fundraisingonline's posterous http://fundraisingonline.posterous.com Most recent posts at fundraisingonline's posterous posterous.com Mon, 23 May 2011 13:31:00 -0700 677 Million Registered Users:Facebook Fundraising and the Potential for Non-Profits http://fundraisingonline.posterous.com/677-million-registered-usersfacebook-fundrais http://fundraisingonline.posterous.com/677-million-registered-usersfacebook-fundrais

 Non-profits are setup to fail.  1.5 million exist in the United States today and the number continues to grow.  For funding, many non-profits rely on a grant pool that over time has remained constant, not nearly matching the increase in demand.  To exacerbate the growing need for more funding the world’s economy collapsed in 2008 and is showing only meager signs of recovery.

 A reliance on grants and the reality of a shrinking pool of money have created a ‘can’t fail’ mentality for non-profits.  If a program is funded through a grant and the non-profit reports the funded program as a failure, the funder will most often choose to go somewhere else: find a successful program to fund.  A cycle of waste develops as non-profits choose to report only successes, for fear of losing the money.  In the end, broken programs receive money while potentially successful programs sit on the shelf and gather dust.

 Innovations in non-profit fundraising techniques have helped non-profits succeed when others have failed even as traditional revenue streams have dried up.  Social media spaces like Facebook can make the specter of raising money a whole lot easier by spreading your fundraising goals over a larger pool. 

 With over 677 million registered users worldwide and Facebook fundraisingsearches up 85%+ the Facebook community is an incredibly fruitful space for getting your message out and attracting donors. You can share links to your fundraiser on your friend feed, message or email your friends directly, participate in groups and much more to gain exposure and raise money and supporters for your cause. 

 Facebook fundraising is a very simple process that can oftentimes be covered with minimal staff, allowing your resources to go towards creating truly successful programs. 

 And once your friends are informed of the good you are doing they can act as a bullhorn, letting even more people know about what you’re doing.  Your message can quickly jump on the exponential bandwagon in short order go viral.  In no time you can have people from across the globe reaching out and helping fund your cause.

 Boiled down to its essence non-profit fundraising is about recognizing a cause, developing a message around that cause and getting that message out to the people who can best support you in affecting positive change around that cause.  

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Mon, 16 May 2011 18:24:00 -0700 How Non-Profit Fundraising Programs are Using the Power of Social Media: Online fundraising platforms key to non-profits’ success in 21st century http://fundraisingonline.posterous.com/how-non-profit-fundraising-programs-are-using http://fundraisingonline.posterous.com/how-non-profit-fundraising-programs-are-using

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n the past non-profits raised money through community fundraising, government grants and relied on volunteers to help support the causes they were most passionate about.  Yet to compete and succeed in our ever-evolving world of connectivity savvy non-profits are turning to social media to advance their causes.

 Over 600 million registered users on Facebook.  That’s almost twice the population of the United States.  The more people you are able to get your message to the greater the opportunity to convince them that supporting your cause is the right thing to do.  And social media platforms do not operate as a collection of disparate parts.  When you connect with one person you are really connecting with a community of people.

 Online fundraising platforms like Piryx have developed to take advantage of the social media movement.  A non-profit can create a campaign for free with a few clicks of the mouse and be up in running in a few minutes.  Free fundraising tools alert your friends to the great work you are doing and invite them to ‘join in the conversation’.

 When people join in the conversation they are announcing their support.  Once one person joins, friends follow.  A feeling of social well being develops because people love recognition of the good they are doing and that feeling drives people to celebrate their goodwill by:

 ·      Liking on Facebook

·      Posting on their walls

·      Tweeting

·      Creating links in LinkedIn

That community of goodwill spreads as more and more potential donors are informed of the cause. 

 Oftentimes social media platforms are linked to spread updates automatically so a single tweet can ring across a range of social media platforms.  This gives non-profits unprecedented access to potential donors.  As word spreads throughout the social net more and more people are inspired to participate.  Inspiration drives action and the more people that become inspired to act the more work you can do to effect positive change.

 Online fundraising platforms are free to setup and simple to use.  Non-profits do not have to rely on a team of people to carry out fundraising efforts.  Resources can be devoted to supporting the cause instead.

 Connecting with people on a more personal level inspires call to action.  With social media people can share their social good with friends and inspire those friends to advance the good.  For non-profits looking to help their causes in the 21st century recognizing the power of social media is tantamount to their continued success.

