The Power of Social Media for Nonprofits
Camp Quality New Jersey (“CQNJ”) is a nonprofit organization that provides year-round support for children with cancer and their families. Without any cost to the families, CQNJ thoughtfully creates programs that are designed to foster the building of friendships, overall life skills and emotional strength in a positive, stress-free environment to improve quality of life for the campers.
CQNJ is a completely volunteer-driven organization, one that I’ve been a part of since 2013. Earlier this month, we held our annual week-long summer camp. During this week, I had the opportunity to speak with a few of the camp’s board members to discuss the considerable impact social media has on the organization.
“Social media — namely Facebook (#client) — has certainly helped CQNJ grow over the years,” said Kait DeGennaro, Camp Director of CQNJ. “We use Facebook as the main tool to reach out to our network of volunteers, camper families, donors, and supporters.”
Through its public Facebook Page, the organization creates Events to spread awareness on upcoming fundraisers as well as camper and family activities, including its Annual Gala, the CQNJ 5K Walk/Run, and seasonal camps. CQNJ also uses the platform to recognize donors and actively fundraise, featuring a “Donate” button on its page, which provides a quick and easy way for someone to make a donation.
During this year’s summer camp, the organization witnessed the force of Facebook Live after one individual was tasked with broadcasting the week’s activities for followers to see. “The response from the families of our campers was tremendous,” said DeGennaro. “I received countless messages from parents thanking us for utilizing Facebook Live during camp. It made them feel so much more comfortable letting their children be away from them.”
DeGennaro went on to say that she received a message from one camper’s parent who stated that “the camper’s Child Life Specialist at the hospital saw her on Facebook Live and was so proud of the progress she was making at camp. This was by far the most unanticipated benefit of using social media.”
Equally important, social media contributes to the growth of the organization when it is used for recruitment of not only volunteers, but also campers. This year, CQNJ welcomed over a dozen new campers, some of who are in active treatment, and others who recently finished treatment. No matter their age, going to camp may be the first time a child is away from their families, which can naturally cause their parents to be apprehensive when sending them off for a week.
“Being able to see the things we do throughout the week is a sense of reassurance for the parents, especially those of our new campers,” says CQNJ’s Camper Coordinator, Rachel Russell. “Whether it’s the Facebook Live videos or photo sharing, parents can see that everything is OK, that this is where their child should be and that they’re having a great time.”
Using the platform, parents can also share photos, videos, and information about what CQNJ does throughout the year on their personal networks, further spreading awareness and garnering interest from other potential recruits or donors.
CQNJ is one charitable organization of many to experience the power of social media. According to the 2018 Global NGO Online Technology Report, 93% of the world’s nongovernment organizations have a Facebook Page, and 30% have a Facebook Group. Moreover, 71% of these organizations “agree that social media is effective for online fundraising and 25% of donors say that social media is the communication tool that most inspires them to give.” By analyzing these numbers, it’s clear that social media has proven to be a valuable tool in helping charities educate large groups of people, bringing awareness to their causes and capitalizing on their efforts.
To learn more about Camp Quality New Jersey, please visit www.facebook.com/CampQualityNewJersey/ or www.campqualityusa.org/nj.
