Final Paper

RUNNING
HEAD: PRODUCING A CHANGE IN NONPROFITS

Producing a Change In Nonprofit Organizations:

The Results Of A Social Media Campaign
Spring Hill College
Bridget K. Duffy
RUNNING HEAD: PRODUCING A CHANGE IN NONPROFITS

Abstract
The advent of social media has opened up possibilities for personal and organizational
communication. The use of social media allows for interpersonal engagement, interactivity, and
the means to build relationships with targeted audiences. However, organizations, particularly
nonprofits do not always turn to social media because they fear it will be unsuccessful for their
causes. Victory Health Partners, the nonprofit organization used for this project, targets men and
women ranging form the ages of 35 through 65 years of age who lack the resources to have
affordable healthcare. The project planner implemented a five-week social media campaign and
also planned and ran a fundraising and awareness event. Through secondary research from online
databases, websites and books, the project planner was able to grasp the full understanding and
significance of social media towards nonprofit organizations. While viewing the foundation of
this project through the lens of the Media Richness Theory, the project planner was able to
determine that social media was considered to be a rich medium because of its immediacy to
communicate the desired messages to the targeted audience. By using Facebook Insights and
SurveyMonkey, the project planner was able to measure the results of the project more
effectively. At the conclusion of the project, the project planner was able to show how social
media was effective in increasing awareness, donors, funds, and overall presence on social
media.

Table Of Contents
Situational Analysis
Problem
Background
Rationale
Purpose and Underpinning
Research Question
Research
Social Media and Nonprofits
Donors and Funding
Facebook
10
Strategies/Tactics
12
Targeted Audience
12
Timeline
12
Material/Budget
16
Evaluation
16
Facebook Insights
17
Victory Sunday
19
SurveyMonkey
20
Conclusion
21
Discussion
21
Reflection
23
References
24
Appendices
27

Situation Analysis
Problem
Nonprofit organizations have been flourishing around the world, becoming one of the
driving forces on international and social development. Nonprofits specialize in many different
fields, including human services, art, healthcare, education, and civil rights. Unique because of
their dependence on donations or grants from outside the organization (by individuals,
foundations, and government), nonprofits exist to serve the public (Mosely, 2014). Even though
nonprofits can obtain aid and support from governmental organizations, public funding alone
cannot adequately meet societys needs to address humanitarian causes (Hou & Zang, 2014).
The expansion of the nonprofit sector is outpacing the growth of the donor base, which is slowly
leading to funds and volunteers becoming increasingly scarce resources for nonprofits (Privett,
2011). According to Alabama Association of Nonprofits, research shows that only eight percent
of people volunteer in healthcare related nonprofit organizations (Stone, 2010). Government
grants and contracts are fraught with time-consuming difficulties, including the need to meet
extensive reporting requirements, which can be a major drain on staff time. For this reason,
government funding tends to go to larger organizations with greater capacity and organizational
resources, leaving smaller organizations at a disadvantage. Research shows that over two thirds
(69 percent) of nonprofit directors say their organization has faced one or more serious
governance-related problems in the past ten years. Forty percent say they have been unable to
meet fundraising targets, and 29 percent have experienced serious financial difficulty (Larcker,
Tayan, Donatiello & Meehan, 2015). Nonprofits can be forced to increase revenue by charging
fees to clients, however many clients do not have the resources to pay for the full cost of their
services. In addition, many human service nonprofits feel a mission to keep fees down so they

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can provide services to those who need them the most. Nonprofits that are forced to rely on fees
may inadvertently exclude low-income people who depend on their services the most (Mosely,
2014 para. 6).
Background
Victory Health Partners is a nonprofit healthcare organization designed to provide a
continuum of affordable quality healthcare for the low-income uninsured population of the
greater Mobile, Alabama area. The clinic began seeing patients around 12 years ago under the
direction of Dr. Robert D. Lightfoot. Victory Health Partners provides general medical care,
dental care, and eye care for people of ages 18 and older. Medications are supplied by donations
as well as purchases from discount distributors.
Victory Health Partners has a core staff of business and healthcare professionals along
with 60 volunteers who assist the staff each week in performing day-to-day operations at the
clinic. Although Victory Health Partners is based in Mobile, the clinics patients range from
over 25 counties in Alabama, 11 in Mississippi, and eight in Northwest Florida.
The largest marketing tools that Victory Health Partners has are their patients. The
majority of their patients hear about Victory Health partners through another patient and the
experiences that they had with the organization. Victory Health Partners has established social
media accounts with Facebook and Twitter, but they are not updated on a regular basis. The
project planner decided if the organization wants to be successful in building awareness, donors,
and funding, they need to expand their presence on social media.

