1. Social Media/Networking Guidelines for Staff
Purpose of social media/networking and this policy
AGENCY
encourages
staff,
Board
members,
volunteers,
program
participants/clients,
and
other
supporters
to
be
champions
on
behalf
of
the
organization
by
spreading
the
word
about
the
importance
of
AGENCY
MISSION.
We
recognize
that
our
greatest
tool
in
recruiting
new
volunteers
and
attracting
new
supporters
and
donors
is
through
word
of
mouth.
Social
Media
Sites
The
rapid
growth
of
communication
through
social
media
is
emerging
as
opportunities
for
outreach,
information
sharing,
and
advocacy.
Used
responsibly,
they
provide
an
effective
way
to
stay
connected
to
and
expand
our
community,
be
informed
of
new
trends
and
topics,
and
share
information
and
perspectives.
These
sites
include,
but
are
not
limited
to
• Social
networking
sites
like
Facebook,
Twitter,
LinkedIn,
and
MySpace;
• News
sharing
and
bookmarking
sites
like
Pinterest,
delicious,
and
Digg;
• Photo-­‐
and
video-­‐sharing
sites
like
flickr
and
YouTube;
and
• Other
forms
of
posting
personal
online
content
like
web
sites,
blogs,
vlogs,
podcasts,
chat
rooms,
forums
and
wikis.
Public
and
Private
Boundaries
These
tools
have
also
blurred
the
line
between
private
and
public
activity;
it
is
more
important
than
ever
that
AGENCY
advocates
who
choose
to
tell
their
story
online
understand
what
is
recommended,
expected,
and
required.
Information
from
your
Facebook
page,
your
blog
entries,
and
your
tweets
-­‐
even
if
you
intend
them
to
be
personal
messages
to
your
friends
or
family
-­‐
can
be
easily
circulated
beyond
your
intended
audience.
This
content,
therefore,
represents
you
and
AGENCY
to
the
outside
world
as
much
as
an
advertisement
or
traditional
media
coverage
does.
Given
the
reach
of
the
Internet,
it’s
important
that
when
you
use
these
various
media,
you
follow
some
basic
procedures
that
protect
the
privacy
and
confidentiality
of
our
Program
participants/clients
and
their
families,
as
well
as
maintain
our
identity
as
a
high-­‐quality
nonprofit
organization.
These
policies
apply
to
AGENCY
staff
when
they
participate
in
social
media
for
work,
but
it
should
also
be
considered
if
personal
blog
activities
may
give
the
appearance
of
speaking
for
AGENCY.
Adhering
to
the
following
points
in
either
situation
will
provide
protection
for
you,
our
Program
participants/clients,
and
AGENCY.
Goals
for
Using
Social
Media
AGENCY
encourages
staff,
Board
members,
volunteer
and
program
participants/clients,
and
other
supporters
to
use
the
Internet
to
share
their
perspectives
about
our
organization,
our
services,
and
our
work.
Our
goals
are
• AGENCY
GOALS
Whether
or
not
a
AGENCY
staff
member,
Board
member,
volunteer
or
program
participants/clients,
or
other
supporter
chooses
to
create
or
participate
in
a
blog
or
online
community
on
personal
time
is
his
or
her
own
decision.
However,
it
is
in
AGENCY’s
interest
that
staff,
Board
members,
volunteers
and
program
participants/clients,
and
other
supporters
understand
the
responsibilities
in
discussing
AGENCY
in
online
communities.
We
strongly
emphasize
the
importance
of
understanding
and
following
guidelines
as
listed
below
to
all
who
participate
in
social
media
on
behalf
of
AGENCY.
These
guidelines
will
continually
evolve
as
new
technologies
and
social
networking
tools
emerge.
1

2. Support
for
Using
Social
Media
AGENCY
does
not
intend
to
“police”
the
online
community;
on
the
contrary,
we
want
to
aggregate
all
the
powerful
stories
AGENCY
advocates
are
telling
and
showcase
your
individual
contribution
to
the
overall
mission.
These
guidelines
are
intended
to
help
you
live
the
social
values
of
and
represent
AGENCY
professionally
by
sharing
your
thoughts
and
using
your
personality
and
own
voice.
