How to Date a Social Citizen

During D.C.'s "historic" snowstorm this week, I read, among many things, a funny (and informative) article on "How to Date a Lawyer." Since the overwhelming number of lawyers in D.C. is only rivaled by its number of young nonprofit professionals and idealists and since Valentine's Day is right around the corner, I thought it might be helpful to make a little how-to guide of my own. Let's face it, lawyers might be a popular choice, but if you're really looking for someone you can write home about, you're probably in the market for a social-web savvy, cause-oriented team player. So, I give you: how to date a social citizen, in seven easy steps. 

1. Get out there and volunteer. There are tons of volunteer opportunities available through serve.gov, where you are sure to meet social citizens who are impressed with your commitment to serving the community and your mural painting prowess. Some organizations, like One Brick, even combine service with social interactions where you can mix and mingle with fellow volunteers, or you can always demonstrate your leadership skills by organizing an impromptu happy hour following an afternoon of service.
    
2. Dress the part. You are sure to catch the eye of a social citizen in TOMS shoes, Yellow Bird Project t-shirts and, when there's no time for subtlety, a StillerStrong headband.
    
3. Learn the lingo. Keep up with social citizen-friendly blogs and be prepared to drop key phrases into conversation. Beth's Blog, the HuffPo Impact vertical, Change.org, and Philanthropy 2173 are good places to start. Using phrases like "high impact," "crowd-sourcing," and "triple bottom line" and generally adding "social" to most nouns will be music to a social citizen's ears.
    
4. Keep all your social media profiles updated with your favorite causes. When your social citizen sees that you've started a cause to raise money for your favorite nonprofit, added a twibbon to your avatar, and voted for a worthy nonprofit in the latest online grant competition, they'll be wrapped around your little finger.
    
5. Give gifts that give back. When your relationship reaches a gift-giving level, score extra points by giving your social citizen something that also benefits her favorite cause. If you need something stat, the Case Foundation's Megan Stohner recently compiled a list of Valentine's Day charitable gift ideas.
    
6. Be connected. Respond promptly to facebook messages and wall posts, DMs and @replies, blog comments, texts, and all forms of Google communication, including but not limited to, chats, emails, reader comments, buzzes, and waves. (Notice that I did not include Facebook pokes. You are not obligated to employ or respond to pokes, as they are ambiguous and uncomfortable.) Using your smart phone to show you can stay in touch on the go will impress and delight your social citizen.
    
7. Be transparent. Even if this goes against your dating instincts at first, demonstrating transparency is a sure-fire way to show your social citizen love interest that you're worth his or her time. Showing that you value the unique blend of your personal and professional lives and that you resist the urge to be a different person at home or at work will make every social citizen feel at ease.

 There you have it. Happy Valentine's Day and good luck!