Online Fundraising : Raise Money For Causes

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

 

Traditional Fundraising

 

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

 

Fundraising Through The Internet

 

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

 

The Benefits

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fundraising can actually be fun, easy and profitable!  

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I’ve got some problems:  

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

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

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

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

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

There has to be a better way to fundraise!

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

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

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

No checks, no cookie dough, no problem!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

People generally want to help. There are over 1,130,000 charities and foundations registered with the federal government in the United States alone and individuals donated approximately $300 billion to these charities last year. If there are all of these funds out there, why do some nonprofits struggle to make ends meet? Are these organizations contributing to their own financial detriment? What are they doing wrong?

The first way to get the dollars rolling in is to get your name out there. It’s like the old saying goes, “out of sight, out of mind.” Public relations and fundraising go hand in hand; without a PR strategy in place, your bank account is going to suffer dearly. Is your name clearly on your building? Do you have a leadership representative mingling in local mixers and participating in town hall meetings? Are you resting on past laurels and not pursuing current media attention for present projects? Are you up-to-date with your social media campaigns?

The second way to prevent a loss donations is to let your supporters know what your needs are and what they can specifically do to help. For example, don’t just say, “We need money to add on to our building.” Be practical in your ask. “Can you give $50 towards our John Doe Memorial Building program so that we can reach our goal of $100,000 by May 1? Our afterschool program desperately desires to keep kids off the street and in a healthy environment. ” Present your needs as urgent, necessary and attainable; skip any one of these qualities and your donor will just move on by.

Are you making it too hard to give? Yesterday I was shopping online and pop-up appeared asking if I would take a survey. I had a few minutes and I liked the website, so I was ready to dedicate five minutes of my life to share my opinions. After two pages of extensive questions and a glitch when I tried to input one answer, I gave up and closed the window. I didn’t have the extra time or patience to deal with this malfunctioning website. So here’s the bottom line: how well does your website function? How many clicks does it take from spotting the “donate” button to seeing the receipt in the donor’s inbox?

The final way to appeal to your donors is to take advantage of all of your available resources. Online fundraising is the fastest growing way to garner funds. Do you have a Facebook account? Do you check and answer your e-mails regularly? As mentioned above, is your website easy to maneuver without long loading times or a maze of pages to navigate through? Have you looked into Fundly as an option to connect with your current and potential donors? Fundraising is ever changing and by not keeping up, you may be leaving donors behind.

Running a nonprofit can be a lot like watching a funnel drain: you strive to get as many resources as you can from a variety of different donors only to have it continually drained. With everything happening so fast and the needs being so great, who has time to balance a budget, implement a fundraising strategy and keep track of bookkeeping?!

A new report released Wednesday by the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University found that mid-sized nonprofits with revenues ranging between $1 million and $5 million were lacking in financial knowledge and cash reserves. “While 76 percent of the respondents said that they were financially literate, only a third were correct when quizzed on their financial knowledge,” statesChicago Tribune reporter Corilyn Shropshire.

More than 500 nonprofit leaders were interviewed in this survey from causes ranging from education to human services to the arts. Those participating were asked questions involving bond prices and interest rates, investment risks and diversification of funds. Shropshire explains, “According to the study, financial literacy increased in conjunction with the organization’s budget. In other words, nearly 45 percent of nonprofits answered all three questions, compared to just over 26 percent of non-profits with budgets less than $5 million.”

A quarter of those surveyed said they had four to six months of reserves on hand while almost half of these mid-sized nonprofits had less than three months’ worth of operating expenses available for times when they spent more than they brought in. Furthermore, as demands are increasing on many nonprofits, they realize that breaking even is no longer the goal. Long term planning is a must to continue to meet the needs of their clientele.

One solution for these nonprofits is to establish a strong online fundraisingplatform. Connecting to donors and supporters through social media networks not only can bring in additional funding, but it is also a great way to connect with people who may have the financial expertise to help stay within the budget and create a long term financial plan. Fundly can help you reach present and potential supporters using the internet so you can get one step closer to reaching your goal: improving the lives of others.

In the early 1980’s when I was about 6 years old my dad ran for County Supervisor. I remember wearing frilly dresses and going to political parties. We ordered hundreds of bright blue and neon orange signs that said “Leadership for the 80’s” and put them up in friends’ yards and on busy street corners.  We canvassed neighborhoods knocking on voter’s doors and had a phone call list a mile long with friends and family members spreading the word. He lost that race and ten years later we repeated the cycle when he ran for School Board (and unfortunately lost that election, too.) He’s not planning to pursue any more of his political ambitions; however, I’m still glad political fundraisingmethods have changed.

