Actually, it is that and so much more. In fact, since it started in 2010 Pinterest has steadily grown. In 2014 it was used by 28% of all adult internet users, which is up from 21% in 2013.

In addition, it is one of the top four sources of referral traffic and Pinterest refers more traffic to websites than any of the other social media sites including LinkedIn, Google+ and Twitter. It is the “it” place to be on the internet. Another advantage that Pinterest offers is a longer lifespan for posts.For example, a Tweet is only good for minutes, but a Pinterest “pin” has the potential to drive traffic to your site for months.

One thing to keep in mind, Pinterest does skew female, with 42% of users, but that doesn’t mean that men don’t pin. They do and it is a huge draw to the younger “millennial” age group.

So what does Pinterest offer your nonprofit?  Well, it is a visual medium, so it is the perfect way to tell you story in an engaging and dynamic way. As you tell your story you are also growing your brand. Just like any other online tool,Pinterest offers your organization a way to reach more people. Someone who is unfamiliar with your organization might suddenly see your post in their stream, become intrigued by your image and click the link back to your site.

Which brings up another point, do you want to see an increase in web traffic? Of course you do and Pinterest can help you. If you create engaging content people will click on the link and arrive back at your website. In addition Pinterest offers web analytics so you can see the results of your Pinterest efforts.

Community Building is easy with Pinterest. It is simple to start an account and as they say a picture is worth a 1000 words, especially on Pinterest. Use your boards to tell your story and connect with your donors. Of course, because it is such a visual medium you need to have good pictures. Your images need to be arresting, people need to see it and want to click on the picture, because clicking on the picture is what takes them back to your website where then can learn more about your organization.

There is also an opportunity for you to give your organization an identity, make it personal. People like to feel connected with organizations they give to, Pinterest helps you show them your personality and make a deeper connection with them.

A word of caution, while there is nothing prohibiting you from using Pinterest to fundraise the nature of the platform would make it very hard for you to be successful. It is best to use pin to draw attention to specific campaigns.