Another lesson from the Komen decision

Last week, we saw the power of social media in action when the Susan G. Komen for a Cure Foundation announced that it would halt its grants to Planned Parenthood. While many people see the episode as an object lesson in crisis management and the mistakes a foundation can make, we prefer to think of it as a great example of the power of advocacy.

In the midst of the shock and outrage, Planned Parenthood did three important things:

• Advocated for their constituents: Planned Parenthood reminded us who benefits from their work, who makes their work possible, and how Komen’s decision could affect those constituents.
   
• Advocated for their cause: Even embroiled in a crisis, Planned Parenthood did not stop talking about the importance of women's health and early detection.
   
• Advocated for Planned Parenthood: In online fundraising solicitations and repeated requests for support, Planned Parenthood stood up for itself and didn’t back down.

By the end of the week, we could see that their advocacy efforts had paid off. Not only did Planned Parenthood’s message gain more media traction than Komen’s, not only was Komen widely seen as capitulating, but more importantly, Planned Parenthood activated and inspired its friends and supporters, primarily through online media, to take action and to work toward a common goal.

That’s a great advocacy victory, and it’s one that was unquestionably shaped by online media.

We think every nonprofit should take full advantage of online media to spread its advocacy message, even in times of crisis, and so AFJ has released a free and simple guide to the rules and regulations surrounding nonprofit advocacy in the digital age.

With our guide, AFJ helps nonprofits find the answers to some common questions, such as:

• Can my 501(c)(3) organization friend a candidate or (c)(4) on Facebook?
   
• Do the IRS and FEC rules apply to social networking sites?
   
• Can we lose our tax-exempt status because of a careless tweet?

Thousands of people who work with and for nonprofits have downloaded their copy of Influencing Public Policy in the Digital Age, and it’s fast becoming one of the most indispensable reference sources for nonprofits who want to engage in online advocacy.

Now that we’ve all seen a great example of the power of online advocacy, we hope more nonprofits will realize what they can achieve with social media, blogs, and email… and we hope our guide helps give nonprofits the confidence to be effective advocates for their constituents, their causes, and themselves.