Rationale
Victory Health Partners has expressed their desire in increasing their presence on social
media to proliferate awareness, donors, and funding. In order for social media to be effective
towards nonprofit organizations and receive the maximum benefits, organizations need to
transmit content to the audiences that will be easily understood and give the audience a chance to
engage. Why should social media play a significant role in nonprofit organizations? Social media
will reach out to the organizations targeted audience and give the organization the chance to
relay sufficient amounts of information.
Purpose and Underpinning
The purpose of this project is to explore the effectiveness of social media on nonprofit
organizations. This project will be assessed through the lens of the Media Richness Theory (Daft
& Lengel 1983). According to Schiefelbein (2012), this theory describes how and why particular
media are selected to deliver a message. Daft and Lengel (1983) state, Richness is defined as
the potential information carrying capacity of data. If the communication that is being carried
provided substantial new understanding, it would be considered rich. If the data provides little
understanding it would be low in richness (pg.7). Media Richness Theory is operationalized in
terms of a mediums ability to accomplish four cues. These cues include the immediacy of
feedback, which is how quickly the medium enables receivers to respond to messages, the
availability of multiple cues such as vocal infections and gestures, and the last two goals,
personalize the message and language variety involves customizing the message and using
dissimilar words so that it will connect with your targeted audience in a more subjective and
richer form.

The concept of this theory is to explain how organizations meet the need for the
information amount and how to reduce equivocality (Daft & Lengel, 1983). Nonprofit
organizations can use this theory for resolving ambiguity, negotiation interpretations, and
understandings to their targeted audiences. In the hierarchy of richness, Facebook has been found
to be richer than email and one or two levels below face-to-face communication, which is
considered to be the richest and most effective form of communication (Mandal & McQueen,
2013). Mandal and McQueen also note that, Facebook in term of richness, makes an ideal tool
for dissemination of information, collaboration, education and spreading awareness (p.4 para.2).
Research Question
How can the use of social media effectively increase nonprofit organizations awareness, donors,
and fundraising efforts?
Research
Social Media and Nonprofits
Research shows that social media are tools for sharing and discussing information. It
can be described as a kind of online media, which encourages every member for feedback and
contribution. It is a social instrument of two-way communication facilitating the sharing of
information between users within a defined network via web 2.0 (Bashar, Ahmad & Wasiq,
2012). Thus, this type of media can be described as a broad term, inclusive of activities, where
people create content, share it, bookmark it and network at a phenomenal rate. Social media have
substantially changed the way organizations, communities, and individuals communicate. It has
been witnessed that these days most businesses also engage in social media while promoting
their products or services (Baruah, 2012). Social media platforms are being used by
organizations to reach out to their customers via the social web to communicate messages about

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what they have to offer. As new technologies become available, businesses that learn to use
technologies can learn great benefits. Social media are transforming the way organizations
communicate in the world today. Particular social media platforms provide the many social tools
that are available today at a cost effective rate compared to traditional approaches.
The rapid diffusion of social media applications is ushering in new possibilities for
nonprofit organizations, such as communicating and engaging with their targeted audiences (Nah
& Saxton, 2012). The ability for any organization, particularly nonprofits, to adopt cutting-edge
social media technologies presents substantial opportunities for more level playing field. It also
potentially changes the game with respect to the types of resources and capacities organizations
need and the strategies they may adopt in order to successfully capitalize on their social media
presence (Nah & Saxton, 2012 p. 2).
These sites are free and have built-in interactivity. Any organization big or small can
create a site and start building a network of relationships with who they are in most real time
contact with. According to a new study conducted from the Case Foundation and Social Media
for Nonprofits, when asked how many nonprofits engage their communities with social media,
out of nearly 500 nonprofits surveyed, it was conducted that 74 percent of nonprofits use social
networks as a megaphone to announce events, activities and sharing organization-centric
information (Creedon, 2014). Social media are not only changing the way nonprofits exemplify
their messages to their targeted audiences, but also social media are fundamentally changing the
way these organizations interact with donors and potential donors through fundraising efforts.
Donors and Funding

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Nonprofit organizations depend on the financial support of individuals and corporate
donors. Building a relationship with donors helps move an organization from one-time
transactions to longer-term partnerships of exchanges. This helps build brand loyalty and
exchanges the possibility of future donations. According to Merchant, Ford, and Sargeant (2010),
it is increasingly recognized that not only should nonprofit organizations focus on cultivating
relationships with high-value donors, but also donors that give smaller amounts as well. In order
for organizations to keep donors and attract potential donors, organizations must provide
commitment, behavioral intentions, trust, and satisfaction.
What should a nonprofit organization do to cultivate its relationship with donors?
Reciprocity or thanking the donor is vital in maintaining high-quality donor relationships. This
can take many forms, the most evident being via social media platforms. Social media platforms
allow organizations to target and build these important relationships with donors. Social capital
theory posits, A donor who is connected to multiple causes of a nonprofit has stronger social
ties to the nonprofit through his or her multiple connection. Stronger ties to the nonprofit through
involvement with its multiple causes can reinforce a donors contribution to the nonprofit
(Khodakarami, Petersen, and Venkatesan, 2015 p.79). Furthermore, donors that are exposed to a
more extended network, such as Facebook, will be allowed to engage more frequently and feel a
sense of connection within the organization. This will lead to stronger ties and a trustworthy
relationship with donors. Presenting donors with choices on how to interact with organizations
will increase their perception on having a personal role in the organization and will increase
motivations to give to the organization.
In order to maintain mission related operations, nonprofits raise money in soliciting and
collecting money from individuals, businesses, and churches. Waters (2007) encourages