We
encourage
you
to
embrace
social
media
by
providing
you
some
guidelines
without
attempting
to
stifle
your
social
voice.
Be responsible for what you write
Be
fair,
ethical,
accurate,
and
honest.
Do
nothing
that
could
in
any
way
damage
or
invade
the
privacy
of
our
program
participants/clients
and
their
families,
undermine
your
credibility
with
the
public,
damage
AGENCY’s
standing
as
an
excellent
nonprofit,
or
otherwise
jeopardize
AGENCY’s
reputation.
Always
pause
and
think
before
posting.
What
you
publish
is
widely
accessible
and
will
be
around
for
a
long
time,
so
consider
the
content
carefully.
That
said,
reply
to
comments
in
a
timely
manner,
when
a
response
is
appropriate.
When
disagreeing
with
others'
opinions,
keep
it
appropriate
and
polite.
Acknowledge
and
correct
mistakes
promptly.
When
corrections
are
made,
preserve
the
original
post,
showing
by
strikethrough
what
corrections
have
been
made,
to
maintain
integrity.
While
participating
as
an
authorized
AGENCY
spokesperson,
you
represent
AGENCY
at
all
times.
If
you
are
an
employee,
the
rules
for
conduct
in
the
AGENCY
Employee
Handbook
apply
to
you
in
the
social
world,
too.
Represent
yourself
with
your
name
and
title.
If
you
are
not
an
employee,
represent
your
association
to
AGENCY
accurately.
All
forms
of
online
dialogue
are
individual
interactions
unless
posted
by
authorized
AGENCY
personnel.
AGENCY
staff,
Board
members,
volunteers
and
program
participants/clients,
and
other
supporters
are
personally
responsible
for
their
posts.
If
you
reference
or
discuss
youth
mentoring
or
other
topics
related
to
AGENCY,
be
upfront
and
explain
your
association
to
AGENCY;
however,
if
you
aren’t
an
official
company
representative,
add
a
disclaimer
to
the
effect:
“The
opinions
and
positions
expressed
are
my
own
and
don’t
necessarily
reflect
those
of
AGENCY”
or
“This
is
a
personal
weblog;
the
opinions
expressed
here
represent
my
own
and
not
those
of
my
employer.”
If
you
are
mixing
your
professional
and
personal
life,
exercise
discretion.
If
you
are
unsure,
ask
yourself,
“If
I
mention
something
about
AGENCY,
would
I
be
comfortable
with
a
program
participant/client
or
his/her
family,
volunteer,
or
supporter
seeing
what
I
wrote?
Would
I
be
comfortable
having
a
media
source
reproduce
my
tweet/post/blog
and
attribute
it
to
me?”
Be authentic
Write
what
you
know.
Make
sure
you
write
and
post
about
your
areas
of
expertise,
especially
as
related
to
AGENCY.
You
have
a
unique
perspective
on
our
organization
based
on
your
talents,
skills
and
current
responsibilities.
If
you’re
interesting
and
authentic,
you’ll
attract
readers
who
understand
your
specialty
and
interests.
Be
yourself
–
and
be
transparent.
If
you
have
a
vested
interest
in
something
you
are
discussing,
be
the
first
to
point
it
out.
Consider audience
Be
sure
you
won’t
alienate
any
groups
of
readers.
They
may
include
current
and
past
program
participants/clients
and
their
families,
volunteers,
and
supporters,
potential
volunteers
and
supporters,
as
well
as
current/past/future
employees.
2

3. Be
sensitive
about
linking
to
content.
Redirecting
to
another
site
may
imply
an
endorsement
of
its
content.
Do
link
to
content
that
is
contextually
relevant;
an
article
about
our
focus
area
in
general
supports
our
mission,
but
an
article
about
another
program
may
direct
someone
away
from
our
programs
and
services.
Exercise good judgment and common sense
Post
meaningful
and
respectful
comments.
Accepted
social
etiquette
applies.
Do
not
post
material
that
is
harassing,
obscene,
defamatory,
libelous,
threatening,
hateful,
or
embarrassing
to
any
person
or
entity.
Do
not
post
words,
jokes,
or
comments
based
on
an
individual’s
gender,
sexual
orientation,
race,
ethnicity,
age,
or
religion.
Posting
pornography
is
forbidden.
