Twitter is an incredible network of over 200 million registered users and an overwhelming one billion new tweets posted weekly. With the huge number of people using this social network, it’s no wonder the impact it’s had on non-profit efforts since its 2006 launch. Plenty of individuals – celebrities included – have used Twitter as a means to engage their followers to make a difference.
Ashton Kutcher vs. CNN
One of the earlier efforts began as a simple contest between actor Ashton Kutcher and CNN to see who would be first to garner 1 million Twitter followers. In Kutcher’s words, “I found it astonishing that one person can actually have as big of a voice online as what an entire media company can on Twitter.” Using Twitter as his platform, Kutcher shared his voice – and the many voices of his followers – to increase his following while also bringing awareness to Malaria No More, a non-profit determined to end malaria deaths in Africa by 2015. As his following surpassed one million in mid-April 2009, Kutcher presented a $100,000 check to Malaria No More for the purchase of 10,000 mosquito nets designed to protect 20,000 children. As stated on Malaria No More’s website, “every individual can be part of making sweeping, global change… Twitter can help raise awareness and launch a movement to get millions involved in supporting malaria control efforts worldwide.”
Hugh Jackman Engages
Around the same time that the Kutcher vs CNN contest took place, Hugh Jackman engaged his Twitter followers in a contest that would end up benefitting two non-profit organizations. On April 14, 2009, Jackman posted the following message to his Twitter account, “I will donate 100K to one individual’s favorite non profit organization. Of course, you must convince me why by using 140 characters or less.” With just 120,00 followers at that time – he now has over 793,000! – Jackman received thousands of non-profit suggestions. Jackman encouraged more suggestions with the following tweet: “Please keep them coming. You are educating thousands by sharing your causes.” Among the names received were Operation Hope, an organization that performs facial reconstructive surgery in developing countries for people in need, and Charity: Water, a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing clean, safe drinking water to people in developing nations. Jackman’s final decision was to split the AUS $100,000 donation to benefit both of the above-mentioned non-profts. In the process, he proved Twitter’s value in spreading awareness for non-profits and their causes.
Citizen Effect, Twitpay and Eric Schmidt
Another interesting campaign to consider involved none-other than Google Chairman & CEO Eric Schmidt. Following the devastation caused by the March 2011 earthquake in Japan, Twitpay teamed up with Eric Schmidt and Citizen Effect, a non-profit that provides everyday citizens the tools and networks they need to work directly with communities in need around the world, to raise funds for disaster relief. Using Twitpay’s service to raise money and awareness directly over Twitter, and the promise by Eric Schmidt and his wife Wendy to match the first $100,000 donated, Citizen Effect took advantage of Twitter’s social network to increase awareness of the devastation while also raising donations. Knowing that Schmidt would match a donation to Citizen Effect certainly encouraged a higher number of individuals to donate.
Conclusion
The takeaway from these three examples is that Twitter provides a platform for individuals to be creative in how they encourage donations and spread awareness for a cause. Do you have an interesting story on how Twitter has been used to promote a non-profit’s cause?
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