Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service. With a Twitter account, you can send and receive posts of up to 140 characters, called Tweets, to people you follow or who follow you.

When it comes to fundraising, you can use Twitter to do things like:

• publicize your fundraising event or campaign
• gather supporters and fundraisers to participate in your event or campaign
• update your community on progress to your fundraising goals
• recognize and honor top fundraisers and fundraising teams

Here are some examples of Tweets sent out by nonprofit organizations and their supporters:

• Help @yournonprofitname make sure your kids aren’t the only ones with warm coats this winter http://www.firstgiving.com/yourURL
• We’re just $1000 shy of our fundraising goal, here’s how you can help: http://www.firstgiving.com/yourURL
• Kudos to this week’s top fundraiser, Jane Smith: http:www.firstgiving.com/pageURL

The best way to get started on Twitter is to jump right in.  Sign up for an account, start following @firstgiving and others who are interested in your work, and then join in the conversation.  Be sure to include a link back to your FirstGiving nonprofit page when you’re talking about fundraising and to your nonprofit’s website when you’re talking about your work.  See what you can learn from what other people do well and not so well.

For everything you’d ever want to know about social media for nonprofit organizations, we also highly recommend following Beth Kanter @kanter.