How Will You Thank a Teacher This Year?

Teacher Appreciation Week is only two short weeks away (May 7 – 11), so I thought I’d give you some time to plan out how you will show the teachers in your life how much they mean to you. These visionaries touch the future everyday and deserve to be honored. As Alexander the Great once said, “I am indebted to my father for living, but to my teacher for living well.”

Teaching has to be one of the hardest occupations in the world. As a former high school teacher myself, I realize that this job truly is one of high risk and high reward. The full classrooms, budget cuts, and variety of student and parent personalities can really take a toll, but eyes lit up with understanding, a simple “thank you,” and a legacy of promise certainly is a reward unto itself. More than just a job, teaching is a calling to touch the future and to better humanity. So how does one show appreciation to those so dedicated and self-sacrificing?

An apple motif is charming and traditional, but there are only so many name placards, paper weights, and #1 Teacher chotckies a desk can hold. However, the gifts that always meant the most to me is when a student would pick it out himself, not when mom shopped and wrapped it up perfectly. A card written with handwritten words of gratitude, a stuffed bear paid for by a hard earned allowance, or homemade cookies would have me smiling all day.

My sister is currently a sixth grade teacher at a private school and some of the parents there collect $5 from each student to purchase a gift certificate for coffee or to a favorite restaurant. For my nephew’s teacher, last year a group of us painted her classroom and made art for the walls with her theme of “the State of California.” Another favorite idea is when a few of the parents get together and make lunch for all of the teachers during a teacher work day and their kids serve the meal and clean up.

With school funding being so tight these days, I think another way to make sure that a teacher is appreciated is to ensure that he or she has all of the supplies they need for their classroom. An online fundraising page with Fundly can allow parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents and friends to donate to the school fundraisers without having to purchase high-priced wrapping paper or calorie packed cookie dough through traditional fundraising. A well stocked library, efficient computers, art supplies and other educational resources make life much easier for any educator.

Not only do these ideas help the teachers, but it also instills an attitude of gratitude for the students who sit in the desks. So how will you thank a teacher this year?

Candidates Still Getting Used to Social Media

I admit that I’m still getting used to the whole social media world. It almost feels like a marketing science experiment: if I post at this time on this day of the week while highlight a specific topic, will my results be higher or lower than my previous one? I know I’m hardly alone; many presidential candidates are also testing the waters of political fundraising using online resources.

I came across an interesting article on IndyStar.com that discusses some intriguing issues that the candidates are facing using the medium of internet communication. In the past politicians could debate on TV, send out flyers heralding their accomplishments and pay for ads in the newspaper declaring their stand on pertinent issues. However, many are turning to Facebook and Twitter to garner support with various results; now the voters can instantly respond which is causing both positive and negative effects.

So why would candidates risk having negative comments written on their Facebook pages? “It’s as much an issue about campaign and candidate identity as anything else,” states Kristina Sheeler, who studies political communication as chairwoman of the Department of Communication Studies at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. “If you’re not using Facebook and Twitter, you risk being labeled an old-fashioned candidate.”

Twitter hashtags are getting impressive results in many campaign strategies by drawing in followers who otherwise might never have looked at a candidate’s tweets. One example is when President Obama in a speech in Chapel Hill, N.C. urged students to tweet to lawmakers using the hashtag #dontdoublemyrate to oppose an increase in student loan interest rates. Many politicians are also using Twitter to post stances and opinions to their followers and are even responding to voter comments and questions to create a two-way dialogue that was previously unheard of. This added attention is creating a new platform to reach additional voters with amazing success.

Furthermore, social media has been a recent method for the people to police political claims. There are tens if not hundreds of websites out there that rebuttal arguments and verify facts. If knowledge is power, than our society got a whole lot stronger in the political realm with the implementation of the internet.

Finally, with politicians connecting and communicating online, donations have also seen a dramatic increase due to internet fundraising. Personal and political websites, Facebook pages and online donation sites such as Fundly are making giving that much easier while also connecting to social media outlets.

Social media is certainly making an impact on politics, both locally and nationally. In this new era, it is important for candidates to experiment in this cyber realm to garner voter attention, support and dollars.

Training Your Staff to Effectively Use Social Media – Part I

We’ve all heard about employees having wild nights out and posting pictures on Facebook; not exactly someone you want to represent your organization. We’ve also heard that social media can be a mesmerizing time warp; without scientific explanation the clock can jump 30 minutes ahead when you quickly open the tab to check your e-mails or Facebook account. Here are a couple of ways to train your staff to effectively use social media platforms to benefit your organization towards your online fundraising goals.

Delegate Responsibility 

 

The first way to save time and money using social media is to assign one person to being the online communication manager. You probably have a marketing manager, a special events coordinator, a volunteer coordinator, and many others that play an important part in running your nonprofit.  However, if each person sent an e-mail or posted a tweet on behalf of your organization each day to your donor list, you will probably overwhelm your supporters. Not only that, but it’s impossible to open a Twitter account or Facebook page without checking all of the updates and wasting at least 15 minutes reading up on the mundane events of friend’s lives. Having one person control this task will save your nonprofit countless wasted hours and money!

