#fundraise.com

A nifty tool that lets you compare fundraising websites to see which site your nonprofit should use to raise money online.  

Peer-to-peer Fundraising Calculator compares the following sites:

Active.com

Blackbaud / Kintera Package 1

Blackbaud / Kintera Package 2

Causevox Impact

Causevox Starter

Causvox Pro

Convio (all custom)

CrowdRise Basic

CrowdRise Featured

CrowdRise Royale

FirstGiving,

Fundly Basic

Fundly Professional

fundraise.com

Gift Tool

Give2gether Advanced

Give2gether Basic

Give2gether Enterprise

Give2gether Premium

givezooks! (goal up to $2M)

givezooks! (goal up to $500K)

givezooks! (goal up to $5M)

Rally.org

RallyBound

Razoo

StayClassy Classy

StayClassy Classy Pro. 

Short of the long is that email isn’t going anywhere. And since it statistically takes 5 emails to get 1 donation, we feel you should put some renewed focus on your email fundraising tactics. 

1. Getting your email opened. What matters?

The Sender: People open email from folks they know. Write from a person; not a company.

You want the email to come from a person or brand your targeted reader knows and hopefully likes.

The Subject Line: People respond to a compelling/attention-grabbing subject line; the more useful and specific it is, the better.

Shoot for 40 characters and be careful of exclamation points and all caps to keep out of spam folders.

The Contents: Send quality content and your recipient will both enjoy your email and open your future emails. 

The first sentence or two is often especially important as many people use a preview pane. Keep these sentences consistent with the subject line and make sure they reinforce your message.  If your email is action oriented, include a link to your Fundraise.com page or such that will allow readers to actually take the requested action.

2. Spam filters. How do you stay out of them?

Develop a content strategy: Good content trumps everything else. But if you get a reputation for spamming with junk, then you’ll be treated as spam (in other words, you need a content strategy for all your communications).

Know your recipient:(Or at least know they’ve asked to hear from you). Your readers will add you to their address book if they want you; that will keep you out of spam all together.  

  3. Email lists. How do you build them?

Website Prominence: Make the sign-up box for your email list prominent, obvious, and inviting. 

Give reason: Use social proof or an engaging tease to entice users to join email list. Why should they want to hear from you?

4. Format & Design. What works best?

Device:Consider how your reader will likely be accessing the email - desktop vs. mobile, etc – and choose your format accordingly.

Function: Test the email across multiple email clients and devices to assure it displays as intended.

Contents: Use images that support your copy. You know what they say, pictures are worth 1,000 words. It’s also usually a good idea to avoid attachments as they may trigger spam filters.

5. Integration. How should email connect to marketing?

Keep it Consist: Keep your message consistent across channels. Sure, twitter may require a slightly different format than Facebook, and email may need a bit more content than Facebook, but keep the messaging the same. 

Urban Improv is a nonprofit located in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood of Boston, MA.  Their goal is to utilize improvisational theatre to provide a medium for at risk youth to discover self-exploration, self-expression, and critical decision making.  With their innovative and interactive curriculum, Urban Improv help develop problem solving, cooperation, and leadership skills their students build upon for their futures.  By putting their students in challenging, real life situations, Urban Improv's program is "a rehearsal for life."

Fundraise.com spoke to the Urban Improv team via email to find out more about their efforts and initiatives.

How did the Urban Improv get its start?

Urban Improv got it starts 20 years ago when the founders Kippy Dewey, Toby Dewey and Lisa Schmid saw a great need to work with BPS around issues of violence. 

What motivates you in your fundraising efforts?

What motivates us in terms of fundraising is providing quality programs for children in our Boston community to supplement their academic work; it is 100% about giving to children whose lives matter, yet need the support and experiences to give them powerful voices, strong decision making skills and a belief in themselves.

What is your favorite part of working with UI?

Favorite part of working with UI is the range of kids we serve -- 4th - 8th grade.

Who benefits from your fundraising efforts?

Over 7,000 students in the greater Boston area benefit from our workshops each year.

What advice do you have for aspiring fundraisers?

My primary advice for aspiring young fundraisers is to sharpen your personal skills and have a passion for your cause. 

What goals are you trying to reach by fundraising?

