesn’t just stop at sharing knowledge, the Lawrence chapter participated in a fundraising campaign for the Lawrence Public Library, and a $1,000 donation match from one of our members. Learn more about SMC Lawrence here.
We applaud our chapter leaders and members who not only participate in their local chapter but invest time and knowledge into helping educate their local community organizations.
What better way to build community than by sharing our knowledge and better equipping our local organizations who help those truly in need.