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Mon, 16 May 2011 16:55:00 -0700 Traditional Non-Profit Fundraising Campaigns Lose Their Edge http://fundraisingonline.posterous.com/traditional-non-profit-fundraising-campaigns http://fundraisingonline.posterous.com/traditional-non-profit-fundraising-campaigns

Relationships Help Non-Profit Fundraisers Succeed Now and For Years to Come…

A classic, timely example of a non-profit fundraising campaign is the T.V. infomercial filmed in a poverty-stricken neighborhood, thousands of miles away from the intended audience.  Children mill around gazing from the camera to the dirt floor of their thatched huts.  Distended bellies cry out for food. 

 Anyone with a pulse is going to react to a scene like that.  That is the intention of the video – emotional response.  And they are driving is to get the potential donor on the phone and pledge a donation.

 T.V. infomercials have been effective campaigns for decades for non-profit fundraisers.  They employ a marketing technique known as direct-response marketing.  But, the realities the 21st century are changing the way successful non-profits do business.

 2008 brought a collapse of the world economy.  Because of the collapse many people who had donated in the past were simply unable to afford the discretionary spending required to support their favorite cause.  Non-profit fundraising efforts lost out big time.  Just like everyone else suffering through harsh economic times. 

 Non-profit fundraising infomercials continued pulling on the heartstrings of donors, but those donors were preoccupied with more pressing matters; feeding their own families.

 The success of non-profit fundraisers is not measured solely by the amount of money you raise.  Bringing people in to donate their time volunteering or connecting with people and building relationships to promote advocacy are great ways to advance your cause without convincing someone to open up their checkbook.

 When people donate their time in support non-profit fundraising efforts they are helping drive the cost of doing business down.  Volunteers can perform a myriad of tasks that might otherwise be staffed with paid employees. 

 The reality is unemployment rates are high and the economy is recovering at a snails pace.  For individuals who are unemployed – many highly skilled – volunteering keeps them active and participating in the world around them.  It is also a good chance to network. 

 In this ever-evolving ‘connected’ world decisions are driven more and more by who you know.   The more people you meet the greater the chance of meeting a decision maker and possibly landing a job.

 When donors become involved in supporting their favorite causes through volunteerism they participate in a much more intimate way than strictly donating.  This intimate involvement helps build trust, credibility and personal connection.  Now the experience is a two-way street.  Both parties benefit from the relationship.  Advocacy on behalf of your cause develops as a natural progression of these deepening relationships.

 The amount of money raised is not the sole metric when judging the effectiveness of a non-profit fundraiser.  Developing relationships with your donors beyond a simple money transaction builds trust, credibility and personal connection: fundamental elements that will serve your non-profit efforts for years to come.

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Mon, 16 May 2011 10:18:00 -0700 Event Ideas for Non-Profit Fundraising http://fundraisingonline.posterous.com/event-ideas-for-non-profit-fundraising http://fundraisingonline.posterous.com/event-ideas-for-non-profit-fundraising

A non-profit organization is born with the intention of extending help to the needy without indulging in profitable activities. Non-profit fundraising is therefore extremely important for them since without funds they will be unable to serve the purpose they are dedicated to. Almost all good non-profit organizations have some source of donation and bequest to help them sustain and carry out their mission, but still an occasional non-profit fundraising endeavor can further fortify their funds and make them more equipped to help an increasing number of deprived people.

Non-profit fundraisers can think about a lot of innovative fundraising ideas to help support their non-profit fundraising effort. The sky is the limit when the imagination is let loose and the newer the idea, the more chances it has at being successful. In fact, the old ones have become so common that they never seem to offer the fun and excitement that is found in new and fresh ideas. Make your imagination your best friend when thinking about non-profit fundraising ideas and you are sure to come out with the best. This article lists a few new fundraising ideas that you can use:

Sports Events

Walks and marathons are quite common sports fundraising ideas. Get down to sports this time. Convince a sports company to sponsor your event and hold a sports tournament with an entry fee. You can include any sport that you like – ranging from football to badminton with exciting new prizes for winners.

Green Fundraising

This kind of fundraising is excellent for non-profit fundraising organizations. By recycling items like used printer cartridges, electronic trash or old mobile phones and selling them, environment friendly non-profit fundraisers can accumulate a good amount of funds. The plus point is that by doing this, you can also help cut down on landfills and save the environment as well.

Fashion Show

Get interested participants together and put up a fashion show. If you can rope in a budding designer or a local boutique to help you do this, then nothing like it! Sell tickets and gather good fundraising money from this hugely popular affair. People usually turn up in large groups with friends and families for events like this especially if it is tied in to a non-profit fundraiser.

