Giving Compass' Take:

• Vu Le at Nonprofit AF reports on the harmful effects that popularity-based grants — ones in which nonprofits compete for votes or "likes" to earn money or services from a corporate entity — have on the sector in general.

• While integrating social media into nonprofit marketing isn't fundamentally bad, the practice of having organizations literally enter a popularity contest seems fraught with peril, as Le explains.

• Here's a better way to use social media at nonprofits: talent acquisition.

Popularity-based grants (PBG) are funding opportunities where nonprofits compete to get the most votes or “likes” in order to win some money or services from a corporate partner. They have been popping up a lot lately, with the increase in social media engagement. If you are with a company that conducts these types of grants, I am begging you, please shut them down and never have another one again. I know intentions are good; you may be thinking that nonprofits get some resources, and the companies get some exposure, so it’s a “win-win.” In actuality, popularity-based grants are awful, irritating, insulting, inequitable, and hurt nonprofits and the people we serve. Here are several reasons why:

  • They waste nonprofits’ time and harm the people we serve
  • They are inequitable, biased toward larger, more established organizations
  • They are demeaning to nonprofit professionals and to the people we serve
  • They perpetuate the nonprofit hunger games

I know some of you reading this may be thinking, “Geeze, isn’t this a bit much? If you don’t like these popularity-based grants, just don’t participate.” Sorry, these contests individually may be irritating, but collectively they are harmful. Thousands of hours are wasted each year on them, hours that could be put to much better use. And the more we encourage them, the more it distracts us from forging deep and effective partnerships between nonprofits and for-profits.

Read the full article about popularity-based grants by Vu Le at Nonprofit AF.