Women’s History Month: 15 “Can Do” Social Good Women

Photo by Tetsumo

It’s Women’s History Month, but instead of looking back at women of the past who’ve already changed the world, we’ll be profiling women of today who are changing the world using social media.

To honor these social media powerhouses, every Thursday this month, guest blogger Margie Clayman will introduce you to awesome women who use their smarts and their hearts, not to mention their Twitter and Facebook accounts, to do social good. Last Thursday, Margie featured Luma Mufleh.  Luma uses soccer to help heal traumatized children who are African war refugees. Be sure to check back here for more of these inspirational stories.

But there are so many great women in this field, a story a week only scratches the surface.  I’m amazed at how many women are changing lives for the better by using social media.  And I’ve learned so much from their experiences and passion for their causes.

So I’m taking time to give a nice shout-out to 15 female social do-gooders I follow (in alphabetic order by first name). Get ready . . . there’s a lot of awesomeness packed into this list:

Alex Bornkessel, Rampy MS Research Foundation

You may recognize her name from blog posts here on IG. Alex is a leading online influencer in the health field, and just this year, she started her own foundation to support research for Multiple Sclerosis.

Allyson Kapin, Women Who Tech

Allyson’s one of the most well-known bloggers in social good and one of the leading ladies in tech. Her life revolves around helping organizations do good with her company RAD Campaign. She even heads the annual Women Who Tech Telesummit.

Amy Sample Ward, nTEN

You can’t have a top ten list of female nonprofit bloggers without including Amy. She runs a monthly Tweet Chat, blog, and speaks at conferences all over the place talking to nonprofits about using technology to do good.

Beth Kanter

Beth Kanter is one of the most accomplished female nonprofit bloggers today. She’s published multiple books, has been blogging since blogs were created, and is the leading lady in building networks. If you’re a nonprofit looking for top-notch expert advice, she’s your girl.

Claire Diaz, Twitter

Also an author, Claire is the Twitter For Good go-to person for the nonprofit seeking answers to using that platform. The best part is that she knows her stuff based on experience; she’s co-founder of a nonprofit that works in Kenya.

Danielle Brigida, National Wildlife Federation

I’m biased when it comes to community managers, and Danielle is one of my favorites. She knows what her community wants, what they need, and how to engage them. She’s a true talent.

Debra Askanase, Community Organizer 2.0

You may remember my “Top Ten Blogs” post last summer, so it’s no surprise Debra made it onto this list, too. She’s a superstar when it comes to social media for social good, and you’ll never leave her blog without learning something.

Heather Mansfield, Nonprofit Orgs

If you’ve ever Googled something about how nonprofits should use social media, you’ve likely come across Heather’s site. She is in tune with how nonprofits can use social media to help their organization.

Jennifer Aaker, Dragonfly Effect Blog

Co-author of one of the most popular social good books out there, Jennifer created a model for how social media can be used to create a movement. Her model is divided into four parts and contains the important elements in being human and happy in your community building tactics.

Katya Andresen, Nonprofit Marketing Blog

She’s a star, and hopefully you’ve been able to catch her at one of her many speaking events, because her talks are always engaging, clear, and full of truth and wisdom. She knows her stuff when it comes to nonprofit marketing, so add her blog to your RSS feed.

Melanie Mathos, Blackbaud

Melanie is the Senior PR Director at Blackbaud. What I like about her is that she talks the talk and walks the walk. In addition to her work with Blackbaud, she’s on the board of one nonprofit and volunteers for another. This year, she’s releasing a new book and blog.

Merry McCarron, charity: water

You’ve heard of charity: water, right? It’s one of the most talked-about nonprofits today because they do everything right. Their campaigns are eye-catching, their corporate structure is lean, and they have a personable voice, which Merry brings to their followers.

Shonali Burke, BlueKey Campaign/Oxfam America

I’ve been lucky enough to work with Shonali and she’s hands down one of my favorite people on this planet (I’m not exaggerating)! Shonali is a brilliant cause marketer. Follow her. Now.

Susy Sedano, Livestrong

When nonprofits look for organizations to emulate, Livestrong is usually near, if not at the top of the list. Susy has led Livestrong’s community-building process with an incredible amount of creativity and passion. I love watching the ideas she brings to life.

Wendy Harman, American Red Cross

From their social media integration to their text2give campaign, Wendy Harman helped the American Red Cross become one of the most social and approachable nonprofits today. It’s hard to keep a 100+ year old organization fresh and engaging, but Wendy does it with flair.

That’s it for me. What other women in social good would you add to this list? Post links to them in the comments below so we can all follow!

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