Craft Fair

Organize a craft fair in a venue where handmade craft items are put up for sale. People with a creative bent of mind can help you out on this. Request for support from a local school and you can gain access to some brilliant craft creations, fresh and innovative ideas made by children. Selling them out at attractive prices can help you to gather good funds for your organization.

When hosting non-profit fundraising events, you need to think and act smart as an organizer. Choose the best among these non-profit fundraising ideas and make the most of them. One more thing – you are going to need a lot of volunteers to help make your event successful. Make use of local billboards to advertise on it or include in flyers inside fundraiser making it a successful event!

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Thu, 12 May 2011 14:47:00 -0700 Does Your Non Profit Have The Fundraising Blues? http://fundraisingonline.posterous.com/does-your-non-profit-have-the-fundraising-blu http://fundraisingonline.posterous.com/does-your-non-profit-have-the-fundraising-blu

Don’t allow the campaign season to dig into non-profit revenue.

 U.S. Charitable Giving was up 8.1% in the first quarter of 2011.  But, according to Rob Mitchell, former Chief Development Officer with The American Cancer Society, charities can find their fundraising efforts hamstrung as individuals divert money earmarked for their favorite charities, making a choice to support political candidates instead.

 “Historically, election campaign fundraising has a negative impact on the charitable giving economy. With the U.S. economy growing at glacial speed, much of the giving momentum gain produced so far this year will be eroded as election campaigns divert funds that would have gone to nonprofits. The impact will become more pronounced as electioneering activity increases—especially if the economy is not growing fast enough to blunt much of the blow.”

 For those non-profits looking to compete for the limited funds available innovation and non-traditional means of raising money are key.  Online fundraising platforms allow non-profits to create turnkey solutions, reaching scores of potential donors with a few clicks of the mouse: At zero cost.

 The social media revolution has increased interconnectedness exponentially.  With friends, followers, communities and the ability to reach people with common interests the potential to raise money and awareness is limitless.

 Online fundraising platforms integrate social media tools like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and even SMS texting.  With the click of a button you can reach an unlimited number of potential donors through any device the tech world can throw into the market. 

 Beyond spreading your message far and wide the online fundraising platform can accelerate more traditional means of raising money like charity events.  Tickets can be sold online and the money can be processed securely just like donations.

 An online fundraising campaign can be established in just minutes with a simple sign-up process.  It can be configured to meet your non-profits’ needs, whether you require the ease of a simple hosted online form or the complexity of full integration into your website and brand.

 The ease with which to create an online fundraising campaign frees up resources and time for staff to concentrate on more important details like creating successful programs that can benefit your cause for years to come.

 Donor pools will decrease with the coming political season in the face of increased demand for the same funds.  Online fundraising provides the non-profit with the ability to reach more donors, quickly with less effort, increasing your potential for raising money even in these difficult times.

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Fri, 29 Apr 2011 16:29:00 -0700 Online Fundraising – Successful Non-Profit Fundraising Ideas http://fundraisingonline.posterous.com/online-fundraising-successful-non-profit-fund http://fundraisingonline.posterous.com/online-fundraising-successful-non-profit-fund

Fundraising for your non-profit is now just a click away with so many great online tools that makes donating money to your favorite charity easy and convenient. Often, non-profits set up their online profile and donation pages and wonder why they are not getting the large amounts of traffic or donations that everyone’s talking about. That’s mostly because just creating a profile and sending a few emails is not enough. Your non-profits online presence needs to be monitored constantly to make sure you are connecting with all the right people!

Here are a few useful non-profit fundraising ideas that every non-profit organization should think about while setting up their fundraiser online:

Baby Steps: Set small and achievable goals to make donors and volunteers feel like they can help make a difference with their time or money. Smaller goals can be achieved quickly; giving everyone involved a sense of accomplishment, and a boost in morale. Setting huge goals can be intimidating especially to people who can’t donate large amounts of money and may force them to back out.

Reviews: Your donors will do your marketing for you! Get your donors to review your non-profit or fundraiser and tell the world about all the good work you do. New and potential donors always feel comfortable about making a donation after they learn about other donors’ positive experiences.

Stay on the message: This is key. Often, non-profits emotionally blackmail their audience into donating. This usually works the first time but you want your donors to keep coming back! Your message should be consistent and should talk about the non-profits commitment towards the cause, talk about the great work and progress already achieved and the amount of work left to be done. Too much of any one message will most often falls on deaf ears.

