How to Raise Money Online with My Donation Page

Tips for Making the Most from Your Crowd-Fundraising Campaign

In order to maximize revenue from your crowd-funding campaign, be sure your non-profit does the following three things:
 

#1 – Create a Compelling Page

The best way to get new donors to support your cause through crowd-funding sites is by creating an emotional, compelling donation page.  Use pictures and videos where possible, tell an amazing story, and explain to people exactly how much you need and what the money will be used for.  Remember, you are sharing your story with your family and friends, and they need to see the sincerity in your request. 
 

#2 – Start With Your Own Network

It’s imperative to launch your online fundraising effort by reaching out to your own network of friends and family first.  Ask them to let their family and friends know about the donation page, and to ask their entire network to donate to the cause.  Start with your close circles and then watch as the circle of followers, supporters, and donors expands!
 

#3 – Publicize the Effort

You also want to publicize your donation page as much as possible.  Post it on the front page of your personal and/or organization's website or social media page.  Find a popular local business or figurehead to endorse your donation page! If it is a donation page that will benefit the community, get your local media involved by suggesting story angles.  Take every opportunity to spread the word and get people talking about your project.

To raise money for a good cause, you have to start with ... a GOOD CAUSE.  Be sincere and be compelling!  Once you get the ball rolling with donations from your family and friends, you will see the fruits of your labor expand into the outer circle of social media, where new donors and supporters will join your cause and contribute to your fundraising goal. 
 

 

Crowdfunding for Non-profits

Crowdfunding websites are the innovative driving force behind online fundraising.  Hundreds of new crowdfunding sites have emerged, some specifically set up to help non-profits.  If you are a non-profit, and you are thinking of starting an online fundraising campaign, here are some things to consider.

 

Which Site to Choose

Some of these sites, like Fundraise.com, CauseVox and Fundly were set up specifically to help non-profits raise money to support their causes.  Others, like GoFundMe, MyDonationPage, and Kickstarter, aren’t non-profit specific, but can be used by charities and non-profits to raise money for a specific event or goal that supports their mission. 

 

What Crowdfunding Sites Are

While features differ from site to site, at their most basic crowd-funding sites are websites that allow your non-profit to set up an online fundraising campaign based around a fundraising page, and accept money directly from that page using the website’s third party payment processor (like PayPal).    Many of these sites will also allow individuals to set up fundraising pages on behalf of charities they want to support, and others will allow your non-profit to set up a master page for your campaign and then allow your supporters to set up tangential pages that they can use to get their friends and colleagues to donate a portion of the goal of your master campaign. 

What Crowd-Funding Sites Are Not

Many non-profits that find out about crowdfunding websites get very excited.  Easy money! Right?? Well, crowdfunding sites can definitely help, but they can't solve all your financial woes.  The nature of crowdfunding is literal-you need a very large crowd to fund your project fully.  Most likely, that won't happen in a 30-day campaign.  However, since online fundraising is marketed via social media like blogs, Facebook, and Twitter, it can definitely get the word out about your project and your charity/non-profit, and hopefully hook potential recurring donors/contributors!

 

Which Crowd-Funding Site will Work For You?

 

If you’re interested in using a crowd-funding site for your next fundraising campaign, be sure to shop around.  Each site offers different features, costs, and benefits.  Here are some of the key things to watch out for:

 

1.  Appearance

What do the fundraising pages look like?  Are they pretty and appealing?   Can you upload pictures or videos?

2.  Ease of Use

How easy is it to set up a fundraising page?  Will donors be able to navigate easily to your "donate" button? 

3.  Payment Processing

What payment methods can donors use to make donations to your organization?  Do they use a trusted payment processor like PayPal or WePay? Do they take all major credit cards?  How about e-checks?  How long does it  take for donations made on the site to reach your organization’s bank account?

4.  Fees

What is the total cost of using this fundraising platform?  Is there a monthly fee? Set-up fees?  Credit card processing fees?  Standard flat fee? 

5.  Marketing and Social Networking Capabilities

What tools does the site provide to help you spread the word about your fundraiser?  How easily is it to link and promote your fundraising page on social networking sites?  Can your supporters set up their own pages to support your cause, and have the money funneled back to you and apply to your overall fundraising goals?

6.  Traction

Does this site have traction?  (In other words, are people using this site to make donations, and are non-profits successfully raising money through this platform?)  You want to use a site that at least has a decent amount of traction and traffic.  Ideally, people come to the site to browse for causes to support… that way, you may get donations from folks who you don’t know, and who simply find you on the site.

 

Crowdfunding is a great resource for charities and non-profits.  With a little time spent researching and surfing, you will find a site that suits you.  And then, ... happy fundraising!

Crowdfunding for Businesses

Thinking about starting a crowdfunding campaign for your business?  That's probably a pretty good idea.  Crowdfunding has proven to be a successful tool for entrepreneurs.  But you'll only get out as much as you put in...into your marketing, that is. The key to successful crowdfunding is reaching the world with aggressive and attractive marketing that pulls in donors.  Are you ready to market? 

Check out this article at Forbes:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/wilschroter/2014/02/04/why-crowdfunding-websites-work/

RAK

Random Acts of Kindness - you are probably familiar with the trend.  Do one good deed a day for a random stranger, and hope they pay it forward!  Seems simple enough.  But is it?  If it were so simple, it wouldn't be a trend; it would be a daily habit.  But unfortunately, with today's addiction to social media and self-gratification, it's more about sharing your RAK on Facebook than about the actual good deed.

Matthew 6: 1-4 tells us:
"Beware of practicing your righteousness before me to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven."

"When you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving will be in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you."

So give freely, altruistically, and secretly, so that you may reap the the real reward, not the real-time reward online.

WHAT KIND OF "GIVER" ARE YOU--TRUE OR FALSE?

 

(Is this a trick question?)

 

There are many types of Givers.  There are the Grudge Givers, who hate giving and do so with resentment.  There are the Duty Givers, who give reluctantly out of a sense of obligation.  And there are Thanks Givers, who give because they are thankful for what they have and they wish to share the joy of plenty with others. 

 

But is the Thanks Giver to be revered?  Depends.  What are their true intentions?  It is easy to be a Thanks Giver when you have an abundance of money or possessions to give away.  At least the Duty Giver recognizes a moral obligation to help others in need, even if he gives from a place of reluctance.  Yet still, giving motivated by obligation or duty, or even abundance, is a false charity.  

 

Why give at all, unless your giving is selfless and sincere?  If giving does not bring you joy, or worse, brings about hate or resentment,  then you should not be a giver.  Keep all your worldly possessions for yourself so that you may be happy.

 

But when you find that your happiness stems from sincere charity to others instead of worldly possession kept for yourself, you will be rewarded twice over, for you then you will experience the true joy of giving and an overflowing abundance of happiness that stems from your compassionate acts of kindness.  Then, dear friends, you have become a True Giver. 

Please Give

 

Don't think you can afford to give?  Giving is not limited to coins.  Give your time, your compassion, and your love, and all will reap the benefits!

Be the Reason