Before the Internet, supporters who wanted to help domestic violence survivors had to find a way to reach these victims and the shelters that help them. Now, they can just Google it.
“Social media has been a really critical component for us,” said Kathleen Buczko, director of development at the Good Shepherd Shelter. “We have gotten very aggressive. We rebuilt our website to make it fully responsive, so that regardless of what type of device you’re on, you can always donate to Good Shepherd.”
In addition to a providing Angelenos with a connection to their local shelter, organizations have found that the Internet has allowed their network to reach farther than ever before.
“The benefit of having a website is that you don’t have to remain specific to your city,” said Director of Development for House of Ruth Pat Bell. “People anywhere in the country can look at your website and show interest for domestic violence and send you money through your donate now button on the website, so that alone has been a huge success factor.”
Shelters are hiring social media employees, as well as web developers, to maintain an online presence. The successful facilities recognize that it is important to constantly provide news and updates to donors.
“Online donations, online campaigns and utilizing Facebook and campaigns and all the social media entities make it quick and easy, and we have to keep up with those trends in order to keep the dollars coming in,” said Bell. “It’s got to be a convenience factor for the donor.”
Both the Good Shepherd and House of Ruth encourage partners to establish themselves online to raise awareness and participate in the virtual discussion about domestic violence.
Buczko emphasized, “Spend that time building that digital footprint and getting that presence out there, enabling people with toolkits to share your story.”