There was an article in The New York Times last week written by Jim Rutenberg and Jeff Zeleny which discussed how President Obama has created an almost corporate-like atmosphere as he pursues a second term as president. Like a well-oiled Silicon Valley techno-machine, his workers are busily scouting out past donors who gave in the beginning and are currently missing in action. “Mr. Obama’s re-election team is sifting through reams of data available through the Internet or fed to it by its hundreds of staff members on the ground in all 50 states, identifying past or potential supporters and donors and testing e-mail and Web-based messages that can entice them back into the fold” reports Rutenger and Zeleny.

President Obama, along with his Republican competitors, realizes that much of the campaigning to win the race will be done on the internet. “With the help of Web developers recruited from the private sector, [the campaign] has dedicated considerable hours creating technology that can make its Web site, barackobama.com, fit perfectly onto any screen, be it an iPhone, Blackberry or Droid — a seemingly small detail that campaign officials say can make a huge difference when it comes to enticing donors or volunteers to stay connected or click a ‘donate’ button” observes Rutenger and Zeleny.

Not by chance or trial and error, but through tangible reports, facts and figures is science being applied to the partnership of politics and social media. No longer are politicians from City Hall to the White House relying on knocking on doors to shake hands with the voters or passing out leaflets boasting of their past accomplishments and future goals. Today’s campaign trail is littered with crisp mailers, a path of Tweets and Facebook fodder to reach the masses and Fundly is proud to be a part of the future of political fundraising.

What is the future of money? Quite honestly, the farthest I’ve ever really gotten with the question is whether I’ll have any or not. However, Fundly CEO Dave Boyce was on a panel dedicated to this topic at the South by Southwest Music Conference and Festival (SXSW) in Austin, TX on Monday and the reality of technological innovation is mind blowing.

In an interview with AP Mobile and MTV host Abram Boise* , Dave shared some of the topics that were presented to the panel. The future of online payments and consumer transactions are ready and available for use today and credit cards, wallets, and cash will soon be distant memories. (I was going to add checks into that mix, but somehow they seem to have already entered into the almost obsolete category.)

Basically, the future of money boils down to trust. A few years ago when I first started to use eBay and make other online transactions, I was terrified of cyber-hackers stealing my credit card information. Now I have a habit of researching products online, looking for the best deals, and without a second thought I put in my personal data to purchase anything from clothing to furniture to vitamins.

Dave uses the great example of the trust that people put into Facebook. Users post family pictures, events in their lives and share information for all to see. Regardless of generation, Facebook users from 12 to 100 years old have put their trust in the Facebook brand. Can you imagine if you could purchase goods through a Facebook account?

Secondly, the Apple Corporation has also won the trust of its users. This is one of the most tangible ways that transactions will be effected. Picture going into Starbucks, pulling out your iPhone and having the funds directly taken from your account without a bill or credit card in sight. According to Dave, “the technology is ready; the missing link is the trust.” Furthermore, the applications are available to retailers with minimal investment.

Dave also brought up the valid point that you spend money on things you want to be a part of your identity such as music, film and the philanthropic causes that you care about. Why not share the charities that touch your heart with your Facebook friends and challenge them to give, too?

Also directed to non-profit fundraising, Dave mentioned that the reason PayPal is not fulfilling their potential is because it is a difficult platform for third party users and the experience isn’t pleasant. “You either have to own the experience or own the platform,” advises Dave. This is a great principle for charities to apply to their own websites: is your site difficult to maneuver? Is it too complicated for your donors to give?

The future of fundraising is online, and the future of money concerning internet payments and mobile transactions is closer than we realize. Are you ready?

* Watch the full interview: http://http://bit.ly/yueFXl

If you interviewed a panel of consumers, undoubtedly most would be able to identify Nike by its swoosh, Disney by its three circles forming Mickey Mouse’s head and Microsoft Windows by its four-colored waving flag. Branding and marketing go hand-in-hand; not just in the marketplace but also for non-profit fundraising.

Rahim Kanani, contributor to Forbes Magazine, had an informative interview with Nathalie Kylander, adjunct lecturer in public policy at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and a research fellow at Harvard’s Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations. Kylander, along with Hauser Center Faculty Director Christopher Stone, are authors of an in-depth research study on the role of brand in the nonprofit sector. With more than a decade of nonprofit branding research to her credit, Kylander brings some useful insight to the subject.

