Abstract

This study conceptualises four mechanisms—Mobilisation, Advocacy, Dialogue, and Education ('MADE')—through which foundation actors engage the public on Twitter. We analysed stakeholders targeted and message contents of more than 16,000 tweets collected from 299 Twitter accounts of U.S. community foundations during two 12-month periods. We found evidence that foundations tend to serve as 'a knowledge hub' to educate the public. Notably, the 2020 sample suggests lessened dialogic messages yet increased mobilisation and advocacy messages amid the COVID-19 pandemic and political movements. This study reveals foundations’ intermediary and shifting roles in engaging the public in times of normalcy and crisis.

摘要

本研究概念化了四种机制——动员、倡导、对话和教育（“MADE”）——基金会参与者通过这些机制在 Twitter 上与公众互动。我们分析了两个 12 个月期间从美国社区基金会的 299 个 Twitter 帐户收集的 16,000 多条推文的目标利益相关者和消息内容。我们发现有证据表明，基金会往往充当教育公众的“知识中心”。值得注意的是，2020 年的样本表明，在 COVID-19 大流行和政治运动中，对话信息减少了，但动员和宣传信息增加了。这项研究揭示了基金会在正常和危机时期与公众互动的中介和转变角色。