IndexIntroductionSocial Media in Nonprofit OrganizationsConclusionIntroductionNonprofit organizations play an important role in our society by providing goods and services to low-income communities when our government fails to do it. Yet it is not uncommon to find nonprofit organizations facing a financial crisis and failing due to lack of funding. Many nonprofit organizations are funded primarily by floating donations, government support, and fundraising efforts. In this research paper I will analyze Case Study 12: Recruiting Volunteers and Donors on Social Media by Julia Read, Benjamin Bingle, and Kenneth Meyer to explain how nonprofits strategically use social media. Two key questions that are asked during board meetings are: How can we promote our organization? Who can we ask for donations? In recent years, nonprofit organizations have sought different methods to fund their campaign and continue their mission to support marginalized communities; social media has been one such way. “Social networking sites are used primarily for their viral ability to spread messages to users, consumers, and other organizations” (Brown, 2015). Over the last decade, social media marketing has revolutionized the way businesses, corporations, and even nonprofits grow their brands. Social media has emerged in a huge way by increasing awareness, engaging the community and mobilizing activities that will cultivate a relationship with influencers and potentially raise funds. It is important that in this article I explain the importance of resource dependence theory which "deals with how organizational behavior is influenced by external resources used by the organization, such as raw materials". RDT practically helps create an effective organization by enabling donors to understand the taxation of the environment in which organizations operate. Nonprofits are looking for an online presence to assist in building and maintaining their organization. Overall, social media has been used to primarily channel three organizational goals in the nonprofit sector: gather new volunteers, develop resources, and create social change. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Social Media in Nonprofits As we know, nonprofits have difficulty attracting qualified volunteers because it can be a daunting burden on board members. “In the past, reaching multiple individuals could be time-consuming and costly for an organization. Now, organizations can communicate quickly and more frequently with members, volunteers, and donors through social media” (Brown, 2015). Social media has been a great recruiting tool because of the different mediums used in the market to advertise the mission of nonprofit organizations. It is critical that nonprofit organizations understand the benefits of marketing and how to use it effectively. According to the business dictionary, marketing is defined as the management process through which goods and services move from concept to customer. In the case study Bill Perkins, the CEO of Hope Center, believed that capitalizing on contests and marketing his nonprofit by holding an annual 5K and displaying it on social media would in return get people interested. Social media has a huge impact on those who volunteer. The first stepto acquire new volunteers is to create engaging, informative content that will connect people who have a passion for your organization's purpose. The center advertised itself using selfie posting and small prizes which led to a spike in social media connections and two-way communication. At the end of the campaign, the staff at the hope center noticed an increase in volunteers, even though the majority were young. The Hope center would have to create various forms of social media that can appeal to different demographic and social strata often encounter major complications when it comes to obtaining and managing financial resources to support the mission and purpose. It is normal for organizations to participate in traditional fundraising, grant writing, donations, annual campaigns, but as we know it is not always healthy to rely solely on the donors themselves, with the recruitment of volunteers. With the help of platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, donor recruitment has made it easier for members to ask for money. Included in these mediums are tools that have allowed people to donate through online fundraising platforms like GoFundMe, donation tags on Instagram, and the fundraising tag on Facebook where people can click on a cause that is meaningful to them . The Hope Center failed to create an all-encompassing campaign that included people of all backgrounds and ages. In return, organizations are often stagnant with donations. Resource dependence theory (RDT) finds that dependence on critical resources influences various actions and behaviors of organizations. It affects the behavior, performance and survival rates of nonprofit organizations. “A central argument of resource dependence theory is that organizations cannot generate all the resources they need to survive on their own, but must obtain and derive various types of resources from their environment” (Lam & Nie, 2019). Therefore, in order to improve the survival rates of nonprofits and increase their funding, it is imperative that these nonprofits look to other forms of income. Because the people involved in the social media competitions were young and did not have a stable income to be regular donors to the Hope Center, there was little to no income generated. While young adults may not be listed as regular donors, they are more likely to donate to nonprofits calling for social change. Social media has become an ingenious space when it comes to cultivating digital social movements and supporting nonprofit organizations. “Advocacy and social change practice has quickly been linked to technological tools and Internet-based outreach” (GoldKind, 2015). A notable reason why the Hope Center did not work as expected was the lack of promotion of its mission and appeal to the pathos of society. The case relied so much on the contest and prizes that they failed to advertise the purpose of their nonprofit and how they are benefiting the community. The people who participated obviously didn't realize that they were trying to produce more than just weekly competitions, they were trying to find donors and volunteers to help support their non-profit organization. “In particular, a newly formed nonprofit organization striving to increase its popularity among the public may want to focus on posting informational messages online to gain public attention as a first step.” The.