Why you should be celebrating your fundraisers on social media.

We’ve talked in recent weeks about how charities and social enterprises can use social media as a set of tools to facilitate the fundraising process, from identifying new prospects and cultivating relationships through to finally making a fundraising ask.

But vital to any fundraising strategy is saying thank you to donors and supporters who have given to your organisation through time, effort or money. In this article, we’ll highlight one charity — Cystic Fibrosis Ireland — that is successfully using social media throughout the fundraising process, particularly when stewarding the people who donate or fundraise on their behalf.

Cystic Fibrosis Ireland

Cystic Fibrosis Ireland works to improve the treatment and facilities for people with the disease in Ireland, while also providing financial and emotional support to families. With 23 branches run by volunteers, CFI has built up a collection of advocates around the country. While their small central team initially struggled to maintain relationships with supporters directly, Maria Caldwell, the charity’s fundraising manager, says that building its social media presence changed all that.

“Social media allows us to recognise supporters publicly so that they can then share with their networks,” Caldwell says. “This becomes a very personal process because it builds loyalty both ways. It’s a mutual acknowledgement.”

Sharing supporters’ stories

CFI follows supporters along their journey by acknowledging them in a series of posts, whether it’s wishing runners good luck before a marathon, announcing where cyclists are located during a 700k race, or posting photographs of supporters in training for a challenge event.

This personal tone is carried through in encouraging remarks such as “Well done, guys!” and “What an amazing achievement!” which show that CFI works to truly understand and appreciate their supporters individually. It even publicly wishes some supporters a happy birthday. And by the time it says a final thanks, the likes and comments are already pouring in from other members of the community who’ve been engaged along the way.

A winning formula

CFI has uncovered a winning formula for recognising existing donors on Facebook. “For fundraising events, we put up thank you posts that include a photo and a call to action for next year’s event,” Caldwell says. “When we do this, we see far more comments, messages and queries from people.”

With photos helping to boost the visibility of these posts, and the call to action inviting others to get involved, CFI has found a way to transform thanking one person or group into an opportunity to inspire participation in future events.

“We might not convert someone into a fundraiser straightaway, but seeing us in their Facebook or Twitter feed primes them to come back again,” says Caldwell. “Then it’s up to us as fundraisers to engage them.”

Why it works

With few resources, CFI manages to use social media to acknowledge its donors in a highly personal fashion. Donors appreciate a bespoke thank you — even if that thank you is only 140 characters long. CFI’s personal touch ensures that its supporters feel appreciated for their time, energy and funds, and it is because of this appreciation and the impact of their work that donors stay involved.

Social media is perfect for this type of communication. Not only can you acknowledge supporters then and there, but you can do it publicly. Supporters can easily share their efforts with friends and peers, extending your network at the same time.

Three lessons

By using social media to steward your donors and advocates, you can cultivate relationships far beyond the initial thank you. Here are three key lessons in acknowledging supporters on social media:

• Make it personal: Champion, encourage and thank your supporters for the personal challenge they’ve taken on and show what it means to you. Using a familiar tone and sharing names and background stories helps you acknowledge people as individuals and not just as monetary figures.

• Share supporters’ stories: Show how much you appreciate your supporters by following them through the journeys they take to fundraise on your behalf. Engage your whole community in photos, updates and anecdotes so that they can help you thank and steward donors later on.

• Tie thank you posts into your next event: Use one supporter’s success to show others what they could achieve. Include a clear and relevant call to action, such as how to register for the same event next year, so onlookers know exactly how to get involved.

Download “friends with money” for an in-depth look at these case studies and to read tips from experts at Facebook, Twitter, JustGiving and JustTextGiving.

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Originally published at www.theguardian.com on December 9, 2014.