Whoa, Nelly! Web 2.0 is Cool, But … By Peter Deitz At last month’s Nonprofit Technology Conference in New Orleans, nonprofit techies and professional fundraisers met up to discuss the emerging best practices for fundraising using social networks and social media. Their conversations were overwhelmed by one small detail. Few nonprofits have succeeded in raising large amounts of money using blogs, widgets and fundraising applications for social networks. Nine months since the high-profile launch of Facebook Causes and well over a year since the first articles on Web 2.0 fundraising started to appear, members of the nonprofit tech community seemed to be turning against the new-fangled tools for online fundraising. The traditional staples of online fundraising — a well-cultivated e-mail list, the ...

Times have changed. The new donors of today and the donors of tomorrow are far different than the donors many nonprofits have become accustomed to. These up and coming donors are tech savvy. They grew up with video games and the World Wide Web. They are comfortable completing entire conversations and interactions via e-mail or text message. They instant message and talk on their mobile phone while browsing the Internet and reading up on the latest news. According to Darryl Gordon, a vice president at Kintera in San Diego, this is a lifestyle not imagined or experienced by the typical ...

All to many nonprofit websites are making mistakes that discourage donors from browsing, donating, volunteering or referring others to the site. The good news is 62% of adults visit a nonprofit's site prior to making a donation (according to a recent online survey conducted by Harris Interactive). This is also the bad news. For many nonprofits, the quickest way to scare away donors is to direct them to the organizations' website. Here then, are four common blunders and how to avoid them. Click here to continue reading

Monthly giving plans are one of the best ways to reduce donor attrition and to upgrade an individual's giving level. In the next decade you will find that charities will increasingly look towards monthly donor programs to increase their income. In a report titled “Myths of Monthly Donor Programs” Canadian consultant Harvey McKinnon talks about how easy it is for a nonprofit to lose annual donors to those organizations with more aggressive monthly donor campaigns. “When a donor joins a monthly donor club it has consequences. She may even start reducing her single gift donations to other nonprofits — perhaps yours! — because she has committed a greater share of her charitable funds through monthly donor programs. Here’s an example to illustrate ...

The proliferation of the Internet is creating a new type of constituent that carries a different set of behaviors and opens a door to a larger group of potential fundraisers. Nonprofits know that the most engaged constituents can become some of the most successful fundraisers for the organization. According to Debbie Snyder, vice president professional services for Kintera in San Diego, the trick is capturing these online constituents, converting them to supporters, then converting the supporters to donors before finally converting donors to fundraisers. Avid Internet users are also more likely to share information with others online and the ...

Rule #1: Don't become invisible If you build it, they won't just come. Building an online brand is just as important and just as difficult as building an off-line brand. Rule #2: It takes "know how" and vision Your organization's website is a marketing and fundraising tool. NOT A TECHNOLOGY TOOL. Fundraisers and marketers need to be driving the content, not the web developer. Rule #3: It's all about the donor Put the Donor First! Know your contributors, let them get to know you. Rule #4: Keep savvy donors; stay fresh & current Make online giving enjoyable and easy. Give the donor options. Use the latest technology. Show your donor how their funds are being used. Rule #5: Integrate into everything you do Your website alone will do ...

PayPal has recently announced a nonprofit donation kit. We know many of you are looking for ways to either begin an online presence for donations or perhaps supplement an existing program. In this vein, and since they are certainly a household name worldwide, we bring you information on this new product and a limited promotion (information on their site) from PayPal. Disclaimer: This post is for informational purposes only. eJewish Philanthropy does not endorse any product, or vendor, nor do we accept paid advertising. Additional vendors for Online Fundraising can be found in our Resources section. More and more ...

In its whitepaper, “E-Philanthropy Strategy for Nonprofits — Cast a Wider Net,” nonprofit software and services provider Blackbaud suggests that nonprofits consider the questions donors and potential supporters ask most often during phone conversations, and make the answers easily accessible on their Web sites. Among them:

• What is your mission
• What community do you serve
• How would you use my donation
• How will you acknowledge my donation
• Do you need volunteers
• How do I get to your office
• Where do you get most of your funding
• How can I help
• What are the benefits of joining your organization
• What percentage of donations is dedicated to operating expenses
• When is your next fundraiser

Great video from the Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley about how their funds are allocated. The inspiration came from a group of young lay-leaders who were frustrated with how to explain and promote the Federation’s mission in an appealing and positive way.

"No gift touches more lives, including you own"

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Zb_51995i4&feature=user[/youtube]

Animation by David Hollin Music by The Flying Bulgar Klezmer Band Inspiration by Jacob Orrin and Tomer Kagan. Viral marketing by Oyster

tip of the hat to: facebook group

Wednesday Is the Best Day to E-Mail

The debate has raged for as long as e-mail marketing has existed: When is the best time to mail? As both marketing tactics have shifted and consumer behavior has evolved, the answers have varied. According to the “2007 Q3 Email Marketing” study from eROI, the latest “best day” to mail is Wednesday. The study found that the average open rate on Wednesdays was 25.4% with an average click-through rate of 3.9%. The numbers did vary from industry to industry. Creative execution, quality of mailing lists and offers also have a great deal to do with results. (source: eMarketer) and from Guidestar...

Is Your Organization Ready for ...