Online Fundraising : Raise Money For Causes

With Monday being President’s Day, we thought we’d carry the theme for one more post. Fashions, technology and industry may change, but the need to help one’s fellow man does not. Nonprofits and government programs will continue to exist until the basic needs of food, education and shelter are met. There will continue to be programs that were and are of particular interest to our presidents that continue to thrive as important issues today.

Somehow it seems like more natural disasters are hitting our world; every few months images of despair and destruction are flashed upon the television screen. Obviously these forces of nature are hardly new, and presidents such as Theodore Roosevelt and George H.W. Bush had to face the repercussions of earthquakes that hit the San Francisco Bay Area during their terms in office.  

Add to that countless hurricanes, tornadoes, droughts and blizzards, and I’d account that just about every president has had to compensate to address various disaster assistance resources provided by the government. In recent history, from Japan to New Orleans to Haiti, thousands have had to start over as they rebuild their homes and their lives. Independent nonprofits have also made an impact for these individuals and communities who have needed help to travel down this difficult path of reconstruction.

Nonprofits have the incredible task of providing aid to clients while maintaining a current fundraising strategy. A good example of online fundraising success is a recent disaster relief campaign on the Fundly platform that has raised $82,379 of their $125,000 goal. For every 100 donations that were given, 3,878 impressions were made to the cause’s Facebook page within a 24-hour period.  This flow of web traffic brought a 15% increase in their donation yield during that period of time. This is the power of social fundraising.

Most importantly, through this site they have been able to serve hot meals, first aid kits and shelter to countless people. Fundly is proud to partner with incredible causes like these as their online fundraising platform and looks forward to aiding more organizations to achieve this success!

I think one of the biggest hurdles that nonprofits have to scale is the jump from making one-time donors into consistent supporters. They’ve heard your message, they want to help your cause, but what prevents them from making further contributions?

This is the focus of one study being conducted by the Red Cross in collaboration with Wharton Customer Analytics Initiative (WCAI) and six teams of researchers from around the country including analytics experts from Baylor University, the University of Pittsburgh and the IBM Watson Research Center.

The catalyst for this study is the dilemma that the Red Cross shares with most charities: during a disaster people are more than ready to give a one-time gift. However, the financial need of most nonprofits extends far beyond high profiled natural disasters or tragic incidents.

Andrew Watt, CEO of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, states that, “Giving rates still have a long way to go before we reach pre-recession levels, and it all begins with reducing the number of lapsed donors… This is one of the biggest challenges charities face — losing nearly 60 percent of donors every year and relying too heavily on new donors. It’s much less expensive to retain and inspire existing donors than it is to find new donors, so charities should focus on stewarding their current donors and reducing losses there.”

Customer analytics is nothing new to the for-profit world: companies track credit card purchases, prescriptions written by doctors and prevalent topics on internet search engines. With this study, the WCAI hopes to track donor giving on a more individual level.

So far they have found that nonprofits use available data to support projects that they are already doing rather than deal with the process of changing their dynamics for a better outcome. Peter Fader, a Wharton marketing professor and co-director of WCAI, comments that, “There are a lot of companies that would call themselves ‘data-driven’ that are using this in a passive way… People are afraid to trust data too much. They often trust their gut more.”

Online fundraising is a great way to track giving, stay in communication with donors and to nurture a relationship with existing supporters. “Customer analytics” just seems like a fancy term for determining who your supporters are and what motivates them to give. That is nothing new to the nonprofit world and neither is the answer: building relationships. Whether it’s through social media or a line in the mail, letting your donors know they are appreciated and needed will keep them coming back.

It’s sometimes called “social fundraising”, “friend-raising” or “peer-to-peer fundraising” – Catchy terms for students and their families asking their friends for financial support on your school’s behalf.  It can be a powerful tool to reach more people…and their charitable donations.

The more than 98,000 public schools and nearly 29,000 private schools in the US rely heavily on donations to deliver anything from paper and pencils to arts education to technology to scholarships.  Enabling people connected to your school to reach other supporters is critical to your fundraising success.  A popular source of fundraising for many schools is the walk-a-thon (or any “a-thon” for that matter).

When the school PTA plans an event like a walk-a-thon, jog-a-thon, or read-a-thon, it relies on families to ask their networks for financial donations.   Turning students and parents into active fundraisers requires that the fundraising organizer make it:

• Convenient for the student/parents to ask
• Easy for the supporter to donate
• Simple for the volunteer to track and receive donations

But most schools haven’t caught up with the new wave of online social fundraising that is transforming how people give. Here are just 5 of the many reasons online fundraising leads to success for schools:

• Engage the parents: Online fundraising can be done any time of the day, so busy parents can stay on top of the fundraising.
• Ask more people:  Word about your fundraiser travels much faster, further and to more people by email, facebook and twitter – around the country and across the globe.
• Take donations online:  Donations are processed immediately by credit card, so it’s easy for the donor to give.  Mom no longer has to embarrassingly ask grandparents or friends to write the check for their pledge commitment (or give up and write the check herself!).
• Feature the students:  Personal fundraising webpages mean that students can show off their personalities with photos, video, and a specific message.  After all, this is for the kids!
• Stay on top of the goal:  Students and teachers can watch their personal and class team fundraising progress, which encourages them to strive for prizes and enjoy a little healthy competition.

If you’re shy about dipping your toe in the online fundraising waters, rest assured it has already proven successful for schools.  And if you’re ready but don’t know how to start, Fundly has announcement the 12 Schools in 12 Weeks Challenge, to help 12 schools succeed in online fundraising for their Spring 2012 “a-thons” with dedicated support from Yapper Girl and a fundraiser’s toolkit worth more than $3,000.

We’ve all done them or seen them done. The big “oops” that makes us cringe or has us scrambling to do damage control. With online fundraising, I’m not sure if these embarrassing incidents happen more or less.

First of all, we tend to communicate with donors more online than with traditional methods increasing our chances to misfire. However, with technological advancements and management being more meticulous and cautious these days, there may be more thought put into doing a project right.

Anyway, here are some mistakes you should definitely avoid:

1)      Direct Mail Campaign No-no’s – Mail merges make life so much easier but one wrong click of the keys and your whole spreadsheet could be off. Make sure that your donor’s names, addresses and giving amounts are correct but also keep in mind that addressing a letter to “Dear Friend” is just as unsuccessful as using the wrong name. Also, do what you can to avoid signature stamps or scanning in a signature. That is just way too impersonal, especially when someone has taken the time to donate to your organization.

2)      Pestering Your Donors – Are you running too many campaigns at once and asking too much from your donors? Are you filling their mailbox and Inbox with countless updates? Are you asking a $10 donor to jump to being a $50 donor? Create a calendar for your organization and spread out your updates, events, campaigns and e-mails so departments aren’t overlapping.

3)      Not Delivering On What You Promised – From buying cookies to investing in a building program, if a supporter commits to handing over their dollars they want to see a return. Follow up on how your campaign is going and if you didn’t raise enough and have to bail on your goal, be honest about it. Your word is your greatest asset to gaining donor trust and their dedication to your organization.

4)      Build Relationships – Sending out a mass of mailers or asking for money in front of a grocery store never brings in very good results (unless you are the Salvation Army and have a red bell and history of 100 years behind you.) People tend to be motivated by their hearts and emotions causing formal letters and door-to-door solicitations to be unfruitful. Use photos, first names, and anything else that brings the human touch and a bridge of relationship into the mix. Invest into donors and they will invest into you.

5)      Keeping Up With the Times – Echoing the last point, the old ways of fundraising involve a lot of time and money without stellar results. Online fundraising through social media can make life so much easier for any development team. Communication, ease of donating and seeing pictures and videos of your mission tie your supporters into your cause. Since the investment is also low, you can experiment with your fundraising strategies and campaigns to reach new goals.

With today being President’s Day and it being an election year, it seems only appropriate to look back at the history of presidential philanthropy throughout our nation’s rich history. This has not been the first time our country has faced an economic downturn, nor are the topics of inequality and health care new to our textbooks. Here is a look back at some causes that have been near and dear to our Commanders in Chief and by looking back, we’ll be able to assess the future.

Abraham Lincoln was forced with the issue of keeping a nation united amidst the chaos and tragedy of the Civil War. With racial conflicts as a central issue causing such dissention, he had the monumental task of changing the status quo to redeem the lives of thousands of slaves. Skip ahead one hundred years to the presidential term of John F. Kennedy and the racial riots of the 1960’s. The birth of the NAACP, March on Washington and leadership styles of Martin Luther King, Jr. clearly set the stage for modern nonprofits and their ability to garner a strong foundation of committed supporters.

Franklin D. Roosevelt had a mess to clean up as he entered office with the Great Depression influencing much of America and impacting the world. With the stock market debilitating the U.S. economy, international trade decreasing by 50%, unemployment reaching an unfathomable 25% and farms and factories shutting down in mass numbers, many people relied on the charitable acts of neighbors and government programs. I find it interesting that many of the issues from this time are still present today: How much government intervention is too much? Is there a common thread between the crash on Wall Street and the collapse of the current housing market?

Now here’s a crazy thought: Can you imagine how social media would have been used on these past causes? Imagine a cyber Underground Railroad and the texts that could have saved hundreds of lives. What about the Tweets that would have been posted during the King’s “I Have a Dream” speech? What kind of online fundraising campaigns would have been started during the Great Depression? How many people could have found jobs using Craigslist and Monster.com?

Fortunately we are not in the time of “what ifs,” but we can use these incredible online resources now. We can accomplish what no other generation could before us. If we could combine the passion and determination of the past with the potential of today, what kind of tomorrow will we see?

In this final installment of Social Media Week posts, I would be remiss to not touch on the topic of the blogging world. From personal to professional blogs, I’ve been sharing my opinions for about two years now and have found this part of the technical arena to be something that I love. Here are some things I’ve learned:

1)      Find Your Focus – Before you start a blog determine what you want your subject matter to be. Obviously as a nonprofit your topics will probably orbit around your cause and mission statement, so keep that in mind when you write. Avoid random political opinions, anything that might isolate your supporters or any negativity that would turn someone off. This is a great platform to share your heart and readers will keep coming back if they know that they’ll find something thought-provoking and informative.

2)      Keep it Real and Relaxed – Unlike reports, news articles, and board minutes, blogs are meant to be conversational. Keep it relatable and avoid sounding like a textbook. If your readers are primarily donors, share stories of how your charity is making a difference or honestly share a difficulty that your organization is facing. You may also want to discuss a measure coming up on a ballot that directly affects your cause (without sounding too controversial or preachy). This is a great way to build relationships with your donors because they can truly see the reality of your cause on a regular basis.

3)      Finding Content – Sometimes it can be tough to write on the same topic day after day but you just need to know where to look. I love Google Alerts; you can type in keywords that are the core of your topic and everyday Google will send you e-mails with lists of articles pertaining to your subject matter. Also try typing in keywords into any search engine; it’s amazing how many newsletters and websites are devoted to specific topics of interest. As a nonprofit, the Chronicle of Philanthropy and Mashable have great updates on the philanthropic world.

4)      Creating a Blog – I’ve used WordPress for almost a year and a half and they have a great site if you want to create a blog. It’s free, easy to use and I’ve never come into a problem with it. It also shows you stats on how many people are reading your blogs, which posts are the most popular and it helps to sort out real comments from spam. If you’re considering starting a blog, this is the perfect launching pad.

Blogs are a great way to connect to donors and supporters by sharing updates, special needs, client success stories and plans of action. Through this form of social media you can expand on thoughts that would be limited on Facebook and Twitter or costly via direct mail. Blogs also are a great strategy to tie your donors in to future fundraising campaigns; instead of making the occasional ask you’re inviting them into your organization’s world one blog at a time.

