Chapter Social Media Resources

Facebook Posting Best Practices

 

  • Each month, think of ways to incorporate a mix of content types into your social media posting. Sharing news article links, photos of local grant families and interactive, engagement-driven posts will encourage people to continue coming back to your page.
  • One way to find compelling local news content related to adoption in your area is by signing up for a free Google alert. This is a free digest that will send news articles related to your search parameters directly to your email inbox. Setting up an alert for the terms “Child,” “Children,” “Adoption,” “Adopt,” and the name of your state or the nearest major metro area is a good place to start. You can set up an alert here.
  • Everything posted to a chapter’s social media channels should be consistent with Gift of Adoption’s national brand. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
    1. Gift of Adoption is a child-centered organization. We want our content to focus first and foremost on the way that our work benefits the children that we serve. Gift of Adoption exists to provide children in-need with loving, caring homes.
    2. Avoid posting stock photos and instead use photos of Gift of Adoption grant recipients. If you’re struggling to find approved photos of grant recipients in your chapter, don’t hesitate to reach out.
    3. Never directly copy and paste messages posted by other brands. If the post in question references or is otherwise relevant to Gift of Adoption, feel free to share it to your chapter page.
    4. Refrain from copying and pasting messages posted on the national page or other chapter pages. Instead, “share” the original post.
    5. Gift of Adoption may remove chapter posts that are not in-line with our brand guidelines.
  • Follow Gift of Adoption’s national accounts on all of your active social media channels. Sharing posts to your chapter page from the national account is a good way to post reach and engagement from the original post. You can find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@giftofadoption).
  • Gift of Adoption Chapter Social Media Meetings
    1. Gift of Adoption Social Media Meeting 02/18/2020

Gift of Adoption Chapter Social Media Policies

Gift of Adoption is committed to keeping the focus of our communications on our mission. As such, we must always remain apolitical in our social media posts. Posts should not address, relate to or contribute to political issues or debates. The National Board has a policy specifically addressing this issue:
 
Asset Protection Policy

The CEO shall not allow corporate assets to be unprotected, inadequately maintained or unnecessarily risked.

Accordingly, he or she may not:

9. Endanger the organization’s public image or credibility, particularly in ways that would hinder its accomplishment of mission, including:
9.1  Create harmful confusion about the organization and its purpose in the community.
9.2  Fail to protect the trade mark(s) and service marks of the organization.
9.3  Communicate with or about constituents in a manner that is inappropriate or offensive.
9.4  Fail to communicate to the board about any public relations risks.
 
With that in mind, here is our organization-wide social media policy:

  • Gift of Adoption relies on chapters to offer a positive representation of its brand across their social media channels. Gift of Adoption grants are awarded without regard to an applicant’s race, ethnicity, age, religion, marital status, or sexual orientation. We highly value and respect our diverse population of families, volunteers, donors and supporters.  We ask that anyone posting on behalf of our chapters shows respect for Gift of Adoption’s non-discriminatory grant making policy. All social media posts should avoid partisan political statements or evangelizing for anything other than the cause of adoption.
  • Please refrain from creating social media accounts for your chapter on any additional platforms. If you’d like to open an account on Instagram, LinkedIn or Twitter, please reach out to zsenn@giftofadoption.org. Before opening an account on a new platform, we ask that you earn at least 500 followers on your chapter’s Facebook page and demonstrate 90 days of consistent posting.
  • Before sharing photos of families, always check in with us at zsenn@giftofadoption.org to make sure we have the family’s permission on-file. Additionally, always avoid sharing the family’s last name and other potentially identifying information, like their town of residence or the adoption agency they’re working with.