Get Help: With social media tools expanding, often non-profits fail to stay up to date with new techniques that are freely available on the Internet. It always helps to get help from great companies like Piryx that are committed to helping non-profits meet their fundraising goals by helping them set-up their online fundraising pages and giving them the essential training and skills required to run those pages successfully!

Connect: It’s most important to constantly connect with new and old users. Make sure to send them progress updates, promote your charity with new messages and every time you reach a fundraising milestone, thank them for their contribution- be it time volunteered or money donated.

A mix of these above steps in setting up and managing your charity’s online presence is sure to get your fundraiser on its way to success!

 

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Thu, 28 Apr 2011 15:21:00 -0700 Non-Profit Fundraising – Using the Web for Non-Profit Fundraisers http://fundraisingonline.posterous.com/non-profit-fundraising-using-the-web-for-non-0 http://fundraisingonline.posterous.com/non-profit-fundraising-using-the-web-for-non-0

Non-profit fundraising is a necessity for keeping a non-profit organization in business. Without any profits flowing in, a company has no capital to invest in its efforts. It needs the help of donors to get anything done. If you have a non-profit organization you need to raise money for, you may think about taking your efforts to the web. The internet provides an array of opportunities for your non-profit fundraisers, and it is not hard to work with. Take a moment to read on so you can see just what the internet may be able to do for you.

If you conduct your non-profit fundraisers online, you can actually see how much money you are earning at a given time. The web gives you a real time look at who has made donations to your group and what the amount of those donations are. You can keep track of where you are with your non-profit fundraising goals and then make adjustments as needed to possibly earn more money. When you reach your fundraising goal, you can stop the fundraiser or leave it to keep building more money for you to use with your group. That is up to you.

Non-profit fundraising online is easy to do because you basically let the web do the work for you. You can market your non-profit fundraisers through the web, and you can allow someone to make a donation for you at any time. Most live fundraisers are limited in their abilities because people are not around to collect money at all times in the night. Online, the website you work through will be able to collect payments for you any time someone wants to donate. This makes the process much more profitable in the end.

If you have not explored your options with non-profit fundraising online, you may want to hop on the web right away. The sooner you begin your non-profit fundraisers online, the sooner you can bring in money from the thousands of potential donors on the web. Everything is easy to manage and easy to change, and you can have all of your money stored in an online account until you are ready to take it out. You will be able to bypass hefty overhead costs associated with common fundraisers so you have more money in your pocket. Your non-profit will be booming in no time.

For free fundraising tools that will help you effectively raise money online for your non-profit fundraisers, you can create, manage, and track the success of an unlimited amount of non-profit fundraising campaigns today by using a robust online fundraising platform. Fundraise with ease for your non-profit fundraiser now by using these free and easy to use, non-profit fundraising tools.

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Tue, 26 Apr 2011 13:06:00 -0700 Innovative ways to fundraise: Creating a sense of belonging for your donors http://fundraisingonline.posterous.com/innovative-ways-to-fundraise-creating-a-sense http://fundraisingonline.posterous.com/innovative-ways-to-fundraise-creating-a-sense

With so many non-profits fundraising for causes and just as many willing donors, it has become imperative for non-profits to make sure that they continue adding to the new pool of donors and make sure their donors keep coming back.

To keep your donors coming back to you, it’s important to keep your non-profit on “top of mind” for your donors. It’s important for donors to feel a sense of belonging to the cause so they can continue to donate as well as champion for the cause. It’s always easier to attract donors who have had a personal connection to the cause – often the ones who come forward have first-hand experience with the cause themselves or through a family member. It’s difficult to attract donors who don’t have similar associations and they often tend to question the legitimacy of the non-profit or ask themselves if it’s a cause they really feel strongly about.

Non-profits have often tried to personalize their fundraising approach. Usually fundraising events are a platform for non-profits to engage potential donors and explain how every dollar donated is being spent. Obviously, this kind of outreach can’t be sustained as events cost money and don’t always reach out to everyone. Non-profits have also used direct marketing approach via postcards and literature about their causes.

Given the volume of postcards and handwritten notes that must be sent out, RST Marketing has created Real Pen, a product that can send out hundreds of “handwritten” notes for non-profits. Keith Kanode of RST Marketing says “I think if you can’t speak one on one with a donor, your next best option is a personalized, hand addressed-looking package.” Several other personalization strategies used by non-profits have ranged from activities such as marathons, bake sales and gift baskets, yet all these strategies are limiting and cannot be sustained for long-term fundraising.