In this series:

Happy Social Media Week – http://bit.ly/yKlkNr

Woman Uses Fundly and Facebook to Help Fulfill Stranger’s Last Wish –http://bit.ly/wluGiv

Twitter vs. Facebook: To Tweet or Not to Tweet – http://bit.ly/ADdqwn

Implementing an Online Fundraising Plan for Beginners – http://bit.ly/x5BymH

Starting Your Own Blog – http://bit.ly/yxR2kG

In this fourth blog pertaining to Social Media Week, let’s start at the very beginning of how to actually use social media for those who are either new to the nonprofit world or unfamiliar with the basics of social media. This week we’ve discussed the purpose and differences of Twitter and Facebook, but here are some practical ways to slowly incorporate them into your development department’s strategy for fundraising.

1)      Get your website up and running – Facebook and Twitter are great ways to contact donors but if you have nowhere to lead them, it almost defeats the purpose. There are great website templates that you can find on the internet that average about $20 per month for a basic account, or you can set up a donation page onFundly. Last night I created a Fundly page for my brother-in-law’s charity event and it literally took me about 25 minutes. You can share your mission, contact information and collect donations in a matter of minutes.

2)      Set up Facebook and Twitter accounts – You can’t contact donors via these internet applications if you don’t have an account. Fill in the required information and spend about half an hour playing around with the different fields and features. Also, check out YouTube for video tutorials on how to use these online tools. If millions of people can do it, you can too! It just takes some time and basic computer skills to figure out the online social scene.

3)      Set up a calendar – I live by my calendar and a to-do list. If I don’t organize my life on paper, I feel frazzled and overwhelmed. Once you get your online accounts set up, set aside a time and schedule or assign this task to someone on your team to keep up with creating updates and posts for your online donor list. Maybe every Wednesday you can create a post on Facebook to let your supporters know what project you are working on. Possibly send out an e-newsletter on the first Monday of the month with a success story or urgent need. On Twitter you can report on a great article you read pertaining to your cause or state how much money you raised at a fundraiser. Create a plan and then stick with it!

4)      Reply to your donors – Social media is a two way street; you can post all you want, but donors will comment and ask questions. Be sure someone in your organization replies. Of course you don’t have to comment on everyone’s message, but filter through your account and reply when necessary.

5)      Expanding your online presence – Once you have Facebook, Twitter and e-mail mastered, you may want to check out LinkedIn to connect with other professionals. There are a bunch of great groups focused on nonprofits and the forums are perfect if you have questions or need ideas.

So those are some of the basics to using social media resources. Tune in tomorrow for our final installment of Social Media Week posts: Starting Your Own Blog.

In this series:

Happy Social Media Week – http://bit.ly/yKlkNr

Woman Uses Fundly and Facebook to Help Fulfill Stranger’s Last Wish –http://bit.ly/wluGiv

Twitter vs. Facebook: To Tweet or Not to Tweet – http://bit.ly/ADdqwn

Implementing an Online Fundraising Plan for Beginners – http://bit.ly/x5BymH

Starting Your Own Blog – http://bit.ly/yxR2kG

To Tweet or not to Tweet? Is that really the question? With this week being Social Media Week, the answer is definitely “to tweet!”

If you’re new to the social media scene, you may be wondering what the differences are between Twitter and Facebook. You also may think that using Twitter is just another thing to do on your long task list. Most importantly, will using this site really benefit your nonprofit?

Here is a simple breakdown of the differences between Facebook and Twitter: first of all, I think that depth of communication is one of the main qualities that separate these two applications. If Facebook and Twitter went on a date then Facebook would be the woman sharing family photos, what she did that day and using a ton of words to communicate her thoughts. Twitter as they guy would respond in shorthand-type statements, stick to bare facts and hang out with guys with similar interests.

Secondly, Facebook has “friends” that follow you via invitation; you must approve them or they won’t be able to see your posts, pictures or make comments. Twitter allows anyone to join your group of followers and lets them comment on your Tweets unless you specifically block that individual.

Finally, Facebook is a more personal approach with its unlimited word count verses Twitter’s 140 character limit. However, Twitter’s advantage is that you don’t have to sort through extensive paragraphs to find the point of the message. Facebook is great for building relationships and Twitter is perfect for business goals such as gathering concise opinions or commenting on conferences or events.

Which one is right for your nonprofit? I’d have to say both. Different methods attract different donors, so it would be an asset to implement both social media sites into your development strategies. Facebook allows supporters to really get a sense of your organization through pictures, updates and links. Twitter could be used as a reminder when you have a new blog post, if there is a website you want to share or to give updates on a campaign.

The most important strategy for fundraising is to build relationships and meet your donors where they’re at. 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. Since these applications are free, it would be a shame to miss out on connecting with all of these current or potential supporters!

To continue the theme of Social Media Week, tomorrow’s topic will help give you practical tips on how to incorporate social media into your fundraising strategy.

In this series:

Happy Social Media Week – http://bit.ly/yKlkNr

Woman Uses Fundly and Facebook to Help Fulfill Stranger’s Last Wish –http://bit.ly/wluGiv

Twitter vs. Facebook: To Tweet or Not to Tweet – http://bit.ly/ADdqwn

Implementing an Online Fundraising Plan for Beginners – http://bit.ly/x5BymH

Starting Your Own Blog – http://bit.ly/yxR2kG

Fundly is proud to announce that we have published the first ever index that measures the social fundraising activity across the social web during the 2012 campaign cycle. The candidates are consistently and creatively using social media to gain supporters and dollars and we are excited to be a part of this historical event concerning technology in partnership with the electoral process.

“Social fundraising” is a term that we use often, but for those who aren’t familiar, social fundraising is peer-to-peer fundraising leveraging Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other social media networks to share causes and create an opportunity to build engagement and increase donations through online communities. It’s connecting with donors through using the internet and accomplishing what time, energy and finances rarely allow.

With this in mind, many candidates are actively making social media part of their campaign strategy and Fundly is proud to be a part of this democratic process. Currently we have three presidential hopefuls as clients plus one thousand other political figures petitioning for various offices. Due to our political clientele on both party lines, we are able to accumulate facts and figures pertaining to online fundraising in a way that has not been possible in previous years. As such, we have found that by the end of January 2012 political online fundraising had increased 53 percent as compared to the previous year. Furthermore, we saw that the daily social fundraising volume in January exceeding December’s average volume by more than 350 percent.

“Social fundraising has become a driving force in political fundraising, as candidates ranging from President to town commissioner use social media in unprecedented ways to organize and activate their bases to help generate awareness, money and votes,” said Fundly CEO Dave Boyce.

As cliché as this may sound, the future of fundraising is now. From politicians to nonprofits, from school athletic departments to individuals helping terminal patients, online fundraising has incredible momentum that seems to be increasing with time and success rates.

With this being Social Media Week, it’s essential to know how to use Facebook to fully unleash your online fundraising potential. Here is a great example of the power of Facebook:

While talking to a friend one day, a young woman named Crystal Mills learned of a man named Dustin Hughes, a husband and father who was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer.  Feeling the overwhelming need to help, Mills decided connected with Hughes on Facebook. Using Fundly and Facebook, Mills has now achieved her goal to help.

On June 24, 2011 Hughes was rushed to the emergency room where it was discovered that he had a brain tumor; it turned out to be stage 4 Glioblastoma Multiforme, an aggressive and incurable form of brain cancer. Hughes states, “In the blink of an eye, my world changed forever.”

With a burden to help Hughes and his family, Mills contacted him via Facebook and asked what top items are on his “bucket list.” Hughes replied that his biggest dream was to take his boys to Disneyland one last time.

Amazingly, in just a few months Mills’ goal of raising $10,000 for this incredible cause has been met and exceeded! Currently, $10,135 has been raised on fundly.com/operationhughestroop with the generous contributions of 110 donors and supporters. Mills shares that, “The money WILL officially be sending these boys to Disneyland, but that’s not all. Dustin had also shared a wish that he thought would be the hardest to accomplish, which is to start a charity for glioblastoma multiforme cancer, the cancer that he is winning the fight against, and help others do the same. We are going to make this happen.”

So what made this online campaign so successful and how can you apply it to your nonprofit fundraising? Well, first of all I can’t help but think that Mills is a stay-at-home mom with no marketing skills or a staff to strategize with. She was sincere, heartfelt and genuine.

Secondly, the pictures on her website are beautiful and portray a message that hits to the heart of the matter. Thirdly, this cause has mass appeal to anyone who has a family; it’s not too specific so as to alienate donors. Finally, she used social media tools brilliantly. She posted on Facebook, there were several YouTube videos to upload and the message spread like wildfire. If Mills can run a successful fundraising campaign using Fundly, just think what you can do!

Tomorrow’s blog will focus on Twitter and how to incorporate this tool into your online fundraising plan. The more ways you can connect with your donors, the better!

In this series:

Happy Social Media Week – http://bit.ly/yKlkNr

Woman Uses Fundly and Facebook to Help Fulfill Stranger’s Last Wish –http://bit.ly/wluGiv

Twitter vs. Facebook: To Tweet or Not to Tweet – http://bit.ly/ADdqwn

Implementing an Online Fundraising Plan for Beginners – http://bit.ly/x5BymH

Starting Your Own Blog – http://bit.ly/yxR2kG

The greeting card industry has done us a great service: they have created a holiday for every month to make sure we have something grand to celebrate. Be it Valentine’s Day with its saccharin sappiness or Halloween and its sugar-high loaded spooky splendor, nonprofits are sure to find some way to capitalize on these fundraising opportunities. Here are a few ways to make the most of these special days.

1)      Matching Fund Day – I came across a great campaign called Giving Hearts Day in which one couple is willing to match funds up to $4,000 for every donation that comes in on Valentine’s Day. Choosing a holiday is great for donors to remember when to give and is perfect for charities that are in the health care industry, a heart disease foundation, etc.

2)      Banquet Time – I know I focus on banquets a lot, but this is a perfect way to gather a bunch of donors together and with a holiday, the theme is already built in. On a night like Valentine’s Day

many people are already going to drop a pretty penny on a special night out; why not create an evening of dinner and dancing to support your cause?

3)      Client Focused Events – Most people tend to get super sentimental about any holidays. It seems to bring up elementary school construction paper projects and a sense of nostalgia that brings forth a generous spirit. Tap into this opportunity by creating a special project that brings donor volunteers and maybe your charity’s clientele together. An informal party, craft project, concert, or play would make the day memorable and cause your supporters to become more emotionally invested in your mission.

4)      Perfect Time to Show Appreciation – E-cards are free and can show appreciation for your donors while wishing them a happy holiday. It is important to stay in contact with donors and this is a perfect time to say thank you. For Valentine’s Day you can say “We love our donors!” or on St. Patrick’s Day you can write “We’re lucky to have you.” Cheesy? Probably. Does it get the job done? You bet.

We all know that Thanksgiving and Christmas are the biggest giving seasons of the year, but every month seems to have a day of celebration. Why not use that as an online fundraising strategy? You can easily post your events, thank yous and campaigns on your website or in Facebook posts and reach a multitude of supporters. Get into the spirit of the season!

Would you venture to take a bicycle trip across your city? How about across the state? Would you travel across the country to promote your cause? What do online fundraising and traveling by bike have in common?

These are some interesting questions that Alaskan Brian Lyke and Michigan resident Nicole Gaunt have raised with their mission to travel from California to Maine with the hopes of bringing more attention to Free Hugs, a grass-roots program which promotes human empathy and connection in urban environments.

Lyke explains that, “Cities are scary, alienating places. Free Hugs tries to solve that problem. Throwing your arms around a smiling stranger feels good, and is a quick way to meet people. We picked this program to carry with us across the country because we need to bring that sense of community along with us. We hope that sharing that community across America will have a ripple effect, encouraging service and inspiring action against apathy and antipathy.”

