Online Treats
The reports of success for online giving are still pretty mixed. It’s likely that a significant shift from other payment forms will take several more years. However, there are a number of positive experiences in online giving.
Here are three examples of innovative and creative ways that nonprofits are raising money online.
1. Modest Needs
Modest Needs offers an online forum to make direct contributions to individuals or nonprofit organizations to address a very specific, and usually modest, request for help. It’s kind of like Kiva’s direct lending model - but with direct contributions instead. Through Modest Needs, donors can see the very direct impact of their gift.
If it sounds too good to be true, I have a testimonial from Susie Brown, Executive Director of Child Care Works that they were able to pay for a capacity building project very quickly with funding through Modest Needs.
2. United Way’s Give 5 Now
You may have already read about the United Way’s Give 5 Now campaign. Watch their YouTube video about the importance of supporting urgent needs now. I hope that you can’t, and don’t, resist the urge to give at least $5.
3. Social Media
Social networks have exploded in the last year. I love Facebook, and was impressed by a recent fundraising campaign that Pillsbury House Theatre launched on their Facebook page. After giving a small amount, the updates and status reports that I received made me feel like a part of the campaign.
Give List uses blogging and Twitter to spread the word that there are ways to give even if you don’t have extra cash. The list starts with 71 ways you can give and then spreads and multiplies through an online community.
Even if it takes a while for online giving to match the dollars of more traditional forms, these example show ways that online strategies are different, fast, and direct.
Don’t be a Scrooge - give online now.
Hi Kate,
Great post with great links! Another good way to take advantage of social media and micro or macro giving is to create a free personal fundraising page at firstgiving.com. Link your page to any registered US nonprofit organization, and your friends can donate securely online. For example, one of my pages is at : http://www.firstgiving.com/bapbwm
This service empowers individuals to make personal (or peer-to-peer) asks to support the work of a particular nonprofit, allowing the organization to reach many more people than they would otherwise. My friend participated in a recent event in Boston that raised over $146,000 online in several weeks through these personal fundraising pages (www.firstgiving.com/santaspeedorun). You can also add your fundraising page as a widget to your blog, facebook, etc., to get the word out.
Comment by beth — December 23, 2008 @ 9:56 am
Hi Kate,
Great article. As a woman who is in the process of starting a new non profit to help fund hospitals so that they can provide psychological and other psychosocial care for children with cancer (because many well known hospitals are doing a poor job at it now), I need all the help I can get. I listened to one of the founders of Kiva.org and I was very intrigued by the entire model. I love the fact that you give some other examples that are in line with that type of giving. Thanks so much for these tips.
Diane ~ http://www.striving4grace.blogspot.com
Comment by Diane — January 19, 2009 @ 7:49 pm
I don’t think there is any question that social media is a necessary next step for nonprofits - there are several posts on this site that support the growing need: http://www.overthewire.typepad.com.
Comment by jackie — March 9, 2009 @ 8:41 am