What’s your take on social media? Between doom scrolling, cyber bullying, and the time suck, it certainly has its low points. But on the flip side, it can connect friends and family, provide information, and entertain. I’m a big believer in finding the positive and making the best out of any situation. Just call me Pollyanna.

I have found good in social media. I have made friends and connections. I have learned so much. And that is all because of the people willing to share, have civil discourse, and simply be kind and helpful. So, in that vein, here’s my top five list of how social media has helped me grow and learn in the grant field.

• #grantchat – Most every Tuesday at noon Eastern on Twitter, Jo Miller hosts #grantchat. Each week includes a focused topic related to the grants profession, and a series of 10 questions are launched over the course of the hour. Anyone and everyone can join in, answer questions, interact with others, or simply sit back and learn from the tweets shared by others. I have learned so much from #grantchat, and I have met a treasure trove of grant professionals thanks to this platform.
• LinkedIn – I remember when LinkedIn was simply a place to see someone’s working history. With the addition of the home page and notifications, I’ve read so many great articles, appreciated some good humor, and learned new best management practices in our field. It’s also a great way to connect with your fellow professionals.
• Facebook Groups – I love how willing grant and fundraising professionals are to share knowledge and help one another out. Don’t believe me? Check out one, or all, of these groups on Facebook.
  1. Fundraising Chat – The creators of this group will say when they created this group it was for “the solo fundraiser, outside London, wanting to ask a question about something/anything but not really having anyone in their immediate circle of colleagues to ask.” It has certainly grown to help fundraisers from places far from London, including this girl in Canton, Georgia.
  2. GrantsU Community – This group, led by MyFedTrainer (aka Lucy Morgan), is a great place for all grant questions, particularly those related to federal grant management. Lucy posts a litany of great questions each week to keep the conversations going.
  3. Grant Chat – An extension of Twitter’s #grantchat, this Facebook group is hands down one of the most interactive, uplifting groups I’ve ever experienced. It is where we come to share our wins, or losses, and our frustrations. The best part is we have all been there, and the support is incredible.
  4. Fundraising HayDay Community – I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the group associated with the Fundraising HayDay podcast. It’s a growing community of grant and fundraising professionals. It’s not only a place to keep up with new podcast episodes, but a place to celebrate your successes and learn from fellow members.
• Instagram – While I typically think of this platform as a place to go and check out pictures, it is so much more than that. Did you know the Department of Justice has a page on Instagram? They use it to share news about current events and trending topics. They link to episodes of their podcast, Justice Beat. Another fav of mine to follow is Pantsuit Politics. This is a podcast centered around grace-filled discussions about politics, and their Instagram page is full of episode info, news, and life. Basically, Instagram is a great platform to follow the individuals, organizations, and things that bring you knowledge, joy, and entertainment.
• Twitter – Honestly, you never know what you are going to find out Twitter. In our latest episode of Fundraising HayDay, my cohost Kimberly and I talk to Ephraim Gopin about his eBook, Employee Giving: Does Charity Begin in the Office? You can listen here: Employees: To Give or Not to Give (podbean.com). Ephraim said the spark for this idea began when he tweeted about employee giving, and the response (from both sides of the argument) led him to want to learn more. So, he created a survey, conducted interviews, and used the results to share what he learned with the rest of the world. All this from a post on Twitter.

I am curious. What good have you found in social media? What are your favorite platforms, pages, or individuals to follow?

DH Leonard Consulting & Grant Writing Services, LLC is so excited to be season 4 sponsors for Fundraising HayDay, a podcast about grants and such. Catch up on seasons 1 – 3 and stay up to date on the new season here.

Don’t let grants stress you out, check out the helpful grant writing services our team has to offer here.