Chattanooga: United Way taps Facebook popularity

One of the most interesting aspects of Facebook, according to Kelley Nave of the United Way of Greater Chattanooga, is that it’s sticky — it attracts others.

In an effort to reach volunteers and potential donors, the local organization has begun using the popular online social networking site.

Facebook is “a great way to connect to new audiences,” Ms. Nave said. “The point of (United Way) using all social media is finding a way of reaching traditional donors through other means than the traditional workplace campaign.”

Typical of people the organization might reach through Facebook are young people in entry-level jobs, new graduates not yet in the work force and college students, she said.

“For this generation, a career path is not going to look like a career path in the past,” Ms. Nave said. “They don’t communicate like people did in the past. If we want to start to build a relationship with them now ... so they understand what we do, then we have to communicate and interact and connect and build a relationship on their level.”

Ms. Nave said the local United Way maintains two pages on Facebook. One — listed under United Way of Greater Chattanooga — is a general, or fan, page. The other — listed as United Way’s Invest in Children — is under the network’s separately maintained Causes application.

Nonprofit organizations such as United Way can have up to three Facebook pages, according to Ms. Nave. The Causes page, unlike the network’s other applications, is available exclusively for nonprofit groups and can be used for fundraising, she said.

“It’s reputable, and that’s very important,” Ms. Nave said. “(Users) have to abide by fundraising rules and ethics.”

Since the Facebook pages went up in May, the Invest in Children Causes page has 65 members and has generated $100 in donations, she said.

The donations were unsolicited but appreciated, Ms. Nave said. The organization hasn’t pursued fundraising aggressively through the page but may do so in the future, she said.

The local United Way is in the midst of its annual community campaign. Officials hope to equal or better the record $11.9 million the campaign raised in 2007.

Tracy Windeknecht, manager of special projects at Girls Inc., said she has been a regular Facebook user since it was launched and found the local United Way’s Causes page while online several weeks ago. She said she was drawn to the mention that donations went to after-school and mentoring programs and since has recruited five people to become members of the site.

“I think it’s a great way to get people my age (25), people younger than me and people older than me involved,” she said. “It’s a huge social networking movement.”

Local United Way officials had discussed the use of social media before the parent United Way of America launched the United Way Challenge for its chapters on June 21, Ms. Nave said.

The three-part challenge suggested United Way chapters get on Facebook; feature a cause and invite people to participate; have members recruit others; and work with young people and other interested people to create a Day of Action in the community or on campuses, according to Mike Brooks, manager of campus and young adult engagement for the parent organization.

The United Way also offered a series of training Web seminars for its chapters.

“We’re learning more about (the importance of using Facebook) every day and (its assistance in) advancing the common good in education, income and health,” Mr. Brooks said. “The only way to accomplish that is by inviting everyone in.”