Here’s how Facebook describes Facebook Groups:
“Groups are a place to connect, learn and share with people who have similar interests. You can create or join a group for anything — stargazing, baking, parenting — with people across the globe or across the street.”
The description alone drops strong hints at the potential value of Facebook Groups to small nonprofits. Facebook Groups are essentially online communities driven by interests and/or location. Groups are more focused than your main Facebook feed, which tends to make the content more relevant and engagement more meaningful.
Let’s take a look at the benefits of Facebook Groups for small nonprofits, tips for maximizing those benefits, and how to find groups that are a good fit for your nonprofit.
How Can Facebook Groups Help Small Nonprofits?
Businesses and nonprofits alike often miss out on the full value of social media because they focus on self-promotion rather than engaging the community. In other words, they forget the “social” in social media!
Facebook Groups offer an excellent opportunity to build awareness of your nonprofit by creating posts with content that focuses on your mission. Why is your mission important? What are the goals and purpose of your mission? What kind of impact has your nonprofit made?
Rather than posting content directly from your nonprofit’s Facebook Page, have staff, board members, volunteers, and donors share your organization’s posts from their personal accounts. This will make the post seem more personal and less self-promotional.
Sharing photos, videos, and information that answer these questions will get more people to stop scrolling and engage when they see your posts. More clicks, more likes, more comments, and more opportunities to build relationships!
Once you’ve shown how you’re making a difference, group members will be more open to supporting your nonprofit when you promote an event, recruit volunteers, or announce a fundraising campaign. Inform and educate about your mission first, promote second.
Remember, a relationship is a two-way street. Respond to people who comment on your posts. Thank them for their support. And when you see posts from other individuals and organizations that are aligned with your nonprofit’s mission and values, show some support. Give them a like. Comment with a word of encouragement. Be a resource and answer questions. Show them you’re interested!
How to Find Facebook Groups that Make Sense for Your Nonprofit
Generally, joining an established Facebook Group with engaged members is more beneficial than starting your own group. A group can take a long time to build and will need to be moderated, which can be time-consuming, even for a small group.
There are literally thousands of groups out there, so look for groups that are focused on your geographic area and/or interests that are related to your mission.
For example, groups that focus on issues in your town, county, or neighborhood will have mostly local members who could potentially have hands-on involvement with your nonprofit. If you want to expand your reach beyond your community, focus on shared interests. For example, if your nonprofit is an animal rescue, find groups for pets and animal lovers.
Finding Facebook Groups that are a good fit with your small nonprofit is relatively easy with Facebook’s search tool. Start with specific keywords based on your mission and click the button for Groups, not People or Pages. Use Facebook’s search filters to drill down by location. Specific is terrific for finding the most relevant groups!
Then you can use broader keywords to find groups with members from a larger geographic area who are passionate about your mission. Remember, you can join multiple groups, test the waters, and focus your resources on groups where your nonprofit can find the most value, and provide value to others!
Managing a social media presence can feel overwhelming, but Facebook Groups represent low-hanging fruit for increasing awareness of your nonprofit, engaging the community, recruiting volunteers, and supporting your fundraising strategy. Find a few groups that make sense for your nonprofit and show the world how you’re making a difference!