Lyke and Gaunt came up with this unique and exciting journey while they were on a 40 mile bike ride in Alaska. They both have offers for summer jobs across the country and decided that a road trip was too expensive, a plane trip was too fast, and a bike trip would be the perfect way to experience an adventure while bringing attention to a worthy cause.

Along with grant writing and bargain shopping, Lyke and Gaunt have turned to online fundraising and have almost reached their $2,000 financial goal through using Fundly. “I found out about this website when my activist friend sent me a fundraising appeal. It was much better than the appeals she usually sent… Making an account on the website was easy, the fees were reasonable, and the platform robust. When the donations started pouring in, I was won over.

“I’ve worked in community organizing for five years. Fundraising is hard. It takes a lot of time, thought, talking, and follow-up that can be hard to juggle with life, work, and planning logistics on a 100 day expedition. Fundly’s suite of features made a well-run fundraising campaign happen for our little adventure,” states Lyke. So far this team has raised $1,936 of their $2,000 goal and started their journey on February 1.

To check out their webpage or donate, please go to: http://fundly.com/akfreehugs and you can follow them on http://akfreehugs.tumblr.com/ as they update their blog regularly. We with these adventurists a safe and successful journey!

Did you even know that it’s Social Media Week? Well, it is and I am excited to celebrate this monumental advancement in technology. From keeping in touch with old friends to finding out what my favorite organizations are doing, I honestly can’t remember my life before Facebook.

So what exactly is Social Media Week? Quite simply, it is a conference that takes place in 21 of the largest cities in the world to celebrate and share the global impact that social media is having cultural, economic, political and social change in developed and emerging markets. This event has more than 60,000 worldwide attendees with another half million who join either online or through other mobile connections.

This week of cyber-talk is particularly important for nonprofits for one simple reason: most of your donors are connected to the internet and the best way to reach donors is to meet them where they’re at. Just look at some of these statistics from JeffBullas.com:

1)      Each Facebook user spends on average 15 hours and 33 minutes a month on the site

2)      More than 250 million people access Facebook through their mobile devices

3)      More than 2.5 million websites have integrated with Facebook

4)      30 billion pieces of content is shared on Facebook each month

5)      YouTube has 490 million unique users who visit every month (as of February 2011)

6)      190 million average Tweets per day occur on Twitter (May 2011)

7)      Twitter is handling 1.6 billion queries per day

8)      Twitter is adding nearly 500,000 users a day

9)      Google+ has more than 25 million users

10)   Google+ was the fastest social network to reach 10 million users at 16 days (Twitter took 780 days and Facebook 852 days)

Just imagine how much time and money it would cost in a direct mail campaign or cold call list to contact even 1,000 of these people! With social media you can type in a message, hit send ,and instantly hundreds of your donors can be contacted and the amount of re-posts or re-tweets are immeasurable.

Furthermore, this conference has some of the most brilliant minds in business who have combined marketing skills with technological advancements to create profits worldwide. I can’t even begin to grasp what knowledge and experience they have that can be applied to nonprofit fundraising.

So raise up your mug of lukewarm coffee and take a bite of a sugary pastry to welcome Social Media Week. It may not be Mardi Gras, but for the guy in the cubicle next to you it may just be the next best thing.

Tune in tomorrow to learn how Facebook can impact your online fundraising numbers…

In this series:

Happy Social Media Week – http://bit.ly/yKlkNr

Woman Uses Fundly and Facebook to Help Fulfill Stranger’s Last Wish –http://bit.ly/wluGiv

Twitter vs. Facebook: To Tweet or Not to Tweet – http://bit.ly/ADdqwn

Implementing an Online Fundraising Plan for Beginners – http://bit.ly/x5BymH

Starting Your Own Blog – http://bit.ly/yxR2kG

Right now I am helping a golf tournament committee with fundraising ideas. This event is for an amazing cause to help foster children go to camp for one week this summer in which they are treated like royalty. I’ve been involved with this tournament for several years and I love to help such a worthy cause.

This year I’ve taken a bit of a different approach to suggesting ideas to help this nonprofit raise money. Like most organizations they have little time and cash to spare and all of the people that I am working with are also volunteering their time and skills. Fundly has made me really try to think outside of the box to use social media fundraising in new and different ways. Here are a few ideas that we are using to promote the tournament.

First of all, we need golfers to have a golf tournament. The good thing is that most golfers know other golfers. We are contacting our faithful participants and asking them to contact their friends to create foursomes. What better way to do this than on Facebook? It’s easy to drop a line and ask a friend if they want to participate in a day on the green. This works much better than a bunch of letters sent through the mail because their contacting their own buddies.

Secondly, we are sending out reminders every two weeks to our Facebook friends about new donations, games on the course and new features that we will have that day. We want to tempt golfers who are on the fence to join us for a great day with wonderful prizes.

The next thing we are using social media for is to ask friends who own businesses or have contacts for corporate sponsors to partner with us to make this day a success. Business owners can donate products or gift certificates to our raffle which will be held at the evening banquet. Corporate sponsors have a foursome, their name and/or logo in event advertising and their logo on different gift products. Once again, relationships are the best way to get support; mass mailers are not.

Another benefit to online communication is that we can easily direct people to the e-mail of the organization we are aiding. They can see pictures of the camp, read letters from the kids and choose to donate to the charity if they are not golfers or can’t participate the day of our event. The bottom line is that the more money we raise, the more kids are able to attend this memorable camp.

Social media has been a great way to keep in communication with our golfers, sponsors and committee members cheaply and effectively. If you want to stay ahead, online fundraising is a must for every charitable organization. It saves time, money and energy. Why not give it a try and brainstorm some new ideas for your own nonprofit!?

Clayton Christensen is a personal hero of mine.  I count myself lucky to also call him my friend, and as if in a perfect trifecta, he is also an investor in Fundly.  I have learned many things from Clayton, which does not make me unique.  He has been a mentor to Andy Grove, Steve Jobs, and many other successful innovators.  His book, The Innovator’s Dilemma, is one of the bestselling management books of all time, and his class at Harvard Business School is the most popular class in the history of the school.

Clayton was recently in Silicon Valley speaking to a group of non-profit professionals about innovation, and he called us as a group onto the carpet.  He told us that the non-profit sector is not configured for long-term success.  We are not the only ones… Clayton predicted the disruption and reconfiguration of the newspaper industry, and those who listened did very well, while those who ignored did not.  He is predicting the disruption of higher education right now.  Clayton was not all doom and gloom regarding the non-profit sector, but he did point out some misalignments, and he made a few salient points:

We are not set up to meet the needs of our supporters.  They give us money, we take their money and do our thing.  We don’t thank, ask, or give back.  This is unsustainable We are too dependent on grants. We do not have a common language–we do not talk to each other…  supporters, donors, non-profit leaders…

The good news, he said, is that non-profit leaders are not afraid of hard work.  That is what we do.  But in order to solve new problems, we need to come up with new ideas, and this will take innovative and disruptive thinking.  “Old ideas will not solve new problems,” he said.

Here is one of my favorite clips about innovative people:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JNtA_jRztQ&feature=player_embedded

Most non-profit leaders I meet are the person Clayton describes–curious, confident, and innovative.  Now we have to throw off the shackles of convention and old thinking, stop letting foundations tell us how to behave, begin to build meaningful bridges of understanding with our donors, and invest in a sustainable future.  I have lots of ideas on this… more later.

Social media fundraising is becoming more popular as a valued resource for nonprofits organizations. Whether this shift is because of the success that peers are sharing in the field or because of the attention it is getting for political fundraising pertaining to the upcoming presidential election is anyone’s guess. However, the fact remains unchanged that more charities are turning to online fundraising and the numbers of participants and fundraising dollars are higher than ever before.

Charity Dynamics, an online marketing and consultation firm, conducted the 2012 Digital Marketing Survey which involved 70 of their clients. They found that, “73 percent of respondents indicated that their organizations plan to address social media strategies in 2012. This is up significantly from the previous year when 51 percent felt social media was a top priority. Additionally, 62 percent of those surveyed indicated that converting one-time donors into repeat donors is a key priority for 2012. This also is up significantly from the previous year when only 36 percent indicated repeat donor conversions was a key area of focus.”

Furthermore nearly 98% of the organizations surveyed replied that they are using social media and 90% said that they are actively seeking out resources to use this technology better in order to reach their nonprofit’s goals.

In addition to the expected forms of social media such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and e-mailing, the survey found that, “the mobile channel is expected to grow sharply in 2012, with 51 percent of non-mobile users indicating that they plan to implement a mobile strategy in the coming year. Nearly 40 percent of those surveyed indicated that their organizations used mobile technology in 2011 to support their fundraising and marketing activities–up from 27 percent last year.”

There are many different ways that nonprofits can implement social media into their fundraising strategies. From weekly updates on Facebook to e-newsletters to a link to receive donations on their website, there are countless ways to open the line of communication with donors. The most important goal with using online resources is to build a strong relationship with your supporters.

As a nonprofit organization it’s hard not to think about how the new president will affect the philanthropic world. Will the impending Commander in Chief cut back government spending impacting the poor, the arts and education? Will increased income tax reduce donor giving levels? Will privacy and copyright law proposals concerning the internet return therefore limiting online fundraisers? What priority do these candidates place on the nonprofit world?

The presidential hopefuls have released their recent tax returns and their charitable giving is quite impressive. According to CNN reporter Charles Riley, in 2010 President Obama donated $245,075, or 14.2% of his $1.7 million income, Romney donated almost $3 million, or 13.8% of his income, while Gingrich gave $81,133, or 2.6% of his income to charity. (On a side note, Rick Santorum and Ron Paul have yet to release their tax returns.)

“Romney and Obama are very generous charity-wise,” said CharityWatch president Daniel Borochoff. Gingrich is still doing pretty well, but Borochoff said his giving level is “more like an average donor for the income.”

So what charities are benefitting from these generous donors? In 2011, the Romney’s gave $2.6 million in cash contributions to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and in 2010 they gave $1.5 million. The Romneys also have a foundation that they started called the Tyler Foundation in which they filtered money to other charitable organizations such as Harvard Business School, City Year, the George W. Bush Library and the Boys and Girls Club of Boston to name a few. The Obama’s spread their generosity to groups ranging from the American Red Cross, the University of Hawaii foundation, the National AIDS Fund and the Greater New Orleans Foundation. On Gingrich’s tax returns , it was unclear as to what organizations he delegated his funds to other than $9,540 to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington.

Honestly, the amount of giving is quite impressive but the fact that these presidential nominees are so generous does not surprise me. After all, isn’t being president like being the ultimate public servant? He has the interests of the country at heart, he needs public approval to achieve his goals and he has to love people to interact with so many with varying and diverse backgrounds.

From government intervention to taxation to health care, we all know that there is a chasm between the views and ideals of Republicans and Democrats. Apparently there are different takes on political fundraising, too.

“The Democrats and Republicans really have opposite problems right now,” said Anthony Corrado, a professor of government at Colby College in an article in thedailybeast.com. “The president has a head start and will out-raise whoever the Republican nominee is, but it’s going to be a financially competitive race because on the other side of the ledger, the super PACS will step in to help erase Obama’s advantage.”

Corrado has strong statistics to support his opinion; Obama has raised about $30 million more than his four Republican competitors combined. However, the Republicans are far in the lead concerning PAC giving with such numbers like Karl Rove’s American Crossroads, which raised $51 million last year and Restore Our Future, the largest of the independent groups supporting Romney which collected more than $30 million last year. “By comparison, supporters gave Priorities USA Action, the main super PAC backing Obama, just over $4 million,” states The Daily Beast reporter Laura Colarusso.

Colarusso explains that the Democrats aren’t tapping into the PAC trend because “in 2008, Obama’s record haul was made possible by the fact that he broke a campaign pledge and opted out of the public financing system. He was the first candidate ever to take that step, and he justified it with the prospect of hostile outside spending. But Democrats haven’t embraced that lesson and have instead rallied against the Citizens United decision that effectively elevated money into a new form of protected political speech. Many supporters of the party have been reluctant so far to contribute to the super PACs the decision effectively empowered.”

