FundRaiser Blog
New social media expert on staff
FundRaiser recently hired an expert in Social Media. This week, she’s starting work creating videos, educating staff about using Twitter, and creating a more lively presence on Facebook. She’s been actively involved in social media for the last 4 years… since she was 12 years old. Yes, our newest staff member is just 16 and the daughter of Autumn Shirley, CEO of FundRaiser. Her name is Lily Brotherton and she is our social media intern.
When I interviewed her this morning, our dialog took a slightly different direction than the usual interviews:
Sasha: What is your training for the job?
Lily: Well, my parents own FundRaiser, and I've always been interested in what they do, so I worked here for a couple of days a week last summer. I did whatever needed being done. I was called administrative assistant and I did the search engine reports, stuffed packets, and shredded paper.
Sasha: What is your background related to this job of being social media intern?
Lily: I have Facebook open on my computer 24/7, and on my phone when I'm away from the computer. I use it to keep up with friends-- who’s hanging out with who, going to the river, that sort of thing. I also use Twitter, mostly to follow celebrities I like, like Jason Mraz.
Sasha: Do you follow any nonprofits on Facebook?
Lily: Yes, I’ll go to an organization’s page and read their “About us”. If I’m passionate about it, I ‘like’ it so I can see their updates. One that I follow is Surfrider Foundation which cleans up beaches. One of their recent posts I really liked included a photo of a big tub of cigarettes from one day of beach cleaning. It was astonishing that in just one day of cleaning they had found thousands and thousands of them … it was gross.
Another organization that I follow is called “Free the Slaves.” It's about child slaves in Ghana who were stolen from their families. The founder rescues them on his own and ships them back to their families. I heard about it on YouTube through Jason Mraz .
Sasha: Would you follow a business on Facebook?
Lily: FundRaiser is the only one that I follow now. If I were to like another business, it would be local and I’d be interested if they uploaded photos of places and people that I recognize, like “oh, other people know about this, too.”
Sasha: What ideas do you have to make the FundRaiser Facebook page more engaging?
Lily: I would like to upload more photos; make it more personal with more videos, but also keep it professional on some level. I’d like to do a group photo of all employees. There could be a professional one and then a goofy one. I’m excited to be starting on it. I’m enjoying digging deeper into social media.
Sasha: How do you see this experience fitting into your future?
Lily: I plan on becoming a psychologist in the future. I think it will be helpful to learn more about this because I expect social media will be a part of my life forever and it will be constantly changing. I like learning more about what’s behind it. I know I’ll find information on new websites, and there will be lots of changes as things progress.
Sasha: What do you like about working here?
Lily: I’ve been around FundRaiser since mom started (in 2001). I’ve spent a lot of time around the office and know everybody a little bit personally. I enjoy hanging around people I know in a work environment
Sasha: Have you ever been involved in working with a nonprofit organization?
Lily: Yes, the first time was the summer before last when I volunteered at the library to help with the reading circle for the little kids. We put on puppet shows. It was my first job. I enjoyed it.
Sasha: I'm looking forward to working with you, Lily, and seeing the videos, photos and other things you create.