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nonprofit organizations to view the Internet as a channel to communicate their messages about
their missions and programs. By using the interactive functions that the social media provide
such as live chat, online surveys, videos, and ability to express thoughts and concerns through
comments or sharing, the organization will be able to determine what information a donor or
potential donor wants to see before making a donation to the organization. By being able to use
these media outlets to connect with donor pools on a personal level, it will provide for a more
effective and subjective way to raise funds.
During the summer of 2014, Facebook timelines were drenched in Ice Bucket
Challenge videos from millions of people around the world who were fundraising for Lou
Gehrigs disease. The idea of challenging people to either douse themselves in cold water or
donate to a charity may be one of the most powerful examples of the influence of social media.
With donations skyrocketing from July 25th through September 15th, the ALSA foundation
received over $114 million in donations and an incredible boost in social media following and
website visitations. Through this challenge, it has shown that with social media tools like
Facebook, it is possible to reach millions of people and teach them about health-related matters
(Yazdanifard, 2014, para. 6).
Facebook
Founded in 2004, Facebook is currently the biggest social networking service in the
world with 1.49 billion monthly active users (Smith, 20014). As a virtual social media platform,
Facebook offers an easy, cost free way for nonprofit organizations to communicate health
information and raise awareness without having to worry about funds. This social media
platform serves as a channel to promote products and services and form relationships that can be
used to promote growth within organizations and expand upon donors and awareness. A recent

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national survey by the Pew Research Center indicated that more than half of U.S. adults seek
health information on the Internet and that one-fifth use Facebook to receive updates about
health issues (Park, Rodgers & Stemmle, 2011). A core component of Facebook is the public
display of personalized user profiles and user connections. According to Park et al. (2011),
organizations and individual users can take advantage of self-presentation tools offered by
Facebook to enhance their images and broaden connections with other users. This is where the
idea of engagement comes into play. When using Facebook, organizations can post in order to
reach out to their targeted audiences and receive a response. Responses such as a like, retweet,
comment, or share are all examples of social media engagement and can increase social
visibility. For instance, when communicating with consumers via Facebook through wall posts
or comments, it enables users to engage with the organization while expressing their likes and
dislikes, while also being able to share content with other people in the social media realm. This
is an opportunity for nonprofit organizations to grow while also having the chance to make
improvements to benefit the organization when needed. With the growing rates of people joining
Facebook daily, this provides a major opportunity to connect with targeted audiences. Facebook
provides public features such as the market place, groups, events, and pages. All of these features
allow users to post, interact with one another, publicize events, and build pages around a specific
topic. Organizations can upload pictures or videos about past events or can use them as a
promotional tool to attract audiences for an upcoming event.
Strategies/Tactics
Targeted Audiences
The key targeted market demographics for this project will be men and women between
the ages of 35 and 65. These men and women are mostly from counties in Alabama but also from

12

Mississippi and Northwestern Florida. A secondary audience that will be targeted through
Facebook posts will consist of friends, family and other residents of the Mobile area who wish to
gain awareness and learn about giving opportunities at Victory Health Partners.
Timeline
This project was completed with a week-by-week schedule to ensure that all deadlines
were met on time and tasks were completed as efficiently as possible. Before the project planner
could start the project, research on nonprofit organizations in Mobile, Alabama. was needed. The
next step was to choose a nonprofit organization and become familiar with their desires, mission,
and purpose. The project planner, Bridget Duffy, and Victory Health Partners Development
Director, Kim Garrett met to discuss and create a set of goals to be fulfilled for Victory Health
Partners (Appendix A). The next step was to create a scope of work that would benefit the
organization from August to November. The project planner decided to create a social media
campaign aimed towards raising awareness and increasing the organizations online presence
through Facebook. The project planner also incorporated and organized a small fundraising and
awareness event.
Week 1, the project planner met with Victory Health Partners social media director,
Brandon Everheart, to agree upon what type of content to post on social media throughout the
campaign and defined the targeted audience (Appendix B). The next step was to find a location
to have the fundraising event, pick a date, and decide when exactly to start the social media
campaign.
Week 2, the project planner researched the success of Facebook and information about
what times were most efficient to post content. The next step was to become familiar with the

13

organizations Facebook page and gain a better understanding of the course and expectations for
the final project.
Week 3, the project planner carefully studied secondary research about the project while
using Burke Library databases to begin searching for sources to use towards the annotated
bibliography and final paper. Afterwards, research was gathered about peer-reviewed articles
regarding social media, nonprofit organizations and fundraising. Next, the project planner
became an administrator on the Facebook page and began a starting point for recording
measurements before the official start of the campaign. The project planner then began to
monitor and record numbers of page likes, reach, and engagement to be documented and
conveyed during the final weeks of the project.
Week 4, before the social media campaign could begin, the project planner allowed one
week to create a list of goals, objectives, strategies, and tactics that would be used towards the
event and social media campaign as a way to fulfill goals and meet deadlines. (Appendix C).
Next, the project planner met with Spring Hill College staff member, Stacy Wellborn, to help
implement these efforts sufficiently (Appendix D.) The content for the Facebook page was
finalized and approved error free by social media director, Brandon Everheart.
Week 5, September 21, 2015, the social media campaign began and the date, time, and
location of the fundraising event were finalized. At the end of the campaign, the project planner
asked the audience via SurveyMonkey, Where do you receive the most information about
Victory Health Partners? The project planner anticipated that the audience would say Facebook;
this will show the effectiveness of the campaign and the power Facebook has when reaching out
a selected audience. Every Thursday, the project planner with the assistance of Brandon
Everheart interviewed a staff member to post on behalf of the Facebook page. If there happened

