Archive for the Online Fundraising Category
Fundraising via the internet has been a big hit and charities large and small are benefiting from it. You can as well; doesn't matter what you wish to raise funds for - your sports team, church, school, orphanage, cheerleading team, just about anything. With an online fundraising program in place you can manage a lot with very little resources. You don't need a team doing the rounds soliciting funds, instead you get traffic to your site and the traffic comes from all over the world. You get sympathetic visitors who will gladly click on the "donate" button on your site. If you have a website then the hard part, of course, is to get people to visit your site.
If you can accomplish this then there is an unending supply of items that can be sold, not only physical goods you can sell a lot of virtual downloadable programs by entering into partnerships with the vendors. An easy to navigate website can become a repository of information for existing patrons; it tells them of what you have been doing with the funds gathered; new plans; successes, etc. You can also put up financial information; such clarity helps prospects make up...
Aug
3
2011
Fundraising – Online and Face-to-Face
Fundraising is probably next only to ice-cream in the number of flavors and combinations that can be achieved and like this sweet dessert, it is ubiquitous and one thinks that it has been around for longer. Today, the two strongest forms of fundraising are face-to-face fundraising and online fundraising. Both are diametrically opposite in structure and yet complement each other wonderfully. Let us consider online fundraising first. Today, the reach of the internet is huge. And an NGO or charity with a website can tap it very successfully. How does a website help with fundraising? First, you can use it to furnish useful information about what you do and your charities' achievements till date. Some prospective donors may wish to take a look at your finances before they commit. Put up financial details for the sake of transparency. Some people may wish to talk to or communicate with a flesh-and-blood human after going through the site; place email and phone details in place.
Placing a "donate" button will make it very easy for patrons to donate via Paypal or credit card. A website is not necessary to maintain email contact but it adds weight if your email carries the name...
Jul
22
2011
Facebook and Twitter for Fundraising
Fundraising begins with reaching out and ends with prospective donors parting with time and/or money for your charity. As a matter of fact, the fundraising efforts usually do not end. You have to keep in touch with old donors to ensure that they do not get whisked away by some other charity - yes, even in the world of fundraising for charities the competition is stiff and you have to be on your toes. Although the traditional means of door-to-door calling, street fundraising, flyers, TV and radio ads are still very popular; the advent of social media on the internet has made it imperative that charities become internet savvy. More so now because payments can be made online in a jiffy and people can do it on the move as well thanks to smartphones and tablets. Facebook and Twitter have emerged as the two biggest social networking sites out there.
At any given time there are millions of users accessing these sites. Facebook has more than half a billion users or 500 million plus users. Twitter is at around 200 million users. By the end of 2011, the combined number of users could inch towards the one billion mark. Stop...
Jun
24
2009
Fundraising and Web 2.0 – part two
The beauty of Web 2.0 is that it is relationship and conversation-based. You connect in good faith with people. Consider that you wish to market something, only it’s not a for-profit product, it’s a charitable cause. Any marketing effort benefits immensely when those who are using the product / service put in a word for it – word of mouth publicity is not only free but also very effective. And there is no better avenue today for explosive word of mouth information spread than the internet.
Web 2.0 has empowered users; people can exchange facts and information. What this means for a charity that is doing good work is that if people really like what you’re doing for the community they are not going to hold back on their praise. And Web 2.0 has a multiplicatory or viral effect that can leave you reeling under the impact of public response.
Before entering a Web 2.0 climate and creating your own space out there, you need to have something to say. You need to take time out to participate in the process and further other people’s causes. You need to be honest, civil, approachable, and more. Each social network functions under its...
Jun
23
2009
Fundraising and Web 2.0 – part one
The internet has for quite some time been a bulwark for fundraisers; fundraising has a lot to do with communicating and the internet opens up so many communication options. But to make the best use of the web for reaching out to potential donors you have to be aware of new developments.
