Yes, it’s that time of the year again. Love it or loathe it, Friday night sees the annual Children in Need appeal, complete with celebrity appearances on TV and lots of people doing things they may feel embarrassed about in years to come.

But this year is different. In 2010 the forces of social media are on the march and are also destined to feature.

This is all highly predictable, of course. Facebook, Twitter and the other machinery of social networking have crept into most other areas of our lives. And with good reason, too.

As Rory Cellan-Jones points out in his blog today, people are increasingly turning to social media as a quick, cheap and effective way to promote good causes and swell their coffers.

Such media, not surprisingly, is particularly popular among younger activists and donors. It’s also well suited to smaller donations. But as the Charities Aid Foundation reports in its recent report, larger donations were down in 2008/09, perhaps suggesting that higher earners are tightening their belts (we can expect more of that in the years ahead).

Of course, fundraising and social networking are not always directly linked. As Mashable point out in a recent article on philanthropy, social media are particularly well suited to building the wellspring of giving – a passionate community. Without first raising awareness of a good cause and drawing people to it, generating funds will always be difficult.

Social media therefore have an important role in supporting the relationship between donor and fundraiser. As Jonathan Farnhill points out in his book, The Porcupine Principle, fundraising is hardly an end in itself. What is are the consequences of fundraising – creating a better world; changing people’s lives.

Social media can help in fostering long-term links between charities and their donors; keeping people up to date with news and developments and letting them know about the difference that their money is making.

The Children in Need appeal may be once a year; the connections between people and the good causes needn’t be.