to be technological issues, the project planner planned for the official launch date to be the
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following day, September 22nd. The project planner took measurements of Facebook, and if there
was no positive feedback, the project planner reevaluated the content to meet the planned
expectations. The social media campaign lasted roughly around four weeks with postings
everyday leading up to the event. The project planner monitored the page for an additional week
to measure if the results maintained the same or changed.
Week 6, the project planner created a Facebook cover photo on canva.com to use as a
promotional tool for the fundraising event and also created a inspirational photo to use towards
promoting the event (Appendix E and F). Next, the project planner met with Pastor Mark Rudd
to explore Mars Hill Church, the venue for the fundraising event (Appendix G). The project
planner and Pastor Mark sat down and discussed the chronological order of the service with the
highlights featuring Victory Health Partners. It was noted that if for some reason the event
needed to be cancelled on behalf of the church or Victory Health Partners, the back-up date
would be the following weekend Sunday, October 25, 2015.
In week 7, the project planner continued to post content to the Facebook page five days a
week while promoting the event once a week. While continuing to track likes, reach and
engagement through Facebook Insights, the project planner kept in close contact with the client
to keep them updated on the progress. The event planner spent time with fellow classmate, Chris
Portie, to edit an inspirational video that was used for the event. The video was edited on Final
Cut Pro located in the IMC. If for some reason the video did not work at the event, the project
planner created a back-up video on a flash drive. The project planner also created a slide show
that played before and after the service to use as another source of awareness (Appendix H).

15

In week 8, the project planner, with the assistance of Kim Garrett and Brandon Everheart
hosted a Victory Sunday. The event consisted of a regular service with a focus on Victory
Health Partners. A short two-minute video was shown and also a slideshow was presented. A
table was set up for guests to learn more about the organization, be presented with volunteer
opportunities, and had a chance to make a financial contribution.
Week 9, the project planner measured the results of the social media campaign and use
those numbers to create a chart for the final paper and presentation. The project planner
anticipated a 20 percent increase in page likes and a 10 percent increase in reach and engagement
which will be used to draw conclusions for showing that social media is effective in raising
awareness, volunteers, and increasing funds. The project planner also recorded how much money
was raised along with writing the final paper.
Week 10, the project planner began focusing on ways to present the project. Next, the
project planner took all analytics from Facebook Insights and from the event to include in the
final presentation and evaluate the results to see if the expectations of the project planner were
met. The project planner carefully reviewed all Facebook posts that were posted throughout the
length of the project and finished recording the results of the campaign. If the goals were not
been met, the project planner provided ways that the project could have been geared differently.
Week 11, the project planner met with secondary advisor, Sharee Broussard, to go over
all materials before completing the final paper. The project planner then distributed an online
Facebook survey via Survey Monkey containing three questions about social media to help the
project planner measure more effective results from the social media campaign (Appendix I).
The finishing touches were made by the project planner and peer reviewed by classmates at the
CAE center on Spring Hill Colleges campus (Appendix J).

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Week 12, the final copy of the project was submitted. Next, the project was presented on
the assigned date of November 23, 2015 while using Prezi.com if for some reason there were
technical issues, there was a back up copy made with Microsoft PowerPoint to use.
Materials and Budget
The materials used for this project were very cost effective. The materials included prayer
cards, contact cards, and thank you cards. Each was provided on behalf of the organization. The
shipping of each letter was the only item that came out of Victory Health Partners budget.
Evaluation
The results for this project were measured through Facebook Insights and
SurveyMonkey. Analytics were evaluated from September 21, 2015 through October 23, 2015.
The project planner monitored the page but did not post until October 28, 2015 to see if the page
was remaining consistent with the results from the campaign. Throughout the four-week project
period, the project planner was able to see results, but mostly noticed the page either remaining
consistent or increasing throughout the course of the campaign.
Facebook Insights
The project planner began evaluating Victory Health Partners Facebook page two weeks
before the actual campaign started. This way, the project planner would be able to compare and
measure the results for the project more effectively. Within the first week of posting the project
planner was able to see results. Originally, the page had a total of 1,410 likes as of September 1,
2015. The Facebook page successfully raised awareness about Victory Health Partners but did
not reach project planners goal. The project planners biggest concern was how are people that

