How to Harness the Power of Pinterest for Your Nonprofit

If your nonprofit isn't on the social media site Pinterest yet, you're missing a wonderful opportunity to communicate in a unique way with people who share the same passion and desire as you and your organization.

The power and emotion an image can convey transcends a simple written message in ways you can't even imagine, and when it comes to drumming up donations and supporters for your nonprofit, Pinterest can be a powerfully effective tool.

If you're not familiar with how the social media giant works, here's a quick rundown. Pinterest is all about pinning images to create a board of like items. Many people use it for recipes or crafts, laying out all the beautiful images on a board that is easy to view and search through.

However, Pinterest isn't just for crafters and foodies! It's about capturing an idea through images and sharing it with the world, and what better way to capture the very essence of your nonprofit's mission than with images.

Of course, it's helpful if your nonprofit deals with a visual cause. The easiest example is animal rescue. By pinning images of the animals your organization helps, it shows potential donors the good you're doing with heartwarming pictures they can see and share with their friends and family.

There are many nonprofits out there already taking advantage of the creative way Pinterest allows users to communicate. Amnesty International currently has 21 boards ranging from Human Rights Quotes to Human Rights Books to Human Rights Events. You can see their profile here: http://www.pinterest.com/AmnestyOnline/

Creating a Pinterest account for your nonprofit is free and easy and now, Pinterest offers business accounts with a category for nonprofits so you can manage your boards with a team of users.

To create an account for your nonprofit, simply go to http://business.pinterest.com/ and click on "Join as a Business."

Once your account is created, take some time to think about the boards you want to create and how you want to organize your images.

Do you have images from a particular event or is there a topic you want to educate people on? Don't feel like you need to only use your images either! Feel free to pin images from other people's boards if they align themselves well with your own board's message.

Pinterest has become one of the fastest growing social media sites out there and it's easy to see why. With such a visual way to reach your potential supporters, your nonprofit can truly benefit from the tools available on this social site. So create your account today and get pinning!