Manage Your Time and Content Wisely

 

The Internet is a crucial part to running any business and so is time management. Combining your updates and needs into one e-newsletter is more effective than sending out bits and pieces. Highlighting one event over one week or month also gets better results than letting your donors get overwhelmed by all of the projects that you are working on. Moreover, creating a calendar of updates and events can help keep you on top of your online communication while keeping your donors connected and not bombarded with a cluttered in box.

Establish Rules

 

The next step is to teach your employees accountability. It’s always better to prevent an accident than to clean up after one. In your next staff meeting, consider addressing the issue of acting responsibly when using social media. There are countless stories of people posting inappropriate pictures or using derogatory language on Facebook and getting fired for their behavior. You never know who is going to see what you post when you make your private life public. Beyond the 9 to 5, each employee is a representative of your nonprofit and the cause you are supporting.

When used properly, social media is an effective way to connect to your donors and increase your fundraising dollars. Making sure your employees are using it properly is an important step to success in this arena.

Training Your Staff to Effectively Use Social Media Part II

Social media is as much a part of the business world as spreadsheets and board meetings. You get to the office, grab a cup of coffee, check your e-mails, and prepare for the other details of the day. With a solid foundation of online communication for connecting with donors, vendors, and colleagues, it is important to have a strategy to make the most of your time. In the last post, we covered a few basics to using social media in the workplace. Here are a few more:

Allocate Your Time and Keep Up

 

The speed of social media is remarkably fast. You can post or tweet a comment in the morning and by afternoon you could scroll down four pages before you come across it again. The average lifespan of a tweet is 2.8 hours and a Facebook post is 3.2 hours. With such a fast-paced medium, the best way to use this resource is in short bursts. Don’t spend hours constructing and reading messages that are just a flash in the pan. Create a well constructed update or announcement, post it, and move on. It can be so easy to lose yourself in the myriad of comments that are stated, so beware of the black hole steals away precious moments of your day.

Know Where to Find Your Audience

 

Be a laser beam, not a flashlight. Depending on your time and staffing levels, figure out where your donors are and focus on a few social media sites. This can be a trial and error process, but you can be pretty sure that Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter are safe bets. If you have time, you might want to consider MySpace, Google+, or Tagged.

Monitor Your Output, Discover What Works For You

 

One problem that many nonprofits are facing is the amount of noise that is on the web. How do you stand out? This is where quality and quantity have to work hand in hand. Each piece needs to be concise, well constructed and have a nugget of valuable information in it so it will keep your donors coming back. Next, you need to monitor your output; too many posts and your donors will ignore your messages. Too few and you’ll be out of sight, out of mind. The actual number varies between the many articles that I’ve read online. Some say that you should post between one to three a day to get more viewers. Others say between three to five times a week so you don’t bombard your supporters. I tend to agree with a few times a week, but it honestly depends on how many followers or ‘likes’ you have in your social networks, how you interact with your donors, and the events that are going on in your organization during that week.

Through social media you can get your name out faster and with less financial investment than any other resource out there. From getting volunteers to participate to increasing online fundraising, teaching your staff how to manage social media networks can boost your organization’s popularity and donation numbers.

Training Your Staff to Effectively Use Social Media Part III

Social media continues to become a huge portion of marketing, volunteer coordinating, non-profit fundraising, and research for any charity, so it only makes sense to have your staff well trained concerning this useful marketing tool.

So far in this series we have covered using social networking sites responsibly, assigning one person to be the online communications manager, assessing your time and output for the best results, and staying focused on a few goals. Here are a few more ideas that you may want to incorporate:

Don’t Stray

 

I am terribly guilty of violating this rule. I usually have several tabs open when I use the internet and the minute one of them shows a new message, curiosity gets the best of me and I have to see the new e-mail in my inbox. Not only that, but if it’s a sale flyer from my favorite store or a friend who wants to chat, I end up wasting about 20 minutes with nothing to show for my time. Furthermore, I get out of the groove of what I was working on in the first place and have to go back and figure out where I left off and where I was going with the task at hand. So this is my new rule that I am desperately trying to follow: Unless I am waiting for an important response, the only tabs I am allowed to have opened are the ones that are required to complete the job I’m working on.

Check Out the Competition

 

One good idea for your staff is to always keep an eye and ear out for what the competition is doing. The last thing you want to do is push a similar campaign on the tails of your competitor or to have a big event the same week. Know what like-minded nonprofits in your field are doing and focus on different areas. You also may want to research what nonprofits outside of your field are pursuing to gain ideas, success stories, or to learn from their mistakes. After all, there is no reason to recreate the wheel.

Utilize Your Staff

 

You already have a great base for spreading the mission of your organization: your staff! If they are working at your non-profit, they probably have a passion for your cause, they know the inner workings of your company, and, more than likely, they have accounts on social media networks. When you post a great blog, have an article in the local newspaper, or are promoting a new campaign, have your workers “like” your posts on Facebook or re-tweet your comments. Also, be sure to guide your potential donors to a well-designed website or Fundly webpage for the opportunity to donate. Each person has about 130 friends on Facebook, so just think of how many people you could reach with just the connections of your employees!

Come back tomorrow for the last installment of this series. When you know how to use social media tools effectively, your output can far exceed your input!

Training Your Staff to Effectively Use Social Media Part IV

In this final segment for this series I’ll continue to discuss a few more practical ways to train your employees to use social media sites to your organization’s benefit.  Online fundraising and networking are musts for any successful nonprofit. These ideas can save you time (and therefore money) and bring the highest results for your efforts.

