How to Use Social Media to Boost Your Fundraiser

Social media is one of the most effective ways to promote a charity auction or fundraising event. According to CharityAuctions.com platform data, more than 50,000 organizations have used CharityAuctions since 2007, and auctions with mobile bidding raise an average of 43% more per event than paper-based formats. This guide covers how to post on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to reach more donors, drive bids, and build momentum before and during your event.

Using social media is a must for even the smallest nonprofits, maybe even more important for them! Social media gets the word out about your work. And using social media purposefully to help with your fundraising is a great strategy to yield more funds.

Even if you are not an avid social media poster, here is an in-depth look at how to share meaningful, attention-getting content on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. We will even include some thoughts on TikTok.

Launch your auction so every post can spark bidding, not just likes.

Social Media Fundraising Post Tips and Examples

There are many different social media platforms, but let us stick with the main three: Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Our recommendation is to go with one or all of these three, where the majority of people are active members. There are certainly other channels out there (TikTok, LinkedIn, Tumblr, and others), but you will want to think about which your audience is using and where it will be most effective to focus your efforts. You do not necessarily need a presence on every platform out there, just the ones that will benefit your organization.

Facebook

Facebook is still very popular, despite the fact that a lot of younger generations use it less than older ones. It can be especially useful for local nonprofits, as it is a great platform to reach your local community.

1. When you share your item, tag volunteers, vendors, and other participants. They can share your post on their own pages and spread the word.
2. Post many times about your fundraiser. Facebook no longer shows posts in chronological order, so the more you post about a fundraiser or event, the more likely your audience is to see it. Start with a general announcement and then add details in successive posts, like spotlighting talent in your show, food vendors at your fair, or items added to your auction. Aim for a few posts per week.
3. Every day, pop in and tell your friends what you have been up to. Start from the beginning of your journey. The minute you decide to do a fundraiser for a cause, tell your Facebook family about your plans.

Instagram

Although all social media tends to feature visual media (pictures, banners, videos, etc.), Instagram is the visual medium online. Not every nonprofit will have a lot of pictures to share day-to-day. Explore nonprofits with similar missions to see if they have compelling Instagram content.

1. Be sure to use hashtags to drive people (traffic) to your post. Choose a hashtag that is relevant to your item and then click in the home feed to see similar tags.
2. Share your story with beautiful and/or compelling images. One post a day or every other day is more than enough when using social media to boost your fundraising goals. It is okay to cross-post between Facebook and Instagram, too.
3. Tag the person who donated the item (with a thank you), the auction house, and anyone who might share it or bid on the item.
4. Tag your friends, peers, and community leaders as long as you know their social media handle.

Sample hashtags: #charityauction #auctionforcharity #dogood #bidforcharity #onlinecharity #fundraising #fundraiser

Twitter

Twitter (X) is best for fast-paced nonprofits with time-sensitive needs, as well as those dealing with ongoing current events or those that are simply in the public eye often. If your cause revolves around asking people to take immediate action, such as donating to emergency relief or calling on voters to call their representatives, you need to be on Twitter.

1. Enlist the support of your network. Everyone has a network, you just have to find yours. Retweet relevant posts and trust they will do the same for you.
2. Thank users and donors through their social media of choice. If a donor uses Twitter and donated funds publicly (not anonymously), then you can send a thank you tweet.
3. Be engaging and engaged. Do not just post and run. Pop back in, like your replies, and give everyone a genuine response.
4. Use hashtags. These keywords will help your post be found by people interested in your cause. Some might be powerful hashtags that are not necessarily unique to your cause, like #climatechange or #GivingTuesday.

Social Media to Boost Your Fundraising: Top Tips

1. Tell your story via shareable content

Is there a story behind your fundraiser? Has this been a journey? Are you helping someone else? What is the main reason that drives you to fundraise?

Summarize it in a few sentences, add a magnetic image, and post the story to social media. Ask your friends to share your post!

Make your social media posts shareable. Be sure that the privacy settings are set to global (or all) so that everyone can share it and all of their friends and followers can see it too. Make sure the images are vivid and bright.

2. Give a call to action

This is where you tell your audience what you want them to do. Be specific.

For example: "Please support our school by sharing this to your timeline" or "Post this to your wall and ask your friends to share it too!" and "Thank you in advance for sharing this with your friends!"

3. Uplift other voices

Share and retweet other nonprofits and voices in your nonprofit's area of interest. Get conversations going by sharing other people's and organizations' posts, and help their own fundraisers or calls-to-action get more attention.

4. Partner with community figures

Think about local figures who might be able to lend their voice to your cause. Whether it is the mayor or a favorite local musician or performer, their own social channels can help amplify your message. See nonprofit influencer marketing for how to find and partner with local influencers for your event. Tag or privately message them to ask if they would be willing to share or retweet posts of yours.

5. Be authentic

We recommend figuring out a way to post that feels natural and comfortable to you. You can acknowledge tough subjects and you can take a stand on controversial issues if they are relevant to your cause. Being authentic means having opinions and sharing emotions, which can not only be expressed in a professional manner but also help prove to your audience that you are a real person working hard for your cause.

Using social media to boost your fundraising goals is a smart strategy. Social media fundraising post examples are not just about posting and reposting your fundraiser but also about maintaining a continuous presence online and making sure your followers see all the hard work you do, not just your auctions or events.

For more on sharing your auction with bidders, see how to share your auction with bidders. See silent auction software for a full platform overview. Create your auction to put these social media tips into practice.

According to CharityAuctions.com platform data, auctions with mobile bidding raise an average of 43% more per event than paper-based formats. When your social posts include a direct link to mobile-first bidding, supporters can go from seeing a post to placing a bid in seconds. See charity auction promotion for a full promotion calendar and auction marketing what to say for copy guidance at every stage.

This guide is maintained by CharityAuctions. For auction promotion resources, see charity auction promotion and auction marketing what to say. Questions? Talk to our team.