If
you
are
unsure
about
the
nature
of
your
post,
check
with
a
staff
member
or
representative
of
AGENCY.
Delete
spam
and/or
comments
that
are
off-­‐topic
or
inappropriate.
Authenticate
your
followers
or
fans
on
a
regular
basis
–
social
networking
is
flooded
with
spammers
looking
for
followers
to
build
their
presence.
Use
professional
language
and
grammar;
check
spelling
prior
to
posting.
Understand
that
AGENCY
can
and
will
monitor
social
media
and
social
networking
web
sites
to
protect
our
program’s
participants
and
assure
the
integrity
of
our
agency’s
online
identity.
Be
respectful
and
professional
to
fellow
volunteers,
employees,
business
partners,
competitors
and
clients.
Avoid
using
unprofessional
or
inappropriate
online
personas.
Appreciate concept of community
Community
is
a
platform
where
your
supporters
or
volunteers
feel
comfortable
sharing,
connecting,
and
receiving
help.
It
exists
so
that
you
can
support
others
and
they,
in
turn,
can
support
you.
When
confronted
with
a
difference
of
opinion,
stay
calm,
express
your
points
clearly
and
logically,
and
correct
mistakes
when
needed.
One
of
the
aims
of
social
media
is
to
create
dialogue,
and
people
won’t
always
agree
on
an
issue.
Avoid
personal
attacks,
online
fights,
and
hostile
personalities.
Sometimes,
it’s
best
to
ignore
a
comment
and
not
give
it
credibility
by
acknowledging
it
with
a
response.
Include
links
–
find
out
who
else
is
blogging
or
posting
about
the
same
topic
and
cite
them
with
a
link
or
make
a
post
on
their
blog
when
it
is
appropriate.
Links
are
what
determine
a
blog’s
popularity
rating
on
blog
search
engines
like
Technorati.
It’s
also
a
way
of
connecting
to
the
bigger
conversation
and
reaching
out
to
new
audiences.
Respect brand, trademark, copyright, and fair use laws
For
your
protection,
do
not
post
any
material
that
is
copyrighted
unless
(a)
you
are
the
copyright
owner,
(b)
you
have
written
permission
of
the
copyright
owner
to
post
the
copyrighted
material
on
your
blog,
or
(c)
you
are
sure
that
the
use
of
any
copyrighted
material
is
permitted
by
the
legal
doctrine
of
“fair
use.”
Protect privacy, confidentiality, and proprietary info
Recognize
that
everything
you
write
or
receive
on
a
social
media
site
is
public.
Anyone
with
access
to
the
web
can
get
access
to
your
activity
on
social
media
sites.
And
regardless
of
how
careful
you
are
in
trying
to
keep
them
separate,
in
your
online
activity,
your
professional
life
and
your
personal
life
overlap.
Respect
and
maintain
the
confidentiality
that
has
been
entrusted
to
you.
The
nature
of
your
job
may
provide
you
with
access
to
confidential
information
regarding
AGENCY,
program
participants,
or
fellow
3

4. employees.
Don’t
divulge
or
discuss
proprietary
information,
internal
documents,
personal
details
about
other
people,
or
other
confidential
material.
Don’t
publish
or
cite
personal
details,
indentifying
information,
or
photographs
of
AGENCY
staff,
Board
members,
volunteers
and
program
participants/clients,
and
other
supporters
without
their
permission
and,
for
program
participants,
without
a
signed
release.
Any
disclosure
of
confidential
information
will
be
subject
to
the
same
AGENCY
personnel
policies
that
apply
to
wrongful
dissemination
of
information
via
email,
conversations
and
written
correspondence.
Do
not
copy
full
text,
audio,
or
photographs
from
any
AGENCY
sites
onto
a
personal
site
or
web
page.
You
can
link
or
connect
to
our
site
through
widgets
that
AGENCY
provides
to
the
public
under
the
same
terms
of
use
as
apply
to
anyone
else.
Bring value
Use
social
networking
to
promote
the
mission
and
vision
of
AGENCY.
Posts
and
comments
should
be
thought-­‐provoking
and
build
a
sense
of
community.
If
it
helps
people
improve
knowledge
or
skills,
be
inspired
to
support
us,
become
involved
in
our
programs
or
activities,
or
understand
AGENCY
better
-­‐
then
it's
adding
value.