Add a Graphic 

 

As we’ve mentioned before, there are a ton of Facebook posts and tweets out there. One way that you can make yours stand out is by adding pictures from your library or graphics. There are some great resources for this, one of my favorite places to find stock photography and free art is on Yahoo!. Type your subject into the search engine, click on the “image” tab, and voila! A variety of great graphics are at your fingertips. It only takes a few minutes but can add intrigue to your posts.

Social Media is a Two Way Street

 

Coming up with new posts, blogs, or updates can seem somewhat daunting at times, but we all know that this is a great way to connect with donors. The key part is to create content that will facilitate engagement from your followers. Try posing questions, creating polls, or asking for comments. This is a great way to see who is listening and to show that you care about what your contributors think; it creates a partnership of commitment. Of course every comment does not warrant a response, but interaction is an important step to public relations online.

What Does Your Audience Want?

People aren’t going to read content they do not care about. Vague posts written in riddles, uninspiring stories, and irrelevant comments will not get your donors’ attention and will be a waste of your time. What exciting project are you working on? Did you have a great success story to share with followers and inspire others? Was there a news story or statistic published that addresses your cause? Keep it interesting.

Know and Utilize Available Resources

 

There are many great sites out there that you can tap into to find social media success. For example, at Fundly we are proud to create an amazing product to help nonprofits, schools, and political campaigns alike garner donations, while sharing their cause through social media. When a donor makes a financial gift, they can post it to their Facebook page or Twitter for their friends to see. Others are more likely to get on board when they see that a friend supports a cause. Why go through the time, hassle, and financial expense of creating a donation site when you can use an established resource?

I hope that these tips over the past week have helped you and your staff gain insight into effectively using social media to promote your cause. We are working in a time like no other, with the potential to reach thousands of people with the simple click of a mouse. Like any new marketing strategy or advancement in technology, it takes time and practice to fine tune the skills to make the most out of this resource. It may take a little more effort in the beginning, but the end results are certainly worth the investment.

Honoring Mom Through Online Fundraising

Mother’s Day is on Sunday, May 13 and lest you forget to honor your mother or the mother of your children, I thought I’d bring the topic up early. Here are some great ways to honor your mom or to encourage donors to honor the moms in their lives  through your organization.

Are you looking for a unique gift for the mom that has everything? There are several one-of-a-kind and exquisite gifts that benefit a variety of organizations. A recent article in the Huffington Post has even highlighted ten charities that support women through sales of products that either benefit a cause or are made by women who are helped by the non-profit. From bars of soap to jewelry to chocolates, there is definitely something for every mom to enjoy. You get a great present while you’re helping women in need; everyone wins!

For organizations that charge admission such as a symphony, art gallery, museum, or recreational park, how about offering a half off tickets to moms? You’ll generate more business while honoring this special day. You may also want to create themes based on Mother’s Day by focusing on female composers, artists, or environmentalists.

Looking for ideas to blog, tweet or post about? Share with your donors how your mom instilled compassion into your character, which led you to a career in non-profits. Discuss the moms who are using your services and their success stories. What was a saying that your mom always used that drove you crazy but made a lasting impression? Sometimes finding common ground with your supporters can make a big impact for a long term partnership.

Finally, consider challenging your donors to make an online donation on your webpage or Fundly donation page in honor of their mom or grandmother. This is a perfect way to acknowledge someone special or to remember a family member who is gone but not forgotten. Through donating on one of Fundly’s donation websites, donors can commemorate their mom with a special message and share a cause they care about with their social media networks.

Unless you want to be in the dog house, be sure to take a few minutes to decide how you want to remember that special mom in your life. Whether it be through flowers, candies, jewelry, or a charitable contribution, take the time to say “thanks”…. It’s a whole lot easier than saying “I’m sorry!”

Twitter is the Testing Ground for Presidential Election

The fact that social media is being used in political elections is not news; the way that it is being incorporated is. While Facebook may be the most popular social networking site, Twitter has become a valuable testing ground for politicians to experiment with their political fundraising skills and their methods to improve their image. While this medium is certainly a double-edged sword, it is still one to be wielded.

Although only 13% of American adults are on Twitter, its influence has shown to be widespread. Many campaigns have begun focusing efforts on this site in an effort to secure the Oval Office. Heather LaMarre, a University of Minnesota communications professor who studies social media, discussed the shift in The Washington Post, “The subset of people on Twitter may be relatively small, but it’s a politically engaged audience whose influence extends both online and off. It’s not the direct message that has the biggest influence on people — it’s the indirect message.”

One amazing aspect of social media is its ability to enable public interaction with candidates like never before. In the past, the “average Joe” could voice his opinions in an article published in the editorial section of a newspaper or person-to-person in social settings with limited results. Now, he can freely write feedback on a politician’s Facebook page or Tweet a comment about a recent speech for thousands to read. This obviously could have positive and negative aspects that might impact a candidate’s image and therefore causing a need for new strategies of damage control.

“Our team understands that the most important issues in this campaign are jobs and the economy, not the Twitter controversy of the day,” Mitt Romney’s spokesman Ryan Williams said. “But we need to be on top of everything and monitor every aspect of this race. Twitter helps us keep our finger on the pulse of the fast moving pace of new media.”