On the flip side, Republicans are thriving on this new policy for political fundraising because of anti-Obama sentiment and the fact that individuals can give to independent groups without a donation ceiling. However, many GOP nominees’ numbers from individual supporters are suffering because their party’s funds are divided between candidates while many Democrats widely continue to support President Obama.

“The president still has the advantage,” says Corrado. “The real question is going to be whether conservative small donors will rally behind the eventual nominee to provide the money his campaign will need in a contest against Obama or if he’ll have to rely on the super PACs.”

I love event fundraising and the excitement it brings: generous people getting together to further a worthy cause, deliciously-bad-for-you food being served and the account totals that are calculated at the end of the event. A fun evening AND the chance to help others; what could be better!? Here are some guidelines to help your event run smoothly from recruiting volunteers to social media fundraising.

Right now I am on a committee for a Crab Feed to take place in early March so my mind is in event mode. I am in charge of the decorations and live and silent auctions, but somehow committee members seem to have an opinion and hand in all the other areas of the event, too. While this is far from being my first non-profit event that I am involved with, I am still learning a ton about the process of creating a successful fundraiser. Here are some things to keep in mind:

1)      What is your specific goal? What project are you working towards and what is your financial target? When people know how much you want to raise, it’s much easier to reach a specific amount. If you aim low, that’s where you’ll end up.

2)      Is this a one time or annual event? – When you keep this idea in mind, it will determine how you plan. Keep meticulous records, take pictures and video for the following year’s advertising and announce it at the event so your donors can plan to save the date. It is also important that everything runs smoothly so that your guests will want to come back and bring friends.

3)      Carefully choose your volunteers – The leader of the non-profit that I am volunteering for in the Crab Feed is awesome; she is gracious, appreciative, listens and has a great passion for the cause. The volunteer leader under her is quite the opposite. Determine what your volunteers’ strengths and weaknesses are so you can apply their skills to the best job suited for them. Choose your volunteers and their roles carefully because they reflect you and your charity.

4)      Relationship building – The best way to get donations for an auction is through relationships. Do you go to a particular restaurant every week? Ask for a gift certificate. Do you have a faithful donor who owns a spa? Ask for a product gift basket. Sending out a mass of donation letters to companies is basically a waste of time and postage.

5)      Get the word out – Facebook, Twitter and e-mails are a great way to promote your event through online fundraising tools. Instead of sending save the date cards, write a few posts or tweets. Online communication is also a good way to ask for donations (but be specific on what you are looking for.)This method is perfect for informal information and requests, but stick to the tried and true invitations for formal events. A donation link on your website is also perfect if someone is unable to attend; they can still contribute through without being present. Finally, you can use this medium for a general thank you and update on your goal, but send traditional thank you letters for those who donated or participated.

President Obama always seems to be on the cusp of innovative and new ideas whether it concerns health care, aiding homeowners with their mortgages or addressing unemployment. Regardless if you approve or disapprove of his policies, you have to admit that he always seems to be on the cutting edge. It is obvious that in this race to return to the Oval Office for a second term, he is treading new ground in the realm of online political fundraising.

Like the majority of Americans, the president seems to be glued to his mobile phone. Always with Blackberry in hand, he is constantly abreast of impending news and connected to his various contacts. He is also taking this same approach in his fundraising efforts.

NPR.com reports that the president’s campaign committee, Obama for America, took contributions from more than half a million people in the final three months of 2011 in which 200,000 of them were brand-new donors to his campaign. One reason is due to the immense effort his campaign is focusing on social media fundraising. “You know, they spent a million bucks in the quarter, basically, on technology,” says Clay Johnson, author of The Information Diet: A Case For Conscious Consumption. He says he’s not surprised to see that the Obama campaign spent about as much on Internet ads as it did on postage — more than $2 million.

“Now, the online advertising and the postage, that’s about either getting new people into the campaign or convincing people to donate. But the million dollars in a quarter on technology is about creating infrastructure,” Johnson says.

According to this same article, it appears that this is just the beginning of Obama’s efforts to dominate the online world to gain more donor support. It was reported that his campaign spent close to $400,000 on software and Web hosting, more than $600,000 on computer equipment and more than $43,000 at Apple stores just in a three-month period starting from last October. It is interesting to note that last quarter, Obama also invested $65,000 in text messaging.

In this fast paced world where everyone is connected to the internet, it seems rather obvious that this is the best way for politicians to gain support and financial backing. With the new strategies that are being formed in this election and the innovative devises that are continually being advertised by computer companies, who knows what the 2016 presidential elections will look like?

From television celebrity news shows to charities to consumer products, I’ve heard companies say a ton of times “Like us on Facebook.” I may be one of the ignorant masses, but I can’t help but wonder what good that could do. Of course it shows advertisers their popularity and social presence to get more money and approval ratings, but if I “like” you once and move on, what’s the point? How do you move supporters who “like” our non-profit organization into partners who are dedicated to participating in your online fundraising efforts?

I must admit that 90 percent of the time when I browse the posts on Facebook it’s rarely to search out a cause or person in need. I like to see what my friends are doing, where they’re at and pictures of their kids. I am connected to several non-profits and I do enjoy their one or two sentences about the projects they are working on and I like to see pictures of their progress. Rarely do I link to their site to donate. I have I feeling that most people are casual Facebook followers like I am.

On the Guarian.co/uk, Tom Latchford writes an article for non-profits to attract Facebook users like me to get actively involved in their charitable organization online. Latchford writes that organizations need to support the donor journey while communicating with the masses. There are definite steps to a charity-donor relationship: 1) Attracting people so they sign up for your e-mails and posts, 2) Prompting them to become supporters, and 3) Getting people to partner with you as advocates.

So how to you initiate attracting people for step 1? Latchford suggests that, “There are people talking about topics related to your charity all over the web, all the time. These are warm prospective supporters, already actively engaged in the topics your charity cares about. Topics on Twitter are found using the hashtag (#), so your charity should be finding the hashtags for the relevant topics and engaging with the people contributing to these conversations. You need to tap into these conversations and cultivate their interest in your cause. The true power of Twitter is tapping into pre-existing communities in this way.”

The next step is to invite your potential donors to check out your website which should be interactive, engaging and meaningful. “The website should be the transactional hub, managing the relationships with people as they contribute in various ways. Whether it is through appeals, an online shop, raffle tickets, volunteering or attending events, the site is a vehicle for accelerating towards or accomplishing your charity’s vision, with your community of committed contributors acting as a driving force,” explains Latchford.

Finally, non-profits need to cultivate donors into partners by having them actively connect to their online relations to promote your cause. Latchford proposes that, “The key is to understand that most people have more impact through their influence than a direct donation alone. These social media approaches challenge the institutional fundraising models. My theory is that we should seek out the right people, trust them and aim to move those supporters to a level where they are as effective as a paid member of staff. When you do this, you get results.”

That may all sound wonderful, but you may be wondering how to even establish an online presence for your charity. To establish this online social presence, using a social fundraising platform such as Fundly is key. Social fundraising tools can keep your donors engaged to create a community of doers who will also bring along their friends and contacts with a similar passion for your cause.

We all have opinions about the big issues and most of us don’t mind sharing them. How would you like to have your thoughts on important political topics posted on a billboard in New York’s Times Square? You just may have your chance!

In a New York Times article a new Facebook application was highlighted called 2012 Matters: What Matters most. According to reporter Tanzina Vega, “Starting this week, Facebook users will see poll questions in their newsfeeds asking them which of two issues matters more — say, the economy or the environment. When a user answers the question, the result will show up on that user’s personal news feed and on friends’ newsfeeds. The friends also will be prompted to take the poll… Data showing which issue is most important to users in each state will be posted across the street on the Nasdaq digital billboard.”

The motivation behind this idea was brilliant: the purpose was to create interest and start discussions with people who are not engaged in politics with those who are. Combine this with executive vice president and chief technology officer at R/GA John Mayo-Smith’s idea that “we’re at the intersection of social media and branded event advertising” and you’ve got an impressive link between social awareness and marketing strategies. Furthermore, “Facts don’t spread. Emotions do spread,” said Paul Adams, a brand experience manager at Facebook, in a presentation before the group. “We need to think about what an interaction looks like in that environment,” he said, referring to Times Square.

This is a perfect instance where non-profits can follow the example of the for-profit world. This strategy could get people involved in national and global issues and emotionally invested. Getting people to stop and think about a cause and then getting them to engage with others is the first main hurdle that any non-profit tries to scale. Add to the mix the millions of people on Facebook, and this could spread like wild fire.

Fundraising via social media is by far the most effective and efficient way to further a cause, and this is one extreme example of how to reach millions of people to take notice. While probably less than 99% of charities have the resources to rent space on a Times Square billboard, most can invest a little time and effort into connecting with their supporters online.

When donors are ready to give you have to make the opportunity available, easy and show your gratitude. If a site is too difficult to find, if the donation box is not easily located, or if error messages pop up on the screen, it’s more than likely that your donor will give up trying to contribute to your cause. Is your website engaging and user friendly?

Online giving has been a practice that many non-profit organizations have adopted. However, there seems to be a substantial gap between the success that could be had verses the donations that are being made using this internet resource. I was intrigued by the results of a study which was reported by user experience company Nomensa.  Three comparable charities were analyzed concerning the donation process that each presented their donors with on their respective websites. This study found that 47 percent of people who started to make an online donation failed to follow through with the process. What happens that hinders their giving?

Bertie Bosrédon, assistant director of services (information and multimedia) at Breast Cancer Care (one of the charities involved in the study) and in the foreword to report speculates that “Most charities are taking donations through their website, but the journey is neither engaging, nor inspirational; the experience still feels too similar to buying travel insurance.”

So how should non-profit websites turn away from this formal approach to receiving donations and apply a more personal and heartfelt process to ensure donors follow through on their intentions to give?

First of all, Bosrédon suggests that these websites need to be more engaging. Present your needs as urgent and necessary. Secondly, “make [sure] the next steps are clear, promotes regular giving and provides alternative ways to donate.” Next, support your donors by using a progress indicator and streamline the procedure. Ensure that your logo is on each page to garner your donor’s trust that your site is secure and legitimate. Finally, reward your users with a thank you message when they’re done. You may even want to list donors who have given to your cause on your website.

Online fundraising is the most effective and easiest way to promote donor relations, communication and giving. While many agencies try to use this web tool to their advantage, they are not tapping into the potential results that could be achieved.

At Fundly, we have created a variety of tools to help charities and political candidates connect with their supporters to reach their fundraising goals through engaging and easy to use applications. We would love to partner with you to make your non-profit mission a success!

I am in the silent majority: I am part of a two income family, I have an upside down mortgage and we are putting off buying that new car for yet another year. As I watch the progression of the 2012 presidential election and the financial reports that are being gathered, my mind is blown away at the magnitude of dollars being raised.

As I read articles commenting on President Obama’s $35,000 per ticket fundraisers (yikes, that could buy me a nice new car) to the donations raised for the candidates who have dropped out of the election, it seems there is plenty of money out there for political fundraising.

Midnight on Tuesday marked the filing deadline for campaign reports and here are the current statistics according to USA Today: Barack Obama has currently raised $139,526,311 (which includes contributions from individuals, loans, political action committee (PAC) contributions and other income). 41.9% of his donations are from small contributions under $200. Mitt Romney is in second place with $57,112,767 and 9.2% of that amount has come from small contributions. Ron Paul is next in line with $26,104,721 coming in from donor support (52% from small contributions). Newt Gingrich follows with $12,733,254 raised (49.2% from small contributions) and finally Rick Santorum brings up the rear with $2,184,953 (32.3% from small contributions).It is also interesting to note that the total amount raised for Republican candidates equals almost $157 million which exceeds Obama’s numbers (even if it took nine candidates to do it).

