Viral Fundraising – an Organic Phenomenon

It’s contagious. It’s bringing in new donors and extra funds. But it’s unpredictable and hard to control. It’s viral fundraising – when a story, e-mail, video, call to action or event catches fire online and is passed from person to person, creating a wave of response and giving. “It could be an e-mail. It could be a social network. It could be a video on YouTube. So when you use the term ‘it went viral,’ it merely means that people told their friends about it via word-of-mouth,” explains Madeline Stanionis, CEO of Watershed, a San Francisco-based online fundraising and advocacy company.

Read more: 5 Ways to Promote Viral Fundraising from Target Marketing magazine.