Twitter has become a new sounding board, battleground, and public forum for the new era of politics. It has also helped with fundraising by guiding supporters to websites, garnering funds to further a candidate’s mission, such as a Fundly donation page. Sharing your opinions is one thing; sharing the fact that you put your dollars behind your beliefs certainly has more power. Plus, the ease of online giving has made campaign contributions more convenient than ever.

Sharing opinions, researching candidates’ stances on the issues, and political fundraising have never been easier because of the social media revolution that we are currently experiencing. While the presidential war may not be won on Twitter, it certainly is a battleground to contend with.

Celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week With Online Resources

This week is Teacher Appreciation Week and these sacrificial saints are worthy of honor and acknowledgement. Other than moms (and don’t forget yours this Sunday on Mother’s Day), who else works for such  a small pittance,  gets hardly a thank you for the direction they give, and finds joy doing what most people dread? This week let’s give praise where praise is due and show the teachers in our lives how much we care.

According to Edutopia, 40% of the teachers they polled said that a gift card would be the most appropriate gift. While Starbucks is a common choice, many said that they would like cards to book stores, restaurants, or spas. Consider having the class donate to this fund; parents don’t have to wrack their brains trying to figure out what to get and the teacher can purchase a gift she really wants. Plus, there are tons of great sites out there where you can buy a gift card online (such as Gift Card Mall or iCARDS) and either print it out or e-mail it to the recipient; you never even have to leave home!

Facebook is obviously a great way to connect with past and present friends. Why not look up a former teacher? Tell that special person how they impacted your life. Maybe they helped you overcome an obstacle or taught you a great life lesson. Teacher appreciation week doesn’t just have to be about current students thanking the teacher they have now.

Another way to show that special teacher in your life how much you care is to send an e-mail to the various parents of students in your child’s class. Create a list of classroom items that your teacher may need and each family can bring an item to the teacher (e-mail sign-ups can prevent overlap). Consider gifting crayons, pens, a CD player, some educational DVDs, books, stickers, or wall décor to your educator. Many teachers lack the tools they need to help their students learn and this is one way to make his or her job easier.  You could also raise money online by creating a webpage on Fundly. In a few minutes you could set up a donation site for families at your school and relatives to donate funds for your school or classroom… no selling cookie dough and no expensive wrapping paper catalogues!

Novelist and historian Henry Brooks Adams once said “A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.” With such an important and demanding role in our society, shouldn’t we take the time to show our appreciation to these everyday heroes?

School Fundraising Made Better Online

Fundraising is a must for many schools and organizations, but does it have to be so difficult?

I played softball when I was nine and we had to sell beef sticks for $1 to raise money for our league. The first ingredient listed was beef hearts… yuck. When I was in first grade we had a Jog-A-Thon and had to run around the parking lot as many times as we could. It took days of scrubbing to wash the Sharpie tick marks off my graffiti-ed arm (not to mention my stick legs didn’t carry me too many times around the lot). In fifth grade we had to sell tins of cookies that were miniscule in size and grandiose in price. My mom gasped when we received our order due to the discrepancy of the picture in the catalog verses the product in reality.

As we try to provide wide and varied experiences for our children to learn responsibility, coordination, and self-worth, we pollute their bodies and minds with byproducts, chemicals, and cost inflation. While I’m all for students working to support their school, there must be a better way to raise money.

When my niece was selling Christmas wreaths to fund a trip to winter camp, I asked how much of the price actually went towards her account to pay for the trip. Regardless of the size (which cost anywhere from $15 – $40), she only made $5off of each wreath. Instead of buying a decoration that will die in a couple of weeks, I now just give her the cash.

Online fundraising is a great new concept that eliminates the hassle of coordinating orders or locking people in to buying overpriced goods that they don’t really want or need. And on the topic of Teacher Appreciation Week, this is one less duty that teachers will have to worry about. Don’t they have enough on their plates?!?! A well designed website can clearly state your goal, stir emotions in the viewer to act, and make donating fast and easy.

One way to incorporate this new idea into your school fundraising strategy is to create an awesome video of your school and encourage the students to participate and share why they need a new library, P.E. equipment, or text books. Upload the video to your webpage, share the link with parents, and have them pass it on to relatives and close family friends via e-mail. If grandma is on a tight budget, she can give at a level that she feels comfortable with.

With budget cuts and larger class sizes, fundraising isn’t an option for many schools. However, how you fundraise is! Fundly can make your online fundraising easy with a website template that only takes a few minutes to complete. Every time a friend or family member donates, it gets posted on their Facebook page to encourage others to do the same.

I’m not saying that you should throw away your catalogs and bake sale signs. (What would the world do without Girl Scout cookies?!) It’s just time to try something new that can bring great results without all the hassle.

Event Fundraising Using Social Media Part I

It’s all over the news that President Obama held a huge fundraising gala at George Clooney’s house and raised over $14 million dollars. While this is the most any president has raised in one night, I hardly expect the average nonprofit to charge $40,000 per ticket and reap the same results. However, fundraising events are a major part of many charities’ strategy to earn dollars and this week we will focus on making the most of your efforts to host a successful event.

As a former special events coordinator for several nonprofits, I’ve been able to be a part of many different types of fundraisers including dinners at elite country clubs, crab feeds, golf tournaments, corporate receptions, and intimate concerts. Although I’ve shared some tips in past blogs, I thought I’d expand on some of them for this week’s theme.

