Solutions
Idease-Philanthropy: Leveraging the Internet to Grow Your Nonprofit Organization
Overview
When we talk about e-Philanthropy, most people immediately think of fundraising online and that little “Donate Now!” button on the website. Fundraising is important, but there are other ways to use technology to support your non-profit’s mission.
e-Philanthropy is Where Technology and Philanthropy Intersect
You can use technology for fundraising, volunteering, advocacy, research, activism, service delivery, marketing and collaboration. E-philanthropy features engage your website visitors and allows them to interact with your organization and transact business online. In this series of articles, we will look at using e-Philanthropy for fundraising, volunteering, advocacy, and event management.
Not all non-profits have benefited fully from the technological opportunities currently available. Some organizations are hesitant to invest in email and the web because they believe that large sums of money will not be raised online. While it is true that no software program can ever replace one-to-one relationships, a broad-based e-philanthropy approach can supplement and enhance traditional offline methods.
Online organizations use technology to build and nurture relationships with people in ways that mail, phone and fax don’t easily allow. They fully integrate online communication (mainly email and the web) into the way they work and communicate with their membership, colleagues, the public and the media.
Benefits of e-Philanthropy
Although a single organization will likely not implement all aspects of e-philanthropy, there are many benefits available in this technology:
Save time and money
Building and maintaining an effective e-philanthropy website can
be easily managed by a volunteer or group of volunteers. Many tools
now exist that allow web-novices to maintain state-of-the-art websites
with simple point-and-click interfaces.
Raise funds
Online fundraising is here to stay. It is estimated that one-third
of all giving will be online by 2010 (Chronicles of Philanthropy),
and the recent explosion of online giving in the wake of the Indian
Ocean tsunami stands as testament to the growing attraction and
ease of online giving. People want to be able to perform transactions
online. The online sales of books, music, travel and movie/event
tickets increases every year.
Lower Your Fundraising and Overhead Costs
Using the internet, you can streamline processes such as volunteer
management, fundraising (and thank yous!!), contribution tracking
and reporting, advocacy campaigns and events registration. If you
are able to move processes to the web, you will be able to keep
your staff focused on mission-critical objectives like fundraising
and client services & programs.
Attract Non-Cash Donations
Most non-profits accept non-cash or in-kind donations of things like
consulting, printing, food and equipment. Why not use the web to
facilitate the solicitation and acceptance of these items? This
also serves to free up staff time from these activities.
Recruit Qualified Personnel
The web will help you attract and recruit qualified personnel to
your organization. This can include employees, volunteers, management,
and board members.
People increasingly go to organizations’ websites to understand more about the organization and determine if it is a place they want to get involved with. Thus, you can represent your organization in a strong light and make sure people know they can apply for jobs or volunteer online.
Build a Stronger Community
The website can become a virtual meeting place for all of your constituents.
No matter if they are donors, clients, friends, community leaders,
foundations, everyone should feel they can get reliable, current
information about your organization on your website. Some non-profits
are instituting various organization-to-member and member-to-member
communication systems through their website, too.
Communicate More Effectively
Instead of relying on the mail system or telephones, organizations
can communicate with their constituents with email, e-newsletters
and alerts, instant messaging, blogs, and other forms of (mostly)
instantaneous communication. Imagine the power of your major donors
being kept up-to-date on various initiatives you are undertaking.
These forms of communication are essentially free, and are not
volume-sensitive. . . the cost remain the same even if you want
to reach thousands or hundreds of thousands of constituents. Additionally,
each communication can be personalized and customized for each
constituent.
It’s All About Your Mission
The benefits of e-philanthropy are compelling. . . but remember that it’s all about your mission. Your relationships with your constituents and some e-philanthropy tools will only strengthen (not replace!) your current processes for fundraising, volunteering, advocacy and event management.
It’s important to set realistic expectations. Although it is simple to add a “Donate Now!” button on your website, don’t expect to start having donations pour into your organization. Understand what the various components on an e-philanthropy strategy could be, and select those that fit for your organization. Create a plan, develop a reach, and build relationships.
Next: Features of the e-Philanthropy Website