17

have never heard about the organization going to find out about the Facebook page? The project
planner began to share posts on behalf of her personal Facebook page and would tag other
organizations that were mentioned in the Facebook posts. This allowed for the content to be
spread across a wider audience of people, thus raising likes and awareness. The page received an
increase in likes by ten percent from September 1, 2015 through October 28, 2015 with a steady
increase of one percent post campaign (See Appendix K for screen shot of Facebook likes). The
reason the project planner was concerned with measuring likes was because it was a sign of
awareness towards the organization. People who liked the page throughout the campaign will
now have the opportunity to be aware of everything happening within the organization. The
audience will be aware of upcoming events, pictures, videos, and any other news posted on
behalf of the organization. The project planner noticed a steady average of four new page likes
per day. This resulted in a total of 140 new Facebook likes from pre campaign to post campaign.
This trend suggest that the page will continue to see an increase in their page likes and will
continue to attract a wider audience to the organization.
The project planner and Brandon Everheart posted between one and two times a day,
everyday, throughout the course of the campaign. All posts that were posted on behalf of the
organization were organic, meaning that there were no paid or boosted posts. The content posted
throughout the campaign ranged from spiritual posts, volunteer and staff stories, accomplishments
within the organization, and information about Victory Sunday. Throughout the course of the
campaign, 30 posts were posted in total (see Appendix L for posts). The average reach in the 33
days prior to the campaign was approximately 365 reaches per day. The project planner created a
goal to increase the reach by a minimum of ten percent throughout the campaign. With the average
pre-campaign of 365, the project planner made a goal of at least 400 reaches per day in average.

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The project planner surpassed this goal, with an average of 901 reaches per day throughout the
course of the campaign. The lowest number of people reached was 16 and the highest number of
people reached was 5,572 (Appendix M). The project planner noticed a significant amount of reach
take place whenever volunteer and staff posts were posted. This trend lasted throughout the course
of the campaign while carrying out through post campaign. Based off of results, by tagging the
volunteer or staff member in their post, it allowed for a greater audience to be reached, such as
friends of friends and family members. The reason the project planner was concerned with
measuring reach was because the objective of the project was to increase awareness, donors, and
funding. Therefore, it was important that the messages posted on behalf of the organization reached
a larger and wider audience, rather than only seen by a few people a day. The reach of each post
was also crucial to the turnout received at Victory Sunday. By maintaining a high reach with each
post, the project planner was able to reach a large audience, which added to the success of Victory
Sunday.
The project planner anticipated a ten percent increase in engagement (likes, comments, and
shares) throughout the campaign. The average engagement in the 33 days prior to the campaign was
approximately 60 engagements per day. With intent to raise engagement by ten percent, the project
planner created a goal of 66.43 engagements to average throughout the campaign. The project
planner exceeded this goal, reaching an average of 103 engagements per day throughout the course
of the 33- day campaign (Appendix N). Every post that was posted by the project planner received
some type of engagement. The project planner noticed that the targeted audience showed the most
engagement towards videos and posts that revealed some type of emotional connection or pull, such
as a staff or volunteer story. Analytics show that Victory Health Partners strongest types of posts
are videos and the weakest posts are statuses (Appendix O). The majority of the project planners

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posts throughout the campaign were Facebook statuses. After measuring the results, the project
planner was able to determine that engagement could have increased even more if there were a
more variety of posts. The project planners demographics also ranged from the ages of 35 and 65
years of age. This made it difficult for the project planner to connect with the audience and keep
them engaged in information that would be most appealing to them due to the significant age gap.
Victory Sunday
On October 18, 2015 the project planner along with assistance from Kim Garrett and
Brandon Everheart effectively implemented Victory Health Partners first Victory Sunday at Mars
Hill Church. The event consisted of a regular service with a theme concentrating on Victory Health
Partners services that are provided to the Mobile Community. The audience was shown an
inspirational video and was presented with a short speech from the pastor about the duties and
accomplishments that are executed by Victory Health Partners. Everyone at the service was given a
complimentary bookmark and contact card on behalf of the organization in order to gain and spread
awareness. After the service ended, guests from the service had a chance to donate, sign up to
volunteer, and learn more about the organization. People also had a chance to donate online through
the organizations website that Sunday if they were not able to make the event. Everyone who made
a donation online received a handwritten thank you letter in the mail. The purpose of this was not
only to thank the donor for their contribution, but also to maintain a long-term relationship with the
donor, which will encourage future giving.
The project planner anticipated on raising awareness, funds, donors, and volunteers at the
event. In total, there were over 400 people that attended the event and are now aware of the services
that Victory Health Partners provides. A total of $193 was collected at the event from current and
new donors, surpassing the goal of the project planner. Due to an extensive network of volunteers

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and donors, Victory Health Partners is able to provide patients with 25 in services for every onedollar donated. With the money raised at the event, a total of $4, 825 will be provided in services
towards this organization. A total of four new volunteers were also gained from the event. The
project planner promoted this event strictly through Facebook. The project planner offered an
anonymous survey on the table after the event to receive honest feedback. The majority of the
people who took the survey said that Facebook brought them to the event, thus showing the
effectiveness of social media and the campaign. The project planner and the people of Victory
Health partners were overjoyed with the success from the event and look forward to making it a
tradition in the near future.
Survey Monkey
The project planner administered an anonymous quantitative survey via Facebook to receive
feedback from the targeted audience after the campaign that could be used for future use by the
organization. The survey consisted of three questions each pertaining to social media and the
organization. A total of 24 respondents contributed feedback towards the survey. The first
questioned asked was, Where do you receive the most information about Victory Health
Partners? 83.33% of people said Facebook, 4.17% said Google, 12.50% said the organizations
website, and %0. 00 said Twitter and other. The purpose of this question was to detect the exact
channel in which the audience receives majority of their information about the organization. The
results of this question show how powerful and effective Facebook is towards relaying information
to targeted audiences. The second question asked was, What other forms of social media would
you find beneficial towards our organization? 9.0% said a blog site, 50.00% said Instagram,
13.64% said LinkedIn and 27.27% said Google+. The purpose of this question was to be used as a
way to expand the social media presence of the organization. With only using Facebook as its main

