If I had a dollar for every time I heard this excuse.

I met a dynamic Georgia legislator at a luncheon who explained she did fund-raising for a worthy cause after the state cut its funding for the program. She said she worked hard to raise $25,000. Naturally, I asked if she had used Twitter or any other social media to spread the word about the program’s need for help.

Her response? She was “too busy” to mess with social networking. She didn’t want to read about what folks are eating for lunch. She finally got on Facebook, she said, after a family member harassed her.

I told her I’ll bet she could have raised more money if she had used Twitter appropriately. Not just for a sales pitch, but to educate donors about the program’s merits.

The legislator immediately asked for my card. Whether she contacts me is not important. However, local non-profits and services hit hard by the economy must learn that fund-raising has changed and social networking cannot be overlooked in any strategy.