The rise in non-profit fundraising online services on the Internet today offers some promising opportunities for nonprofits to do outreach and build their Internet presence. Non-profit fundraising online should be considered an essential component of your nonprofit’s Internet presence. By using the online medium, you are reaching out to new audiences and constituencies, introducing them to your issues and campaigns, and asking them to support you.

Non-profit fundraising online should be closely coordinated with your organization’s strategic plan and your overall fundraising message. It’s not enough to simply put up a “donate now” button and hope for contributions to come in. Online fundraising for non-profit organizations can yield few results if they’re unplanned or not part of an overall fundraising strategy.

When working on nonprofit online fundraising, Internet staff should work closely with the organization’s fundraising and development staff to coordinate efforts. Nonprofit fundraising online is easy for non-profits to raise more money for their cause, rather than doing traditional fundraisers that require more time and investment, and often do not produce high profits.

Non-Profit Fundraising Platforms
The first strategy recommended is that you get your nonprofit fundraising online listed with all the charity portals on the Web today. Charity portals are websites that offer a directory of nonprofits, of which you’d be one of many. Their job is to attract lots of traffic to their site and encourage visitors to make contributions to the nonprofits listed. Often your listing is free, and the portal accepts secure credit card contributions on your behalf. Some charge a fee when you get a contribution, but usually there are no monthly charges. These portals make their money either from advertising on their site or through the fees they charge the nonprofit. Individuals interested in donating to charities often use charity portals to help them with their research, so it’s important that you be listed and that your listing be up-to-date.

Donate Button for Non-Profit Fundraisers
The second strategy that is recommended for nonprofit fundraising online is to have a “donate” button on your own non-profit website. You can either use the donation service of one of the charity portals mentioned above, or you can contract with a vendor to set one up for you. Using a charity portal is by far an easier and cheaper process, but you’ll have less control over the branding of the pages and the various administrative and notification tools that accompany the service. Nonprofit fundraising online companies specifically created for donor relationship management services are typically more costly, but they’ll build a fully customized system that meets your exact needs.

Charity Malls to Raise Money for Non-Profits
Your third strategy for non-profit fundraising online might be to work with a charity mall, which is an online fundraising service that returns a commission to your organization when your members or supporters make online shopping purchases through their network of online stores. Not all nonprofits are comfortable working with charity malls. Some NPOs feel that it’s akin to a form of advertising or corporate sponsorship or that it supports consumerism, which may not mix well with your organization’s mission. Your staff and/or board should debate the issue and develop a policy. 

Compared to the traditional ways of fund raising, online fundraising is recognized as something which is more effective compared to the former and other ways to raise money or funds. This holds true in the sense that fundraising entails the use of the internet and internet is a great way to reach many people not only in one particular place but also in different places around the world as well.

With online fundraising, you will be able to make use many different free fields on the internet that are easily seen and participated in by many people from different places. Some of these fields include social networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and Linkedin. Emails to and from friends and family are also best for this purpose and are now commonly used by fundraisers from the different parts of the globe.

Traditional Fundraising

There are so many problems that arise when it comes to the use of traditional fundraising. One of the common problems so far is the volume or the number of support that comes available. Say for example, if you are having a fundraising activity in your community, this will only bring you in limited supports. Why is this so? It is because reaching individuals to help you with the fundraising is only limited within your reach. Even if you want to get support from other places, this seems to be daunting and impossible on your part simply because doing this would entail a great deal of time, money, and effort.

Fundraising Through The Internet

With the introduction of the internet to the world, a great deal of benefits has been imparted to millions and millions of people around the world. Aside from the fact that business and communication have been satisfactorily shared, people from different parts of the world can now enjoy the benefits of the internet through the fundraising activities. The hundreds of supports which have been obtained from traditional fundraising have become millions with online fundraising.

The Benefits

The most obvious advantage you can have with internet fundraising is that you will definitely have a massive number of supporters or audiences who are willing to listen to your ideas. In addition, the internet hub already comes with a plethora of organizations and sites which are dedicated and designed to provide help and assistance to the needy and destitute ones.

With online fundraising, it is much easier for everyone to receive financial helps and assistance from different websites and organizations. Most of the time, these websites would provide you with direct money transfer to particular charity institution given that the fundraising arrangements have been finalized and completed.

