Social Media for Social Good [Infographic]

Social media—through which users create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages, and other content—is a powerful and accessible tool. With free online tools such as Facebook, Twitter, and Google+, governments, nonprofits, corporations, and individuals all have the ability to communicate their messages and participate in conversations with a global audience. Social media allows nonprofits and groups promoting social causes, even those with limited budgets, the opportunity to magnify their voices. In our hyper-connected world, individuals have the tools to effect change, raise millions of dollars, find volunteers, and make a global impact.

In our new infographic, Social Media for Social Good, we profile several successful grassroots and nonprofit campaigns, explain tactics that increase the impact of a message, and explore emerging trends in charitable giving and volunteering. Highlights include:

Making a Global Impact

• The day following the Haiti earthquake of 2010, CNN’suser-generatediReport had 1.4 million page views.
•  Twestival, a global offline event supporting various nonprofits, raised $1.75 million in 45 countries.

 Giving Back

• One in five adults in the U.S. has donated to a nonprofit online.
• TweetDrive 2011 harnessed the power of Twitter to organize 38 in-person events in which people donated more than 4,200 toys.

To learn more about the who, how, and why of Social Media for Social Good, take a look below at our infographic.

MPA@UNC: Online MPA