Today, with a boom in social media and internet marketing, the personalized approach has been taken a step further. Companies like Piryx work with non-profit organizations to build their very own non-profit fundraising pages at no cost and also train them to leverage social media tools such as Facebook & twitter for their fundraising campaigns. Using the internet for fundraising not only reduces the cost of mailers & postcards that eventually get recycled, but most importantly allows non-profits to engage with new and current donors and keep track of all the donations coming in more effectively. Allowing the donor to research the cause, create their own donor profile and keep track of how their donation adds to the overall fundraising goal, gives them a sense of pride and belonging.

At the end of the day, making sure your donors feel good about what they have done to support your fundraiser will automatically translate into a loyal donor and more new donations.

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Fri, 22 Apr 2011 15:41:00 -0700 Non-Profit Fundraising Online Proves Effective for NPOs http://fundraisingonline.posterous.com/non-profit-fundraising-online-proves-effectiv http://fundraisingonline.posterous.com/non-profit-fundraising-online-proves-effectiv

Non-profit fundraising will always have a major place in the fundraising sector and with that said an entire industry has popped up in the last few years in the non-profit space. The non-profit sector being a business that does not create profits for themselves as a normal business would tend to operate. These businesses make money to stay afloat financially, like paying their operating costs and things of that nature but their primary goal is to go out and help people and other causes. Or they work to benefit either a specific charity or a few different charities. Usually the charities will have some sort of similar or common interest between them.

Non-profit fundraising has developed out of a need to create something from nothing. The majority of non-profit organizations really do not have massive amounts of funds or assets; everything they have is given to them. So therefore to raise money, most non-profit companies hold non-profit fundraisers to generate money for both themselves and for their causes. The causes that these organizations work for can be as diverse as the cultures that inhabit the United States.

However, some of the best non-profit fundraisers have been the work that has been accomplished online. To raise money online, non-profits really need to be cognizant of the audience that they wish to reach out to and raise money from. Now, this audience may not just be limited to the people in your company, city or town. Yet, it may be a cause that affects people across the entire world and therefore it would be a good idea to broaden the search for donors to the entire world rather than just your own city or town. To do this, you will want to try to use a larger medium to raise money online.

These mediums will most likely include using email, websites, blogs, the press, Facebook, YouTube, and twitter. You may be familiar with one or even all of these channels; however they can be used to great effect in raising money. With these someone around the world from you can hear your message and understand that charity that you are trying to raise money online for. These mediums help you to reach across the world and broaden your exposure to people and places that you would not be able to on a regular basis. Non-profit fundraising typically uses some or all of these programs in their quest to raise money over via the web.

Non-profit fundraisers may be happening right now in your own town. Go and check your local paper, news site, and you would be able to find an issue that some sort of non-profit was not trying to raise money for some sort of charity or group. Non-profit fundraising has a wonderful history of kindness and humility that should be considered the next time you try to either raise money for a non-profit organization or when you may think about giving back to a non-profit fundraiser. These non-profit fundraisers seek to help people do things that they could not do before hand, which will better the overall citizen population and society as a whole, especially if the non-profit is very efficient and effective with their projects.

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Fri, 22 Apr 2011 09:47:00 -0700 Non-Profit Fundraising – Using the Web for Non-Profit Fundraisers http://fundraisingonline.posterous.com/non-profit-fundraising-using-the-web-for-non http://fundraisingonline.posterous.com/non-profit-fundraising-using-the-web-for-non

Non-profit fundraising is a necessity for keeping a non-profit organization in business. Without any profits flowing in, a company has no capital to invest in its efforts. It needs the help of donors to get anything done. If you have a non-profit organization you need to raise money for, you may think about taking your efforts to the web. The internet provides an array of opportunities for your non-profit fundraisers, and it is not hard to work with. Take a moment to read on so you can see just what the internet may be able to do for you.

If you conduct your non-profit fundraisers online, you can actually see how much money you are earning at a given time. The web gives you a real time look at who has made donations to your group and what the amount of those donations are. You can keep track of where you are with your non-profit fundraising goals and then make adjustments as needed to possibly earn more money. When you reach your fundraising goal, you can stop the fundraiser or leave it to keep building more money for you to use with your group. That is up to you.

Non-profit fundraising online is easy to do because you basically let the web do the work for you. You can market your non-profit fundraisers through the web, and you can allow someone to make a donation for you at any time. Most live fundraisers are limited in their abilities because people are not around to collect money at all times in the night. Online, the website you work through will be able to collect payments for you any time someone wants to donate. This makes the process much more profitable in the end.

