TikTok is a powerful platform for nonprofits. Its algorithm favors authentic, human-centric content, offering mission-driven organizations unique opportunities to tell their stories, rally support, and drive real-world impact.
At the heart of TikTok's user base is Gen Z, with over 60% of users belonging to this generation renowned for using social media to advocate for their beliefs. This presents an invaluable opportunity for nonprofits to engage with passionate individuals who can amplify their message and raise awareness on a global scale.
The social media platform has even introduced special features designed to boost nonprofits' fundraising capabilities. These tools and their vast reach make them essential to any forward-thinking nonprofit's digital strategy.
In this guide, we'll explore the key benefits of TikTok and the platform’s TikTok for Good initiative for nonprofits. Discover fundraising tips, strategies to shine on the platform, and how to maximize your impact.
Table of contents
Why should nonprofits use TikTok?
TikTok for Good: An initiative for nonprofits
Examples of nonprofits using TikTok for Good
How to set up your nonprofit TikTok account
How do nonprofits raise money on TikTok?
7 proven tips for using TikTok to maximize your nonprofit’s impact
Final thoughts on creating a positive impact through TikTok
Why should nonprofits use TikTok?
A relatively young social media platform, TikTok has over 1.04 billion active users monthly, with a predominantly younger audience.
Gen Z, born between 1997 and 2012, makes up the majority of TikTok's user base, preferring it over other platforms like Instagram. This demographic isn't just comprised of teens; it includes young adults who are politically engaged and eager to drive social change.
According to Blackbaud's Report "Gen Z at the Table: A Special Edition of the Next Generation of Giving", 84% of Gen Zers support nonprofits, charities, or causes in some way. One key channel through which they like to showcase their support is social media.
With a strong TikTok presence, nonprofits can engage with future supporters and ensure their cause becomes a priority for a new generation.
TikTok benefits your organization in different ways:
- TikTok features such as duets, stitches, and live streams let you interact directly with your audience, building a community
- Using popular hashtags or creating mission-specific ones can increase your visibility and reach
- TikTok's short, easy-to-digest content makes complex issues more accessible to a broader audience
- Nonprofits can add donation stickers to videos on TikTok, making it easy for users to donate
- In-app editing tools let you quickly record and post videos; no computer is needed
- Successful campaigns, like hashtag challenges, can go viral instantly, boosting fundraising
TikTok for Good: An initiative for nonprofits
TikTok for Good is the platform's program for nonprofit organizations and charities to engage with users. It helps grow your audience, raise awareness, and activate supporters with three unique features:
- Account management: TikTok helps out with best practices and handles your user relationships. It offers guidance every step of the way until you reach your goals
- Advanced analytics: TikTok offers your nonprofit insights about your account and videos, shedding light on how your audience interacts with your content and how your account grows over time
- Promoted hashtags: TikTok promotes the hashtag related to your specific cause to users, who can then post videos using your hashtag
Examples of nonprofits using Tiktok for Good
1. St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital (716.1K Followers)
With endless content on St. Jude's TikTok, the nonprofit mostly uses its channel for storytelling. The research hospital shines a light on cancer survivors, provides behind-the-scenes glimpses of what happens at the hospital, and brings in its supporters and partners to talk about their cause.
Their content is tailored to the platform, featuring strong hooks to attract audiences and relatable material. The team often uses captions on videos to make its content more accessible.
2. UNICEF (490.3K Followers)
UNICEF's impactful TikTok presence features collaborations with major influencers alongside authentic stories from team members and beneficiaries. The organization has also worked with celebrities like Millie Bobby Brown to raise awareness about its cause.
The organization effectively uses TikTok's donation tools and hashtag campaigns while focusing on positive, human-centered content. UNICEF's TikTok content highlights human resilience, focusing on uplifting stories and showcasing humanity in diverse situations.
3. ASPCA (217K Followers)
ASPCA is dedicated to ending animal cruelty. Their content strategy, as such, is pretty straightforward: focusing on lots and lots of cute little furry friends.
On TikTok, they showcase the journeys of pets from shelters to loving homes, highlighting successful adoptions. Through targeted hashtag campaigns, ASPCA also promotes adoption and fundraising. Their content aims to forge an emotional connection to their animal rescue efforts, emphasizing the value of adopting pets rather than buying them.
How to set up your nonprofit TikTok account?
Step 1: Download TikTok for free from the Google Play Store (for Android users) or Apple Store (for iOS users)
Step 2: Open the app and sign up using an email address, phone number, or a social media account (like Facebook)
Step 3: Choose a username reflecting your nonprofit’s mission
Step 4: Set up your profile by adding a high-quality image of your nonprofit organization. Write a short and engaging bio that highlights your mission
Step 5: Make it business official to unlock exclusive features. Click on settings, select “Manage Account,” and then switch to “Business Account.”
How do nonprofits raise money on TikTok?
1. Donation stickers
Donation stickers are clickable icons embedded in videos that help you raise money. When clicked, they take users straight to the donation form, where they can make a donation to your nonprofit.
Powered by Tiltify, the process is simple and secure, and donors do not need to leave the TikTok app.
Currently, donation stickers are only available to select nonprofits that meet TikTok's eligibility criteria. While TikTok plans to expand this feature, organizations should check their eligibility on the platform. Even without immediate access, building a strong TikTok presence can position your nonprofit for future fundraising opportunities on the platform.
If your nonprofit does not yet have access to donation stickers, focus on increasing your followers and engagement. Building a strong presence will put you on the TikTok radar and improve your chances of gaining access to this feature in the future.