By using the emails and social networking sites, you will be able to reach millions and millions of subscribers using their Facebook and Twitter accounts every day. These sites and others like Google+ and Linkedin are incredible ways to reach lots of people to help you with your fundraising activity. With the internet, online fundraising has never been this easy.

Fundraising has been around for as long as there have been charities and non-profit organizations, all of whom depend on donations in order to continue with the excellent services that they provide.

There are a handful of causes that are well-known to everyone, such as cancer research and those that help the blind etc., but for smaller organizations, getting the money that they need to continue operating can be a difficult task indeed. Online fundraising is one of the newest ways that generous citizens can give to their favorite charity, and it’s one that is really helping those smaller outfits.

Ordinarily, most organizations depend on volunteers to go door to door or to man telephones in order to accept donations. That’s a time-consuming practice that will only be as successful as the number of people that are able to help out at any given time. The same rules apply with traditional fundraisers such as bake sales and car washes, all of which can live or dies based on weather, crowd turnout, and a host of other factors that could easily toy with the planned event. Positive fundraising oftentimes relies on other outside element to go off without a hitch in order to be a success, whereas online fundraising really requires very little except the donator to be on the internet.

In order to raise money online, charities are now relying heavily on the social aspect of the internet in order to reach their financial goals. Social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter have made it easier for people to share a charity or fundraising event that they are very passionate about, and there are now a number of different sites set up to help organizations tap into that social aspect in order to get their message out. A perfect example of that is Fundly, which has helped organizations raise hindered of millions of dollars that would otherwise never have been achieved without a little online help.

You could simply set up your own website for your cause, but that takes time and money that you simply may not have, which makes the social fundraise sites all the more appealing. They are incredibly easy to get started and contain links to all the major social network sites so that supporters can share your message with their network. They actually also give you the ability to spread the word much more quickly than you would have ever imagined as people who support you, either through donations or simply as a fundraiser, can create their own individual page that links to your specified charity or organization.

That makes their fundraising attempts even more effective as they have their name attached, which in turn builds an instant level of trust with the people who are in their various networks. Online fundraising is much like online selling in that people will generally hand over their money to people they trust, and will do so 24/7/365, which doesn’t usually happen with regular fundraising.

No matter what the cause organization is, it will need to do fundraising.  Fundraising ideas come in all shapes and sizes, but the best way to raise money for any cause is through online fundraising.  It is easy, fun, effective, and profitable to raise money online! 

Fundraising can seem like a daunting task.  Coming up with fundraising ideas can be intimidating, and then finding the manpower and time to carry out the ideas can be stressful.  But now, with online fundraising all the problems that conventional fundraising is known to have, are alleviated!

It is much easier to raise money online.  Overall difficulty is a problem that charitable organizations and causes have faced for a long time, but online fundraising makes it much easier.  It does not take as much time or effort to do fundraisers online because much of the work can be done from home or an office.  The members of the organization don’t need to spend time driving places, making posters, or volunteering hours of their precious time just to raise money. 

An online fundraiser can be set up using a number of different websites, which utilize simple methods for marketing a cause to a wide audience, all with minimal effort on the part of the organization.  Some of these fundraising sites use social media sites such as Facebook to spread the word about the cause.  It is easy to reach a great number of people since almost everyone uses social media sites these days, and everyone is connected to everyone else.  Some fundraising sites use emails. 

This method is much easier and faster than making phone calls.  Reaching hundreds of people is only a few clicks away and takes only seconds though email, while making phone calls is very time consuming.  Not only is it easier to raise money online though email, it is also less intrusive to the potential donors who may not have time to talk on the phone, but will take the time to click on an email or go to a website at their convenience. 

Fundraising is more effective online as well!  Not only are more potential donors reached more quickly and easily, but they are also more likely to donate when approached online.  Many people are naturally defensive when asked to give money, but a website or online fundraising site are low pressure.  Fundraisers online have all the important facts and information that potential donors can read when it is convenient for them, and then are more likely to carefully consider and ultimately decide to donate money to the cause.

Online fundraising is more effective and more profitable for any cause no matter how big or small!  Even if the organization only has a few volunteers or members, doing fundraising online is easy and very effective.  And for any size organization utilizing online fundraising leaves more time for members and volunteers to spend doing other important activities and make the overall organization more effective. 

Fundraising can actually be fun, easy and profitable!  

In the modern times, many things can be done via the internet. Doing things online is fast, easy and convenient. Online fundraising is something that is growing in popularity. Yes, it is very possible to raise money online.