1)      Host a mix of high and low-end events – Of course we’d all like to host a celebrity endorsed and attended event where you put all of your energy into one evening of grandeur with stellar results, but the chances of that happening can be compared to winning the Mega Millions lottery. In all likelihood, your donor list is probably made up of a variety of givers from those who give 20 dollars a month to high-end bequest and planned giving supporters. With this in mind, one organization I worked for had an elegant banquet once a year for top donors and a Fourth of July picnic for volunteers and lower end donors. Yes, we need to court those with heavy pocket books, but the amount from lesser givers certainly adds up, too.

2)      Give incentive to attend – When we were in the planning stages of one of these higher end banquets, we were researching different speakers who were well-known and had a passion for our cause. Of course many cost a pretty penny and so the question came up whether the draw to our event was the entertainment or the compassion to support our mission. The answer was both. Some guests need a hook to entice them to come (especially the newer supporters) and longtime donors feel a dedication to the organization and will likely attend regardless of the speaker. I’m sure many guests would have donated money to the candidate anyway, but most attended the Obama affair to check out Clooney’s home and the other famous guests in attendance.

3)      Get the word out – Just as in high school, many people will only attend an event if they know what to expect and who will be attending. For non-formal events, advertise and promote on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media networks your organization participates in. Direct people to your website and show pictures of past years’ events. Post updates on prizes, auction items, menu selections, or entertainment that will be featured. Also, if someone is unable to attend, give the option of a donation button so that they can still contribute to your cause online.

Online fundraising is a great way to get donors to give, but event fundraising is also a must for many organizations to create a stronger bond of partnership and dedication between the supporter and charity. More tips to come this week to help you create a profitable event to benefit your organization.

Event Fundraising Using Social Media Part II

I have a love/hate relationship with fundraising events. From the planning perspective, I love creating all of the little pieces and then putting them together for a grand final product. I hate the aftermath of the event which involves calculating the numbers, putting away the supplies, and doing all of the follow-up work. From an attendee point-of-view, I love the anticipation of getting ready, hearing the heartwarming stories of how people are making the world a better place, and giving what I can to further a worthy cause. I hate the big pressure asks filled with guilt that some organizations deliver or events that drag on well into the night while my stomach wrestles to digest a piece of rubbery chicken and too sweet chocolate cake.

To continue with this week’s theme of event planning using online resources, here are some ways to increase the “loves” and decrease the “hates” that you and your donors may feel at any given event:

DO get everyone in your organization excited and onboard with big events. Assign tasks to your employees, from working the registration table, to decorating, to selling raffle tickets. This is a great way for your guests to meet your staff and to talk with representatives of your organization.

DON’T assign big tasks to volunteers you haven’t met before or give jobs to your employees that don’t coincide with their comfort zone or skill level. If the first person your guest meets is a nervous, stressed out volunteer at the registration table, it does not set a great tone for the evening. Also, if your employee is shy, he won’t be successful at selling raffle tickets and will be miserable all evening… not the best impression for donors.

DO use social networking sites to ask for help from other professionals. If you’re putting on a golf tournament for the first time, ask for advice from other nonprofit leaders on LinkedIn about successful games and prizes that they have used. If you want to hold a benefit concert, take a poll on Facebook to see what genre music would be most popular to fill the seats with attendees.

DON’T post invitations on Facebook for higher end events or when you have a specific goal in mind. For example, your annual banquet should be for faithful, generous donors so you can spend time with those supporters who are committed to investing in your cause. You don’t want to waste time and money on someone who may give a onetime $50 gift when there is a donor who has given consistently over the years and you are rarely able to thank him in person. Create intimate events with a larger budget for donors with greater potential and larger events with a smaller budget for average to lower end donors. Time and money are always at a premium, so invest wisely.

There are countless ways to incorporate social media sites and online fundraising into your event planning strategies to ensure success. Tune in tomorrow for another installment of tips and things to avoid when you start to plan your next event.

Event Fundraising Using Social Media Part III

In this final installment of this series which focuses on utilizing social media networks to create successful fundraisers, I thought I’d include practical tips that are easily incorporated into your planning strategies. Every nonprofit that I know of seems to have more tasks to address than time, finances, and manpower can complete. Fortunately, social media and web usage can eliminate these obstacles.

Facebook is great because it connects friends of like interests. Are you coordinating a food and wine tasting event, a garden tour, or another fundraiser that is based on a specific theme? Post it on Facebook and have your donors “Like” it. This one small click of the mouse will then share your link your donor’s social network(s), therefore advertising it to many who may have a similar interest. The most important aspect of social media platforms is to get people talking and sharing how great your organization is and that your fundraiser is not to be missed. An invitation can get lost in a pile of junk mail, but encouragement from a friend can bring great results.

Many people neglect to give to organizations because they don’t know what the specific needs are. Create a tab on your website or list on your fundraising page citing different ways that supporters can contribute to your cause. You may need volunteers to usher at a concert, business owners could donate a gift basket for a raffle, or possibly a printer would be willing to donate product to your event in exchange for advertising.

