Are you familiar with the term social media? Gone are the days when websites were the only way that people could discover your organization online. Today, social media such as Facebook, Youtube, or blogs, represent a dramatic shift in how the world communicates and shares information. Changing the paradigm from the traditional duality of information “producers” and “consumers,” social media facilitates dialogues rather than static monologues.
“Tweeting” is just one way of communicating
in the social media world.
The lines between who “produces’ and who “consumes” information are becoming increasingly blurred, with more and more individuals and groups actively producing and sharing information, facilitating dialogue and exchanging ideas in ever-growing online networks. Sites like Facebook and Twitter are helping organizations, businesses, and individuals build world-wide networks.
Social media is certainly changing the way nonprofits communicate. At the Oaxaca Community Foundation, we are using social media to spark interest in our work and values, extend our social network, and connect to like-minded individuals across the globe. And we are able to do so thanks to our amazing team of volunteers. The benefits are enormous; from garnering support and gaining visibility to raising funds and attracting those with common interests, to name a few. Social media is also opening the door to creating nonprofit networks both locally and globally, where we can all share experiences and results and thus advance together towards the transformation of our communities.
The Oaxaca Community Foundation’s first dive into social media took place in July 2008 when it joined Facebook, a popular social networking site that is now home to over 200 million people, including non-profit organizations who share messages, post events, discussions, photos, videos and links to garner support and donations from “fans.”
Starting in May, the Oaxaca Community Foundation joined Twitter, a relatively young micro blogging tool; the site boasts 6 million registered users, 74 of whom are following our “tweets” every day. For those of you who are still wondering what twitter is, think of it as an expanded instant messaging service in which users “tweet” short blurbs about status, events, and website updates by providing links, and above all connecting with similar non-profits to share ideas and promote each other in real-time.
The Oaxaca Community Foundation is now on Wikipedia, the largest user-generated encyclopedia on the net. By clicking on the link, you’ll view a one-page article relaying a description of our history, mission and projects. Through this posting, we can potentially gain access to 65 million monthly Wiki viewers.
Current and future supporters can now find colorful photos of the communities and projects we support on a shared picture site called Flickr, and view our documentaries on YouTube, a similar video sharing site. Finally, the Oaxaca Community Foundation is in the process of creating a blog, which will feature videos and articles about our programs, as well as a discussion forum and instant chats. The blog will complement our website with a more personalized look into the work of the Oaxaca Community Foundation, inspiring supporters to both invest more interest in our mission, and potentially donate to our causes.
Look at our “tweets,” and instantly see what we’re up to these days. Become a fan, follower and supporter of the Oaxaca Community Foundation on Facebook and Twitter!