If you have not explored your options with non-profit fundraising online, you may want to hop on the web right away. The sooner you begin your non-profit fundraisers online, the sooner you can bring in money from the thousands of potential donors on the web. Everything is easy to manage and easy to change, and you can have all of your money stored in an online account until you are ready to take it out. You will be able to bypass hefty overhead costs associated with common fundraisers so you have more money in your pocket. Your non-profit will be booming in no time.

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Tue, 19 Apr 2011 15:26:00 -0700 Non-Profit Fundraising Ideas for Non-Profit Organizations Success http://fundraisingonline.posterous.com/non-profit-fundraising-ideas-for-non-profit-o http://fundraisingonline.posterous.com/non-profit-fundraising-ideas-for-non-profit-o

Non-profit organizations have a lot of projects that can benefit the society in one way or another.  Different non-profit organizations support various causes and they have made their mark in their niches and have helped millions in their areas. However, funding is always a big problem for many of them and non-profit fundraising ideas are sometimes scarce.  While there are old ways of raising funds, sometimes they do tend to get really old, and not be as effective as before.  Even as non-profit organizations deal with age-old problems of the world, they must learn to roll with the times and get into non-profit fundraising online.

Non-profit fundraising for organizations online can be highly advantageous to them and their projects as well as the proponents of the cause itself.  There are so many possibilities in online fundraising and there can be a wider reach for sponsors and donors.  All you need to do is learn more about and start as soon as you can.

Set up a free account online today.  When you are working on a project, time is of the essence because you want to get as much funds as you can for a limited period of time so that you can meet your target goals for your non-profit organization’s projects.  As soon as you can set up the online account for your non-profit fundraising campaign, the sooner you will be able to raise more funds.

Once you have the online account and site for your fundraising campaign, then you can go and share that link to other people.  Utilize the various developments in technology, particularly, the internet.  Use the various networking sites that you have so that you can share your links, articles, stories, videos and other relevant material that can surely add information for your possible donors.  The more that they are aware of your cause and the more that they can see that your campaign is still ongoing, then they will be enticed to support you and lend a hand and a few bucks for your cause.

You can use the free tools that are available so that you can enhance the look of your fundraising campaign website.  When the viewers see a professional looking page with messages that are striking and that can make an impact, then you surely will win their hearts and they will support your non-profit fundraising ideas.  You can also use the analytics to further take a look at the figures and other information that surround you campaign.  Where do your donors come from? Which avenue is the best and most effective in letting people know about your cause?  These questions can be answered when you have proper information.

Let other people be your champions of your cause.  Let them repost your links and share them with others.  You will never know but someone from the other side of the world may hear you out and be touched with your stories of volunteerism and global awareness and they might just donate something for your non-profit organization.

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Mon, 04 Apr 2011 14:42:00 -0700 Fundraising Online for Non-Profits http://fundraisingonline.posterous.com/fundraising-online-for-non-profits http://fundraisingonline.posterous.com/fundraising-online-for-non-profits
There was a time when non-profit fundraising efforts were limited to a choice between a bake sale and a car wash.  The options that exist today thanks to the Internet give non-profit organizations ways to reach far beyond their geographic and organizational limitations to reach donors around the world.  Non-profit fundraising isn’t as simple as just adding a “donate now” button to your website and hoping that willing donors will find you. 

However, there are websites that specialize in helping non-profit organizations of every type bring in the online donations they need to continue their work by taking advantage of the strengths of the Internet.  The best sites include Piryx, which uses a winning combination of traditional Internet marketing strategies and social media marketing to raise money online for you while handling the details so you can continue the real work of running a non-profit organization.  If you are ready to begin online fundraising efforts, here are a few more things you should know.

There is no doubt that social media is the most significant change to our online habits since the unveiling of email.  An ever increasing number of adults report that they not only have a social media presence, such as a Facebook, Twitter, or MySpace page, but that they check it several times a day.  For your non-profit fundraising effort to be successful, you must have a presence on major social media outlets.  Again, this isn’t as simple as just creating a page for your organization- today’s wired users expect donating to be easy, and won’t spend hours – or even minutes – trying to locate your site so that they can give money.  The most successful fundraising sites are those that have already developed so-called widgets that can easily be added to existing pages and shared among users to make it fast and easy for interested altruists to donate to your cause. 