I am really impressed with the percentage of small contributions that make up almost half of many of the candidates’ fundraising bank accounts. With this being the first presidential election fully using the power of social media, I must say that I believe much of this financial support is due to this surge in technology. While the PACs are flexing their financial power, the individual small contributors seem to be holding their own.

Social media fundraising has never been easier, and Fundly is making strides in bridging the gap between casual internet use and donor involvement. Between Facebook posts, live Tweets being shared during debates and the State of the Union Address and ads on the internet, candidates are reaching their supporters en masse and it seems to be paying off.

Last night my husband was watching television after dinner and the program captured my attention. While I was earnestly trying to work on my laptop, I kept hearing the words “Facebook,” “Mark Zuckerberg” and staggering numbers and statistics. I finally gave up what I was doing and plopped down on the couch next to him; as a member of the social media fundraising world, The Facebook Obsession on CNBC was like History of the World 101.

Everyone knows the product that is Facebook. Everyone knows that the Facebook god is Mark Zuckerberg. What astounded me was the snowball effect that Facebook has had growing from a small group of Harvard guys armed with laptops at a kitchen table to the mega machine that it is today. I was also blown away by the value of the company and Zuckerburg’s commitment to stay at the helm. Now with the company going public, many others have a chance to profit from this technological marvel.

What is it about this website that has millions addicted? (Even as I am writing this I decided to look up some facts on Facebook and was sidetracked for 15 minutes reading friends’ posts!) Is it that life is so busy that this is the only way to keep up with friends? Are we all so nosy that we want to know when people go to Starbucks or are up all night sick? Are my friends and contacts the only ones who write crazy or pointless posts? (I won’t even bring up how one dad posted a picture of his kid at the hospital with a big gash in his head….)

Anyway… all this got me thinking about how nonprofits can harness this power for good. If so many people have this crazy addiction, just think of the masses that can be reached using this online tool. At Fundly we’ve heard tons of stories about people using social media to raise money to help friends recover from an apartment fire, strangers donating funds to make a cancer patient’s final wishes come true and people uniting to bring attention to a plethora of passions and causes.

It seems like Facebook isn’t going anywhere and nonprofit organizations would be remiss not to jump on board. It is certainly worth the time and effort to post weekly updates and the needs of your charity. Just think what could happen!! Start up our Facebook fundraising campaign today and raise money online quick and easy for your non-profit fundraisers.

I’ve been on both sides of charity fundraising more times than I can count. I’ve written direct mail letters, organized banquets and events and sent out donation letters so many times that I think my friends are wary when I walk in the door for fear that I’ll hit them up for something. On the flip side, I’ve sent in a ton of donation forms, bought buckets of cookie dough and have tithed off of my earning since I was ten and earned $2 a week for an allowance.

My background is probably similar to most people working in the nonprofit world whose lives walk the balance of asking for donations and giving as much as we can to others. We sacrifice not to be acknowledged, but because we know there is a need that has to be met. However, there are always going to be needs vying for our attention and some are more successful at getting it.

Non-profit fundraising is a tricky business. You have to spend money to make money all the while showing your donors that you are wisely investing their funds. Not only that, but you have to bestow appreciation to your supporters to continue receiving a steady cash flow while simultaneously tending to the cause that requires the funds in the first place. It certainly is two distinct jobs wrapped up in the one position of CEO.

The point I’m trying to make is this: there definitely is a way to show gratitude to your supporters and there is a way to turn them off. Time and effort have to come into balance for both donor relations and client aid to succeed. For most individual contributors who send in $250 or less, a simple form letter should suffice; under $1,000 and a nice hand written note from the CEO shows extra effort and thought; over $1,000 and I would put in a phone call from the CEO to thank the contributor. Any higher and it depends on the situation as to whether the donor wants attention or is giving for a particular project. This isn’t a set formula, but it helps to have a certain method to the madness of donor acknowledgement.

I have found that the biggest mistake that charities make concerning donor fundraising is either asking too often or asking for more than the supporter is willing to give. I think an ask should be made no more than once a quarter and that varying giving levels should be provided. If you want to send a newsletter every month or post updates on Facebook once a week, I think that is a great idea. However, it helps to cycle your donors with ask letters or e-mails so the funds are steady and the supporter won’t just throw your mail in the trash.

Fundraising via social media is a great way to keep into contact with your donors and to thank them for minor gifts, but I would use it as an outreach tool while not losing the human touch. E-mails, Facebook posts and Tweets are perfect for mass communication, but keep your relationships strong through individual acknowledgements every now and then.

I’m addicted to the internet and I know I’m far from alone. Not only that, but last year I invested in a Kindle and donated over one hundred books from the bookshelves in my living room. Five years ago we stopped our subscription to the local newspaper because we watch the reports on TV and check out stories of interest online.

In this eco-chic society, I am apparently part of the masses that favors technology over print and it is reflected in current marketing numbers; for the first time in history online ad spending has surpassed the amount that advertisers shell out for print ads.

In 1742 Benjamin Franklin printed the first American magazine ads, so in light of the long history of advertising I find it monumental that online ad spending finally outnumbered the traditional form of reaching consumers.

Mashable Business posted a report conducted by eMarketer which stated that, “online advertising is expected to generate $39.5 billion in sales this year — a 23.3% increase from 2011 — compared to a sum of $33.8 billion on print.

“That’s impressive growth, especially since 2011 also witnessed a 23% jump in online ad spending, according to eMarketer’s calculations. Online ad revenues should continue to grow over the next half-decade, albeit at a more modest rate… Total online ad investment is projected to hit $62 billion by that time.”

Why am I mentioning this on a social fundraising blog? So many people are online that marketing professionals are investing a ton into this medium. Obviously if this is one of the best ways to reach new customers, it seems likely it’s also one of the best ways to attract new donors.

A couple of weeks ago Fundly held an informative webinar highlighting Google Grants and it seems to perfectly tie in to this story. Eric Facas, Founder and CEO of Mediacause.org and former member of Google’s ad service team, gave an exciting presentation sharing the perfect way for non-profits to get free online advertising. By typing in Google.com/grants, you can apply for an in-kind donation valued at $10,000 per month for three months in advertising funds to post your organization’s information on specific web searches that include your keywords. For example, if you run a homeless shelter and someone types in “homeless,” your ad will pop up next to the links that coincide with your topic.

The for-profit world knows that online promotions are the new way to attract more consumers to their products and its time that non-profits take notice. Online fundraising is here to stay. The staff at Fundly would love to partner with you to make the most of this incredible resource.

How do you capture information about your donors and supporters?  Most non-profits collect email addresses on their donation forms or newsletter subscription forms.  This is good practice.  Now you can stay in touch with those supporters digitally, send them updates on new initiatives or campaigns, and encourage them to take action on the Web where they spend most of their time anyway.

This is good practice, but it is not best practice.  Far from it.

Consider the following:  When a donor shows up on your donation form, it is over 60% likely that she is simultaneously logged in to Facebook.  That means she has 135 friends in tow as she approaches you.  If you simply ask her for her email address as part of the donation, you are surgically disconnecting her network of friends, collecting only her email address, and tucking it away for future use.  Effectively you are closing the door behind her and shutting her 135 friends out.  To make up for this, maybe you put “share” buttons on your form, hoping she will share back to her friends who are still waiting outside.

Facebook connect changes all this.

With Facebook Connect, you give her the option to “register using Facebook.”  She then gives you a few permissions–permission to use her email address, permission to read her profile information including likes and interests, and permission to see who her friends are including likes and interests.  This is easier for her (one click registration), and MUCH better for you.  Now you have a lifetime email address that is and will always be current (as long as it’s current with Facebook), you have her demographic and likes / interest information, and you have the same information about 135 of her friends who are more likely than not to share some of her views.

Wow.  Why would we EVER pass up the opportunity to make this deep connection?

I think it’s just because very few people understand the power of Facebook Connect yet.  Maybe they believe a donation form is a commodity and that collecting an email address and asking someone to share on Facebook is the same as getting a Facebook Connect.  It is not.

So how do you get a Facebook Connect from your supporters?

One option is to hire a development team to build a Facebook Connect application for you.  This will cost between $15,000 and $250,000, depending on how involved you want the application to be.  You then have to keep it up to date and maintain it–figure spending the same amount each year to keep it current.  Another option is to sign up for a free Fundly account.  We’ve already built a state-of-the-art application and you can use it for free.

With Fundly’s donation platform, we get email addresses 89% of the time and we get a Facebook Connect 25% of the time (and climbing).  The people who Facebook Connect with non-profit organizations through Fundly have an average of not only 135 friends, but 550 friends!  Once you’ve built this social database, you can send out a single message to your supporters that they can forward on to their friends with a single click.  Think about the amplification!

So to summarize: 550 friends vs. 1 new supporter; Lifetime valid email vs. “hopefully valid” email; Demographics, likes, and interest data on all 550 friends; Amplification channel for all future initiatives and campaigns.

What’s not to like about Facebook Connect?  Fundly is the only donation platform that is built as a Facebook Connect application.  No wonder it is the largest and fastest growing social fundraising platform.  Thanks for spreading the word and raise money on facebook with Fundly today!

I’ve worked for three non-profit organizations over the past 11 years and have learned quite a bit from each one. From fundraising strategies to employee relations to event planning, I’ve gained an arsenal of ideas concerning the non-profit world and human relationships that drive these relationships. While each charity has its distinct personality, here are some things I’ve learned along the way:

1)     Don’t expect your workers to work as much as you; don’t expect your workers to work less than you. – I’ve had two bosses that were at opposite ends of the spectrum: one worked 10 – 12 hour days and expected everyone in the office the share the same commitment and passion as her. The second worked five hours and day and expected her employees to pick up the slack. Lessoned learned: there needs to be some balance. Of course there are times in a non-profit where major events and outreaches require everyone to pitch in a little extra time, but not every event is major and not every dilemma is a crisis. On the flip side, lead by example.

2)     Build relationships with your employees – Now don’t get me wrong, this doesn’t mean going out for drinks after work and sharing intimate details of your personal life, but showing that you care brings commitment. We’ve stressed relationship building and communication to strengthen donor relations; the same goes for employees. Let’s face it: working at a non-profit usually means a compromise in pay. They are working at a cause for the love of it and just want a little appreciation and respect.

3)     Be genuine – I once heard that integrity is who you are when no one is around. My dad is an incredible leader in the business and non-profit worlds and at home. He is the same humble, caring man when he plays with his grandchildren as when he is doing million dollar deals at the office. With his amazing character he has amassed an impressive group of dedicated employees, friends and clients. Niccolo Machiavelli’s book The Prince asks the question of a leader: “Is it better to be loved or feared?” Loved, definitely loved.

4)     Surround yourself with people you trust – I saw one leader self-destruct because he wasn’t willing to accept constructive criticism nor was he willing to admit his need for help. No one is an expert at everything and no one is perfect. Surround yourself with a board that has you and your cause’s best interests at heart and be willing to adjust when things aren’t working.

5)     You set the tone – The organization is based on the CEO’s personality. Be positive, respectful, dedicated and caring. Your employees with works as you do, treat each other as you do and will take on the perspective you have.

With a strong leader at the helm, there’s no telling what your non-profit can accomplish. When your office is running smoothly your work with have greater impact and your donors will see the amazing organization that you are running. The basis of a strong social media presence starts at your office; happy workers will reflect their enthusiasm online and the word will spread.

There is a crazy cycle when it comes to finances: the more money you have, the more money you seem to need. When you started your non-profit you probably created a slim budget to include rent, a couple of employees, some direct mail campaigns, a couple of computers with printers and a few reams of printer paper. As your organization grew, so did the donations and the projects that would further your mission.

