Online Fundraising Basics for Family Promise Affiliates

Online Fundraising for Family Promise Affiliates

The popularity of the World Wide Web and the simplicity of most online donation websites have made the Internet a fundraising resource that all affiliates should be tapping into. It is a simple, quick, secure way for individuals to contribute to your Network with the click of a button.

Many Family Promise affiliates are already fundraising electronically utilizing online donation, online auction and social networking websites. Some of the most widely used resources are outlined below.

Donations

§  PayPal (www.paypal.com)

PayPal is used nationwide by many affiliates as it provides the most basic, affordable service. To begin accepting donations via PayPal involves a simple set up, with no cost to register an account. PayPal does charge a small percentage on the donations received monthly, as well as a minimal transaction fee, but the benefits of providing this service far outweigh the cost.

One example is Family Promise of Gwinnett County, GA. This year, they’ve already generated more than $3,000 just through their PayPal account. The most important factor is that the majority of those contributing through their website have been new donors looking for a local cause to give to.

Once you’re set-up, the “Donate” buttons are easy to implement on your homepage; the capability of recording your electronic donations in one place – your PayPal account – is another added incentive.

§  Network for Good (www.groundspring.org)

Network for Good (operated by Groundspring) is another online donation service used nationwide; those affiliates that have the “DonateNow” button on their website are using this. It is available at a higher cost than PayPal, but is more comprehensive and includes many customizable features, such as thank you messages that can automatically be sent to donors.

There are two basic types of account that you can chose with this service:

1. Basic version – this service does not have any customizable features and operates like PayPal; it does not include a monthly fee or set-up cost, but it does deduct a fee of 4.75% per donation received. PayPal deducts 2.2% of monthly donations plus $0.30 per transaction.

2. Comprehensive version – this service has an initial registration fee of $199 to set up a Custom DonateNow account. In addition, there is a monthly fee of $29.95 and a fee on the percentage of donations accrued.

Networks currently using this service include Phoenix, AZ and Gallatin Valley, MT.

Auctions and Sales

Online Auctions enable Family Promise affiliates to solicit donations by auctioning items via the Internet. In addition to saving on the costs of running a conventional auction, online auction websites like eBay have the potential to reach much larger audiences, which can lead to much larger donations per item. Several organizations dedicated to assisting with online auctions are described below:

§  Mission Fish (www.missionfish.org)

Mission Fish is an organization that works in collaboration with eBay to allow you to fundraise via online auctions on eBay. It is free to register and maintain an account, but Mission Fish keeps a small percentage of the auctioned item’s return. There are three different ways to fundraise through Mission Fish:

1.  Direct Auction - you can auction products on eBay and keep the profits.

2.  Community Sellers - individuals can auction their own products on eBay and give a percentage of the profits (10-100%) to your Network.

3.  Direct Donation - individuals can donate money directly to your organization without auctioning items.

Items that are on auction through Mission Fish are highlighted with a “Giving Works” ribbon, which allows their listings to stand out to potential buyers.

Important Notes: As eBay relies on PayPal for payment processing, in order to utilize Mission Fish your Network will need its own PayPal account. Also, affiliates utilizing this service need to have someone dedicated to reviewing the account each day; monitoring bids, packaging and mailing items.

§  cMarket (www.cmarket.com)

cMarket is specifically designed to support nonprofit charity auctions. Because it is geared more towards the organization, your Network can customize a comprehensive profile and describe specific auction items with extensive detail.

Generally, cMarket is not going to be the best fit for Family Promise affiliates.

1.  It is too costly.

2.  It does not reach out to nearly the same volume of people that eBay does so most of your bidders on cMarket will likely already be committed donors.

3.  It needs to be monitored daily and may even require further advertising to publicize in your community.

Social Networking Utilities

Social Networking websites like Facebook, Myspace and Twitter have greatly increased in popularity, and have become an invaluable tool for organizations. They provide a low-cost, high-impact means of raising awareness and reaching new audiences, as well as maintaining existing relationships with those volunteers, donors and local community members already engaged and connected with Family Promise.

§  Facebook (www.facebook.com)

Facebook features a number of fundraising applications that your Network can place on its Facebook profile page: “Causes,” “ChipIn,” and “Fundraising,” among others. Each application works differently and depending on the application used you can fundraise directly through Paypal, Network for Good, various other online donation sites, or conventional direct mail methods. Supporters of your cause can place these applications on their own profiles, and continue to extend outreach to constituents who otherwise would not know of Family Promise.

Many affiliates such as Greenville, SC, Lubbock, TX, San Fernando Valley, CA and Jacksonville, FL are already utilizing their facebook profiles to provide network updates, recruit volunteers and fundraise. Check their pages out!

Keeping in touch with your Electronic Donors

E-Mail Blast software enables organizations to send bulk e-mails to many individuals at once, on the order of hundreds or thousands, depending on the software. Recent technology has enabled these programs to analyze who and how many people are opening these e-mails, the number of times each link in the e-mail is clicked, and a variety of other information that would help your Network focus its target group and determine which e-mail tactics are working best for recruitment and fundraising. Some available software is described below.

§  Blue Pogo (www.bluepogo.com)

Blue Pogo is an E-mail blast program that caters specifically to non-profit organizations allowing you to send messages to thousands of individuals at once. E-mail lists can be managed in Microsoft Excel and imported directly to the software.

You can customize templates, manage your lists and have access to a number of data-analyzing tools – to track who’s opened the e-mail and when, as well as which hyperlinks in the e-mail body were clicked on.