After filing with the proper organizations, anyone can set up a website to solicit donations for whatever cause it may be for. Online fundraising provides a much broader demographic for promotions, and increases the likelihood of donations. In addition, there is no need to spend money to set up events for the purpose of fundraising, nor will there be a need for seeking donations on foot.

Before starting the actual fundraising, several preparations must be done. First off, the means of fundraising must be legalized. This can be done by contacting the state of the location of the fundraising organization to find about any requirements for fundraising. After legalizing everything, it is time to promote your cause. Since the fundraising will be done on the Internet, using the Internet to promote is the best idea. You can utilize social networking sites to get out the word for your organization.

Since social networking sites are so widespread, generating interest in your cause can be as simple as setting up a Facebook page. Creating a website is also a good idea. The website should have an attractive design, but also be easy to read and navigate. In addition, there should be a “donate now” button on the website. It need not be large and distracting, but it should be conspicuous to the visitor of the website.

While promoting for online fundraising, it is important to not be too rigorous. You do not want to become a spammer and send unsolicited emails. In order to raise money online, it is also a good idea to do promotions elsewhere as well. Handing out business cards and flyers, or even placing an ad in a publication are great additions. Also, you should decide how you will receive donations on your website. There are several options. You can use another company to collect the donations, or you can set up your website to be able to do credit card transactions. Another website can do this for you as well.

In addition to taking donations online, you can use your website to get donations in other forms. Supporters should have the option to donate online or through other means, such as by mail. The website should also promote the cause for the fundraising. Visitors should know exactly why they are donating. However, it is not always necessary to do everything independently. Several websites allow users to set up accounts solely for fundraising. People seeking to donate, as well as people seeking donations themselves visit such websites. This is a great method for those who have a small project to raise money for.

By using a third party fundraising websites, you will not be responsible for collecting donations or creating an entire fundraising campaign. Using the internet for online fundraising is much more convenient than traditional fundraisers in that it greatly simplifies the act of getting donations. Soon, it may even replace traditional fundraisers altogether. 

Lounging on the couch after a long day at work,  I get a 9-1-1 text from my nephew, Matt , telling me that I owe him a $45 check.  He is promoting a high school fundraising campaign for his football team to fund new equipment, uniforms and gas for the bus.  To meet his assigned goal he needs me to buy four 2-lb. tubs of cookie dough. Immediately!   Because the money is due tomorrow and it’s 9pm and he has homework to do.  

Oh, and I can’t tell his Mom about our 11^th hour communication because she’s been yelling at him for two weeks to get the stuff sold.  So, he told her he already turned everything in.

I’ve got some problems:  

1.     I don’t want eight pounds of cookie dough in my house (my husband’s ticker has to keep marching the beat for three more years until the stock options vest, not to mention it is almost swim suit season)!

2.     Wedging several tubs of cookie dough into my freezer will be difficult.  It’s already stuffed with the cookie crack the Girl Scouts are pushing—4 boxes of Thin Mints (from my niece), 4 boxes of Samoas (another niece), 3 boxes of Tagalongs (from the neighbor girl) and 1 box of Do-Si-Dos (from my co-workers daughter).

3.   Matt wants me to write a check. Location of checkbook? No clue!

Who uses checks anymore?  I do all of my bill paying/banking online. 

After handing over half my life savings to the Girl Scouts via my checkbook,  I tossed it somewhere…

There has to be a better way to fundraise!

Two nights later, my niece Shannon sends me a message via Facebook.   Her high school is raising money to replace all the windows in the school building…here we go again!   I post a rant on Facebook about my frustration with school fundraising. I don’t need, nor do I want any more candy bars, cookies, candles, gift wrap,  or holiday cards.  I support education, I support sports programs, I support music and art.  I don’t  support repeated requests to buy a bunch of junk and junk food.    I am sick and tired of ordering new checks just to pay for all this stuff.  Besides, how much of the overall sales go back to the school programs? 

My zealous pound of keyboard keys is interrupted by additional messages from my niece.  Her school is using a social fundraising platform.  I had never heard of using one, so I assumed I’d now be adding an order of party supplies to all my other junk.  Shannon explains that by fundraising online and using social media networks to fundraise and all dollars donated go to the actual campaign.  She gives me a link to their fundraising page, but tells me I’ll soon get an email with a link to view the online campaign.  Through the link I’ll be able to make a donation using my credit card!!! The really cool thing is, I can share the campaign with my Facebook and LinkedIn contacts and encourage them to donate too.  And, because this is 10x easier, they will.