Take advantage of free advertising on social media! Do you have a Facebook timeline yet? Before someone gives to your cause or takes the time to attend an event, they’ll probably check out your nonprofit online. There are hundreds of great charities vying for everyone’s time and money, why should people take the time to care about your nonprofit? A Facebook timeline is a great way to map out what accomplishments you have, what projects you are working on, what past events look like, and it can list comments of what your donors think of your organization. The cover photo is an amazing opportunity to showcase a photo to inspire, intrigue, and impress.

Events are a fun way to meet and greet donors while laying the foundation for a strong partnership. Online resources can get them there and help you organize a fantastic event. May you have future success in your event fundraising activities!

Relationships, Cool Technology and Taking the Fear Out of Fundraising, Part 1

Whether it’s teaching about fundraising or doing it, I’m always intrigued by the coolest, most effective tech tools available.

Last month, 50 nonprofit leaders crowded into a room hoping to acquire some “magic” to fuel their organizations.   My invitation from SCORE Silicon Valley to speak on the subject of fundraising was exciting and a little daunting at the same time.  The challenge with the wide-open topic of “fundraising” was…Where to start?

Many of the attendees are founders and board members of organizations delivering programs like health services to Africa, private education, community access programming, and support for Leukemia patients.  They got “in the business” to deliver a service, not to raise money.  And many are shy about engaging with social media, a must-do in today’s world.

I decided to tackle head-on what was sure to be the elephant in the room:  The fear and anguish associated with fundraising and the common misconception that fundraising is a sales pitch, asking/begging/bullying/guilting someone into giving their hard-earned cash away.

What better way than by pulling a cool tech tool out of my back pocket…PollEverywhere. A live online poll gauged the audience’s disposition to fundraising.  Participants grabbed their cell
phones, texted a response to a 6-digit number, and instantly we knew where everybody in the room stood on fundraising.

Poll question:
Which statement best describes your attitude toward fundraising?

Choices:

 Ahhh.  I love it and have the right tools and knowledge to succeed!

Eh. I don’t mind it but still have a few things to learn.

Hmm. I’m not fond of it and have a lot to learn.

Argh! I can’t stand it and live in fear of it.

And the results were….drumroll….

Even many non-geeks in the room managed to put in their vote.  As expected, reluctance to this 4-letter word (OK, so I’m stretching that a bit to “F-U-N-D”) abounded.

But why?  I believe it’s because so many cause-based organizations have set the example of making their public outreach the “ask” rather than the “why”.  The “ask” should come once supporters have been engaged with the organization and when it’s truly time.

A recent article from The Nonprofit Times shared the 5 top reasons people give:

• To meet critical, basic needs;
• To give back to society by making the community a better place;
• A belief that those with more should help those with less;
• To bring about a desired impact or result; and,
• A request for money was made.

All too often, nonprofits focus on #5 (their #1 pain point) without first and continually engaging supporters in reasons #1-4.  Creating a relationship of trust between the supporters and the organization is paramount.  After all, we are truly not giving money to the organization, we are facilitating a mission and community benefit, giving money through the organization to make a difference in the lives of others.

We walked through the essential components of the Relationship Cycle, building trust with supporters: Understand – Reach – Engage – Appreciate

An hour and fifteen minutes later, I reproduced the poll.  And guess what?  Moving away from the fear of the “ask” and the toward the fun and joy of building a relationship with supporters made a difference.



Once supporters are engaged, fundraising comes more easily.  Using social media, online non-profit fundraising and other technology, alongside low-tech connections, makes it possible to create a global relationship with your supporters.

Stay tuned for part two of this five-part series, as I explore the first step of the Relationship Cycle:  Understanding.

3 Lessons Learned From the Biggest Online Fundraising Campaigns

Online fundraising has been around for several years now and the time and analysis that has gone into experimenting with the best practices is monumental. In this billion dollar nonprofit industry, thousands of charities delve into the internet pool to connect with potential donors and supporters. Some have had good results, others have stagnated, while a rare few have soared to superstardom by raising millions of dollars. What discrepancies are found between these groups and what can you do to be on the higher end of the fundraising list?

Balance Your Time

 

Many organizations start off a project or campaign with a bang and then within a few months the dedication and persistency seem to fizzle out. What started out as weekly e-mails, monthly mailers, and intriguing hooks on Twitter slowly start to decrease into nonexistence. One major cause of this decline is not from lack of desire or commitment, but from being overwhelmed with multiple projects; most staff members are overextended and can’t address every issue that is placed in their in box.

Just as there is a food pyramid dictating your intake of fruits, vegetables, proteins, and carbohydrates, so should nonprofits create a time pyramid balancing input verse output. While all of your tasks feel important, how many are truly necessary? When you’re doing too many projects, very rarely can you do any of them well. When you’re creating your development and marketing time pyramids, consider how much time you should spend on donor events, online fundraising, donor appreciation, and supporter recruitment. What is the cost of your time, energy, and financial investment in relation to your return? All of these areas are important to regulate, but all of the projects that are created to nurture these areas are not all equal.

Test Your Key Issues 

 

Your donors obviously care about your mission or they wouldn’t donate to your cause. However, every nonprofit has sub-sets of issues within your cause that appeal to different donors. Test which projects and areas appeal most to your donors. Are you a symphony? Maybe your donors are more interested in contributing to young musicians getting their start or they may be fond of supporting musicians putting on school assemblies for children. Are you a pet shelter? See if your supporters donate more to causes pertaining to animal rescues as compared to community adoption days. Experiment to see what hot topics your donors are most tuned in to.

