People have a lot of opinions about Facebook, both a means of connection and about its use by various segments of society. In the nonprofit sector those opinions are often about whether it is a worthwhile vehicle for fundraising.

At the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) International Fundraising Conference, Sean Triner and Tom Ahern said making money on Facebook can be done. It just takes a little smarts and knowing some of the secrets.

* Secret 1. It’s all about the offer. A good offer has four elements: The problem is easy to understand; The solution is easy to understand; The cost is a good deal; and, There’s urgency to solve the problem now.

It requires a special type of writing. The story is not the offer. The story supports the offer.

* Secret 2. The right target audience. Not just a mindless broadcast.
* Secret 3. Nothing in life is free. Making money from Facebook is complicated. It’s not cheap. It isn’t for every cause. And, it is necessary to know how to write an ad.

Triner offered a few other suggestions:

* Be lushly grateful.
* The donor is thinking: “Give me something easy to do next.”