How do I use social media for my charity?

Pick one or two channels, tell human stories, post regularly and make sharing easy. That is how a small charity can use social media without burning out.

Use social media for your charity by choosing one or two channels where your audience really is, showing people and stories rather than just appeals, posting regularly, and making it easy for supporters to share your posts. Small and sustainable beats big and silent after two months.

Where do you start?

First ask yourself one question: what do I want people to do after seeing my post? Donate, attend an event, volunteer, read your newsletter? Each goal fits a different channel and tone. Without a goal you are posting by guesswork.

Choose your channels carefully

Facebook: good for local communities, events and older audiences.
Instagram: visual, ideal for short clips of your work and the people in it.
LinkedIn: handy for businesses, sponsors and professional networks.
WhatsApp and email: not social media in the strict sense, but often where gifts actually happen, through people forwarding your link.

Short on time? Pick one and do it well. You do not need to be everywhere. In the M+R Benchmarks 2026, 74% of nonprofits were on YouTube and 43% on TikTok, and the number of followers on Twitter/X fell by 3%.

Tell stories, not slogans

Practice guides, including those from the Stanford Social Innovation Review, have long stressed that people respond to individual stories. Show one person, one place, one change. Always get permission for photos, especially of children or vulnerable people, and respect the rules on image rights and privacy.

Make a simple plan

Pick three themes a month (a story, a result, a question or appeal).
Spread them over the weeks, for example two or three posts a week.
Write or schedule them once a week in a single session.
Reply to comments within a day. That is the actual "social" part.

Let others post for you

Your own reach is small. Your supporters' reach is much bigger. Give them ready-made images, a clear link and a sample text, and ask them outright to share. Campaigns where people start their own fundraising page for you often beat your own posts, because friends are asking friends.

Measure what works

Each month, look at which posts brought the most replies, clicks and gifts. Do more of what works and drop what nobody notices. Use a separate link per channel so you know where a gift came from.

Mistakes that are easy to avoid

Five mistakes are common: only asking for money, too many channels, no clear link, ignoring comments and sharing personal data.

Only asking for money. Alternate with news, thanks and behind-the-scenes images.
Too many channels at once. One channel that lives beats five that gather dust.
No clear link. Put a clear link to your donation page or sign-up in every post, or interest evaporates.
Ignoring comments. Someone who asks a question and gets no reply drops off, and others notice.
Sharing personal data. Do not name people or give details without their explicit permission.

Also ask your board and volunteers to follow, like and above all share your posts. It looks small, but early reactions help a post travel further.

In WeGlow

A WeGlow page includes a share button with Facebook, LinkedIn, WhatsApp and a copy-link option, so supporters can share your campaign in a few taps. With community fundraising, supporters start their own fundraising page for your campaign or event. And Glowie can rewrite a fundraiser story in a personal, professional or urgent tone; your own version is kept until you confirm.

How often should I post?

Two or three times a week that you can keep up beats daily for a month and then silence. Consistency matters more than volume.

Do I need to pay for ads?

Not to begin with. Grow organically first and learn what works, then put a small budget behind a post that already performs.

Can I use photos of people?

Only with permission. Ask in writing and keep the record, especially for minors.

Sources

Stanford Social Innovation Review: articles on storytelling and communication for non-profits.
GivingTuesday: examples of how organisations get supporters to share and join in.
Belgian Data Protection Authority: guidance on privacy and images.
M+R Benchmarks 2026, social media and influencers: share of nonprofits per platform and follower growth (checked on 3 October 2026).
WeGlow features: checked in the WeGlow code on 2 October 2026.