| 12 January 2011
The web has tons of great information about how to use social media. Well…I interviewed Baron Hilliard, Founder and Program Director of the Together AsOne Foundation, to learn more about how they successfully and creatively applied this information to execute their fundraising strategy.
Tell me about the Foundation and the cause.
Our first initiative involves a simple concept to find 2,000 people to commit to $20 per year for 5 years which would send a black male to college on a full scholarship. The funding includes tuition, books, a mentor, laptop, and college tour as well as preparation for this journey.
This grassroots concept was inspired by the Million Man March. Louis Farrakhanasked one million men in attendance to take out one dollar, wave it in the air, and then put it in the basket. It didn’t cause a hardship for anyone and it immediately raised $1 million dollars for their cause. It was something small, but powerful.
We intend to replicate this concept to address other issues in the community such as education, HIV/AIDS and teen pregnancy. Our philosophy is why wait for others to do for us when we can do for ourselves.
Why did you choose a Social Media-A-Thon as a vehicle for fundraising?
With over 500 million people on Facebook, it’s an ideal platform to spread the word quickly and reach more people. Sharing information with friends is an easy, one click action usually. It’s much easier than getting people to hand out flyers. You just need something worth spreading and we believe we have that.
How did you structure and execute the Social Media-A-Thon?
We basically used the Jerry Lewis telethon format and brought it online. We found people who love what we’re doing and asked them to help us create momentum. We made it easy by providing pre-scripted messages and emails to send out to friends and structured it so that it would be taking place during the same time period (a 24-hour timeframe). Others saw it on multiple pages at the same time which strengthened the message.
We also asked everyone to change their profile pic to a customized logo created for the cause, similar to the breast cancer awareness movement last year. It’s a great way to get people’s attention and spread awareness.
We established an environment of people working together for a cause by establishing headquarters where everyone brought their laptop. We created a fun atmosphere by celebrating the receipt of gifts by ringing a bell, tapping a glass or giving high fives. We had other volunteers working virtually but we celebrated their achievements the same way.
Volunteers reached out to friends to raise money using all means of technology including texting, blackberry messenger, tweeting, posting on Facebook, updating their LinkedIn status updates…however they could reach their networks.
At headquarters, we had local businesses who sold their products and agreed to donate a portion of the proceeds to the cause – Just Us Books (publishers of books catering to Black children), Curl Prep (natural hair care products), and IMPRESSIONS Body Solutions (mobile massages). Our Board Chair, Michael Chisolm, video interviewed each business and posted the videos on our Facebook page as another way to promote awareness.
How much did you raise?
This was our first Social Media-A-Thon and we raised almost $8,000 in a 24-hour period. We have also gotten requests to host a Social Media-A-Thon in other regions of the country.
Would you do this again and what would you do differently?
There is always tweaking to be done with any event, but we will be adding a live webcast of the headquarters activity and securing sponsored gifts for volunteers who hit goals for our future Social Media-A-Thons.
What advice do you have for non-profits using social media?
Stay connected with your audience and build relationships. Support other organizations’ pages and use your personal wall to share information with your personal network. Be that resource for your area by promoting related information. For example, we promote other scholarship opportunities as well.
What is next on the horizon?
Our goal is getting 1,000,000 people to support our youth. To do that, we need to reach people, so we have another innovative, major event coming soon involving social media and multiple regions of the country. Stay tuned…
If you’re interested in learning more about this cause or connecting with Baron Hilliard, join them on Facebook or follow them on Twitter.
Blog written by: Suzzette Turnbull, Social Media Diva of Valentine Consulting of South Florida, LLC. ‘Like’ my Facebook page and get more social media tips or follow me on Twitter. Let’s get connected.
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