2. Adding nonprofit profile
TikTok lets you collect donations for your nonprofit directly from your profile. Under the bio and follow button, TikTok users can add a link to an organization they want to support. All TikTok users, including official nonprofit accounts, can use this feature.
Some charities, like the Red Cross, have added donation buttons to their profiles as it makes it easier for them to encourage donations for their cause.
3. Run paid ad campaigns
Besides organic content, TikTok offers paid advertising campaigns. Some notable charities, such as Cancer Research UK, the British Red Cross, and the WWF, are already running ads there.
TikTok ads work on an auction model, where users specify a bid and daily spend limit. The ads are available in many formats. They appear between organic and user-generated content with a "sponsored tag" and a "call-to-action" button that takes viewers to a landing page.
You can create ads to target specific audience demographics and achieve various advertising goals. For instance, using conversion objectives enables you to capture donations as part of a cash appeal, while lead generation goals help drive conversions and gather potential supporter information.
7 proven tips for using TikTok to maximize your nonprofit’s impact
1. Jump on the TikTok trends
An easy way to get more eyes on your nonprofit is to find what's trending and join in.
Keep an eye out for popular themes, dances, songs, filters, and hashtags, and adapt your content to align with these trends. You can discover current trends by tapping the search icon at the top right corner of your home feed.
Browse TikTok like one of your supporters might to see what content ideas pop up.
The #LearnOnTikTok hashtag is one of the most popular and widely used, with over 855.4B views and counting. The Red Cross leverages this hashtag on most of its informational videos to secure more visibility for its content.
2. Take part in hashtag challenges
TikTok challenges let your nonprofit engage supporters to act for your mission. Create challenges with clear, simple goals and relevant hashtags to maximize impact.
A good example is the #keepthebeat challenge by the American Heart Association, in which participants made videos set to the "Keep the Beat" tune and helped raise funds. By adding text-to-give info, the nonprofit made it easy for supporters to donate.
This approach not only helped to raise support but also translated to enhanced engagement and reach on TikTok.
3. The more posts, the better
This may sound tough, but with over a billion videos watched on TikTok every day, you need to post often to stand out. Most experts say brands should aim to post one to four times per day to maximize awareness and build a following.
While it can seem challenging for busy nonprofits, reusing content offers a great solution. If your social media or website content is under three minutes long, it can be adapted for TikTok.
To keep posting regularly, you can pre-record videos and schedule them in advance using tools like Later.
TED Talk uses a compelling clip from its longer talk to share three practical tips on managing wildfires and contributing to a sustainable future.
Some of the different types of content that you can repurpose include:
- YouTube videos: Choose the most value-packed clip and reformat it into a vertical video format with off-app tools such as CapCut
- Interviews and podcasts: Create a video to highlight the most quotable and interesting moments
- Articles and commentary: Recap the main points of your blog or offer commentary on research with the Green screen feature
4. Educational content is key
Nonprofits can use TikTok's visual appeal to create compelling, educational content that connects with their audience. These can include eye-opening stats, mission-related facts, or tutorials about their cause.
The NRDC, for example, works to protect wildlife, fight climate change, and advocate for public health and equality. To communicate this message, they share short explainer videos on environmental terms, current events, and more.
By presenting information in bite-sized formats on TikTok, you can explain complex topics in easily digestible content, fostering a more informed supporter base.
5. Use TikTok live
Just like the Facebook Live feature, TikTok Live allows you to go live and interact with your followers in real-time, helping you to create a more personal and transparent relationship with your audience. This authenticity leads to greater trust, deeper engagement, and more support for your cause.
Some of the ideas to give a try when you decide to go live include:
- Host interactive Q&A sessions, addressing audience queries directly and fostering a sense of community
- Showcase the human side of your nonprofit through behind-the-scenes tours and staff interviews
- Provide live updates on project progress, demonstrating the tangible impact of donations
- Share beneficiary stories in real-time, creating emotional connections with viewers
- Conduct live fundraising events, leveraging the immediacy of the platform to drive donations
6. Bring influencers onboard
Every social media platform has influencers, and TikTok is no different. Reach out to influencers who are interested in your mission or have a personal connection with your cause.
Note that you don't have to work with influencers with over a million followers. Even those with a couple of thousand followers are great for raising awareness for your cause. If they have a passion for your mission, there's a good chance their followers will, too - introducing you to a whole new pool of genuine supporters.
For instance, check out the nonprofit organization The Ocean Cleanup. In collaboration with popular YouTubers MrBeast and Mark Rober, the organization launched the #TeamSeas campaign on TikTok. It encouraged users to create videos about ocean pollution and donate to the cause, with the goal of removing 30 million pounds of trash from oceans and rivers.
7. Engage with your audience
Social media platforms are one of the many ways to engage with your audience. On TikTok, engage with your followers by responding to comments on posts, sharing the content posted by partners, and tagging volunteers or donors in your videos.
The American Red Cross, a notable nonprofit humanitarian organization, replies to users with a video. If you look at the comments section under any of the organization's TikTok videos, there's more than likely a video response from their social media team to followers' questions.
Final thoughts on creating a positive impact through TikTok
If your nonprofit organization is not yet on TikTok, now is the perfect time to build your presence. With its huge reach and active community, TikTok is a great way to showcase your mission to potential donors, volunteers, and people who may need your help.
To make the most of TikTok, share impact stories and educational content and focus on current trends and challenges. Remember to collaborate with influencers and use the TikTok for Good initiative. Take your best content from other social media and give it a TikTok twist using trending sounds and hashtags to stand out.
And here's the game-changer: use Zeffy to turn your engagement into donations. With Zeff, you can create custom donation pages, share them via social channels, and track your funds—all without spending any money!