Regardless of the size of your budget, everyone seems to need more charity fundraising ideas. Here are a few from Mazarine Treyz, author of The Wild Woman’s Guide to Fundraising, and Steve Havelka, a Web-design consultant who is on the board of the Austin Civic Orchestra in an interview with Tony Martignetti on Philanthropy.com.

1)      “Know who your competition is. Create a message to your donors saying why your need is urgent and relevant,” explains Treyz. Make people fall in love with your organization: marketing is everything. One way to do this is with a monthly or bi-monthly e-newsletter. Not every time you communicate with a donor needs to involve an ask; just let them know what your organization is up to and that you are using their funds appropriately.

2)      “Your website is your face” states Havelka. Your donors and future donors are going to go to your website. If it’s not polished, they may not give. Most importantly, your donate button needs to be easy to find and put on every page. Secondly, put your story and human faces on your site and make it relatable.

3)      “Partner with people in your area to advance your cause,” suggests Havelka. Look for non-profit associations in your community that are contributing in a similar cause to your to find those with a like-mindedness.

4)      Create something for everyone to do. Treyz comments that 90% of volunteers are also donors. When you get your volunteers involved in an activity that they enjoy, they become more committed to your organization.

5)      Give your board members specific instructions on how they can support the organization. Make it easy for them to know how to be involved, be it through mailers or phone calls explains Havelka.

6)      Say “thank you.” Treyz mentions that when you show gratitude, your donors are twice as likely to give again.

All of these tips can be applied effectively through using social media. With this online communication tool you can easily share your non-profit’s personality, goals and projects. It’s a great way to connect with those who have similar interests and to recruit future donors and volunteers while staying in contact with your current supporters.

Contact Fundly today to make the most of online fundraising. We would love to help you take full advantage of this effective tool.

I can’t remember a time when my dad wasn’t on some board to help the homeless or that involved a ministry. When I became a teenager my parents started toting me along to various event fundraising banquets and I would paste on a smile and present a firm handshake. Then when I needed a job I accepted the position as Special Events Coordinator at a local mission.

From golf tournaments to banquets to toy giveaways, I learned the ropes of event planning. Next I moved on to work at a symphony where I continued planning events such as fashion shows, intimate concerts at donor’s homes and supporter meet-and-greets. Here are five tips that I’ve learned over the years:

1) Plan, plan, plan – The first vital step is to create a firm foundation for your event. What is your goal for the event and who do you want to attend? Who are the most important people on your guest list and what dates are they available? Next, pick a date that doesn’t coincide with other local charity events that may vie for your donor’s attentions and that doesn’t land too close to any holiday or sporting event.

2) Timelines are your best friend – Once you’ve established a date, guest list, “tone” for your party (ex. formal, casual, intimate, etc.), create calendars and timelines detailing every aspect for your event. The calendar should have drop dates for Save the Date cards (if necessary for a large event); when the invitations should be designed, approved, sent, and RSVP deadline; when to meet with caterer or facilities coordinator; meetings with the event committee, and all of those things on your to do list. Also, create a “day of” timeline accounting for every minute of the event day from set up to the presentation itself. For example, assign times for your set up crew to arrival, guest arrival, salad served, main course served, MC introduces your CEO, video presentation, etc. When you’re well organized things will go much smoother.

3) Leave them wanting more – Many non-profits leaders are so passionate about their project that they want their guests to catch that same fire by giving endless examples of how they’ve helped people and what is in store for the future. That is great information for special events, but stop way before your guests start to check their watches and their coffee gets cold. From guest arrival to “Thank you for coming,” your typical event should last no more than three hours tops.

4) You’ve got to spend money to make money – Your event is a reflection of your organization and many times you have this one chance to meet donors or future supporters face to face. If you run out of food or have cheap appetizers, your guests will not have a good experience with your non-profit. Spend a little more or invite fewer guests to ensure that you can provide the quality that puts your best foot forward. It’s the lasting impression that counts.

5) Relationships – This is by far the most important point! Make each guest feel welcomed and appreciated. It’s the human touch that creates a partnership and a lasting relationship. Have your leadership team and staff spread out and talk to as many people as they can. Thank each guest for coming and tell them you value their sacrifice and support. Be genuine and caring.

Special events are a great way to fundraise and build a foundation for a strong relationship with your donors. Once they’ve committed to your cause, keep the momentum going through social media fundraising and encourage them to share your message with their friends. Although you may not see instant returns on your effort, special events are a high investment, high return.

I think the State of the Union address was pretty much on every basic cable channel last night. With an upcoming election and a low approval rate, did President Obama rally the masses to get one step closer to winning a second term? Will his speech to the nation further his political fundraising efforts?

I can’t help but wonder at the timing of Obama’s dissertation just one day after the Republican debates. It’s obvious that the incumbent usually has the advantage over new nominees, but the back biting and mudslinging of the political party that is trying to offset the reigning elected majority never seems to bode well. While Obama was able to present a polished speech with calm reserve and his usual charisma, his opponents had to battle it out the night before with indignation, flustered comebacks and on the defensive. Does this seem fair? (And is anything “fair” in love, war, and politics?) However, I digress…

As the polarization of the two parties seems to increase, it appeared that Obama’s main strategy to gain support was to appeal to the middle class by addressing the issues concerning taxation of millionaires (a not-so-subtle jab at the recent Mitt Romney controversy) and government involvement to aid homeowners whose mortgages are upside down. These are certainly appealing issues, but will this be the net that gathers more supporters to Obama’s team?

In the Chicago Tribune Peter Hart, Democratic pollster, commented that “Obama knows he has 44% of the electorate” to start with, and in a country as divided as the U.S., “44% is a big number. He’s decided “I’m going to keep those people on board, then we’ll go after everyone else.”

David Lauter of the Washington Bureau writes in the Chicago Tribune that, “Getting the rest of the way to a majority depends on persuading a handful of crucial voters in the middle who find themselves tugged in two directions. On the one hand, voters — including those who call themselves independents — hold a deeply skeptical view of government and its ability to help them. Fewer than one-third of voters have a positive view of the size and power of the federal government.

“At the same time, pollsters have found a sharp and rapid increase in the percentage of people who doubt the Republican idea that America has no class divisions. In 2009, a majority of both Republicans and independents said they saw little if any conflict between rich and poor, according to a survey by the Pew Research Center. Now, more than two-thirds of Americans, including those independent voters, say they think such conflicts are ‘strong’ or ‘very strong.’”

So basically Obama, Romney, Gingrich, Santorum, and Paul all are trying to win the favor of disillusioned voters. Fortunately there is still ten months ahead to turn this tide. Using social media fundraising tools and connecting with their supporters just may be the key to winning the election.

I must say that the longer this presidential campaigning goes on, the more interested I get. I particularly like how in recent weeks the candidates are showing more of their personalities.

From President Obama’s rendition of Rev. Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together” to Newt Gingrich’s snappy comeback to CNN moderator John King for opening a debate with a question concerning his ex-wife, I certainly like these more human sides of the candidates. Add the recent Republican debates to the mix, and now the election is starting to get really fascinating. Are the political fundraising numbers reflecting all the media attention that these men are garnering?

I have to admit that I’m not a huge fan of the debates. In a battle of wit, words and wisdom, the candidates are rallied on the defensive to cut the other down and rise fairly unscathed. To me it just feels like bumbling rhetoric and back biting. On the other hand, well practiced speeches with teleprompters rarely gives the public a full sense of the value of the candidate either.

I can’t help but think of the first televised debate for the 1960 presidential election between John F. Kenney and Richard Nixon. While I was not even a glimmer in my parents’ eyes, as a history major I was intrigued by this event. The television viewers thought that Kennedy had won the debates due to his fit appearance and charisma while Nixon was recovering from an illness and seemed rather disheveled. The radio listeners thought that Nixon had better formed points and was more knowledgeable.

Interestingly enough, the Great Debates of 1960 also showed that this televised event didn’t change voters’ opinions but only solidified who they supported. 70 million viewers were glued to their screens however only 6% said that they voted based on what they had seen. Does this still seem to be the case?

Possibly. Even with Gingrich’s negative press concerning allegations from his ex-wife, his win in the South Carolina primary made him a serious contender for the Republican nomination.  But don’t count Ron Paul out. Twitter has some statistics up on @mentionmachine that reports that Gingrich has had 286,313 Twitter mentions this week while Paul has 319,394. Does this equal voter support and high fundraising dollars?

Probably not, but just when you think you know what’s going to happen next in this electoral race, you realize that you were wrong.

When I was working at a homeless shelter a local news station came by to highlight the work that was being done at the Rescue Mission. They captured vivid imagery of where one man would spend the cold winter nights huddled under a building awning, the long lines he would stand in at generous churches for a meager meal and the closing shot was an amazing silhouette of him walking alone down a filthy, abandoned road.

The next segment featured the same man, Jeff, as he ventured to the mission and the amazing transformation that had come over his life. He lived in an apartment, held a decent job, and looked like a completely different person; where his eyes spoke of grief and hopelessness, they now glowed with pride and life. If a picture is worth a thousand words, how much is a video worth?

It’s been six years since I saw that presentation and yet those pictures are embedded in my mind. There is something so impactful about the emotions that images convey that words can’t express. Whenever I see a homeless person asking for food or sleeping near an abandoned building, I always think of Jeff. Imagine the donor base you could create with one heartfelt video that is shared through social media fundraising. The National Council for Non-Profits has five video making tips:

1)      Purpose – What is the purpose of your video? What do you want your donor or potential donor to do, feel and learn as they watch the screen? But be careful: it’s easy to want to jam pack too – much information into what should be a 7-9 minute video for banquets, meetings, etc. or a 30 second – 3 minute video on your website. The video I mentioned above focused on one man’s journey. They could have listed statistics, shown pictures of crowded shelters and had the president do a monologue of their future goals but that would only have diluted the message.

2)      Who is your audience? – Are you targeting current donors, potential donors, guests at an event or web viewers? Your audience will determine your message.

3)      What story do you want to tell? – Non-profits leaders have a ton of great, heartwarming stories to tell about the success and struggles of their organization. List them out and discuss which ones are most relatable, impactful and if the individual would be willing to share the story on camera. Three examples are about the max you can share without being redundant and losing your audience.

4)      Be genuine – Don’t worry about hiring a fancy production company if it’s not in your budget. Being heartfelt and honest is way more endearing and believable. Just get started!

5)      Share the word – Put the video on your website, on Facebook, YouTube and anywhere else that it can get traffic. Promote it like you would any other campaign. Darian Heyman Rodriguez, Co-Producer of Social Media for Non-Profits, recently said in a recent Fundly webinar that videos have a better chance at going viral if you use the following equation: Compelling + Concise + Credible = Contagious

The National Council for Non-Profits declares 2012 to be the year of the video, so don’t be left behind! Once people see your mission and the passion of your organization, who knows the impact that it could have on your online fundraising numbers?

Anyone who’s been an elementary school or booster club parent – or a grandparent, aunt, uncle, or work colleague of one – braces for the time (times!) of the year when the order form comes home from school to raise money through product sales.  Whether it’s cookie dough, candy, entertainment books, wrapping paper, magazine subscriptions, or some other consumer item, this is big business!  School product fundraising is a $1.7 billion industry.

We can probably agree that public and private school systems don’t have enough money to fund education. Private funding gathered by school PTAs, PTOs, foundations or other parent organizations ensures kids don’t lack paper and pencils, music and visual arts, computers, and other components of a solid education.  However, we all secretly question why the de-facto standard in school fundraising is hawking goods.

This review is not meant to discourage ALL product fundraisers, but to help schools look carefully at the motivations, value, effort, and alternatives before continuing in that tradition.

Myth #1:  Product fundraisers make it easier for parents to ask for money.

