July 2, 2009 | Read Time: 1 minute
Nonprofit organizations have long been labeled Luddites when it comes to adopting new technology.
But a new study by the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Center for Marketing Research shows nonprofit groups are actually well ahead of businesses in their use of online social-media tools such as Twitter, Facebook, and blogs.
The study found that 89 percent of nonprofit organizations are using some form of social media. Fifty-seven percent reported that they use blogs.
That trend might surprise many observers, especially as nonprofit groups are struggling to raise money during the recession.
But Blake Bowyer, who writes for the marketing-consulting company EyeTraffic Media’s Insight Blog, says the lean nature of nonprofit organizations makes it easier for them to begin experimenting with tools like Twitter and Facebook to connect with supporters.
In fact, the low cost of the tools gives nonprofit leaders an incentive — since they can reach out to potential donors and volunteers without having to pay for direct mailings, advertising, or phone calls.
“It’s no wonder that, in a sector where organizations are dropping like flies in the current economic climate, nonprofits are among the leaders in adopting of social media,” Mr. Bowyer writes.
He adds: “[Nonprofit groups] benefit since they are lean by nature when for-profits trim the fat only when revenues drop, which might account for the early-adopter role nonprofits have assumed in the social media milieu.”
To read the report: Go to http://www.umassd.edu/cmr.