Blue Pogo bases its cost on the size of your Network’s mailing list, as well as the amount of use - consult their website, www.bluepogo.com, for further information.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Network Online Donation Service Providers

·  Paypal:

Family Promise of Montgomery (AL)

Family Promise Mat-Su (AK)

Family Promise of Greater Modesto (CA)

Family Promise of Sacramento (CA)

IHN of Colorado Springs (CO)

IHN of Greater Denver (CO)

Family Promise of Manatee County (Bradenton, FL)

Family Promise of Jacksonville (FL)

Family Promise of Sarasota (FL)

Family Promise of Pinellas County (St. Petersburg, FL)

IHN of Augusta (GA)

Family Promise of Gwinnett Cty (GA)

Family Promise of North Idaho (Coeur d’Alene, ID)

Family Promise of Lewis Clark Valley (Lewiston, ID)

Greater Fort Wayne IHN (IN)

Des Moines Area IHN (IA)

IHN of Northern Kentucky (Covington, KY)

IHN of Greater Worcester (MA)

Greater Grand Rapids IHN (MI)

Family Promise of Las Vegas (NV)

Family Promise of Reno/Sparks (NV)

Greater Nashua IHN (NH)

Family Promise of Monmouth County (NJ)

Sussex County IHN (NJ)

Family Promise of Nassau County (NY) Paypal and Google Checkout

Durham IHN (NC)

Greensboro IHN (NC)

Family Promise of Cabarrus County (NC)

IHN of Springfield (OH)

Family Promise of Greater Toledo (OH)

IHN of the Main Line (PA)

IHN of Natrona Heights (PA)

IHN of the Southwestern Pennsylvania (Pittsburgh, PA)

Greenville Area IHN (SC)

IHN of York County (SC)

IHN of Greater Chattanooga (TN)

Family Promise of Blount County (TN)

Family Promise of Greater Knoxville (TN)

Family Promise of Bryan-College Station (TX)

Family Promise of Lubbock (TX)

Family Promise of Seattle (WA)

Cheyenne IHN (WY)

Family Promise of South Palm Beach County (FL)

IHN of Greater Cleveland (OH)

Family Promise of San Fernando Valley (CA)

·  Network for Good:

Family Promise of Greater Phoenix (AZ)

Capital Interfaith Hospitality Network (Washington, DC)

IHN of Washtenaw County (Ann Arbor, MI)

Families Moving Forward (Minneapolis, MN)

Ocean Springs- Long Beach IHN (Biloxi, MS)

Family Promise of Gallatin Valley (Bozeman, MT)

IHN of Essex County (NJ)

IHN of Albuquerque (NM)

IHN of Greater Cincinnati (OH)

·  JustGive.org:

Family Promise of Northern New Castle County (DE)

Seacoast IHN (NH)

IHN of Ambler (PA)

Family Promise of Berks County (PA)

·  ETapestry.com:

Family Promise of Salt Lake (UT)

·  Skipjack ezPay:

Adams County IHN / Growing Home (CO)

·  Creativegivingsolutions.com:

Family Promise of Lawrence (KS)

·  Igivewhereilive.com:

Western Washington County IHN (Hillsboro, OR)

·  GiftWorks

Family Promise of Hawaii (HI)

For more information contact Jillian Twyford, IHN Program Services Manager, at (908) 273-1100 ext 20 or

10 Online Fundraising Basics You Need to Know

Online fundraising is the wave of the future. Already, it is making a dent in direct mail fundraising, and, as the “wired” generation matures, online may become the dominant form of fundraising.

The lesson is that if you have not started building your capacity to raise funds online, start now.

Here are some things you will want to think about.

1. Get legal with your online fundraising.

Just as with other types of fundraising, online solicitations must be registered with the appropriate officials. Check with your state attorney’s office or secretary of state office to find out the requirements in your state.

2. Market your online fundraising program.

It is not enough to just put a “donate now” button on your website and wait for the money to roll in. Promote your online capacity in your newsletters and include your website address on all of your collateral materials.

Include information about the online giving option in all of your direct mail campaign literature. Put together a special promotion for online giving using your email list and your mailing list.

3. Explore all your options for online fundraising.

Do you want to set up your own system and be able to process credit card transactions? Or do you want to engage a company that provides that service for you? Would you like to be able to offer recurring (preauthorized) donations to your supporters? Do you want to use another site to collect your online donations? Or use some of those sites in addition to your own?

4. Make sure your website invites online donations.

You don’t need a flashy website, but you do need an attractive one that is easy-to-understand and navigate. Consider too the various generations that will be using your site. Design it in a way that will please all ages.

5. Observe proper online etiquette in your online fundraising.

Don’t spam, and don’t look like a spammer. Don’t overwhelm your donors with too much email, and don’t use email to the exclusion of other methods of fundraising. Online fundraising should be only part of a well-balanced portfolio of strategies.

6. Provide lots of ways for people to donate - not just online.

Everyone has a preference...by mail, phone, online, even instant messaging or from their cell phones. Make sure you accommodate as many of them as possible.

Include information about planned giving options too.

7. Make sure that your website donation button is big and above the fold.

Your visitors should be able to locate it immediately. And, it does not have to say “Donate Now.” Other options include “Invest Now.”

8. Provide the opportunity for non-monetary contributions such as volunteer time.

Getting people to volunteer is one of the best methods of donor cultivation. Indeed, a study from the Association of Fundraising Professionals found that people who are asked to give of their time before being asked to donate will ultimately give more money to that organization.

9. Show real donors and specify how donations will help.

Include testimonials and photos of donors. Provide photos of people receiving help. Be liberal with success stories, stories about real people, and use plenty of inspirational photographs.

Provide information about how a specific level of donation will work; what each donation is buying and providing for your Network.

10. Create different campaigns for different audiences.

Develop versions of your email campaigns to fit targeted groups and then test. Break down a particular group into smaller groups, possibly based age or gender, and test different versions of your copy. Track the results and you will soon get a feel for what kinds of appeals work for whom.