Reality:  Let’s be real. Either parents are standing right behind their kids or doing all the fundraising on their own.  While it’s difficult for most people to ask for money, it’s often embarrassing for parents to make a phone call, go door-to-door, or office cube-to-cube selling goods in the “name of charity”.  While some feel a little more at ease offering something tangible in exchange for their friends’ money, we still dreadit.  That’s because in most cases, the people we’re asking don’t really want what we’re selling.  They could go down to the grocery store and buy a tub of Tollhouse cookie dough for $7 instead of spending $15 on ours.  Or they could go to Costco to get the entertainment book at a deep discount, if they even want it in the first place.  While parents typically reserve judgment for off-campus coffee talk and private venting sessions, a recent blog by The Stir asserted, with mommy comments chiming in, that product fundraisers are overdone.

Myth #2:  Selling cookie dough and wrapping paper is easy for volunteers.

Reality:  PTA chairpersons and volunteers work their fingers to the bone to support our kids. There is nothing quick and easy about sending out fliers to hundreds of students, collecting order forms, processing check or cash payments, tracking class or grade-level sales, placing the order with the fundraising corporation, receiving the order, and distributing the products to all those students (add more stress for frozen or refrigerated goods), then cutting the final check to the fundraising product corporation.  It’s plain time-consuming.

Myth #3:  Schools raise a lot of money on product fundraisers.

Reality:  Most parents are unaware or numbed to the real costs of product fundraisers.  Schools typically make between 25% and 50% “profit” on goods sold.  That means when my son sells a roll of wrapping paper for $8, his school gets to keep just $4.  Most parents feel compelled to purchase the products themselves, whether by perceived obligation or to help their kids win a prize.  If 200 families just donated that $8, instead of buying the product, the school would raise $800 more!

I’m not saying to quit product fundraisers cold turkey, but be selective.  Look for opportunities where there is true demand for the product or it fits a school initiative that the kids can stand behind.  At our school a few years ago, we tried with overwhelming success selling reusable bags by Mixed Bag Designs.  They were stylish, practical, and affirmed our schools’ “go green” initiative, and best of all parents came back clamoring for more.  We heard over and over again they were easy to sell, because people actually wanted to buy them.  Before continuing with or selecting a new product, survey parents for their level of interest.  Their frustration will only limit your school’s success.

Are we focusing on the wrong fundraising message?

Part of the problem is focusing so heavily on selling something rather than on the meaning and benefit behind a fundraiser – the support for a quality education for the kids.  A school walk-a-thon or jog-a-thon presents an opportunity to ask genuinely for financial support from family and peers, while assuring nearly all of the donation amount directly benefits the school.  By wrapping a fundraising campaign around a community or school event, we not only raise money, we also raise awareness within and outside of our community for needs in education.

There’s great news for schools already hosting an annual walk-a-thon type of event!

Online fundraising for schools can dramatically increase donations by making it possible for students (and their parents) to reach out to supporters through email and Facebook, quickly and easily getting donations by credit card.  It also alleviates work for the PTA!

A bonus benefit of the school walk-a-thon?  It burns calories as opposed to eating a tub of cookie dough one spoonful at a time!

On this blog we’ve shared a lot of suggestions on how non-profits and political candidates are using social media fundraising tools to their advantage in order to increase donations and share their mission. However, here is one tragic story that tells how individuals are using this tool to aid in the recovery of victims in a devastating fire.

On January 9, a terrifying electrical fire tore its way through the Brooklyn apartments of Robin Newman, Monica Yi and Darrelle Vary. Newman was hospitalized and in critical condition after falling five stories in a desperate attempt to escape the flames. Yi and Vary fled with just the clothes on their backs and two of their beloved pets in their arms. Now these three individuals are left with nothing but the need for shelter, clothing, food and financial assistance to pay for high medical and veterinary bills.

With a modest goal of raising $10,000, close friends created and promoted a fundraising page via social media to accept donations online for each of the victims at http://fundly.com/reliefforrobinmonicaanddarrelle

Along with their friends, complete strangers have promoted this page on Facebook, Twitter and other web channels while people from all over the U.S. have created personal fundraising pages to help raise money for the victims as well. So far, their efforts have paid off. They have raised nearly $12,000 and over 20% more than their goal from over 230 donors and 300 supporters which continues to grow daily.

“We are overjoyed with our fundraising success and how easy it has been to spread the word and raise donations from our Facebook and Twitter networks,” said Elise Kindya, a friend of the victims who launched the effort. “Seeing this widespread expression of love and support from online communities near and far is a tremendous source of hope and strength as Monica, Darrelle and Robin work to recover from this tragedy.”

It is heartwarming and encouraging to watch as people are rallying around these three to help aid in their physical and emotional healing. Social media is obviously a part of our daily lives, but to watch it in action as a philanthropic tool to help those who are hurting and in need provides a fresh light on the impact technology can have. Not only is fundraising online an asset for charitable organizations and politicians, but individuals are taking hold of this advance in technology to truly make a difference in the world. With minimal effort and financial investment, the results are astonishing as shown by the success of this story.

Fundly would love to join together with your organization to help you attain whatever financial goals you have to achieve your philanthropic success.

We’re amazed by stories of children who at an early age become inspired to start charities, like Ryan’s Well Foundation, founded by a 1^st grader to provide clean and safe water to developing countries; Alex’s Lemonade Stand, founded by a 4-year old who wanted to help other kids with cancer, since 2004 raising more than $50 million!; and Free the Children, founded by a 12-year-old in 1995, now the world’s largest network of children helping children through education, with more than one million youth involved in 45 countries.

Yet, it doesn’t require starting a charity for young people to have an impact on their communities.  We need to emphasize to our kids that they can make a difference every day in their own backyard.

I was invited recently to give a speech to a group of 50 highly influential individuals: Kindergarten through 5^th graders.  The topic?  How kids can become involved in community giving.   I needed to illustrate and explore how each and every one of them can make a difference. This was no easy task – It’s hard enough to get in the heads of an adult audience, but it’s significantly more challenging to engage the mind of a child.

My first challenge was speaking their language. According to Tanya Truong, founder of Volunteer X, an online community promoting volunteerism locally and globally, “With children, it’s better to focus on the word ‘share’ rather than ‘give’.  Kids are taught by teachers every day about generosity through ‘sharing’.  Using that common language allows kids to relate better to the concept of service to their community.” Keeping that in mind, I began my lesson.

First, we defined “charity” (in kid speak) as an organization that is in charge of doing great things in our community, like helping to get clothes on people’s backs or food for those who have none.  Through a series of graphics on my iPad, I illustrated 3 ways we can share:

Time. Kids excitedly recalled volunteer service projects like the Cub Scouts creek clean-up day.

Money. Prompted by the image of dollar bills on a toilet paper roll (I hoped they wouldn’t pick up on the real meaning), they remembered coin collection jars at the school to support kids with cancer.

Recycled or new products. Images of toys, Spaghetti-O’s, and used clothing urged stories of canned food drives at school and clothing donations curbside at home.

Next, the kids offered up the names of nonprofits they knew – Second Harvest Food Bank, Toys for Tots, and Hope Services. How amazing it is that the school and home become a youth marketing channel for charities!

I added our very own parent association, the Home & School Club and shared information about the 4,000 hours of volunteer time and $100,000 per year donated to support the school. Eyebrows raised when the boys calculated you could buy 1,000 big Lego kits for that!  These kids didn’t realize that a “charity” was so closely tied to their own school.

My final hurrah was a game orchestrated to give the kids the power to donate “money” to charity (Hershey’s Kisses do just fine to represent money).  My approach:

• Write the names of the 4 charities we discussed on paper signs
• Break the kids into 4 teams, each team with 20 “dollars”
• Instruct the teams to decide ahead of time how many “dollars” they wanted to share with each charity
• Let them decide as a group how and where to “share” and put their “money” on each charity sign

It went rather smoothly.  At the end of the game, “volunteers” (a word we had discussed) added up the total donated to each cause and shared the results:

Second Harvest $25

Home & School Club $20

Hope Services $16

Toys 4 Tots $15

Apparently 4 “dollars” were eaten in the process.  However, the experiment was a success.  The kids seemed to take away a better understanding of how they might have a positive impact on their community.  A few tweaks and I thought I could take it prime time!

Then I learned the formula behind the giving, at least for a group of 2^nd-5^thgraders.  Turns out, my son and his teammates determined that they would donate their “money” according to the donations each charity had already received.  If a charity was low on dough, the team increased the amount of “money” they had planned to give.  If a charity had significantly more “funding”, they decreased their originally planned giving and moved it to a more needy cause.  They had embraced the power of sharing in a way I had not imagined.

It’s important to bring the message of giving (sharing) close to home for kids.  It can be as simple as encouraging them to volunteer time for a local food bank or to help raise money at their own school. The students I addressed had no idea that computers, music, and the school garden were paid for with donations through the parent organization.

When I was a kid in the old days, I went door-to-door to ask neighbors for donations for school fundraisers, usually selling candy or magazine subscriptions. Today, kids’ natural technology saavy can be harnessed for good.  For example, online fundraising for school walkathons has never been easier.  Students can help parents create an online donation page, produce a personalized fundraising video, and encourage family and friends through email and Facebook to support their school with a credit card donation.

Teaching concepts of philanthropy in kid terms and guiding those concepts into action not only benefits our communities but more importantly gives children the satisfaction and positive self esteem that come from doing for others.

Fundly is proud to be the Lead Sponsor in the upcoming Social Media for Non-Profits Conference which will take place in New York City on January 30, 2012. With social media fundraising growing exponentially, there is a large gap for many non-profits concerning the dollars they could be accumulating verses their current fundraising strategies. This conference builds an amazing bridge for charities to cross to meet their donors in the social media world.

This event boasts of having some of the top leaders in the non-profit world who are successfully implementing online fundraising to reach countless donors. Their success stories and valuable advice will undoubtedly change the way many organizations view and implement technology into their fundraising tactics. From insight on how to go viral to maximizing your Facebook presence to monitoring and optimizing the impact of your campaigns, there is a topic and presenter who will inform and motivate leaders at every level.

I am honored to be one of the guest speakers among such a high caliber group of non-profit and social media trendsetters and I am thrilled to share the incredible ways that Fundly is benefiting charities and political campaigns. With over $237 million raised, our goal is to maximize the online giving potential of our clients. With minimal effort and financial investment, the returns that we are seeing are truly incredible.

The focus of this conference will be on providing practical tips and tools for fundraising, marketing, and advocacy, all delivered by dynamic experts (such as Carolyn Miles, Director and CEO of Save the Children and Alex Abelin, Community Affairs Manager for Google) in keynotes, workshops, roundtables, and panels. The sessions are designed to provide attendees with concrete insights and takeaways, showcasing best practices, pitfalls to avoid, and free, helpful resources for nonprofits and causes.

This conference promises to be a valuable resource for organizations to raise money online. This is one event that is not to be missed!

As I mentioned earlier this week, Fundly was proud to assemble three of the leading experts in online fundraising to be a part of our panel for a webinar on Thursday, January 12, 2012. If you missed this outstanding discussion or just want a recap, keep reading. This is the third and final posting on the webinar, but you can also visit Slideshare.com to review the PowerPoint or connect to GoToMeeting.com for the recorded webinar. This is definitely one hour that will change how you look at your social media playbook.

Eric Facas, Founder and CEO of Mediacause.org and former member of Google’s ad service team, gave an exciting presentation addressing the question, “What is the best way to find new supporters once the right content and engagement funnels are set up?” His answer: Google Grants. I had never heard of this resource before and apparently most non-profits haven’t either as only about one third of one percent of charities access this free tool.

By typing in Google.com/grants, you can apply for an in-kind donation valued at $10,000 per month for three months in advertising funds to post your organization’s information on specific web searches that include your keywords. For example, if you run a homeless shelter and someone types in “homelessness,” your ad will pop up next to the links that coincide with your topic. Facas commented that no one searches for a non-profit to donate to but they do search for information on issues that concern or interest them. What better way to connect with potential donors with a like mind than when they are researching your cause?