Web 2.0 implies real-time interactive communications via the internet. Web 2.0 is about engagement; it fulfills our desire to be seen and heard. When we get seen and heard, it does wonders for our credibility and charities depend a lot upon credibility. Web 2.0 is an extremely useful medium for charities to explore. It consists of chats, forums, blogs, wikis, social bookmarking sites, social networking sites, business networking sites, etc. Podcasts and audiocasts are powerful tools that help you reach out to a potential audience using social media.
Social networking sites and other Web 2.0 sites can form crucial hubs that align with and link to your own website. This helps achieve many objectives. One you reach out to a greater number of people. Two, like-minded people have more than avenue of keeping track of what you do. Three, content put up on your site gets viral distribution through the...
Donor management software is somewhat akin to CRM software in that it helps analyze constituent behavior. It also helps understand donation cycles and thereby decide the right time to make a pitch for a given cause. Using software you can plan where you wish to be in the future and then act accordingly.
The software can either be installed on your server or it can be a SaaS application. If you install the software on your premises then you are responsible for its upkeep and updating. A SaaS model means that there is less upfront cost but as time passes you will pay more for SaaS. Database management can be an issue; you need to have data with you, especially if it is sensitive data.
Your choice between CRM software and fundraising software and between on-premise and SaaS depends on several factors; the scale of your operation, present liquidity, growth plans, and technical know-how being some of the important ones. Pick what helps you develop relationships in a better way. In fact, the CRM industry is now beginning to view fundraising as another vertical just like real estate, medicine, finance, etc.
A SaaS model is good for organizations that...
Fundraising has grown through leaps and bounds and is big business today; since fundraising depends a lot on relationships and managing databases to track burgeoning information is no longer easy. Selecting the right donor management software can have a huge positive influence on your fundraising efforts. The benefits include having information on your fingertips, easy access and distribution of information, uniform and current information, right information at the right time, easy updating of information, etc. All these features can make a big difference as they help you individualize your pitch for funds and tap the right donor in the right way at the right time. Not all donors are end-of-the year donors, some may prefer to give earlier, some have pet issues they care about, and some may choose to donate in kind rather than cash. It’s all about managing information in a proper way and a good donor management software lets you do just that.
The kind of package you use will matter only if you know that you’re going to use it; otherwise it’s a waste of money. Use software that can factor in all the different communication means you use to reach out to the donors –...
Mar
2
2009
How to Blog for Fundraising
Online fundraising has developed in a big way and blogs have proven to be a great platform to reach out to a sympathetic audience. Charities and Non-profit organizations should seriously consider a blog as a tool for letting people know of their work and give them the option of donating online.
A blog offers several advantages; it is easy and cheap to maintain. In fact you can host your blog on a free platform like WordPress or Blogger. Your donor audience is not limited by any geographical constraints. It can be anywhere in the world; so long as it identifies with your cause there is a chance that it will donate.
Therefore it is important to reach out to your prospective donor audience. Know who they are and let them know that your organization exists.
Post content to your blog regularly and spread the word about it. Make use of social bookmarking services. Keep the content relevant and interesting. Weave in stories of human interest; maintain a conversational tone, inform people. Tell them about your successes and the tribulations that you have to face in times of a financial crunch. Also tell the readers about how they benefit if they donate to...
Jun
15
2008
The Evolution of School Fundraisers
I remember when I was in school the strange variety of fundraisers that the school would have the students participate in. Of course we all know about candy bar sales (Just a quick side note to those that participate is candy bar sales – I was always the top sell in my school for one simple reason. I would look around my family for people with a sweet tooth and offer them “a box or two.” Try it. It works.) and we know about the magazine drive and so many other fundraising opportunities. Now I work in a school part time and I'm fascinated about the new types of fundraising that they take part in. One way is they made a “Fundraising / Support us” page on their website with affiliate offers. This is such a simple and effective way to get people to support your school. Another really simple school fundraiser that makes it easy for everyone to participate is recycling printer ink cartridges. This is effective because it costs nothing, there is no selling involved, and you were getting rid of the cartridges anyway. This is a truly...
