In a Sea of Charities, How Do You Make Yours Stand Out?

In 2009 there was a reported 1.4 million charities in the United States. Add to that fact that 2011 was the costliest year on record for natural disasters and there are a lot of people and organizations vying for dollars. So how in the world do you make your organization stand out?

I was reading an article on community.NASDAQ.com by Michael Statford entitled “6 Things You Need to Know About Giving to Charity.” I thought I’d flip this story a bit to try to figure out what people want to know about your non-profit in order for them to give. When there are so many people knocking on the door asking for funds (your kids included), how can you make your donor ask stand out?

I think the first thing that is needed is sincerity, integrity, and honesty. In this world of hype and neon, I find the truth quite refreshing. How much does it cost to run your organization? How much of your donations go directly to those in need? Let your donors come into contact with the people you are helping, the land that you are protecting or hear the symphony you are promoting. Results speak louder than a CEO at a hotel banquet.

Find the people who already have a passion for your cause. If a person doesn’t like animals, no matter how many times they see puppies in a cage it won’t cause them to open their wallets. On the flip side, if a person already has a soft spot in their heart for the homeless, it will take a lot less time and effort to get them interested in the cause. Connecting donors who have friends with a like mind is probably the best way to reach your target donors. Likewise, hang out with parents if you have an educational program. Visit local nurseries if you support botanical gardens. Go to a dog park if you are the president of the SPCA. Go to where your potential donors hang out.

Finally, get a great website up. Your donors probably won’t visit your offices or may want to research your company before they give a dime. Spend the money to create a professional, informative, easily navigated website. Have several different people outside of your office test it out. Can a non-computer literate person use it? Are your graphics clean and precise? Do your photos pull at the heart strings? It is easy to find out how to give online? Also, make sure the web address is easy to remember.

With genuine passion, honesty, and professionalism, you can have your charity stand out. You just need to know where to find your donors and make it easy for them to find you. Good thing for you and your charity, Fundly provides an easy to use social fundraising platform that will enable you to reach and engage your donors online, while gaining new ones throughout any one of your charity fundraising campaigns.

Learn more today about Fundly’s social fundraising tools.

America’s top charities weather the storm

A recent article in The Chronicle of Philanthropy reports that though non-profits expect to bring in more money than they did last year but that they still haven’t made up for ground they lost in the economic downturn.

Charities on The Chronicle’s Philanthropy 400 list raised 8 percent less than they did in 2007. The Chronicle found that the biggest gainers are those charities who tend to receive donated goods such as food and medicine. Charities who tend receive donations in the form of stock are also experiencing gains.
Though cash donations are generally down, the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army, both in the top 10 of the Philanthropy 400 list, are up. The Chronicle reports that donations to the Salvation Army, with a new “Doing the most good” campaign, grew 5.1 percent and that the American Red Cross, responding to the 2010 Haiti raised a whopping 64 percent more.

A recent study of 800 charities from the Nonprofit Research Collaborative shows that organizations with budgets under $3 million were less likely to report gains. Arts organizations, such as the Art Institute of Chicago, have also seen steep declines. Recently receiving a promise for sponsorship from two companies, the Institute will allow clients of these companies special access to the museum, private tours and cocktail receptions.

Organizations like the Art Institute of Chicago are smart to use the experiences they can offer others as a way to secure donations and sponsorship.

Some organizations, such as the Chicago Children’s Memorial Hospital, are working on attracting younger donors by organizing fundraising events like dance marathons targeted at young people.

Other charities, like the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, are increasingly turning to social media for a fundraising boost. Todd Hendricks, the ASPCA’s senior vice president for development, talked to The Chronicle about the challenges in linking fundraising and social media.

Fundly has a solution for you, Todd, check out our social fundraising platform today! Connecting social media and fundraising is more important than ever and, with Fundly, it’s easy!