Standby Ties that Mobilize: Social Media Platforms and Civic Engagement

Abstract

Nonprofit organizations and groups depend on donations and volunteers for their survival. Digital media can help by offering a platform for making online donations and facilitating online volunteering, but also by identifying and connecting with people who are sympathetic to an organization’s mission. This article employs four-country (USA, UK, France, and Canada) representative survey data ( n = 6291) to examine the use of social media for establishing connections between citizens and organizations as well as the relationship of these connections to online and offline volunteering and donating. Across all social media platforms considered (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter), I find significant positive correlations of following nonprofits with online and offline volunteering and donating. However, Facebook has a slightly larger role, which may be attributed to its overall popularity, which can incentivize organizations’ more intense use of this platform.