First of all, why is branding so important to a nonprofit organization? Kylander explains that, “traditionally, brand was essentially viewed as a communication and fundraising tool, but we found that a new paradigm was emerging where brand was increasingly being considered in a strategic way, fundamentally anchored in the mission and values of an organization and critical at every step in the theory of change of an organization.

“We also found that the role that brand played internally was as critical to many of the organizations we interviewed, as the external role of the brand. Internally, a strong brand drives cohesion and helps an organization build the capacity and skills to implement its social mission. Externally a strong brand results in trust among its many constituents, be they donors, beneficiaries, partners, or otherwise, which enables the organization to have greater impact. However, what makes a brand strong is the close alignment between internal brand identity and external brand image, what we call brand Integrity.”

Can your donors easily identify your brand? Does your logo fully symbolize your cause? When constituents see your organization, what values and goals do they associate with it? “A brand is a psychological construct held in the minds of all brand audiences, a promise, a short-cut for decision making if you will. Strong brands in both sectors enable organizations to build trust, gain resources, and establish partnerships and access” explains Kylander.

A strong brand is needed especially when using social media networks for online fundraising. With Twitter’s shorthand and Facebook’s overwhelming traffic, a reliable brand makes the difference between a glance at your comments and a click on the “donate” button. Let Fundly help you create afree fundraising website today that can expand your social media fundraising and promote your organization’s brand!

As I think back to the Constitution and the original form of our government in its essence of democratic purity, I can’t help but wonder what our forefathers would think of the current electoral process.

Would they be aghast at the immense amount of cash raised and spent? Would they be flabbergasted at political fundraising mixed with the advancement of technology? How would they feel about Super PACs? However, I also ponder if these questions are fair to pose in an apples-to-oranges comparison. In a world in which powdered wigs, wooden teeth and only male voters existed, do the same principles apply?

In a new Washington Post-ABC News poll, it was found that 69% of voters believe that PACs should be banned. Furthermore, 78% of independent voters believe that they should be eliminated. Do PACs really deserve such a bad rap?

Restore Our Future, the super PAC supporting former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, has already spent nearly $34 million in early presidential primary states on his behalf. Winning Our Future, a super PAC associated with former House speaker Newt Gingrich, has already gone through $16 million. President Obama is also gaining momentum using a PAC; Priorities USA Action is in effect and is run by two former White House aides.

The Washington Post reports that, “All told, super PACs have raised more than $130 million and spent $75 million in the 2012 election cycle, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Given that the 2012 election isn’t for another eight months or so and that super PACs focused on House races have already begun to crop up, it’s easy to see that number cresting $500 million or even nearing $1 billion before the election is over.

What does the future hold for political fundraising? Online fundraising through sites like Fundly are at an all time high and the candidates are spending time, money and strategic planning on optimizing social networking. We’ll just have to wait and see how technology and major donor giving influences the outcome of the presidential election in November.

When I think of fundraising, the first thing that comes to mind is a donation check. I’m sure many donors also have this image in their mind, but fundraising can be so much more! Just as the saying goes, “Ask and you shall receive,” think about what you are asking from your donors on Facebook and your other social media sites. Are you limiting yourself to just financial contributions?

Currently I am working on a golf tournament and have created a Fundlyaccount to promote the event and the camp for foster children that it is supporting. Of course we are asking for money to aid the cause, but a Fundly website is more than just a financial donation site. From small to large nonprofits, there are a variety of ways to reach out to your donors.

Here some non-monetary asks that we have made: golf participants, volunteers for the day of the tournament, corporate sponsorships, and business donations for the raffle that will be held at the banquet after the tournament. We also made a separate section where people can directly work with the nonprofit by volunteering as camp counselors, provide prayer support for this ministry, donate craft items for the campers, or volunteer at registration.

Updating and recruiting golfers has been much easier through this site, too. With each post that the committee chairman puts on the Fundly webpage, the golfers that he is friends with can be reminded of discounts, deadlines and new course features that have been added to the tournament. He can also post how many spaces are left and promote the mission of the cause.

In a sad turn of events, one of the golfers who had participated several times in this event passed away a couple of weeks ago. We knew he loved to golf and wanted to help the children in this organization, so we also have started receiving donations in memory of this incredible man and will send his family a list of family and friends who contributed a gift in remembrance.

While every organization could certainly benefit from monetary contributions, it’s important to remember that social media networks are not limited to just one type of donation. With Fundly, there are a variety of ways to get your supporters to join as partners to your cause. What will you ask for today?

