How to Create a Facebook Page for Your Non-Profit

If you're one of those few people who have managed to avoid creating a Facebook account, you may want to reconsider, especially when it comes to the success of your non-profit. Facebook has quickly become one of the most successful venues for non-profits to fundraise and interact with their donors and volunteers in a fun, personal manner.

The Humane Society of the United States raises more than $200,000 each year from their Facebook efforts alone and focuses about 70% of all their social media efforts solely on Facebook.

Facebook is a proven, viable market for non-profits to drum up additional donations and if you're not taking advantage of this social network yet, you're missing out.

Here's how to set up your non-profit's facebook account in just a few easy steps.

Step 1: Create a Facebook Account. If you don't have a Facebook account already, it's time to join the masses and get on board. Just go to www.facebook.com to sign up.

Step 2. Create a Facebook Non Profit Page. Once you have created your facebook account, you need to Create a Page for your non-profit. Go to https://www.facebook.com/pages/create/ to get started. Click on "Cause or Community."

Step 3. Fill in Your Non-Profit's Information. Fill in your Non-Profit's name in the blank and agree to the Facebook terms. You'll then be asked to fill in additional information about your non-profit such as a brief description and a website.

Step 4. Upload a Profile Image. Your profile image must be at least 180 x 180 pixels. This is a great place to put your non-profit's logo. Click here for some additional resources from Facebook's help section on setting up your profile image.

Step 5. Upload a Cover Photo. Once your page is created, you have the option of uploading a cover image. This is the larger image that appears at the top of your page. This is a great place to put an image that represents your cause. The image size must be 851 x 315 and the image should be less than 100 kilobytes. Click here for more information on setting up your cover photo.

Step 6. Plan Interesting Content and Post! Now that your page is ready, it's time to start using it. Having a general plan about the kind of information you'd like to post is generally a good idea. You want to create a place where donors and volunteers who are passionate about your cause can come and discover current information about your non-profit. Feel free to post about any events or drives that you are currently running. Have fun with it!

Step 6. Invite People to Like Your Page. Get the word out about your page! Whether by inviting people through Facebook, word of mouth, or email, it's important that you continue to drive people to your non-profit's Facebook page.

Creating a Facebook page for your non-profit may seem like an intimidating task if you're not very tech savvy, but it's actually a very simple process. If you are feeling uneasy about it or want help, you can always ask a friend or relative who's familiar with Facebook to help.There are also many companies who offer social media services, such as creating and managing your Facebook page for you.

5 Essential Questions to Ask Before You Start a Non-Profit

So you want to start a new non-profit. Congratulations! It can certainly be one of the most rewarding and life-changing moments of your life when you see your efforts make a difference in the world.

However, starting a new non-profit is never easy, so before you rush into anything, here are five essential questions you need to ask yourself to make sure you're making the right decision.

1. Do You Have the Skills to Start a Non-Profit? Running a non-profit is just like running a business. It takes an organized, creative, hard-working individual who's comfortable with all the requirements of running a financially sound and entrepreneurial-driven organization. You'll need to coordinate volunteers, track donations, attract donors and investors, create a marketing strategy, and much, much more. Make sure that you are prepared for the heavy-lifting before you start your new non-profit.

2. Is Your Cause Unique? Chances are, your cause may already be claimed by another non-profit in your area so do your research to check to make sure you're not duplicating efforts with someone else. If there is someone already working with your desired cause, consider joining forces with that organization instead of going through all the hardship to start your own non-profit.

3. Do You Have a Mission Statement? Before you begin your new non-profit, you need to formulate a clear mission statement that conveys your organization's purpose. This helps you stay on track as well as lets people know what your organization does and who or what it's helping.

4. Do You Have Help? Attracting volunteers to your cause is a vital piece of non-profit success. Starting a non-profit on your own is a tough situation, and it's better to find a few savvy people who believe in your cause to help get the organization off the ground.

5. Do You Qualify as a Non-Profit Legally? Filing the proper paperwork to officially be recognized as a 501(c)(3) non-profit can involve a lot of legwork and waiting, so before you begin this arduous process, it's best to make sure you qualify as a genuine non-profit. A non-profit cannot be created for anyone's personal gain or be for the benefit of a political party. It must be a true charitable organization dedicated to serving the greater good.

If mulling over the above questions hasn't caused you to have second thoughts about starting your new non-profit, then you're ready to get started, and the team here at DataIdeal is ready and willing to help you take those first steps!

3 Common Mistakes Non-Profit Startups Make

When you're extremely passionate about a particular non-profit cause, it can be easy to imagine that your success as a non-profit will be made on your devotion alone.

However, if you rush into founding your non-profit, without doing proper due diligence, you'll soon see that starting a non-profit organization isn't as easy as it looks. Here are three common mistakes that most startup non-profits make and ways to avoid them.

 1. Not Having a Business Plan. Starting a non-profit is very much like starting a business. It begins with a passionate desire to do good for your cause, but can quickly lead you to disaster if you don't plan properly. Having a good, solid business plan can help you formulate your mission and set goals that can endure when you're feeling overwhelmed. It's not enough to want to make a difference in the world; you need to know exactly how you're going to make that difference and who's going to help you, and what each person is going to be responsible for. A non-profit business plan is the first step to being successful.

For help with a business plan, check out the SBA's site on Creating Your Business Plan. 

 2. No Financial Organization or Planning. Starting a non-profit isn't easy, and many people fall prey to underestimating the startup costs because they didn't plan a budget or create any type of financial organization when they first began. However, with the proper tools to help track your donations and expenses, as well as a simple budget of all your monthly expenses, you'll be prepared for any financial burdens that may be in store for your non-profit.

Start your free 30-day trial with DataIdeal today!

 3. No Marketing Plan. Your non-profit depends on the generosity of donors, but without a marketing plan, how will you ever attract people to your cause? How will you convince people that your cause is the one deserving of giving? Having a marketing plan will greatly increase your chances of success. If you don't know much about marketing, consider taking some classes or enlisting the aid of a professional marketer who might be willing to brainstorm some ideas with you.

For help creating a marketing plan, visit the SBA's site on Developing a Marketing Plan.

Starting a non-profit is never easy, but with the right amount of planning and determination, you'll see your non-profit started on the road to success in no time.