Pinterest for Nonprofits: 5 Tips for Raising Money with “Pins”

I have to admit when the whole Pinterest thing started, I thought to myself, “Oh great, now the internet is making me feel guilty about not putting my kids pictures in cute little scrapbooks.”

I just couldn’t see the business application.

Nor could I see how the nonprofits I work with would have time for yet another social network to their already hard enough social media struggle.

Really, Pinterest for Nonprofits?

Yet, where there is a will, there is a way. And Opportunity International found a way.

By launching a very creative campaign designed around “pay to pin”, the group hopes to raise money to help their mission of providing small loans to poor women overseas. This – and some of these other ideas – may set a blueprint for how other nonprofits can use this exploding technology.

Here are 5 Ways You Can Raise Money with Pins.

Once you’ve read these make sure to check out the full story on Opportunity International.

1. If you are a humane society: Pin pictures of animals available for adoption. You could broaden this to include pins of people playing with their pets, new adoptions, shelter staff and volunteers, etc. Get creative by learning how to tell your story through pictures.
2. Do you have a thrift store: Put your sales items up every week. Research is showing that Pinterest users have above average incomes and are mostly women between the ages of 25 – 54. Wow – talk about demographic specific. AND the new social network is projected to account for 40% of all social media purchases. Start pinning your sale items on a regular basis.
3. Looking for a way to thank your volunteers and donors? Pin a thank you page. Take pictures of all your staff holding thank you signs to create a collage. Then have the last pin link to a donation or new event page.
4. Run anyone? If you have team fundraisers as part of your race event, you can pin pictures of those teams with a direct link to their fundraising site. What a terrific way to support the efforts of these people who are supporting you!! That’s just one example. If you take 10 minutes to think about it for a minute I bet you could come up with at least 5 more awesome ways to use Pinterest as part of your fundraising event.
5. Dance anyone? Or golf, or eat? Events are always great picture opportunities. Also a good place to post pictures of your auction items PRIOR to the big day. Just be sure to get permission to post and cite your sources. This is a great way to thank your donors … and encourage others. Looking for a unique way to promote your corporate partners? I think you may have found it.

Pinterest is pegged as a place to share things that interest you. In the beginning, founder, Ben Silberman, asked followers to “avoid self promotion”, but that didn’t last long.

Pinners no longer frown upon self-promotion or any other promotion for that matter.  So go forth and create a new landscape. I’m anxious to hear how it goes!