If you want to raise money on Facebook for your cause, you can start your own Facebook fundraising campaign today with Fundly!

It’s impossible to watch the news these days and not see a report about the upcoming 2012 Presidential Election. Regardless of your candidate of choice or party affiliation, you have to admit the contenders are giving it all they’ve got to win the office at hand.  From kissing babies to Google ads, this election is an interesting blend of old and new fundraising tactics.

While television debates, benefit dinners, and rallies are tried and true methods of gaining voter approval, what has truly sparked my interest is how these candidates are connecting with people that can now have their voices heard using social media. By the end of this election, the unchartered waters of online political fundraising will be vastly explored by these electoral pioneers.

In a recent report published by Fundly, we found that online political fundraising is being utilized like never before. We have had three of the 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 exceeded December’s average volume by more than 350 percent.

There is a good question that arises amid all of the controversies surrounding the use of PAC’s: will even more focus be placed on social media fundraising as candidates strive to gain public approval? The time, energy and finances invested into procuring funds can be vastly diminished with the launch of a simple Facebook page, some daily tweets on Twitter and taking a few minutes to start a campaign donation page on Fundly.

So why should you use Fundly as part of your campaign strategy? When a stranger asks for money, it’s easy and probable for people to answer “no, thanks.” When a friend asks for money, there is a foundation and level of trust in the relationship which usually produces a positive response like, “sure, I’d love to!”  Friends are also more open to supporting a candidate and hearing their positions when recommended by a friend. This is the basic idea of social fundraising and Fundly helps your campaign reap the benefits. When a donor contributes to your candidate through Fundly, that action can be posted to their Facebook and Twitter profiles to share with their network of friends, family, and colleagues. Not only are they bringing attention to your campaign, but a call of support to their entire social network. The average person has well over 100 friends on Facebook and now you have over 100 potential donors.

While the focus of political fundraising has mainly been on the presidential race, what we are learning from this election can be applied to campaigns for smaller offices, such as mayor, school board advisor, and the like. With Fundly, it’s easy for candidates to set up a website, gather supporter information, and start collecting donations. Regardless of the political position, the methods of fundraising are the same; it’s just a different scale.

Every nonprofit has three basic needs to fill in order to survive: know-how, resources, and passion. Finding the right people and tools to fill these gaps is essential, especially when it comes to the task of fundraising. Online fundraising is a concept that has developed over the past years, however, the concept of “social fundraising” is fairly new.  Social media networks are a great set of tools anyone can take advantage of… and they’re free. Leveraging social media to expand online fundraising efforts with Fundly provides you with a platform to use social media effectively and gather your resources and passion behind your cause, so that you can reach your goals.

Here are 3 big fat reasons to use Fundly to drive your online fundraising potential:

1) Fundly makes fundraising online simple, effective and fun!!!  No, seriously… Starting a campaign page on Fundly is easy, and until you’re actually raising money, it’s free.  Since it only a takes a few minutes, there’s no reason you can’t have a little fun and check it out!  Your fundraising page is ready to share from the moment you sign-up.  Fundly’s user-friendly interface makes it quick to customize your page by adding video and photos, choosing your fundraising goal and giving levels, and writing a description about your cause… And it’s exciting to see the final result!

The experience is even more engaging for your donors and gives them a chance to be recognized. It only takes a minute for your donors to contribute to your cause by a click of the ‘Donate’ button and give with ease with Fundly.  Once they’ve donated, there are several ways for them to engage and feel like they are a part of the overall effort.

2) Donors turn into fundraisers. When a stranger asks for money, it’s easy and probable for people to answer “no, thanks.” When a friend asks for money, there is a foundation and level of trust in the relationship which usually produces a positive response like, “sure, I’d love to!”  This is the basic idea of social fundraising and Fundly helps your organization reap the benefits in two ways.  First, when a donor contributes to your cause through Fundly, their giving action can be posted to their Facebook and Twitter profiles to share with their network of friends, family, and colleagues. Now, not only are they bringing attention to your cause, but sending a call to action to their entire social network. The average person has well over 100 friends on Facebook and now you have over 100 potential donors.  Secondly, your donors also have the option to launch their own fundraising page under your campaign and set their own goals.  This empowers them to fundraise for the cause and they’re now motivated to achieve their own goal, adding to your donation yield.  Your givers are now your gatherers!