Highlighting key issues that are in the forefront of the media is also a great way to tap into new donors and hang on to current supporters. The greater variety of topics you touch upon, the more likely you are to hit on an issue that touches more donors.  Upload great pictures and a heartwarming story next to your donate button on your webpage and you’ve got an excellent foundation for increased funding.

Diversify Your Marketing

 

Just as each donor is unique, so is their preferred method of giving and how they communicate with your organization. The older generation tends to respond to the traditional methods of direct mail campaigns and volunteer call lists. The younger generation is glued to Social Media and their cell phone. Some like to read e-newsletters once a week. Others like updates once a month or once a quarter.  Too many letters or Tweets can be a turn-off to some donors who may feel overwhelmed. Too little communication and you’re out of sight, out of mind.

Bottom line: determine who your donors are and ask how they would like to connect with your nonprofit. Take a poll. Base your mailers on donor giving levels. Keep track of comments and giving based on how many posts you publish. Yes, this takes a lot of work and time, but what you invest now with bring invaluable information later.

2 More Lessons Learned From the Biggest Online Fundraising Campaigns

Philanthropy and charities have been around for thousands of years. It seems to be an innate characteristic for humans to want to reach out to their fellow-man and lend a hand. While the methods of helping those in need and fundraising have changed, the basic motivation has remained the same. However, with the advancement of technology, the parameters of law, and the many ups and downs of the economy, fundraising in modern times are quite a bit more complicated that just feeding the hungry or aiding the sick. Here are some more lessons that smaller or more recently established nonprofits can learned from those who are seasoned in the field.

Treat each donor with respect 

 

I’ve worked with many charities and have given to many charities. What keeps me faithfully giving to one and not another? It’s all about how I am treated. Yes, there are some causes that pull my heart-strings a little more than others, but as a donor I want to be acknowledged for the sacrifice I am making to donate to a charity and treated equally with those who can afford to give more.

Getting and maintaining supporters is all about building relationships. There are hundreds of mailers, e-mails, phone calls, and television commercials vying for attention and dollars.  Getting someone to donate in the first place is half of the challenge; keeping them is the other half. Are you truly showing your appreciation? Are you sharing how their donation made a difference and furthered your mission? Do your donors feel important and needed? If you miss any one of these points, you just might risk losing your supporters.
Here are some great ways to show your appreciation: it may seem old-fashioned, but a hand written letter shows that you are taking the time to acknowledge the gift and giver. It adds that personal touch that an e-mail or post lacks. Second, posting thank you’s with donors tagged on Twitter and Facebook also shares who your donors are and can inspire others to give. It also gives credibility to your organization that you are trusted by respected individuals. Third, an event honoring your donors and thanking them for their support is a great way to strengthen their loyalty to your charity. Don’t make an ask or present a new project, just show how their funds have made a difference thus far. Consider it an investment towards future giving.

It’s all about results 

 

To piggyback on the last statement, donors want to see results. We’re all tightening our purse strings so the donations that we do give need to have some tangible results to make us feel good about our gifts. If one charity isn’t showing progress, there are ten more in line with their hands out ready to go to work. How are you showing your donors that their money is being put to good use? With charts, personal success stories, and vivid images, these tools bring the purpose of a nonprofit to life and touch the heart of the donor. Were you raising money for a building project? Show the progress of how the structure is being completed. Are you an after school program? Compare year-to-year stats on how many students you helped, how their grades have improved, and gather quotes from parents and teachers praising your program. Did you help a community rebuild after a natural disaster? Before and after pictures of the impact you have made speaks volumes. Giving is both extrinsic and intrinsic; donors want to help others while gaining a feeling of pride at doing good.

Online fundraising is a perfect way to show results. Donors can visit your site regularly to see how your goal is progressing, they can share your cause and web address with friends and associates, and online giving is the simplest way to contribute to a cause.

In the TechKnow

For anyone who has been in the nonprofit world for any length of time, you probably are familiar with the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) and the vision, connections, and education they bring to the philanthropic world. With over 50 years of experience working in the charitable fundraising realm, they have stayed abreast of the difference strategies and technological advancements that have changed the landscape of how we garner dollars to promote a cause. At the beginning of this week, the AFP put on its first annual AFP TechKnow Conference in Orlando, FL and has proven to be a forerunner in strategic planning combined with social networking.

At the core of the TechKnow conference is the idea that fundraisers should know what tech tools are available to them without using complex jargon. In this world of instant messaging, a tangled web of social network contacts, and a new language of communication comprised of 140 characters or less, fundraising has more opportunities than ever before. Without the basic knowledge of current media forums, these opportunities can be major obstacles in reaching donors and supporters. At the TechKnow conference, these barriers were torn down with informative presentations, interactive workshops, and in-the-know exhibitors.

With social media being at the hub of the varying topics presented at the conference, the many speakers brought valuable insights to the sessions such as Laura Howe, Vice President, Public Relations for the American Red Cross and her discussion on case studies using social media success in fundraising and reputation management. International fundraising consultant Adrian Sargeant, Ph.D. focused on donor retention using technological strategies. Other topics included donor engagement, collaboration, and taking your social media strategies to the next level. The event closed with Apple Co-founder Steve Wozniak, his “vision for tomorrow”, and his challenge to nonprofit leaders: “Once you know something is possible, you can do it!”