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source of information, the project planner thought it would be beneficial to propose this question
and gather information that can be used towards the organization in the future. The third question
asked was, Do you find social media to be effective when learning about Victory Health
Partners? 91.30% said yes, 0.00% said no and 8.70% said neutral (Appendix P). The purpose of
this question was to show the effectiveness of social media, especially towards the organization.
Allowing the audience to interact and express their feelings towards the organization will increase
perception on having a particular role with the organization and will upsurge motivations to give.
The results of the survey prove that social media is effective and beneficial towards Victory Health
Partners, while also showing room for expansion in the social media realm. All results are available
upon request by the organization.
Conclusion
Discussion
Nonprofit organizations are constantly looking for new and refreshing ways to reach out to
their targeted audiences. With technology rapidly changing each day, this can often be an issue
when it comes to keeping up with the fast pace changes while making sure your messages are still
effective and maintain interest by the audience.
The project planner used the theoretical underpinning of The Media Richness Theory as a
basis for all of the research. The focus of media richness theory in this project was to gauge how
rich or lean a media is for communicating and therefore which media should be used
(Cordialism, 2011). According to secondary research, by providing a rich medium with a variety
of cues, the higher the effectiveness of communication will occur. Facebook allowed the project
planner to execute all four cues of this theory throughout the process of the campaign. Since this
theory was purposed, social media has been added to be one of the richest forms of

communication. This theory explains why the targeted audience was responded positively
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towards social media and found it very effective. Choosing Facebook as the source of media for
this project resulted positively because it is a rich social media platform. Thus, the richer the
media, the more effective the communication level will be.
Through secondary research the project planner has learned the struggles that nonprofit
organizations are up against each day. At the beginning of the project, the project planner
questioned, How can the use of social media positively effect nonprofit organizations
awareness, donors and fundraising efforts? The project successfully determined that the use of
social media could have a positive effect on nonprofit organizations. Results of the project
indicated that awareness, donors, funding, and even volunteers increased due to social media,
particularly Facebook. It can be concluded that Facebook is extremely beneficial to nonprofit
organizations.
It is important to note that Victory Health Partners is a small nonprofit organization; the
results of this nonprofit organization may not have been the case for a larger nonprofit
organization. The results of this project can be used to persuade other nonprofit organizations to
think differently about the way social media campaigns are formed and the way awareness about
their organizations can be spread. Although this project was shown to be successful it is
important to consider: What would the results of been if the campaign took place over a longer
period of time or with another nonprofit organization? Stacy Wellborn also provided feedback
about the project, which allowed to the project planner to measure the value of success and take
note of things that could have been approached differently (Appendix Q).

Reflection
23

At the finish line of my senior seminar project I can honestly say this was the most
satisfying class I have taken this far throughout my education. From the first day of class to the
last day, I felt a sense of confidence that I had never felt in myself before. While synthesizing
what I have learned in Communication Arts over the past four years, it made me realize how
much I love my major and made me very excited for the future. Not only did I learn the
importance of research, meeting deadlines, and social media, but also I believe my biggest take
away from this class was the freedom and I felt over my project. I loved being the one to take
charge and be able to make my own decisions. This has prepared me for situations that I am
going to be facing in the real world and taught me how to deal with them professionally.
This class pushed me to be my very best and to prove to my professors, friends, and
family that I am capable of graduating in May of 2016. If I were to do this project over again I
would make it for a longer period of time and measure different types of social media. Based off
of the real world experience that I received, I will be able to show this project and share my
experiences with future employers. I am thankful and beyond blessed for the support and
encouragement that I have received from my classmates and professors throughout this
experience. I can honestly leave Spring Hill College saying that I enjoyed my senior seminar
experience.

24

References
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e-9780199975839-e-533
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doi:10.1002/nml.17

Appendices
Appendix A- Initial emails with Kim Garrett and project planner

Appendix B- Email regarding staff posts with Brandon Everheart
Appendix C- Chart of Objectives, Goals, and Strategies
Appendix D- Email regarding content that was discussed in meeting with Stacy Wellborn
Appendix E- Facebook Cover Photo created on canva.com
Appendix F- Inspirational Facebook photo created on canva.com
Appendix G- Email regarding venue confirmation and initial meeting
Appendix H- Victory Sunday Slideshow
Appendix I- Template of Survey Monkey Survey
Appendix J- CAE Confirmation Email
Appendix K-Screenshot and Chart of Facebook Likes
Appendix L- Posts throughout the Campaign
Appendix M Screenshot and Chart of Reach per day
Appendix N- Screenshot and Chart of Engagement per day
Appendix O- Screenshot of Average Reach on Facebook Page
Appendix P- SurveyMonkey Results
Appendix Q- Feedback from Stacy Wellborn
27