As with any other Internet enterprise, it is very important to choose the right online non-profit fundraising site.  There are a number of start-up companies that do not have the experience to handle significant levels of donating, and who don’t have the relationships with online resources that are necessary to make your fundraising campaign all that it should be.  There are also a few companies that charge large fees, drastically reducing the amount of money that your organization benefits from.  Finally, there are some sites that are designed to steal your personal or organizational information. 

When you do choose an online non-profit fundraising platform, your organization will quickly reap the benefits of having a professional fundraising site’s support.  You can raise money through traditional email campaigns, Facebook and Twitter, and directly from your website without the hassle of trying to manage these tools yourself.  Sites like piryx.com work for only a small transaction fee, far less than the cost of hiring someone to run an online fundraising campaign.  In much the same way that ecommerce has cornered a large portion of the retail world, online fundraising is the future for non-profit fundraising for any and all non-profit organizations in the United States and worldwide. 

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Wed, 30 Mar 2011 14:11:00 -0700 Fundraising Online Grows Fast in 2010 http://fundraisingonline.posterous.com/fundraising-online-grows-fast-in-2010 http://fundraisingonline.posterous.com/fundraising-online-grows-fast-in-2010
Online fundraising is the fastest-growing fundraising channel for nonprofits, a new study says.

In 2010, clients of Convio raised over $1.3 billion online, up 40 percent from 2009, says the annual Convio Online Marketing Nonprofit Benchmark Index Study.

Based on an analysis of data from nearly 600 nonprofits with at least 24 months of data and that raised a total of over $1.15 billion in 2010, the study says 79 percent of those organizations raised more online in 2010 than in 2009, while 21 percent saw their online giving decline.

The median growth rate in online giving totaled 20 percent, up from 14 percent in 2009, with online giving growing fastest for small organizations.

Groups with fewer than 10,000 email addresses saw a 26 percent increase in online giving.

Among organizations that grew fundraising in 2010, 88 percent saw an increase in the number of gifts.

Among 430 organizations that were fundraising continuously in 2009 and 2010, the median donation size grew to $91.94 in 2010 from $83.44 in 2009.

Among organizations that saw online fundraising grow, 88 percent saw the number of gifts grow, with the size of the average gift growing more than $8 in 2010.

The increase in the number of gifts and average gift size indicates “more people are moving online to give even if inspired through other channels,” Convio says.

Constituent engagement “is profoundly multichannel,” Gene Austijn, CEO and president of Convio, says in a statement. “Leveraging only traditional channels or only online channels results in partial engagement. The modern nonprofit and the modern constituent realize the value of fully engaging through multiple channels – traditional and online – to get the most out of each relationship.”

The total number of advocates on file grew 20 percent, with 6.4 percent of advocates on file also making donations, up from 5.9 percent in 2009, the study says.

The median total email file grew 22 percent to 48,700 constituents, it says, indicating that if nonprofits want to maximize the value of each relationship, they should ensure their communications and their non-profit fundraising requests match their constituents’ channel preference.

While giving to relief efforts related to the Haiti earthquake accounted for roughly $250 million, or about 20 percent of the total raised online by Convio clients, the “efficiency and timeliness of online and other digital forms of engagement is creating more opportunity for other organizations to reach people and engage them in a deeper relationship,” Convio says.

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Tue, 29 Mar 2011 15:53:00 -0700 Non-Profit Fundraising: Raise the Money You Need Online Fast & Easy http://fundraisingonline.posterous.com/non-profit-fundraising-raise-the-money-you-ne http://fundraisingonline.posterous.com/non-profit-fundraising-raise-the-money-you-ne

Are you trying to find new and innovative ways to raise money for your non-profit organization's operations, projects, and/or other activities? Are you tired of canvassing door-to-door or baking 300 cookies for a bake sale? It’s time to bring your non-profit fundraising efforts into the 21st century: go online. The Internet is swarming with hundreds of millions of people who support causes just like yours; and an online fundraising platform can help you find them, receive donations, and so much more.

Online fundraising platforms help you reach your donors quickly, via email, social websites like Facebook and Twitter and several other web and mobile applications. They will help to increase awareness of your non-profit fundraising campaign through their many websites and messages that they place throughout the Internet.

Making donations to any of your non-profit fundraisers is simple and easy for the donor, and is all handled for via the online fundraising platform. Your donors can also help spread the word for you, by sharing the cause with all of their contacts throughout the web. So, you will literally be turning your closest supporters into ambassadors for your cause within their own social networks. This makes the potential of your donations much greater than any off-line efforts.

