Do you know Jay Frost?

Jay Frost is a consultant, speaker, author and serial third sector entrepreneur.  Over the past 25 years, he has played a leadership role in a number of companies serving the nonprofit world, including BFTConnect LLC, FundraisingINFO.com, WealthEngine and WealthID.   Jay has also worked as a fundraiser at the International Rescue Committee and Meridian International Center and as a grantmaker at the National Endowment for the Arts.  As a volunteer and educator, Jay has been a member of the CASE Industry Advisory Council and a member of the board of the Association of Professional Researchers for Advancement.  He is a frequent speaker on fundraising, philanthropy and social media and is active on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twibes.   We caught up with him in advance of his “Social Media and Fundraising” webinars to ask why nonprofits should care about sites like Facebook and Twitter.

What does social media have to do with fundraising?

Everything!  Websites are like a roadside stop.  Social media is the highway through which the traffic flows.  If we want to attract and hold the attention of donors, we need to be where they are, engaging in the conversation, rather than just waiting for them to show up on our doorstep.  This is especially important to donor acquisition and diversification.

Can nonprofits raise money through social networks?

Yes, of course, and they are doing so.  But the impact of these networks is much greater than that.   Fundamentally, social networks are not a tool for our use but rather a pathway through which we can engage in conversation, learn and exchange information.  In that realm, the audience collectively determines what is of interest and what they want to share with their own peers.  In short, it is not about what we want to sell but what they want to buy.  That means that a broad audience can take it upon themselves to advocate on your behalf, bringing in new constituents and revenue.  But we must be comfortable sharing power for this approach to work.

What’s the risk and reward?

The risk with social media is that we cannot control what people say about us or with whom they say it.  It is important to note, however, that this is true whether we engage social media or not.  If we aren’t on Facebook, but people are commenting about us there, we have no way of monitoring or participating in the conversation.  If we are participating, we can learn, share, sometimes mold opinion and certainly work to welcome those within that world to come join us as volunteers, members, donors and solicitors.  More importantly, these networks reach people our standard forms of acquisition would likely never touch, allowing us to engage many more people across a broader range of experience and backgrounds.

How did you come to be involved in social media?

Generating conversation between people with different professions, opinions and backgrounds is one of my greatest passions.  Social networks provide a wonderful platform for bringing people together who otherwise wouldn’t communicate.  In the nonprofit world, fundraisers, donors and academicians don’t often intersect and exchange ideas.  What better way to advance philanthropy generally and fundraising specifically than to exchange information and ideas among the chief stakeholders using the ultimate world-flatteners: Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook!

To learn more about Jay’s next “Social Media and Fundraising” webinars for Brian Lacy & Associates, visit https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/937744883.  You can learn more about Jay’s work at the Frost on Fundraising website (www.frostonfundraising.com), Twitter (http://twitter.com/gordonjayfrost) or Facebook (http://ow.ly/1aAXY).  You can also reach Jay directly by phone at 571-426-6214 or by email at jay@frostonfundraising.com.