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Shrita Sterlin Builds Excitement for Pinterest at Nonprofit Social Media Boot Camp

WASHINGTON, June 18, 2012—Shrita Sterlin, chief executive and brand officer of Penn Strategies, will participate in an upcoming roundtable session at the Maryland Nonprofits Social Media Bootcamp, where she will provide practical, actionable solutions to help nonprofit organizations leverage Pinterest as a marketing tool. The session, entitled “The Potential of Social Media Beyond Facebook and Twitter,” will be held on July 11, 2012 from 10:45 am – 12:15 pm at the William H. Thumel Business Center, located at 11 West Mt. Royal Avenue in Baltimore, Maryland. The day-long program will provide nonprofits with the latest innovations and best practices in social media to increase outreach, fundraising, friend-raising and volunteer support.

Pinterest is a relatively new, social media tool that resembles an online scrapbook or photo album, allowing users to post images that convey their personal and professional interests. “Pinterest enables nonprofits to tell their cause, program, organization and brand stories through a powerful visual medium,” said Shrita Sterlin. “During the bootcamp, I will share practical tips nonprofits can use to amplify their marketing and raise attention for their fundraising efforts.”

In today’s challenging economic times, nonprofits are looking for new tools to help them raise funds, spur volunteer involvement and promote their charitable and social causes. The 2012 Nonprofit Social Network Benchmark Report revealed that social media has become a popular way for nonprofits to meet those objectives. In that same survey, nonprofits indicated they owned an average of 2.1 Facebook Pages and 1.2 Twitter Accounts. Another recent survey by Craigslist founder Craig Newmark showed that 92 percent of the nation’s top 50 nonprofits employ at least one social media vehicle on their homepage.

Although many nonprofits understand the opportunities presented by Facebook and Twitter, the social media bootcamp takes it a step further by introducing nonprofits to the latest trends in the social media universe. “The Potential of Social Media Beyond Facebook and Twitter” will be moderated by Kate Bladow, an independent social media expert. Shrita Sterlin will serve on the panel with Jason Cohen of RockIt Digital Media, who will address QR Codes; Colleen McKenna of Intero Advisory, who will speak about LinkedIn; and Mike Bellis of Melwood, who will provide a nonprofit perspective on the added value of integrating a mix of social media tools. Each panelist will offer best practices to capitalize on the marketing potential of various social networking sites and incorporate real-world examples that nonprofits can implement in a few, simple steps.

“We provide our nonprofit clients with high-impact strategies to raise funds, recruit volunteers, market their programs, generate awareness—and, ultimately, fulfill their missions,” concluded Shrita Sterlin. “This boot camp is a great forum for nonprofits that want to take their social media marketing to the next level.”

For more information about the Maryland Nonprofits Social Media Bootcamp, visit http://ow.ly/bDbaB.