3) Online donation yields can increase by as much as 52% on Fundly!  Regardless of the cause or size of your organization, current statistics prove that online giving is increasing ever year.  Launching a campaign on Fundly could increase your donation revenue by as much as 52%, as proven by a case study campaign on Fundly. Also, according to a recent study released by M+R Strategic Services and the Nonprofit Technology Network (NTEN) entitled the “eNonprofit Benchmarks Study”, they have  found that from 2010 to 2011 online giving increased 20 percent. That is a tremendous amount of growth and fundraising revenue.  Furthermore, the average one-time online gift was $62 and the average monthly gift was $20. These dollars quickly add up!  And Fundly is confident that as social media networks grow and continue to build into the routine of our daily lives, nonprofits will see online giving potential increase even more in the next year.

In all, online fundraising is here to stay. Fundly has taken out what has made it time consuming and complicated so you can do what you do best: run your nonprofit and strengthen support for your cause.

It seems like many non-profits are stuck between a rock and a hard place right now: the needs are greater than ever while incoming donation levels are decreasing or at a stand still. With the funds you do have,  should you meet the needs of your clientele or gamble with new development strategies? Here are five reasons why online fundraising is not a gamble:

1) Free Platfoms – Facebook, Twitter and emails literally don’t cost a dime! In the time it takes to compose an update, post a Tweet, or write a letter, you could reach thousands of donors. While direct mail is certainly beneficial to older supporters, it can be costly when you take in to account the price of production, postage, and assembly.

2) Expand Your Audience – I can honestly say that the majority of my friends under 40 years old have Facebook accounts. I think that one of the biggest mistakes that nonprofits make is not appealing or nurturing the next generation of supporters.

3) It Doesn’t Take a Techie – With all of the new technology out there, it can be intimidating to enter the world of keywords, SEOs and Tweetables. One thing that I’m really impressed with concerning these new platforms is how user friendly they are. Get on the website, sign up, spend an hour playing with the system and you’ll quickly become a pro. There are also great tutorials on YouTube that can walk you through the process. At Fundly, we also have a team that strives to make an online giving website quick, easy and accessible for both nonprofit and donor use.

4) Expanded Opportunities – Building the bridge to create a simbiotic relationship is key to garnering and expanding donor support; you need hands and finances to achieve your goal and your supporters receive affirmation that they are needed and making a difference. Social media only strengthens this bond through opening more outlets of communication such as updates, calls to action, and success stories.

5) It Just Keeps Growing – Currently 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. This is a huge market with unlimited potential! Furthermore, this past year showed a 13% increase in online giving which equals a 35-55% growth rate over the past year. Fundly can help you utilize social media in your arsenal of marketing strategies by connecting your organization to potential donors and making the process of giving social.  

A couple of weeks ago I went to my niece’s birthday party and had an interesting conversation with her grandfather. He was planning on attending a Crab Feed that I was organizing at our church and we were discussing the amount of money that came in last year verses the amount of guests who attended. He thought the giving rather low and I thought it was adequate for the level of guests that attended. In non-profit fundraising, different causes attract a certain group of people and you have to meet them where they’re at.

So far on my resume I’ve been a teacher then I entered the nonprofit world working at a homeless shelter, church and symphony. I’ve learned that in each of these fields, fundraising and the donors they attract are just as vast as the categories themselves.

Education Fundraising

Education fundraising attracts generous grandparents and family members who are usually hit up once or twice a year with jog-a-thon sponsorships, cookie dough sales and catalogs with overpriced candles and wrapping paper. These fundraisers tend to be fairly successful as prizes of cheap toys and gadgets are dangled before the eyes of sticky fingered, wide-eyed children; and what doting grandma or uncle can say “no” to little Susie when she says “Would you like to buy something to help my school?” (Currently I’ve consumed three out of five Girl Scout cookie boxes in two weeks with this approach and have two tubs of cookie dough from another niece stocked in my freezer… too bad the treats don’t come with “sucker” stickers for my forehead.)

Now I’m not saying to toss these ideas away, but my sister came up with a great idea to avoid overpaying for unwanted clutter and calories: she asks what percentage of the item actually goes to the school and then she gives a certain amount to compensate. For example, my niece sells wreaths to go to winter camp every year. It costs about $25 for a small wreath but regardless of the size, $5 goes into her account. I’d rather give her $10 and forego tossing the wreath in the trash when it dies. With Fundly she could even start her own website, e-mail friends and family members with her sales pitch and then give them the option to help with a purchase or direct donation.

