If there’s a time to tackle the virtual frontier, it’s now.
DC Abortion Fund is a grassroots nonprofit that is 100 percent volunteer-run that provides financial assistance to low-income women who are seeking abortions but cannot afford the full cost of the procedure. The dedicated people that keep the confidential hotline running do it on their lunch breaks and at dinnertime.
I sit at my desk each day and have one Twitter profile up for my job and another one up for DCAF.
With a budget of under $60,000 each year, I look for every free or low-cost option out there to raise DCAF’s profile in the community. This keeps about 95 percent of our funds free to increase women’s access to reproductive healthcare.
Social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter are growing bigger every day and are now a major vehicle for 20 and 30-something people to get news and information. But I don’t want to stop there. These social networking sites are easy-to-use and create a space for every person to be an advocate for DCAF – through a tweet, reposting a link, joining a Cause or RSVPing to an event.
Others see what you’re doing and join in – it’s the essence of grassroots organizing.
DCAF is plugged in and communicates with everyone through our Website, our E-news, and our Facebook page – everyone except our clients. The women we serve have cut off their cable, pawned Christmas presents and skipped their electricity bills for months to keep a roof over their heads. Our clients are not looking for DCAF in the online world; they hear about us from friends and family, or get referred to us by our partner clinics.
In years past, DCAF advised clients to sell things – a TV, a bike – anything that could give them an extra $20. But in these tough economic times, they sold everything they could months ago. They are in debt. They are often out of work. Many have kids and are struggling to keep food on the table. They turn to us because the idea of increasing the size of their family during this recession is simply not a reality.
To those who have access to the Internet superhighway, join our networks and follow DCAF on Twitter and Facebook. It’s the best way for nonprofits like us to have a conversation with you.
And become an activist – an Internet activist – and harness the power you have through your computer or Blackberry.
It has never been clearer; we are only as strong as the community that supports us. The opportunity to plug in is there for all of us reading this blog and we must open the door.
It’s knocking!
Visit our Website and sign-up for the newsletter.
Join our Facebook Cause (DC Abortion Fund) or Fan Page (DCAF).
Follow us on Twitter.
Allison Mitchell is a member of DC Abortion Fund’s board of directors. DC Abortion Fund is a Grantee Partner of The Women’s Foundation.