I get a final message from Shannon in caps, “THE WINDOWS AT MY SCHOOL ARE  GROSS—I’M EITHER SHIVERING COLD OR BOILING HOT.  I’M PRETTY SURE IT’S THEIR FAULT MY GPA WENT DOWN LAST SEMESTER!  SAVE MY GRADES—DONATE A LOT! 

No checks, no cookie dough, no problem!

Better come up with a new business plan Otis Spunkmeyer,  your days are numbered! Why? Because online fundraising for a cause is so much easier and was much more successful for all of us involved! 

At Fundly, we know that the future of fundraising is through online social media channels. Twitter has over 300 million users and 1.6 billion search queries each day. Facebook boasts of having more than 845 million users and more than half of those people log on each day. Furthermore, this past year showed a 13% increase in online giving which equals a 35-55% growth rate over the past year! With numbers like these, which are only increasing over time, it just goes to show that online social networking and fundraising are here to stay.

While we continue to encourage nonprofits and political candidates to take full advantage of their online fundraising potential, it’s nice to know that we’re not alone in our optimism using this strategy for garnering donations. Mike Cassidy wrote in the Mercury News this past weekend an interesting article entitled, “Will Facebook, Twitter, Fundly and the like be the fundraisers of the future?” (Can we answer an astounding “YES!” to that question?)

Cassidy proposes that, “as we move into the meat of the 2012 election season, think of the accelerating convergence of social networking and campaign fundraising as the anti-Super PAC movement.

“Super PAC money rolls into campaign coffers in the form of six-zero checks signed by supporters who possess unfathomable means and political interests that they’ll spend tens of millions to protect. The social network money, on the other hand, comes from no-name nobodies, kicking in $20 or $50 or maybe $200 at a time, in part because one of their Facebook friends did the same.”

Cassidy also highlights the point that social networks such as Facebook and Twitter are allowing those who normally wouldn’t contribute to political campaigns to now actively participate. This is reaching a younger demographic and getting more people involved in the political process.

Fundly has definitely seen the popularity of online giving grow over the past couple of years. At the end of the 2010 election cycle, 120 political customers were using Fundly to raise money. Now the number is 10 times that. The campaigns range from local races to the presidential efforts of Republicans Rick Santorum, Mitt Romney and a Newt Gingrich PAC. Candidates also successfully raised $71 million for the 2010 midterm elections, including $23 million for Fundly money leader Meg Whitman, who ran for the office of Governor of California.

Online fundraising is the wave of the future, and we are excited that the word is getting out. We have helped thousands of nonprofits, schools, individual causes and candidates and we would love to help your organization, too!

The other day on TechPresident.com, Micah L. Sirfry discussed the interesting argument on whether or not the media is inflating the impact that social media is having on the upcoming presidential election.

From followers “liking” candidates on Facebook to online fundraising contributions, is the action on the web really influencing the race to the Oval Office? Does every person on Twitter equate to a ballot submitted on Election Day?

Sirfy states that, “Politics isn’t only about voting; it’s more deeply about organizing to get and keep power. And the evidence that social media is helping organized groups get more power–sometimes more than their raw numbers might get them at the ballot box–is staring us in the face.”

At Fundly, we would have to agree with Sirfy. At the end of the 2010 election cycle, 120 political customers were using Fundly to raise money and currently our numbers show 10 times that amount. The campaigns have ranged from local races to the presidential efforts of Rick Santorum, Mitt Romney and a Newt Gingrich PAC. Candidates also successfully raised $71 million for the 2010 midterm elections.

Now let’s move beyond dollars. Sirfy brings up the interesting point that the nomination for the Republican presidential candidate is still up in the air in large part because of the role that social media is playing in creating factions among the conservative party. There are dozens of groups on Facebook that are backing the politician of their choice and there is even a social network that has more than 168,000 users who are largely beyond the control of any Republican organization.

In an ironic turn of the internet, not only is technology bringing more people of like-mindedness together, it is dividing the GOP. While the Republican Party is getting a ton of press for the Super PACs that are changing the landscape of political fundraising, an arsenal of small donors are also equipping the candidates with the funds to pursue the office of Commander in Chief. “On Fundly, a social fundraising site, the Rick Santorum page has nearly 3,000 donors who have built personal fundraising pages generating an average of about $80 each. By contrast, Romney has two donors who have created personal fundraising pages on the site, one of whom is his son Tagg” sites Sirfry.