Facas continued to advise that the long tail is a big opportunity that non-profits tend to overlook. Think about as many keywords as you can to build on your campaign. The more keywords you have linked to your advertisement, the more chances you have at connecting with donors searching for topics related to your cause. It’s just like fishing with a bigger net.

Finally, Facas suggests that organizations should improve their CTR (Click through rate) and their quality score measure once their ad is up. If you can prove to Google that you can spend your $10,000 a month, then they up your budget to $40,000. The more clicks your ad gets, the more attention your non-profit gets… up to $480,000 of free advertising a year! Facas also recommends that you test your ads and check up on them to make sure they are getting the clicks you need. If something doesn’t work, create a new one. Also, try to ask a question in your heading which garners more responses.

As a leader in social media fundraising, Fundly is proud to bring you all of the most vital tools and information to partner with your organization to achieve your fundraising goals. We would also like to thank our three wonderful panelists for taking time and energy to share their expertise with non-profit leaders. Together we can make the world a better place!

With the 2012 presidential election just under ten months away, a current survey conducted by Fox News shows that it’s going to be one close race. So far President Obama is ahead in his political fundraising numbers, but does that translate into high approval ratings?

There are some surprising results presented in this survey involving telephone interviews with 906 randomly chosen registered voters. If Obama and Romney were to go head to head in the polls today, 46 percent of voters would back the incumbent and 45 percent would support Romney. Consider that there is a three percent margin for error, and it could be anyone’s game.

In an interesting twist, the report states that, “behind those numbers is a striking contrast: 74 percent of Obama backers say they are voting ‘for’ him rather than ‘against Romney’ (21 percent). Yet for Romney, his support is mainly anti-Obama. Fifty-eight percent of Romney voters say they would be voting ‘against Obama’ rather than ‘for Romney’ (33 percent).”

Not surprising is the dedication that voters have towards the political party that they are affiliated with. 88 percent of Democrats support Obama and 86 percent of Republicans support Romney. What I do find intriguing is that with other Republican contenders still in the race, Romney’s numbers are rather high. I know that these numbers are based on an Obama vs. Romney election, but it seems pretty clear that the Republican forerunner has a strong chance at grabbing the nomination for president.

Furthermore, even with drastically low approval numbers, Obama still has a fighting chance at a second term. The survey found that, “currently 45 percent of voters approve and 47 percent disapprove of the job President Obama is doing. That’s little changed from December when 44 percent approved and 51 percent disapproved… Meanwhile, about four voters in 10 are either ‘very happy’ (7 percent) or ‘satisfied’ (35 percent) with the Obama administration. More than a third is ‘disappointed’ (37 percent) and about one in five is ‘angry’ (19 percent). These views are mostly unchanged from the last time the question was asked in September 2011.”

So what can we learn from this survey? For non-profits and politicians alike, if you have a strong and faithful support team, the possibilities are endless at what you can achieve. Secondly, these numbers are too close to call at who will become the next leader of the nation. It has been said time and again that the battleground is on the internet, so hang on as we see some new strategies being implemented using social media fundraising.

As I mentioned in the previous blog, Fundly was proud to assemble three of the leading experts in online fundraising to be a part of our panel for a webinar on Thursday, January 12, 2012. If you missed this outstanding discussion or just want a recap, keep reading. In this second part of a three part blog series, I’ll do my best to summarize the most important points that will help to accelerate your fundraising success this year. You can also visit Slideshare to review the PowerPoint or connect to GoToMeeting for the slideshow in conjunction with the discussion. This is definitely one hour that will positively impact your online fundraising strategies.

Our second presenter who shared in the discussion was Jeff Riddle, founder of TheGiveGive.com and Riddle & Company which was recently acquired by advertising technology company ReTargeter. Addressing the question “How do we use social channels to attract, convert, and retain donors?” Riddle boils down the answer into one word: relationships. Technology is an incredible resource; however, we tend to lose some of the humanity when we don’t interact face to face. For example, when the telephone became commonplace it included the challenge to interpret what a person is fully saying without being able to read their body language. Compound this on the internet with a form of communication that doesn’t allow for voice intonation and it can be difficult for an organization to build deep, strong relationships from a distance.

Riddle’s first recommendation is “Relationships first, transactions later.” Giving is based on building a relationship of trust which takes an investment of time and effort. Secondly, Riddle explains that not all relationships are created equal so non-profits need to segment their audiences. “Give 80% of your time and resources to 20% of your top donors.” Finally, scale down your efforts based on your effectiveness. Random Tweets on your Twitter account thanking donors for their giving is cost and time effective, but will bring in a low return. Taking each donor out to a steak dinner takes a huge amount of time and financial investment, but the returns will be phenomenal (but this approach is highly improbable.) With this in mind, Riddle suggests that charity leaders create a “chain to balance effectiveness with time management.” Create the most effective method such as dinner meeting down to the lowest effort method such as writing a personal, handwritten thank you letter and compromise somewhere in between with your various levels of donors.

I must agree with Riddle: in order to create a lasting relationship, time and effort must be invested in order to have a decent outcome. To establish an ongoing partnership, we need to see each donor as an individual and appreciate each sacrificial donation that they make. Social media is a great way to connect to many people with little time and financial investment but knowing the right way to use this tool is key. Contact Fundly today to create a social media fundraising strategy to reach the masses while valuing the individual.

Is it just me or are politicians starting to look more like movie stars? The forerunners seem to have suits tailored to perfection, speeches memorized with eloquence and passion, and wives flawlessly styled and ready to walk any red carpet. Okay, that may be a little extreme, but can an old fashioned, grassroots politician gain the support of the American people? Republican candidate Ron Paul seems to think so.

More Mayberry than Hollywood, Congressman Paul is surprising political analysts with his ability to sway a wide demographic of supporters into his camp. “In the third quarter of 2011, Paul raised over $8 million, including ‘contributions from more than 100,000 unique donors — “more than five times the number of total donors to the campaign of Texas Governor Rick Perry.” ‘In the final months of 2011, Paul raised $13 million,” reports Robert Taylor on Policymic.com.

Furthermore, “The disparity of donors becomes even clearer when you compare Paul’s support to the other candidates. While President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney’s top donors are Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, CitiGroup, Morgan Stanley, and Bank of America, the top three donors to the Paul campaign are PACs and individual members associated with the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force. According to the New York Times, only 11% of Paul’s donors gave more than $1,500.”

In a surprising turn, Paul is gaining the support of a large group of the under 40 crowd. Taylor speculates that this section of voters is disgruntled by the political machine and tainted by having to foot the massive bill for wars and bailouts from previous administrations. Speaking simple truths and avoiding catch phrases, Paul’s honesty and integrity is winning over an unlikely bunch. “It is precisely because of Paul’s anti-establishment message, and not his personality or status, that so many non-traditional donors are attracted to his campaign. Although Paul’s chance of claiming the GOP nomination and the White House are slim if you listen to the mainstream media, it his fundamentally his ideas — individual liberty, free markets, constitutional government, sound money, and a humble foreign policy — that are winning and changing the face of public discourse,” observes Taylor.

There seems to be a fine line that politicians must walk to please the masses: they have to be polished without appearing fake. They have to have strong opinions without offending their supporters. They have to keep up with the times by using social media fundraising while still connecting with the people on a personal level. They are required to wine and dine millionaires while still appearing to be the “every man.” Nope, I don’t think I have what it takes to be a politician…

Rarely can so much information be packed into one short hour as it was during a webinar that Fundly was excited to present on Thursday, January 12, 2012. With three expert panelists discussing how to accelerate fundraising in this upcoming year, invaluable information was shared that will definitely impact the giving numbers of your non-profit. If you were unable to attend, fear not! This three part blog series will make sure that you can have the tools you need to jumpstart your 2012 fundraising efforts. You can also check out SlideShare to view our presentation slides and GoToMeeting to watch the recorded webinar.

Since we had three experts discuss their expansive knowledge on major fundraising factors in the charity world, I’m going to break down each topic for the next few days. The basic catalyst for this webinar was based on the facts that $300 billion dollars is given each year in the United States by private individuals (so this number does not include grant monies, corporate giving, etc.) Furthermore, 13% of this giving was online with a 35 – 55 % increase over the past year. If all that money is transferring bank accounts, how do you get some of these funds into your organizations!?!

With this thought Darian Rodriguez Heyman, Co-Producer of Social Media for Non-Profits and former Executive Director of Craigslist Foundation, addressed the question “What role does content play in engaging and mobilizing a supporter base?” Basically, you need to know your audience and be skilled enough in your social media skills to properly address your donors. Here are some applicable examples that Heyman gives to maximize your donor interaction: when you post your comments on a social media network, there are specific times of day that you will get the most traffic and responses.

Try from 8:30 am – 9:30 am when people check their media accounts first thing in the morning, from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm during their lunch breaks, 4:30 pm – 6:00 pm when they check their accounts before they head home from the office and 9:00 pm – 11:00 pm after they’ve put the kids to bed. Another easy strategy is to post a question rather than a statement. Usually this brings in ten times more responses.

Heyman also addresses the issue that many charities have about going viral on the internet. How can I make my videos, pictures and posts spread like wildfire and cause my donors to want to share our information?

There are three factors to consider:

1) It’s not about the what but the so what – why should people care about this and what would motivate them to pass it on?

2) How do you expect me to pass the word on if it’s too complicated?

3) Be credible. Compelling + Concise + Credible = Contagious

Finally, Heyman suggests that non-profits avoid the “Empty Store Effect.” Plan before you leap to keep a consistent presence on the web. Consistency is key to grabbing donor attention. Heyman also recommends that you recognize and appreciate every $20 gift as if it were a $20,000 gift to completely nurture the donor relationship. When you know what drives your donors to give, you can establish a strong partnership.

This is only the first part of this exciting series, so please check in tomorrow to learn more about maximizing your giving for 2012. If you have any questions or comments, please contact us at Fundly. We would love to partner with you to strengthen your social media presence and to develop a successful online giving program for your future non-profit fundraising campaigns.

Brafton.com highlighted a report that 89% of non-profits use Facebook. We all have learned by now that social media is a cost effective and successful way to communicate with donors, but I still find the number staggering. It’s incredible how far the online community has come in such a short time.

With over 800 million users and more than 50% of those users logging on every day, it would be a huge missed opportunity for non-profits to not use this amazing cyber tool. Furthermore, their users interact with over 900 million objects including pages, groups, events and community pages (which must be thousands of non-profits!) Facebook is a great informal resource to reach out to your donor base.

Brafton.com commented that, “consumers respond best when social media content demonstrates the personality of the business. While some industries should stick to fact-based, straight-forward content, others, including nonprofits, can use share information via more compelling styles and tones to garner interest.” How do LinkedIn and Twitter compare in the report to Facebook’s impressive numbers? “Cause marketing (like general consumer use) is lower on these platforms.

According to the study, Twitter actually saw fewer users among nonprofits in 2011, with 57 percent reporting use, when compared to 60 percent in 2010. The same was true for LinkedIn, with 30 percent saying they had a presence – a 3 percent dip from 2010 when 33 percent of organizations were active on the professional networking site.”

Now, I wouldn’t throw away the baby with the bath water. While LinkedIn may not be the best way to connect with donors, it is a great tool to connect with other non-profits and garner advice. Twitter is not to be disregarded either with over 200 million users dedicated to “micro-blogging.”

I personally like it for its condensed language verses lengthy posts that sometimes sandbag Facebook. Regardless, social media networks are unarguably one of the best tools that charities and non-profits can master to reach donors with minimal financial investment and the potential for a substantial profitable gain.

Fundly has dedicated itself to creating a dynamic platform for non-profit organizations to reach out to donors with a new and exciting fundraising strategy. With over 800 million people using social media, who could you reach with your mission?

Start your own facebook fundraising campaign today for your non-profit and raise more money the easy way.