Fundraising platforms are simple and free to set up and you can manage all of your non-profit fundraisers  from your simple to use dashboard. You can even manage more than one campaign if you have several non-profit fundraisers that you are raising money for online.

Social networks are here to stay, and what better way to get the word out and raise donations than by sharing your cause with your friends and asking them to share with their friends? This will raise the amount of your donations tremendously, while saving you time and allowing you to streamline your activities so you can be more efficient and do what you love to do most. No more baking cookies, no more door-to-door canvassing, and no more car washes. Just spend a few minutes online sharing information about your cause and click your mouse; your message will instantly go out to many people, and you will increase the probability of thousands to millions of potential supporters and/or donors behind your cause. 

Quality online fundraising platforms will also provide you with free tips and resources so you can make the most out of your fundraising campaign. Most online fundraising platforms allow you to sign up for free, although they may charge a small fee for processing the donations.Yet, you should not have to pay for any set up, monthly, or annual fees to use these types of systems.

Take your non-profit fundraising efforts to the next level and go social; social media that is. Whether you want to start a campaign for your non-profit organization, or you are just one person trying to make a difference in the world, a social giving platform can help you do just that.

 

 

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Tue, 29 Mar 2011 12:26:00 -0700 Common Causes for Fundraising http://fundraisingonline.posterous.com/47764885 http://fundraisingonline.posterous.com/47764885

 In order for certain causes to continue thriving, financial assistance is almost always required. In most cases, fundraising is the most common and effective solution to help provide ongoing support for a particular group, organization or program. When their financial needs are met, this makes it possible for the cause to remain successful. The most common reasons people donate to causes are to support a local church, school, sports league or non-profit organization, amongst others.

Church Fundraising

Regardless of denomination, many people tend to agree that their local churches are great causes to support because of the programs and services they provide that benefit the parishoners and community. Maintaining and running a church fundraising campaign can be very expensive and because they are typically a non-profit organization, this makes it even more important for individuals to donate to causes that allow a church to keep its doors open. Often times regular donations received by the church are not enough. Many churches hold fundraiser events such as food and clothing drives and even after-school programs for students. When a church’s financial needs are not met, this could result in a loss of such programs and lack of resources.

School Fundraising

It goes without saying that school fundraising campaigns are among the most important causes that people should support. These days, schools require additional assistance with obtaining certain necessities, such as new textbooks, renovating classrooms and purchasing computers and supplies for classes. Fundraisers give the community a chance to donate to school fundraising campaigns that will give those schools the opportunity to ensure that their students receive a fair education that is equipped with the proper resources and items they need to be successful in life.

Sports Fundraising

From local youth sports to adult recreational sports leagues, there are plenty of costs involved that are necessary for a successful and productive seasons. This includes paying for uniforms, travel, referees, and sports equipment. Sports fundraising related causes gives a team a fair shot at providing a positive, team building experience through their favorite sport (i.e. baseball, softball, football, soccer, etc.). When people donate to causes that support their local sports team, they also make it possible for recreational sports programs to continue giving both adults and children alike the chance to participate in an activity that will increase their likelihood of staying out of trouble, build character, leadership, and much more that is gained by being a part of a team.

Non-Profit Fundraising

Out of the many causes in need of financial help, non-profit organizations are among one of the most important to make donations to, for the simple fact that they require these funds in not to just keep their lights on, but to fund projects, and other activities that they care about. As the name implies, non-profit groups do not receive regular payments for their services or programs. Because of this, it is vital that they get donations not only at the state and/or federal level but from wherever they can find such funds. Anytime a financial goal is not reached, this increases the odds of having a non-profit shut its doors for good.

If one of your goals is to donate to a cause or non-profit fundraising for a project and/or operations costs, be sure to support those that are central to your community and are in the greatest need of funds. Not only can you make a financial contribution to benefit your favorite causes, you can also volunteer your efforts to help ensure each fundraising event is successful. 

Free Fundraising Tools

No matter how small or large your cause is, there are a variety online fundraising tools available, yet only a small select few of companies that offer completely free fundraising tools that will allow you raise money online, yet only charge a small transaction fee to cover credit card processing and operating costs, such as company called Piryx.

Instead of paying set up fees, monthly, annual, and/or licensing and consulting fees, you can simply use all the online fundraising tools that will help your cause raise money, yet only pay a small fee based on the performance of using that fundraising platform to process donations, help you manage and grow your donor base, while reviewing analytics to make sense of what would be rather complex information in a simple and intuitive dashboard in order to measure your fundraising campaigns successes and more.

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