October Social Media Posts

Here are four suggested posts for the month of October: 
  • Record a Go for the Gift video: I’d encourage every chapter to do this! Ask a member of your team to record a video of themselves running, biking or walking (preferably with a mask on!) while talking about why they’re running for Go for the Gift. The video should be between 30 and 60 seconds. The format should be as follows: introduce yourself, your position on the board, and state why you’re participating in Go for the Gift. 
  • AmazonSmile for Prime Day: Amazon Prime Day runs through October 13 and 14! Please post this link with the attached graphic. The copy should look something like this: “Today is Amazon Prime Day! While you’re working on your holiday shopping, you can also support Gift of Adoption. Just use this link, and Amazon will donate a portion of your proceeds to help unite children with forever families: smile.amazon.com/ch/39-1863217
  • Encourage Go for the Gift registrations before October 15: When participants register before October 15, they get a free t-shirt! Encourage your followers to register for Go for the Gift using some variation of this copy and the attached graphic: “Are you looking for a way to make a difference in your community during this time of need? Your business can sponsor @Gift of Adoption Fund’s Go for the Gift event, a virtual nationwide 5K, 10K and fun run. Sponsoring Go for the Gift will allow you to make a meaningful difference in the life of an at-risk child. We have a variety of sponsorship levels available to suit the needs of your business! Learn more here: https://giftofadoption.org/goforthegift“
  • Ask for Go for the Gift sponsors: As a locally based chapter, you’ll have the most success securing sponsorships from local companies and businesses. Here’s some copy (and an attached graphic) we recommend using. Of course, please edit this to fit the needs of your chapter: “Are you looking for a way to make a difference in your community during this time of need? Your business can sponsor @Gift of Adoption Fund’s Go for the Gift event, a virtual nationwide 5K, 10K and fun run. Sponsoring Go for the Gift will allow you to make a meaningful difference in the life of an at-risk child. We have a variety of sponsorship levels available to suit the needs of your business! Learn more here: https://giftofadoption.org/goforthegift“

November Social Media Posts

 

December Social Media Posts

 

January Social Media Posts

Suggested post for January, week 1: Gift of Adoption news coverage

  • There have been several recent news articles highlighting Gift of Adoption and our work across the nation in the past several weeks. You can help us amplify those messages by sharing one of these stories on your chapter’s social media channels.

  • When sharing news articles on social media, include a one-sentence blurb introducing why the story is relevant to your audience, or simply include an attributed quote from the story.

Suggested post for January, week 2: Ask about back-to-school tips

  • A great way to generate engagement with your followers is to ask them to share their opinion or advice with you. Asking about how they help their children ease into the back-to-school routines, for instance, can be a great way to start a discussion on your chapter page.

Suggested post for January, Week 3: Share a Local Grant Recipient Photo and Story

  • Who did your chapter help come home in the past few months? It’s important to show your followers and supporters how your chapter is changing lives.

  • If you’re planning to post a photo and story of a grant family your chapter helped, please email zsenn@giftofadoption.org with the name of the family you’d like to feature. If that family has agreed to share their photos on social media, we’ll provide you with a few images and a quote you can share along with the post.

Suggested Post for January, Week 4: Show your success

  • For Gift of Adoption, 2020 will be a very significant year. Showcase your chapter’s success in 2019 and demonstrate how you’re planning to build on that success in the coming months by sharing some of your chapter’s latest statistics. Resources like Adobe Spark can be used to quickly and easily create sharable graphics.

February Social Media Posts

Recommended posts for February 2020:

  • #RAREis Adoption Fund: We’re centering posts for our #RAREis Adoption Fund as part of the lead-up to Rare Disease Day on February 29. Consider posting this link and one of its attached photos leading up to Rare Disease Day: https://giftofadoption.org/rarediseaseday2020/ Use some of the statistics or a quote from the landing page as your caption.

 

  • Rare Disease Day post: On Rare Disease Day itself, post the link to the #RAREis Adoption Fund and add a Facebook “donate” button to the post with proceeds going to Gift of Adoption: https://giftofadoption.org/rarediseaseday2020/ Use some of the statistics or a quote from the landing page as your post text.

March Social Media Posts

Suggested Posts for March 2020:

Here are our suggested posts for the month of March 2020. If you need any images, resources or additional context, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me directly: zsenn@giftofadoption.org.

