The last couple of weeks I have been in charge of helping create some of Best Buddies Ohio’s social media posts, this has definitely been a challenge of mine as social media is not one of my strengths. However, it has really opened my eyes to the importance of a social media presence for a nonprofit organization.

Specifically, I was given the opportunity to develop the actual content and write the captions about the “Chapter of the Year” posts, which highlighted the Best Buddies Ohio Chapters that were named the Ohio Chapters of the year at the collegiate, high school and middle school levels. Through this project I was able to see not only the individual projects each chapter participated in but also the major impact that they have on their communities. Additionally, I was able to help their community see the impact of a Best Buddies Chapter and why they can be such an instrumental and important organization for individuals with IDD.

Another project that I have been working on is finding individuals within the community who have a larger social media presence, and determining ways in which they could help in spreading the mission and vision of Best Buddies Ohio. This has been one of the most challenging projects that I have ever worked on. It really opened my eyes to how challenging social media can be and also the societal impact that has. Before this project I never fully grasped the power of social media and the way that it can not only promote something but also to clarify the purpose of something. In the nonprofit world, there are so many misconceptions and misunderstandings about their purpose and the impact that they are trying to make, but through social media we can reach a whole new audience and really add another level to the collective presence and voice of a nonprofit organization.

Ultimately, this project led me to have a major change in perspective. Social media presence can be useful in so many ways, not only can it help to show an impact but it can also be used to bring in a new audience and source of support, so that its societal influence can be enlarged.