Goals for fundraising are determined by what are revenue needs are for the year to cover the costs of the nonprofits expenses;  to this end, about 50% is raised via annual fundraiser; 30% individual gifts and the rest from grants and foundation gifts.

Do you have any additional notes or stories about your cause you would like to share?

Urban Improv is blessed because of its loyal donors, volunteers and committmed staff.  Without ALL of their belief in the at risk children of Boston UI would never work.  Our work matters!

Monday marked the 7th Annual Green Mountain Wireless Open, started by Catherine Drouin in memory of her father, Wallace E. Andreson Jr., who lost his battle to cancer on March 23, 1999 and her Mother, Renee Andreson, who underwent treatment in February 2003 at Dana Farber Cancer Institute for stage IV throat cancer.  

The annual golf tournament benefits the Jimmy Fund, Dana Farber’s principal fundraising arm that supports the lifesaving work at DFCI. Dana-Farber is one of the top cancer hospitals in the nation, providing expert compassionate care to children and adults with cancer while advancing the understanding, diagnosis, treatment, cure, and prevention of cancer and related diseases. 

Catherine credits Dana Farber for saving her mother’s life. “She was at Stage IV throat cancer, and she was not in good health at all,” says Catherine. “We met with Dr. Marshall R. Posner who recommended a new cancer treatment program called inductive chemotherapy, a clinical trial. Although my Mom was not the best candidate for inductive chemotherapy, Dr. Posner fought for my Mom and convinced his colleagues to let her into the clinical trial… Thanks to Dana Farber’s research and Dr. Posner’s compassion, I am still enjoying my Mom who has been cancer free since September 2003.”

Dana-Farber is transforming scientific discoveries into innovative therapies for patients around the world and designing programs that promote public health, particularly among high-risk and underserved populations. 

Fundraise.com would like to congratulate Catherine and her golfers who raised over $38,000 for Dana Farber Cancer Institute – a 22% increase in dollars raised and a 50% increase in sponsorship dollars from last year!

The Jimmy Fund is the official charity of the Boston Red Sox, the Pan Mass Challenge, Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association, and Variety Children’s Charity of New England. 

As the quarter winds down and the planning turns up during summer, here are 5 tips to consider for successful nonprofit fundraising.   

Communicate Regularly: Communicating with your supporters through regular newsletters that highlight your organizations’ accomplishments, updates, new & ongoing campaigns and fiscal transparency will help bond supporters to your mission and build loyalty while keeping your cause at the forefront of their minds. Ask supporters for their newsletter frequency preference, but generally speaking, one to two carefully timed issues every 4-6 weeks is acceptable. While every newsletter can feature a “donate” button, not every newsletter should be a formal ask. Think about it, would you be excited to hear from a friend or colleague who asked you for something every time they wrote you an email? Probably not.  

Focus on Strengthening Your Community: The community you build around your organization is both the backbone and communal face of your nonprofit. It includes donors, volunteers, members, regular patrons, etc. They have become part of your community because your organization interests them. They have given of their time or their money because they want to see your organization prosper; it is crucial to genuinely engage with these people not only because of the strength in numbers they can bring to your organization, but also because they are great advocates for your cause in the community and can reach out to potential volunteers and donors to grow both bases. Take care of this important group and encourage & listen to the valuable feedback they amass.

Say Thank You: “Thank you” – two very simple words that go a very long way. Most all organizations associate a “thank you” with a donation or a tax-deductible receipt, but think about other ways to thank your tribe of supporters. Formal get-togethers like breakfasts and cocktail hours are great ideas, but thanks to technology today there are also plenty of inexpensive ways to show your appreciation – Facebook and Twitter are a great way to thank both groups and individuals for their time and energy. Post photos with volunteers tagged for their friends to see or tweet at individuals who went the extra mile. Showing appreciation for even the smallest acts furthers your mission and leaves a lasting, positive online impression.

