Carina Farrell

Social media changed everything.
 
 As a teenager, the internet was where I started to create a community through a blog and a YouTube channel. It gave me the space to just be myself and, in turn, it helped me connect with others. 
 
 When we started A Moment of Magic Foundation I wanted to implement that to help us grow and reach more children. So, I started filming vlogs of the hospital visits, answering q+a’s, and sharing about me as the person behind what they saw on screen. It helped people connect with the mission and in turn, created an amazing community.
 
 9 years and millions of views later, social media has been one of the most valuable messengers of our organization, carrying our mission to new heights and connecting us to people who may never have connected with us otherwise. For me, it’s been equal parts authentic and strategic, and my end goal was to always help create community who found value in the spaces and moments we were creating.
 
 It’s been a long and interesting road. I’ve had moments go viral and videos completely flop. I’ve gotten the most beautiful, heartfelt messages I could ever hope to receive and some biting feedback in really public ways. As a person who cares so deeply about what I do and put out in the world, I take every post so seriously, understanding that each pixel is a piece of our story.
 
 While I certainly am still learning in public, it was an absolute highlight of my career to present at the Points of Light conference in Chicago this weekend on the magic of storytelling and how nonprofits can leverage digital content to build community. The work we do is so important I believe it’s incredibly valuable to share these stories and while the causes are serious, we can do so without taking ourselves too seriously. We can try out trends. We can be a little cringey. We can create moments of connection, creating an invaluable moment of impact in just a single second.
 
 A moment of magic, if you will. ✨
 
 Thank you Points of Light for this incredible opportunity to share what I’ve learned and platform A Moment of Magic at one of the largest conferences for nonprofits in the world. It’s a privledge I am so grateful for. 🫶🏼
 
  #socialmedia #nonprofit #nonprofitmarketing #keynotespeaker