School fundraisers are a great way for students to compete for and earn what their school needs, but a Fundly site would also be an ideal way to earn dollars year round. It would be perfect for a library building program, acquiring new playground equipment or buying updated textbooks. Friends and family members could get a letter or e-mail from the student and when they log on, they can see how close the school is to approaching their goal. No extra calories, no overpriced clutter, no juggling checks and cash in flimsy envelopes and all the money goes to the cause and not unwanted products.

Humanitarian Fundraising

This is one of my personal favorite areas of fundraising: homeless shelters, food banks and recovery programs. With the economy in its current state, more and more people are reaching out for help and the generosity of our communities is incredible as they are stepping up to help their fellow man. Sometimes I think that this is also one of the easier areas of fundraising because of the compassion factor: who isn’t moved by a picture of a family huddled in the cold or a before and after picture of a man caught in the grips of despair then miraculously transformed into finding hope and a future?

When I worked at a shelter, I had the privilege of being the Special Events Coordinator and I organized golf tournaments, annual banquets, Christmas gift giveaways and school supply drives. While most of our funding came through monthly direct mail campaigns, the connection with the volunteers and banquet guests kept the dollars rolling in. Currently they are incorporating more online fundraising options such as evites, e-mail campaigns and e-newsletters. I remember the budget for thousands of mailers was outrageous and I can’t imagine the savings that the internet is bringing. (However, I must also add that about 20% of the donors were elderly who prefer the traditional mailers and return envelopes. Compartmentalize your donors and focus on what works for each age group and giving level.)

Church Fundraisers

I’ve been at the same church since I was 13 years old and in those 23 years since, I think I’ve helped out and participated in just about every type of ministry with events ranging from car washes to banquets to craft fairs to building programs. From the perspectives of a child, teen, adult and parent, I’ve seen more than my share of fundraising opportunities.

Now with the church going crowd, there’s an easy side and a difficult side to garnering funds. First of all, there are moral and spiritual obligations to give… that’s the “easy” part. The difficult part is that these donors are already contributing and in a church environment they are continually asked to give more: the opportunities include tithing, missions, maybe a building program or special family in need. Then there are outside ministries such as crisis centers, inner city outreaches or clothing drives that tap into the same church-going crowd. (Now this is where this post started: the grandfather I was talking to couldn’t comprehend why people weren’t being more generous. My argument was that the guests that were attending our event were already generous and this was just an additional cause to support.)

In churches, I think that social media is a greatly underused resource. The church is already an established community and Facebook is just a visual extension of that family. When I opened my Facebook account, within two weeks I had 86 friends and 90% are from church!

So far I’ve started fundraising websites for a golf tournament and have two pending with a recovery ministry and outreach to veterans. Fundly is great for these projects because while the funding will be funneled through the church, each ministry can have its separate site to post future events, how close they are to their financial goals and they can share their mission with the friends on Facebook. Also, the cost is minimal so the funds go directly to the task at hand with little to no time, man power and effort invested.

Fundraising for the Arts

When I started working at a symphony, the dichotomy of fundraising really hit me. I was used to the homeless shelter food donations, creating something out of nothing and an entirely different clientele. Then at this creative office an expanse of Juilliard graduates, prodigies, business moguls and wealthy retired philanthropists paraded through the doors. I worked in the development department and helped with events such as food and wine tastings, concerts in private homes and an annual grand ball. Just as the causes had completely different goals, so did the donors who contributed.

While many of these supporters aided both the arts and humanitarian causes, the acknowledgement and expectations that they required from the nonprofits they contributed to were entirely different. The motivation seemed to range between moral obligations to social prestige. Petitioning for funds also required a new thought process: to attract the wealthier donors’ attention, it took a refined touch of wining and dining accompanied by bells and whistles. They had seen it all and heard it all and usually earned their money through fine business acumen; if anything less was presented, the ask was left on the table.

While relationships are the basis for any size gift, the bigger asks and more powerful donors require more in depth one-on-one attention and nurturing. However, incorporating social media is a great way to open the door to any donor. Showing a sample artists’ work, advertising events and ticket sales and petitioning funds for future projects are all perfect things to display on a fundraising page. By using Fundly, donors can also have their giving posted on Facebook to encourage their friends to join their efforts.

With every cause there are a variety of donors that come with it. Furthermore, within your donors it is important to categorize giving levels, the most effective ways of communication and the best angles to get them involved. From direct mail campaigns to online giving, the most valuable way to reach your donors is by knowing who they are.