Links show the needs you post. Each link may be customized to show any type of need, no matter how narrow or broad, within or outside of your organization. Your links can be attached to buttons, menu items, pictures, or text on your website or sent out via email in messages, Word documents or newsletters.
Category Content: Showing Needs
What are the Best Practices for displaying needs to ensure they get met?
Does MTN create a website for me?
No, our links integrate with and embed within your web site. We can advise you as to best practices for creating web pages and for placing those buttons. We also provide you with the appropriate links to show your needs. However, we do not build web sites. If you do not have a web site or plan to rebuild it, Meet The Need works with an organization offers a suite of website solutions. Contact us for more information.
Where is the best place to put your “Volunteer”, “Most Needed Items” and “Serve the Community” buttons?
Meet The Need recommends that you place your links and buttons “above-the-fold”. In other words, those buttons should be visible on the upper half of your home page and prominently displayed without requiring the user to scroll down. Doing so will increase the volume of user searches and needs met.
Why should we not mention Meet The Need’s name or show MTN’s logo on our church’s website?
Serving those in need (e.g. the poor) is a core function of a church. You want to show your members and the community how important compassion is to your church. So you don’t want to send members out to a separate “organization/program” to find out how they can serve those in need. If you call your compassion program “Meet The Need” or use our logo on your web site, it could appear you have abdicated serving the community to an outside organization. Instead, it is far better to weave serving, and MTN, into the fabric of your church and web site.
Plus studies show that people are reluctant to go “out” of a website to a separate organization’s site. They are more likely to search for opportunities directly on your web site. In other words, fewer needs will be met if you use MTN’s logo or name.
In addition, churches have the pastors, the buildings, the programs and the people to help lead people to Christ – MTN does not. So we want to empower the Church and let them see your heart for serving others – not ours. You are the face of Christ to the community, not Meet The Need. So MTN should stay behind the scenes and let your members, visitors and the community see your brand. We recommend calling your MTN section something that fits your church (e.g. Calvary Cares, Building Bridges, Serve).
What other social media sites/applications are compatible with Meet The Need?
Any social media site that allows you to post and repost links can be used to show your needs. Simply copy the links we provide you and paste them in the message or status field of your preferred social media site.
How can I use MTN with Facebook?
How To Add Button to FB Page [pdf download]
You have two options for showing your needs or the needs of partner organizations on your Facebook page. First, simply post a comment on Facebook and add whatever MTN link that shows the needs you want to share, direct your followers to search and adopt those needs. Second, you can add a “tab” or “app” to a static link(s) on your Facebook page, taking them to search your needs on your organization’s website template. Click here for further instructions.
We have plans to enhance our system soon to allow users to notify their Facebook friends when they have adopted a need encouraging them to do the same.