Clean-up Your Website: Your website is the face of your organization online and many times, it will the first impressions your organization makes on a savvy potential donor. A nonprofit website can make or break a supporter’s perception of the organization and can impact whether or not they chose to support you. Review your existing site and ensure that the following vital components are integrated:  1) Your ‘Donate’ button is easy to find, functions properly and is on the first page; 2) Make the purpose, mission, and urgency of your organization obvious on the first page, with links to additional experiences and stories; 3) Make sure your website is clean, easy to navigate, and provides a positive user experience while telling your story; 4) Optimize your website for viewing on mobile devices. In 2011, more people spent time on their mobile device than on their PC and it is expected that by 2013, more consumers will access the web from a mobile device than a PC or laptop. (If you need help going mobile, Fundraise.com can be of assistance – our website is completely responsive for optimal mobile experience. Give us a call); 5) Allow supporters to sign up to receive regular newsletters about your organization – put the burden on yourselves to contact potential donors and keep them in the loop on happenings rather than hoping they’ll return to your site on their own. 

Move the Strategy Online: Obviously at Fundraise.com, many of our past blog posts have focused on the importance of Online Giving and Social Media due to the tremendous growth seen in these platforms and our involvement in the space. According to the latest Blackbaud Index, from July to November of 2011 online giving saw double-digit growth in percentages over 2010. Yet despite these results, there are still many nonprofits that are intimidated and overwhelmed by moving the strategy online. Completely understandable, and we are here to help.  Feel free to contact us directly via email at [email protected] or on the phone at 857.445.4165.

The Wildlife Waystation is a non-profit located in the Angeles National forest, north of the San Fernando Valley section of Los Angeles.  Established over 35 years ago, the organization is a holding rehabilitation, medical and problem solving refuge for wild, exotic animals.  They are determined to accept any animal, no matter the reasoning, free of charge.  The Wildlife Waystation is supported through donations, bequests, fundraising events, memberships, and animal sponsorship programs alone.

How did Wildlife Waystation get its start?

Founded in 1976, by Martine Colette, the Wildlife Waystation is an internationally known, non-profit sanctuary that rescues, rehabilitates, provides medical care and when needed, provides permanent sanctuary for native wildlife and exotic animals.  In 36 years, 76,000 animals have come through our sanctuary from Ireland, New Zealand, Canada and across the United States.

What motivates the Wildlife Waystation in its fundraising efforts?

The motivation for fundraising can be described in two words – “the animals.”  Providing food, medical care, enrichment and maintaining enclosures and the surrounding grounds cost in excess of $150,000 a month.

What is a favorite part of working with Wildlife Waystation?

Knowing that all our efforts help the animals and having an opportunity to be so close to wild and exotic animals is a bonus few jobs provide.  

Who benefits from your fundraising efforts?

Certainly “our” animals benefit as fundraising is what keeps us going.   However, educating the public about why exotic animals should not be considered as “pets” and how to co-exist with native wildlife has always been a priority. Our trained staff is ready to answer any call when someone finds a baby bird or any other injured or orphaned native wildlife and our trained volunteers, often with some of our educational animals, attend events and make presentations before civic organizations and in schools to provide information on these important topics. 

What advice do you have for aspiring fundraisers?

Identify your needs, find the proper methods to convey them to your target audience – and have the passion to convey the message.

What goals are you trying to reach by fundraising?

Our goals are to continue to provide care for the over 400 animals in our care, continue our efforts to help more animals in the future and continue to broaden our educational programs to both children and adults.

Do you have any additional notes or stories about your cause you would like to share?

Our animals come from a variety of situations and places;  Two orphaned grizzly cubs from Montana, malnourished tigers from Ireland, chimpanzees from biomedical research, 23 lions and 3 ligers from Idaho or an owl that had been used as target practice by some kids.  The Wildlife Waystation gave sanctuary and medical care to all of them and while the recession has had a serious, negative impact on all non-profits including the Wildlife Waystation, we remain  committed to care for these animals and any others in need.

For more on the Wildlife Waystation please visit: Online Animal Fundraising

        According to Scripps Howard News Service, thousands of charities do not accurately report to the Internal Revenue Service how they raise money.

Of the nearly 38,000 nonprofits that brought in at least $1 million in gifts, 41 percent reported to the IRS that they spent no money doing so. In total, those groups raised $116.7 billion. 

Robert Ottenhoff, head of GuideStar, was quoted in on Philanthropy.com as saying, “It is ridiculous to think an organization could raise significant amounts of money without spending money to do it.” GuideStar provided data for the investigation.

Many charity leaders say they are under pressure from donors to minimize overhead costs, which include fundraising. However, several organizations said they will re-evaluate how they report those costs in the wake of the study, which examined charities’ most recently available informational tax returns.