Appendix A
Initial Emails with Kim Garrett and project planner
28


29


Appendix B
Email regarding staff posts with Brandon Everheart
30


31


Appendix C
Chart of Objectives, Strategies, and Tactics
32


33

Goals: To create a social media campaign along with a Victory Sunday that will increase
awareness, donors, and funding while also creating an outlasting effect on Victory
Health Partners
Objectives
Strategies
Tactics
1. Increase awareness about
the organization through
Victory Sunday and the
campaign
-Create informative posts

-Encourage the audience to
share posts with family and
friends
2. Engage new and current

donors throughout the
length of the campaign
-Create enthusiasm
towards giving
-Provide the audience with
information about where
exactly their money is
going and whom it is
benefiting
-Provide optional ways
that donors can get
involved within the
organization
3. Raise a minimum of 150$

through Victory Sunday
-Encourage the audience to

make a financial
contribution online or at the
event throughout the length
of the campaign
-Create informative pieces

provide statistics through
posts, inspirational video at
event, distribute bookmarks
and prayer cards at the
event with the
organizations contact
information
-Create information that
will appeal to a wide
audience of people and
thank the current donors for
all of their contributions
and to encourage giving
towards the organization
-Thank you letters
-Provide a jar to make a

donation at event and
resources to make a
donation online through
victoryhealth.org

Appendix D
Email regarding content that was discussed in meeting with Stacy Wellborn
34


35


Appendix E
Facebook Cover Photo created on Canva.com
36


Victory Sunday!
37


Appendix F
Inspiration Facebook photo created on Canva.com
38


33 million people in our country

lack health insurance...
Its our turn to

make a difference!
39


Appendix G
Email regarding venue confirmation and initial meeting
40


41


Appendix H
Victory Sunday Slideshow
42


43

11/9/15%
1%
1%

Appendix I
Template of Survey Monkey
44


45


Appendix J
CAE Confirmation Email
46


47


Appendix K
Screenshot and Chart of Facebook Likes
48


49


September 1
1,410 Page Likes
September 8
1,410 Page Likes
September 21
1,446 Page Likes
September 25
1,468 Page Likes
October 2
1, 512 Page Likes
October 9
1,521 Page Likes
October 16
1,548 Page Likes
October 19
1,550 Page Likes
October 23
1,555 Page Likes
October 28
1,570 Page Likes
50


Appendix L
Posts throughout the campaign
51


52


53


Appendix M
Screenshot and Chart of Reach per day
54


55


33 Days Prior to Campaign
Date
Daily Total
Reach
8/19/15
3538
8/20/15
1522
8/21/15
864
8/22/15
216
8/23/15
58
8/24/15
307
8/25/15
64
8/26/15
646
8/27/15
550
8/28/15
398
8/29/15
85
8/30/15
29
8/31/15
401
9/1/15
320
9/2/15
73
9/3/15
838
9/4/15
1090
9/5/15
261
9/6/15
73
9/7/15
19
9/8/15
378
9/9/15
392
9/10/15
74
9/11/15
828
9/12/15
756
9/13/15
272
9/14/15
723
9/15/15
230
9/16/15
457
9/17/15
346
9/18/15
781
9/19/15
238
9/20/15
32
Average Reach
511
Average Reach +
561.967
10%
33 Day Campaign
Date
Daily Total
Reach
9/21/15
5572
9/22/15
1920
9/23/15
844
9/24/15
947
9/25/15
591
9/26/15
280
9/27/15
57
9/28/15
531
9/29/15
2528
9/30/15
1920
10/1/15
699
10/2/15
1374
10/3/15
1049
10/4/15
125
10/5/15
1061
10/6/15
600
10/7/15
577
10/8/15
795
10/9/15
480
10/10/15
159
10/11/15
16
10/12/15
287
10/13/15
2447
10/14/15
988
10/15/15
685
10/16/15
313
10/17/15
50
10/18/15
29
10/19/15
263
10/20/15
287
10/21/15
589
10/22/15
657
10/23/15
1003
Average Reach
901
56

Running head: PRODUCING A CHANGE IN NONPROFITS

Appendix N
Screenshot and Chart of Engagement per day
PRODUCING A CHANGE IN NONPROFITS