Were you not able to get away to attend this extraordinary event? Obviously technology can come to your aid. Check out their website, http://www.afptechknow.org, for links to their Facebook page, to read up on Tweets posted from the conference, and to download valuable handouts that were distributed at select presentations. Online fundraising is a huge asset to any nonprofit organization. While this new cyber world can be intimidating and complex, there are great resources out there to help you tackle this medium to reach your fundraising goals.

Fundly Hosts Weekly Tweet Ups

Blogs can be great for finding tips and ideas to advance how you incorporate social media into your online fundraising strategies, but sometimes you just need someone to answer your questions. While consultants can be expensive and participating in forums can be confusing, finding an expert who will guide you in the internet maze to connect with donors is priceless. With this in mind, Fundly is excited to present their weekly Tweet Ups to help those who want the aid of our social media fundraising specialists.

You might be wondering, what is a Tweet Up? It’s basically a conversation that takes place when a bunch of Twitter users log on at a scheduled time and discuss a specific topic using the same #hashtag. The great thing about this resource is that it is an open online meeting where you can brainstorm, garner advice, and network with others in your field. (To learn more about Twitter chats, you may want to visit Quick Guide to Twitter Chats.)

As the largest online fundraising platform in the world, Fundly is eager to hear what questions you may have. Do you want to know how to utilize your social networks to promote your cause? Is your donation site stagnating and you need to find a way to inject new life into your campaign? Are you unsure of how to create a personal fundraising page? We would love to answer these and whatever questions you may have at our Tweet Ups!

Attracting and Keeping Your Online Audience

Whether your nonprofit has been around for decades or if you are just starting out, everyone could use a little advice when it comes to online fundraising. While I can’t give you a magic formula or sure-fire method to have your bank account explode, I CAN give you some helpful ways to maximize your online giving potential.

Creating an Audience

What’s the point of creating an amazing online campaign if your organization’s social network is minimal? The majority of non-profits have a Facebook or Twitter account, but if you are recently established, it may take a little time and effort to build up a list that will make your social media fundraising worthwhile.

One way to attract people to your page is to find a common ground. You obviously don’t want to steal other organization’s donors, but if there is an event or news story that you come across online related to your cause, comment on it and get your organization’s name thrown into the mix. Commenting on posts allows your Facebook profile to be seen by others interested in the topic. Find sites where people have a common passion for your philanthropic goals and let them know where to find you.

Another way to gain attention is to create thoughtful content with intriguing hooks so that current followers are compelled to first read it (which is always the first hurdle) and then share it with their personal networks. An extraordinary story, a captivating picture, or a thought-provoking quote can trigger others to repost your message.

It is also important to keep your supporters engaged so that they continue to read your posts and become a part of your campaigns. Consider creating online polls, asking simple questions, or generating stories that encourage comments. To acquire dedicated supporters, they first need to invest their time and heart before they are willing to donate their dollars.

State Your Goal and Your Strategies

I think one of the fundamental ways that many organizations fail in the fundraising department is their lack of focus. Donors want to know who they are giving to, that their contribution is making a difference, and that the goal has been reached. Without a tangible focal point, there is no way to feasibly share a success story to show your supporters that you are making great progress for your cause. While your umbrella mission statement may be to save the world, create bite-sized projects with measurable outcomes.

There are hundreds of amazing nonprofits using Fundly, and many successful ones have mastered this point. One example is the SF Goodwill Fund (check out their site: http://fundly.com/sfgoodwill). Their purpose is clearly defined: to help those in need and they are making a difference through their job skills program. Furthermore, they clearly explain the cost of the program and the goals they want to achieve. They have a clear, focused, accessible strategy with step-by-step descriptions of how they are planning on fulfilling their mission.

There are several things to take into account on your website for users to have a positive experience: first of all, what is the basic purpose of your nonprofit?  This can be explained in two to three sentences as an overview. Secondly, what are the practical steps that you are doing to have your work come to fruition? Describe the project(s) that you are working on now and how this is helping you to further your cause.

Thirdly, what credentials do you have that bring credibility and accountability to your charity? Explain your past experiences, training, and evidence to prove that the donations you receive are an investment that will produce a high return.  Next, use success stories and pictures to to share results of your work. Finally, make donating fast and easy such as creating a Fundly donation page. If donors have to search a site for information or if it takes a while to make a contribution, they’ll probably move on.

These may seem like basic ideas, but when the foundation is strong you will have a stable platform for future growth. Spending your time wisely is something every charity needs to master, and online fundraising can produce incredible results. When you build a strong audience and appeal to potential supporters using social media tools, your potential for growth can be monumental.

Is Nonprofit Fundraising Online Best for You? It should be.

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.

Online Fundraising and Its Benefits: Explained

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.

Online Fundraising Makes it Easier to Fundraise

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.

Fundraising Online Grows in Importance for Organizations of All Sizes

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!

Online Fundraising is the Future of Fundraising for Causes

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.

Cookie Dough Fundraising – Chew it up and spit it out!

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!

Will Facebook, Twitter, and Fundly be the Fundraisers of the Future?

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!

Do High Numbers of Facebook Fans Equal High Numbers of Voters?

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.

Laying the Foundation for Successful Fundraisers

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.

Is Your Nonprofit Standing Out on the Web of Media Clutter?

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.