So let’s get back to the original question at hand: do high numbers on Facebook equal high numbers of voters at the polls?

When so many people have invested their time, finances and opinions concerning the political scene, I can’t imagine them abandoning the cause at the apex of the battle.

There are a few truths that are undeniable in the philanthropic world: First of all, you cannot run a nonprofit without fundraising. Second only to a heart of compassion, money is the catalyst that drives a charitable organization to accomplish social good. Next, if you always do what you always did, you’re always going to get what you’ve always got. Fundraising is about change. Finally, fundraising takes immense planning. Rarely does money come in by accident.

Now that we’ve established some basic ground rules, it’s important to keep in mind the basics to fundraising that can get lost in the shuffle over time. Here are some foundational steps in the fundraising process:

1)      Create short term and long term goals – Don’t bite off more that you can chew. Every organization has visions of grandeur about having 50 or more employees, a building that spans a city block and a bank statement that has as many zero’s in it to rival Donald Trump’s. Can this dream be fulfilled over time? Maybe. However, it’s important to have a pyramid of steps to accomplish on the way to the grand goal. Start off with establishing an office in a good location, a staff that is committed and manageable and a bank account that boasts of three months worth of expenses saved. If you aim too high, discouragement is bound to set in.

2)      Count the cost – Before building a house, it is essential to research how much supplies, labor and time will be invested into the project. No one wants to live in a home without a roof or plumbing! The same goes into fundraising. Create the best fundraiser you can within the man power and budget that you have to dedicate to it. It is better have an event with plenty of food and fewer guests than to invite the masses for stale crackers and packaged cookies. Also, you don’t want to kill your staff and have them face burnout.

3)      Delegate to those you trust – Just as King Arthur had his faithful Knights of the Round Table, so every leader needs a committee of competent advisors. When everyone does their part and does it well, then no one in particular is overly stressed. Find the best group of people to work with who have the same passion and dedication as you, and the fundraising process will go smoothly and efficiently.

4)      Slow and steady wins the race – Relationships and a consistent flow of donations both take time to nurture and grow. Showing your organization to be reliable, trustworthy, significant and purposeful will definitely set the foundation for future partners and successful fundraisers.

5)      Be willing to change with the times – Review your list of donors and see if there are gaps. Is most of your list made up of seniors? Create a social media campaign to reach the younger crowd. Fundly has a variety of ways to support an online fundraising campaign for your charity. Is your annual banquet declining in guests? Maybe a concert or food and wine tasting evening will bring in new donors. Just because you’ve always done it one way does not mean that that is the only way.

When is the last day that you can recall not flipping open your laptop, pulling out your iPad or making a call on your cell phone?

The internet and Wifi technology have taken over our world and are as much a part of our lives as television and automobiles. If you’re not fully incorporating social media into your online fundraising plan, maybe some of these facts will inspire you. After all, this is where your donors are at. If you are using social media fundraising, how are you standing out in the crowd of everyday media?

The minds at mbaonline have created this great infographic which gives the perfect snapshot of what a day in the internet looks like. With such immense figures and incomprehensible traffic, it is mind blowing to consider the impact that current technology is having on our world.

So with all of these videos, e-mails, blog posts and social networking sites, how can your organization stand out? Here are a few things to consider:

At the core of fundraising is story telling. Every person, every cause has a story to tell which can grab the attention and heart of the person reading it. Effective story telling involves pictures that trigger an emotion, sincerity and a call to action from the reader. Different stories also appeal to a variety of donors; be sure to use a spectrum of examples about how your organization is making a difference by highlighting men, women, seniors, youth, etc.

The bigger the net, the more fish you catch. How big is your presence online? Facebook, Twitter, and e-mail are the obvious choices, but have you considered looking into Google Grants for free online advertising or LinkedIn to share fundraising ideas with other nonprofits? Do you have a Fundlyaccount to make managing online giving a breeze? Have you created a video to post on your website, Fundly site or YouTube to share your vision with a broader audience? There are a ton of tools out there to make your organization visible and to help you stay connected with your donors.

Finally, it’s important not to get overwhelmed by the influx of technology. The basis of every successful nonprofit is having a passion for your mission, an arsenal of people with a like mind, and providing accountability to your donors. Let social media work for you, not the other way around.