58

33 Days Prior to Campaign
Date
Daily Page
Engaged
Users
8/19/15
468
8/20/15
124
8/21/15
105
8/22/15
12
8/23/15
0
8/24/15
19
8/25/15
7
8/26/15
108
8/27/15
81
8/28/15
53
8/29/15
4
8/30/15
2
8/31/15
29
9/1/15
28
9/2/15
5
9/3/15
90
9/4/15
148
9/5/15
25
9/6/15
8
9/7/15
0
9/8/15
20
9/9/15
46
9/10/15
9
9/11/15
100
9/12/15
139
9/13/15
28
9/14/15
54
9/15/15
15
9/16/15
81
9/17/15
36
9/18/15
123
9/19/15
23
9/20/15
3
Average
60
Engagement
Average
66.43
Engagement + 10%
59
Date
33 Day Campaign
Daily Page
Engaged
Users
9/21/15
685
9/22/15
195
9/23/15
91
9/24/15
96
9/25/15
67
9/26/15
29
9/27/15
3
9/28/15
53
9/29/15
281
9/30/15
258
10/1/15
98
10/2/15
163
10/3/15
91
10/4/15
8
10/5/15
107
10/6/15
56
10/7/15
104
10/8/15
127
10/9/15
68
10/10/15
18
10/11/15
2
10/12/15
27
10/13/15
151
10/14/15
67
10/15/15
72
10/16/15
34
10/17/15
6
10/18/15
2
10/19/15
40
10/20/15
33
10/21/15
84
10/22/15
64
10/23/15
228
Average
103
Engagement

Appendix O
Strongest types of Post
60

61

Appendix P
SurveyMonkey Results
62

63

64

65

Appendix Q
Feedback from Stacy Wellborn
66

67

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RUNNING

HEAD: PRODUCING A CHANGE IN NONPROFITS

Producing a Change In Nonprofit Organizations:

RUNNING HEAD: PRODUCING A CHANGE IN NONPROFITS

RUNNING HEAD: PRODUCING A CHANGE IN NONPROFITS

Purpose and Underpinning

Social Media and Nonprofits

Donors and Funding

RUNNING HEAD: PRODUCING A CHANGE IN NONPROFITS

RUNNING HEAD: PRODUCING A CHANGE IN NONPROFITS

RUNNING HEAD: PRODUCING A CHANGE IN NONPROFITS

RUNNING HEAD: PRODUCING A CHANGE IN NONPROFITS

RUNNING HEAD: PRODUCING A CHANGE IN NONPROFITS

Donors and Funding

RUNNING HEAD: PRODUCING A CHANGE IN NONPROFITS

RUNNING HEAD: PRODUCING A CHANGE IN NONPROFITS

RUNNING HEAD: PRODUCING A CHANGE IN NONPROFITS

RUNNING HEAD: PRODUCING A CHANGE IN NONPROFITS

RUNNING HEAD: PRODUCING A CHANGE IN NONPROFITS

RUNNING HEAD: PRODUCING A CHANGE IN NONPROFITS

RUNNING HEAD: PRODUCING A CHANGE IN NONPROFITS

RUNNING HEAD: PRODUCING A CHANGE IN NONPROFITS

RUNNING HEAD: PRODUCING A CHANGE IN NONPROFITS

RUNNING HEAD: PRODUCING A CHANGE IN NONPROFITS

RUNNING HEAD: PRODUCING A CHANGE IN NONPROFITS

RUNNING HEAD: PRODUCING A CHANGE IN NONPROFITS

RUNNING HEAD: PRODUCING A CHANGE IN NONPROFITS

RUNNING HEAD: PRODUCING A CHANGE IN NONPROFITS

RUNNING HEAD: PRODUCING A CHANGE IN NONPROFITS

RUNNING HEAD: PRODUCING A CHANGE IN NONPROFITS

RUNNING HEAD: PRODUCING A CHANGE IN NONPROFITS

RUNNING HEAD: PRODUCING A CHANGE IN NONPROFITS

RUNNING HEAD: PRODUCING A CHANGE IN NONPROFITS

Appendix A- Initial emails with Kim Garrett and project planner

RUNNING HEAD: PRODUCING A CHANGE IN NONPROFITS

RUNNING HEAD: PRODUCING A CHANGE IN NONPROFITS

RUNNING HEAD: PRODUCING A CHANGE IN NONPROFITS

RUNNING HEAD: PRODUCING A CHANGE IN NONPROFITS

RUNNING HEAD: PRODUCING A CHANGE IN NONPROFITS

RUNNING HEAD: PRODUCING A CHANGE IN NONPROFITS

-Create informative posts

2. Engage new and current

3. Raise a minimum of 150$

-Encourage the audience to

-Create informative pieces

-Provide a jar to make a

RUNNING HEAD: PRODUCING A CHANGE IN NONPROFITS

RUNNING HEAD: PRODUCING A CHANGE IN NONPROFITS

RUNNING HEAD: PRODUCING A CHANGE IN NONPROFITS

RUNNING HEAD: PRODUCING A CHANGE IN NONPROFITS

RUNNING HEAD: PRODUCING A CHANGE IN NONPROFITS

RUNNING HEAD: PRODUCING A CHANGE IN NONPROFITS

33 million people in our country

Its our turn to

RUNNING HEAD: PRODUCING A CHANGE IN NONPROFITS

RUNNING HEAD: PRODUCING A CHANGE IN NONPROFITS

RUNNING HEAD: PRODUCING A CHANGE IN NONPROFITS

RUNNING HEAD: PRODUCING A CHANGE IN NONPROFITS

RUNNING HEAD: PRODUCING A CHANGE IN NONPROFITS

RUNNING HEAD: PRODUCING A CHANGE IN NONPROFITS

RUNNING HEAD: PRODUCING A CHANGE IN NONPROFITS

RUNNING HEAD: PRODUCING A CHANGE IN NONPROFITS