When FLiP was up in Boston a few weeks back, I met Beth Pickard, an intern at Firstgiving.com. Firstgiving.com, “helps people realize the power of online fundraising”. I knew Beth had good taste when she complimented my recent post about being a fundraising consultant, so I asked her to tell us a bit more about what she does.
Online fundraising programs can be a less expensive and more creative way to raise some money, but with every nonprofit in the world launching their own program, how can you break through the clutter?
I used to be an ascetic when it came to using Facebook. I uploaded my first profile picture and never changed it. I never updated my “status.” I rejected hundreds of group invitations, and I posted nothing personal. I resented the mini-feed.
But over the past year or so, I started to come around. There is no denying that Facebook has helped to catalyze a new form of communication, sometimes referred to as “Web 2.0” or the “social media revolution.” The platform, however, is only as good as how you use it, and it can be used for some very effective endeavors. Networking rules remain unchanged; what has changed is the medium through which networking is happening.
The key point here is that communication via social media (i.e., online) is becoming something that can’t be ignored. This applies directly to philanthropy and fundraising, as online fundraising is transitioning from a niche to a primary source of income for nonprofit organizations.
Here are a few insights for effective online fundraising from our team at Firstgiving:
1) Be creative when you ask - Our most successful fundraisers inspire and get donors excited to give by creating interesting fundraising events. They compete in endurance sports events, sell body parts (i.e, reserve space for a message on an arm or leg during a race in exchange for a donation), shave their beards, and give up birthday and wedding presents.
2) Consider asking for small amounts - Sometimes people don’t give because they don’t think giving a small amount will make a difference. Large donations are nice, but it is quite possible to meet a fundraising goal with small donations from a lot of people. Ask specifically for $5 donations, for example, or even $1 donations.
3) Make it personal - Make a clear and personal statement about why you are doing what you are doing. It helps people to get “on board” with you.
4) Publicize using social media - Get the word out about your fundraising via email, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Digg, StumbleUpon, etc. Use your networks!
5) Say “Thank you”!!! - This should be a no-brainer, and we can’t emphasize it enough. Follow up with a personal thank you by email, at the very least. Let your donors know you really appreciate them!
To date, 1,289,451 people have helped raise $71,180,293 for 14,223 NPOs using Firstgiving.com. You can read more about how to be successful in online fundraising in the “Tips and Tricks” section of our Online Fundraising Blog: http://www.onlinefundraisingblog.com/category/tips-tricks/ You can also check out our free webinar on “What it Really Takes to Succeed at Online Fundraising.”: http://vimeo.com/1815356.
About Firstgiving.com:
Firstgiving.com provides a platform for easy and effective online
fundraising for any registered US non-profit organization. Our goal is
to help people raise as much as they can for the causes they care
about, by providing an excellent service to as many people as
possible. We believe in giving all nonprofits the same opportunity to
raise huge amounts of money, including the smaller ones who can’t
afford to spend lots of money on technology, freeing them up to
concentrate on what’s important – whether it’s medical research or
running the local playgroup.
About the writer:
Beth Pickard now lives and works in the blogosphere and speaks the
language of social media. With a long-term interest in international
development, she is particularly interested in philanthropy and the
potential for non-profit/for-profit partnerships. Beth is currently a
marketing intern at Firstgiving, where she helps people realize the
power of online fundraising.
Online Fundraising by Beth Pickard
Posted by: Marie | October 21, 2008 at 08:11 PM
Online Fundraising by Beth Pickard
Posted by: Marie | October 21, 2008 at 08:13 PM