  • Tickets to Gather for the Gift are on-sale now. Purchase your tickets to Gift of Adoption’s signature annual event here: https://giftofadoption.org/gatherforthegift/
  • Gift of Adoption Texas Chapter is planning to welcome Mario and Robert, the focus of our November Adoption Awareness Month campaign, home on March 14. The Texas Chapter is also using the event to raise awareness and funds. Please post this landing page and a brief update to your chapter account: https://giftofadoption.org/afamilystarts/
  • News Story: “Adopted Boy is On a Mission to Save Old Dogs:” https://www.cbsnews.com/news/robbie-gay-adopted-boy-on-a-mission-to-save-old-dogs-who-need-a-home/
  • March 20: #SpringIntoFamily. March 20 is the first day of spring and we’re encouraging GOA chapters to post a photo and story of a local family using the tag #SpringIntoFamily. This story can emphasize how adoption provides a child with “new beginnings.”
  • Did you know you can list items on eBay to benefit Gift of Adoption? If you donate a portion of your proceeds to Gift of Adoption, eBay will waive the listing fees. Visit https://charity.ebay.com/charity-auctions/charity/gift-of-adoption-fund/40957/ to get started. #SpringCleaning

April Social Media Posts

Here are a few posting tips to help chapters navigate social media during the COVID-19 crisis: https://www.convinceandconvert.com/social-media-marketing/social-media-manager-coronavirus/
 
The key takeaway here is to prioritize conversations and help foster a sense of community among your followers. I’d encourage each of you to spend a bit of additional time posting to your chapter pages this month. As always, feel free to share posts from National and from other chapters.
 
We want to acknowledge that the crisis is occurring and outline the fact that Gift of Adoption is continuing to issue grants and assist vulnerable children throughout the pandemic. We can share stories of families that are navigating the pandemic, though we want to ensure that we’re maintaining a positive voice and brand image. We want to portray Gift of Adoption as responsive and active throughout the duration of the crisis.
 
If you have a cancelled event that you’re moving online, or if you’re participating in a local online giving day in the coming weeks, please reach out to me to coordinate a social media schedule.
 
We’ve reached out to grant families that have had their adoptions disrupted in one way or another by COVID-19. If we have a story from a family funded by your chapter, we’ll coordinate with you on the best way to share it and work it into online appeals.
 
With all that being said, here are four suggested posts for all chapters to use in April:
  • Star Wars-themed Adoption Ceremony: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/03/25/star-wars-coronavirus-montana-boy-adoption-alex-reyes/5085286002/
  • Spread Hope While Staying Home: https://giftofadoption.org/spreadhope/ For this campaign, we’re asking Gift of Adoption supporters to post a message of support to a child-in-waiting and tag us so that we can share it with our supporters.
  • #SpringIntoFamily: Draft a post (perhaps using your own family or the help of a willing grant family) encouraging followers to share their adoption story using the hashtag #SpringIntoFamily
  • Promote the Journey Fund: The Journey Fund comprises sustaining supporters that pledge a monthly donation to Gift of Adoption. These donors are becoming increasingly important at this time of crisis. Promote the Journey Fund using a story of a local grant family that we’re helping in spite of COVID-19 (please reach out if you need help finding one) and sharing this link: https://giftofadoption.org/journeyfund/. We should make it clear that we’re still issuing grants, and that will still need support, despite the pandemic.

May Social Media Posts

Giving Days Posting Schedule
 
First off, I want to tell you about what we’re doing to support ongoing fundraising efforts at the chapter level. There are a number of chapters pursuing local giving days as well as independent campaigns for #GivingTuesdayNow. Here are all of the chapter fundraising pages that will be raising money the week of May 5:
From a social media perspective, I want to let you know that we’ll be performing a baseline level of promotion on each chapter page. Here’s the content schedule we’re pursuing for each chapter Facebook page:
  • May 2: Introducing campaign
  • May 4: #GivingTuesdayNow is tomorrow
  • May 5: Today is #GivingTuesdayNow
  • May 6: You can still contribute to our campaign
  • May 8: Only two days left to give!
  • May 10: Today is the last day to give
After we have the final tallies, we’ll want one final post:
  • May 11: Thank you, we raised X-amount

These posts should be supplemented and supported by a variety of content coming from the chapter level, as well as on all chapter board members’ personal Facebook pages. It’s more important than ever before to make social media a priority for your chapters!