Be
active
and
timely.
Maintain
your
presence
–
don’t
do
it
just
for
the
sake
of
participating
in
social
media,
but
try
to
post
at
least
once
every
few
weeks.
Over
the
long
run,
if
you
find
yourself
not
posting,
consider
whether
you
should
continue
or
become
a
contributor
to
a
group
effort.
Productivity matters
Ensure
that
your
social
networking
activities
don’t
interfere
with
your
work
commitments.
In
order
for
social
media
endeavors
to
be
successful,
you
need
to
find
the
right
balance
between
social
media
and
other
work.
4

5. Staff Protocol for Social Media Use
Consistency
and
branding
STAFF
POSITION
will
become
or
designate
another
staff
member
to
become
the
administrator
for
social
media/networking
accounts.
This
person
will
maintain
a
file
of
all
account,
log
in,
and
password
information.
Before
creating
a
new
account,
check
to
be
sure
there
is
a
need.
Once
the
need
is
confirmed,
staff
may
register
for
any
and
every
social
media
service
to
reserve
our
name
“AGENCY”
ideally
with
no
variation
in
spelling
or
abbreviation.
When
setting
up
a
profile:
• Use
a
standard
email
address
(title@agency.org);
• Add
as
much
of
our
company
information
(address,
web
site,
etc.)
as
possible;
and
• Set
privacy
settings
to
be
appropriate
for
the
tool
or
site.
For
the
AGENCY
Twitter
account:
no
signatures
or
separate
posting
identities
are
needed,
unless
this
is
determined
necessary.
For
the
AGENCY
blog:
log
in
as
AGENCY
or
as
individual
author.
Handling
"unwanted"
followers
or
user-­‐generated
content
Check
followers/fans
for
opt-­‐in
accounts
on
a
regular
basis
and
remove
unwanted
connections
as
soon
as
possible.
This
may
include
spammers
or
inappropriate
content-­‐generators,
identifiable
by
viewing
their
account
information.
If
any
staff
views
unrelated
content
or
spam
on
any
sites,
it
is
advised
to
remove
it
as
soon
as
possible.
Program
participants
are
given
a
copy
of
the
AGENCY
Social
Media
Policy
and
are
advised
to
follow
it
the
same
as
employees.
Volunteers
are
also
given
additional
guidelines
regarding
the
confidentiality
of
content
related
to
program
participants/clients.
If
followed
correctly,
unwanted
or
incorrect
content
will
likely
not
be
generated
from
these
advocates.
However,
if
a
staff
member
does
see
content
that
does
not
support
the
mission
and
vision
of
our
program,
it
is
advised
to
• Contact
the
author
offline
and
clearly
state
the
problem
with
the
content;
• Suggest
alternatives
to
convey
the
author’s
intent
while
supporting
AGENCY’s
core
values;
and
• Ask
for
more
feedback
or
ask
to
continue
the
dialog
if
not
satisfied.
If
a
volunteer
uses
any
content
that
is
specifically
designated
as
not
acceptable
to
share,
staff
may
contact
the
volunteer
immediately
and
request
that
the
inappropriate
material
be
removed
immediately.
It
is
advised
to
take
a
friendly
and
collegial
approach,
as
many
volunteers
may
have
forgotten
or
overlooked
the
guidelines
and
the
breach
may
be
unintentional.
Other
people
who
are
not
satisfied
with
our
efforts
(potentially
declined
volunteers)
may
choose
to
express
their
dissatisfaction
through
social
media.
If
any
advocate,
whether
staff
member
or
program
participant,
views
negative
or
damaging
content
about
AGENCY,
it
is
advised
to
first
bring
to
the
attention
of
the
STAFF
POSITION.
Together,
staff
can
assess
the
pros
and
cons
of
addressing
the
content
on
social
media.
If
the
decision
is
made
to
move
forward
with
handling
the
content,
address
each
issue
individually
and
make
suggestions
as
to
what
information
can
be
added
or
changed
so
that
the
message
aligns
with
AGENCY’s
core
values,
usually
by
offering
an
alternate
viewpoint
as
a
comment
or
feedback
that
expresses
the
positive
nature
of
our
program.
5