Giving Compass' Take:

• Beth Kanter examines the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica data scandal and applies it to nonprofit digital strategies. The upshot: You don't need to abandon Facebook entirely, but there needs to be a more focused, careful use of the platform in general.

• Are your organization and your colleagues doing everything they can to protect their data? And how have you shifted in concert with the rapidly changing social media landscape? Better privacy practices and an emphasis on richer storytelling will go a long way.

• Looking ahead when it comes to Facebook and data for the greater good: What happens now?

The Facebook data scandal (reports that Cambridge Analytica, a firm used by the Trump 2016 presidential campaign, scraped Facebook data for millions of users without their knowledge or permission) that erupted in mid-March and prompted user outrage, including a hashtag #deletefacebook, continues to grow. Recently, Facebook dropped another bomb: It now believes that information of up to 87 million members* may have been “improperly shared”  with Cambridge Analytica. [*nearly 71 million U.S. users are included in that number; edit note: Mark Zuckerberg is testifying before Congress about the data sharing]

What does this mean for nonprofit digital strategy?  As much as many of us would like to use this scandal as an excuse to quit social media or maybe stop investing time and resources into Facebook, I think that might not be the best approach. The important points is that your digital strategy has to be more than Facebook — and that you need to be strategic and consistent.

  • Content: Storytelling that creates community and meaningful interaction and engagement; focus on quality, not quantity
  • Champions: More important than ever to leverage your supporters’ networks as well as “insiders,” but train them on how to protect their privacy and personal data.
  • Channels: Don’t abandon other social media platforms, but you’ll need to invest in the right ones for your audience and capacity.

Read the full article about what the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica scandal means for your nonprofit's digital strategy at Beth Kanter's Blog.