 
Content Suggestions for May
 
Promoting local giving days and #GivingTuesdayNow is a top priority for the month of May. Here are four content recommendations that you should post to support your chapter’s digital fundraising efforts:
  • Board Member Fundraising Video: Chapter board members should record a 1-3 minute video of themselves explaining why they support Gift of Adoption and discussing the impact that donations made on giving days will have on children in-need. Once you record a video, please share it with us as an example for other chapters!
  • Past Success: Show how your chapter is making a difference in children’s lives by sharing the story of an adoption completed with the help of your chapter.
  • Talk about how your chapter is staying active: With many aspects of daily life on-hold, supporters may assume that adoptions aren’t continuing. Use your social media channels to talk about the fact that adoptions are still occurring, and grant funding needs are just as significant, if not more significant, than they were prior to the pandemic. Consider sharing the story of a child supported by your chapter that’s being adopted during the pandemic.
  • Demonstrate urgency: As the end of the giving day approaches, use the giving day page to share the story of the campaign’s featured family. Talk about how important adoption is, and what opportunities it will provide to the child the family is adopting.
  • Thank your donors: If you receive a gift from a local business, organization, etc., make sure to tag them and thank them, while also encouraging other individuals, businesses and organizations to participate.
  • Encourage sharing: Many people aren’t in a position to donate to a charitable cause at the moment, however, one thing that everyone can do is share a social media post. Craft a message encouraging your followers to share your fundraising efforts.
  • Go Live: All chapters with giving days in May should plan to have a board member go live on Facebook for a minimum of seven minutes on their designated giving day. During your live stream, talk about why Gift of Adoption is important to you, how we help vulnerable children and how donors’ gifts will be used.
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Please craft at least five posts in addition to the posts that we’re providing at the national level to support your chapter’s digital fundraising efforts. These content suggestions are just guidelines; feel free to use your creativity and generate posts that are in-line with your chapter’s current needs and its local voice.
 

June Social Media Posts

Here are four suggested content topics for the month of June: 
 
  • Post 1: I suggested this post in May, but want to reiterate – this is a powerful tool to share! Chapter board members should record a 1-3 minute video of themselves explaining why they support Gift of Adoption. Once you record a video, please share it with us as an example for other chapters!

 

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  • Post 3: June 21 Today is National Selfie Day! Celebrate by showing off your family’s smile, and share how Gift of Adoption Fund helped unite your children with a loving family using the tag #GoAdoption. Don’t forget to tag your local Gift of Adoption chapter!

 

  • Post 4: You don’t have to participate in an event to help us unite vulnerable children with loving homes. Supporting Gift of Adoption Fund can be as easy as shopping on Amazon! Shop with our Amazon Smile link, and a portion of the proceeds will go toward Gift fo Adoption: smile.amazon.com/ch/39-1863217 (find graphic in Evergreen section of webpage)

 

July Social Media Posts

Chapter-Made Videos
 
Videos are a great resource for chapters to use online, especially when it’s not possible to host in-person events!
 
If you’re creating videos to share on behalf of your chapter, please keep all of our non-discrimination policies in mind, and also remember to keep the child the focus of all of the content that we generate. Here are a few pointers:
  • Remember our non-discrimination policy: Any videos that you’re making to share on your chapter pages should reflect Gift of Adoption’s non-discrimination policy. Gift of Adoption does not discriminate based on age, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or marital status.
  • Keep it child-focused: A core part of Gift of Adoption’s mission and identity is that ultimately, our grants serve vulnerable children. All of our marketing materials, including chapter-driven videos, should emphasize the fact that we are a child-centered non-profit organization, and that the goal of our grants is to provide vulnerable children with the chance to thrive.
Content Suggestions
 
