Thanks for the comment, and link – it’s a good read, as there’s not a great deal of studies or research into how charities are using social media, certainly in the UK at least.

And I agree with you – having a Facebook or Twitter presence isn’t an end in itself, or a *strategy*, they are just tools that form part of a wider comms or fundraising strategy. Certainly the web is changing the way many charities view fundraising, as the level of interaction, personalisation and feedback are greater than any medium that’s existed before.

Yesterday’s #red initiative by @joinred and Nike, where all tweets related to the cause of World AIDS Day were in red, was a very creative initiative I thought. I think it is important for nonprofits to assess what their primary aim is BEFORE they decide what they want to do – is it spreading the message, or fundraising? As you say, the first can often lead to the latter. I think the days of hardcore fundraising are drawing to a close – things like people canvassing on the streets on behalf of charity. Slowly but surely.