Nonprofit organizations often find themselves in challenging situations much different than for-profit businesses; yet many times their end goal is extremely similar – earn money in an effective and efficient manner. 

At Fundraise.com our goal is to help both small and large organizations raise more money while spending less money to achieve success. Yes, there are definitely costs associated with fundraising, but Fundraise.com aims to keep both human and technology costs to a minimum by including design, emails, analytics, reporting, event tools, CRM/donor management, processing and tech support into our fee. 

At Fundraise.com we recognize that you’re only as strong as your network. That said, LinkedIn has a worldwide network of over 150 million–members. If you’re looking to tap into this rapidly growing community, it’s important to focus on the right kinds of activities that will yield the best results.

Here are 5 tips to help grow your LinkedIn network:

#1: Build Connections Constantly

One of the best things you can focus on in growing and engaging your LinkedIn network is constantly looking for connection opportunities. You can do this by searching through:

Email Contacts – LinkedIn allows you import all of your email contacts to see whom you know who’s already using LinkedIn

Alumni Connections – By entering the schools you attended into your LinkedIn profile you can scroll through lists of people in your class and others.  You can also narrow the alumni selections by geographical location. 

People You May Know – LinkedIn recently enhanced it’s “People You May Know” feature. Take advantage of this opportunity to review who you may know and send them a personalized invitation to connect.

  #2: Update Your Status 

Only one-third of LinkedIn members visit the site every day, and another one-third of members visit the network several times a week.

When you log into LinkedIn, notice each time who shows up in your home feed. Most likely you will see the same few people frequently. Active LinkedIn users will show up more frequently in your home feed.

These individuals are getting more visibility because they are more active. You can do the same if you commit to staying active on the network. This is a subtle but powerful way to build influence with your network connections.

If you make the commitment to become more active in the network, you have a real opportunity to shine! It takes time, effort and dedication, but the payoff from staying top of mind can be significant in developing new introductions, relationships and business opportunities.

#3: Become an Active Member

Here are a few ideas on how to be an active LinkedIn member:

Update your status on the LinkedIn site, itself, versus using third-party tools so that you have full control over your message to expand engagement.

Share and comment on the updates of your first-, second- and third-degree connections. 

Send an invitation to connect to at least one new person per day.

Start and/or participate in LinkedIn Group Discussions regularly.

Answer questions on “LinkedIn Answers” regularly.

Comment on profile updates from the companies you follow on LinkedIn.

Important note: Be careful about sharing your tweets directly on LinkedIn. When you do this, you don’t give your LinkedIn network connections any opportunity to engage with you within LinkedIn.

When you send a tweet to LinkedIn, your network connections are unable to engage with your update within LinkedIn. Instead, if they click "Reply" or "Retweet," they'll be taken to Twitter. There may be some value in saving time and increasing visibility by doing this, but realize no further engagement will take place within LinkedIn.

Be selective about the tweets you choose to send automatically into LinkedIn from your Twitter account. Sending all of your tweets into LinkedIn can get very annoying for your connections.

#4: Join and Participate in LinkedIn Groups

LinkedIn Groups are one of the most active areas of the network and the participation stats are quite compelling. LinkedIn Groups allow you to:

Quickly discover the most popular discussions in your professional groups.

Have an active part in determining the top discussions by liking and commenting.

Follow the most influential people in your groups by checking the Top Influencers board or clicking their profile image to see all their group activity.

See both member-generated discussions and news in one setting.

Easily browse previews of the last three comments in a discussion.

Find interesting discussions by seeing who liked a discussion and how many people commented.

Be careful not to over commit to too many LinkedIn Groups. Pick three to five groups that make sense for you to be actively involved. 

LinkedIn has made it much easier to find groups within the network that might be valuable for you to join through the new LinkedIn Group Search feature.

#5: Be Mindful of What You Share

What you share on LinkedIn matters. This is what will define you as a trusted authority within your industry and with your target markets. The key is to share news, articles, insights, and opinions that are relevant to your connections to attract and grow the right audience.

Be aware that when you post something that is “share-worthy,” members of your extended network can see it and share it, as well, increasing your visibility significantly because you gain exposure to their connections.

As LinkedIn, itself, continues to develop and add new features, it’s important to refresh your engagement strategy to ensure you’re leveraging all of their features.