Here are four suggestions for chapter driven posts to share this month:
  • Marine Credit Union Foundation and Adoption Fund: The Marine Credit Union Foundation’s Adoption Fund at Gift of Adoption will support the adoptions of nine children over the next three years in Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota and Illinois. https://www.news8000.com/marine-credit-union-foundation-grant-aims-to-support-adoptions/
  • Support Gift of Adoption through the Amazon app (see attached graphic): AmazonSmile customers can now support Gift of Adoption Fund Inc in the Amazon shopping app on iOS and Android mobile phones! Simply follow these instructions to turn on AmazonSmile and start generating donations.Open the Amazon Shopping app on your deviceGo into the main menu of the Amazon Shopping app and tap into ‘Settings’Tap ‘AmazonSmile’ and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process
  • Share summer fun: It’s the height of the summer and chances are, there are a lot of families participating in fun summer activities. Ask your followers to share an image of their favorite outdoor family activity.
  • Promote the Journey Fund: The Journey Fund comprises sustaining supporters that pledge a monthly donation to Gift of Adoption. These donors are becoming increasingly important. Promote the Journey Fund using a story of a local grant family that we’re helping in spite of COVID-19 (please reach out if you need help finding one) and sharing this link: https://giftofadoption.org/journeyfund/

August Social Media Posts

Here are four suggested social media posts to use on your chapter pages this month:
 

September Social Media Posts

  • Back to School shopping: Even though the school season looks a little different this year, you’re probably still stocking up on supplies. Shop through Amazon Smile to support Gift of Adoption when you buy this season’s school supplies: https://smile.amazon.com/ch/39-1863217 (see attached image)
  • Miguel and Gerson’s adoption video: Miguel and Gerson’s adoption was complicated by COVID-19, but a grant from Gift of Adoption helped their family navigate new challenges and bring them safely home: https://vimeo.com/444903837
  • Promote the Journey Fund: The Journey Fund comprises sustaining supporters that pledge a monthly donation to Gift of Adoption. These donors are becoming increasingly important at this time of crisis. Promote the Journey Fund using a story of a local grant family that we’re helping in spite of COVID-19 (please reach out if you need help finding one) and sharing this link: https://giftofadoption.org/journeyfund/

Evergreen Social Media Posts

Evergreen Social Media Posts

There are a number of posts that can be shared throughout the year. Here are a few blurbs and graphics to consider posting on a quarterly or bi-annual basis:

 

  • Did you know that you can support Gift of Adoption just by shopping on Amazon? When you shop through our Amazon Smile link, Amazon donates a percentage of the proceeds made through your sale to Gift of Adoption at no additional cost to you. Click here to start shopping: https://smile.amazon.com/ch/39-1863217
  • If you have an old car, motorcycle or boat that you want to convert to a good cause, donate it to Gift of Adoption. Click here to learn more: https://careasy.org/nonprofit/Gift-of-Adoption-Fund“
  • “Are you cleaning house? You can support Gift of Adoption while selling your old housewares and other items on eBay. All you have to do is opt to donate a portion of the proceeds made from selling your item online. Learn more about our eBay for Charity platform here: https://charity.ebay.com/charity-auctions/charity/gift-of-adoption-fund/40957/

 

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Social Media Posting Tips

Gift of Adoption Social Media Pages

  1. Facebook
    1. National
    2. Alabama
    3. Arizona
    4. California
    5. Capital Region
    6. Carolinas
      1. Junior Board
    7. Colorado
    8. Connecticut
    9. Florida
    10. Georgia
    11. Illinois
      1. High School Junior Board
      2. Junior Board
    12. Indiana
    13. Kentucky
    14. Massachusetts
    15. Michigan
    16. Minnesota
    17. Missouri
    18. Nebraska & Iowa
    19. New Hampshire
    20. New York
    21. Ohio
    22. Oregon/Columbia River
    23. Pennsylvania
    24. Tennessee
    25. Texas
    26. Washington
    27. Wisconsin
  2. Twitter
  3. LinkedIn
  4. Instagram

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