I love Instagram. I believe it’s one of the best places to tell your stories and connect with others. It’s warm, intimate, colorful, and educational. The communities within Instagram are social, active, and supportive.
Nonprofits often ignore the power of Instagram. But some are doing an amazing job of telling their stories and connecting with others.
We’ve compiled a list of 10 Instagram accounts to follow if you’re working in the nonprofit sector. Follow them and interact to learn from their storytelling and networking style. A few are organizations that provide resources for nonprofits.
Esther Havens is a humanitarian photo blogger and does work for NGOs. She rightly calls herself an “NGO story consultant.” Her gallery is beautiful. She’s a great person to work for if you want to connect with someone who will tell your story in a powerful, visual way!
The Adventure Project creates jobs in developing countries, providing specialized training, tools, and financial guidance for needy mothers and fathers. We love that mission! They address extreme poverty by helping to put in place local jobs that take on social problems. As entrepreneurs ourselves, this way of helping out has a special place in our hearts. Allowing people the opportunity of a new job or business is such an important way of valuing their dignity and desire to care for their families.
I am a passionate advocate for the children who have been harmed by trafficking, and against trafficking of any kind of women and children. So I can’t help but include International Justice Mission here. Not only is their cause one of the most redemptive and important, but they just get connecting to donors right. IJM runs rescues, working with local law enforcement to insure the safety of the victims they stand up for and connecting them to safe houses, where they find healing. They also stand up for widows in land-grabbing cases. They’re my favorite nonprofit.
Same mission, different work and message. Love146 mainly runs safe houses. They restore. They defend. They heal. They counsel. They love and train.
Compassion partners with churches and community centers all over the globe. You send support. They connect with their local missions. Children get food and care. If you want to adopt but can’t afford it right now, sponsor a child through compassion. Every month, I get news about my two little boys, and then I sit down and write them a letter. It’s beautiful. I hope to see them some day.
Doctors Without Borders puts physicians and nurses where they are needed most. They have longevity and an award-winning record, having been around since 1971 and received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1999. Doing crucial work on the ground in hotspots around the globe, they have helped millions. They tell their compelling stories and bring modern medical attention to people who would otherwise never receive it.
Toilets are a new one for me. I couldn’t help but be moved by their captivating images, mini-stories, and unusual mission. “Safe water & the dignity of a toilet for all” isn’t something you think of every day. But how important is that in the prevention of disease? The work they are doing is enormous and essential.
It’s hard for me to imagine children anywhere being unwanted or unloved. Each child is my daughter to me. Showhope cares for orphans. I want to help them do that. Nonprofits can learn from their closeup imagery and their perspective of hope.
UkuuPeople is a startup that is trying to help nonprofits better connect with their donors and contacts. Our mission is to help you “acquire new donors and love the ones you have.” If you’re new to the whole idea of a CRM (think contact manager), read this introductory blog post.
World Bicycle Relief is another unusual mission, with the goal of giving bicycles to those who lack mobility. Their website states, “We believe that mobility is fundamental to breaking the cycle of poverty.” Through their bicycle distribution, they provide reliable access to essential goods and services, like helping young people get to school, families reach medical appointments, and everyone reach their potential.
Want to know more about the power of Instagram? Check out this great article from our friends at Wild Apricot – How to Grow Your Nonprofit’s Instagram Following.
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