Comments on: Using Blogging to Fundraise http://www.asmallchange.net/using-blogging-to-fundraise/ Making sense of fundraising for non-profits. Thu, 11 Mar 2010 19:57:23 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Wild Apricot Blog : Carnival of Nonprofit Consultants - Best web 2.0 and social networking tools for nonprofits http://www.asmallchange.net/using-blogging-to-fundraise/comment-page-1/#comment-52663 Wild Apricot Blog : Carnival of Nonprofit Consultants - Best web 2.0 and social networking tools for nonprofits Tue, 15 Sep 2009 17:14:06 +0000 http://www.asmallchange.net/?p=28#comment-52663 [...] 1. Jason at A Small Change- Fundraising Blog tells us how blogging can help us fundraise, increase our visibility and how technology can be used to engage new... [...] [...] 1. Jason at A Small Change- Fundraising Blog tells us how blogging can help us fundraise, increase our visibility and how technology can be used to engage new… [...]

]]> By: David Thulson http://www.asmallchange.net/using-blogging-to-fundraise/comment-page-1/#comment-79 David Thulson Tue, 08 Jan 2008 22:05:06 +0000 http://www.asmallchange.net/?p=28#comment-79 While I hope you wouldn't do this, I wouldn't read a blog that is constantly asking for donations or volunteers or whatever. It seems like letting people know about needs is good, and a blog is potentially a helpful way to do that. However, I think it's more important that you have good content describing what your organization does, and most of all that shows that your organization does something worthwhile. You obviously care about the organization, so your audience will too without you having to play too many games. Explain why you care about it enough to do the fundraising for the organization. Do something meaning, tell people about it in a professional manner, and let them know how they can help. As kind of a side note: if/when you do explicitly mention fundraising or ask for donations, make sure you include direct links to information about how people can contribute or even a direct link to an online donations page if your organization does that. There is nothing more frustrating than being ready and willing to take some action, only to have to go dig through several pages to find out how to actually do it. Direct links can help to get rid of that. Actually, in case you don't have something like this already, a page that includes your organizations needs and clear instructions for how people can contribute is really important. My experience with that is people contributing time/skills to an open source project, but I expect it is very similar for people contributing financially to non-profits. Also, I'm not sure if by "fundraising" you mean individual donations or something more like large-scale corporate sponsorships or what. Maybe this won't apply to you, but hopefully that is of some value... While I hope you wouldn’t do this, I wouldn’t read a blog that is constantly asking for donations or volunteers or whatever. It seems like letting people know about needs is good, and a blog is potentially a helpful way to do that. However, I think it’s more important that you have good content describing what your organization does, and most of all that shows that your organization does something worthwhile. You obviously care about the organization, so your audience will too without you having to play too many games. Explain why you care about it enough to do the fundraising for the organization. Do something meaning, tell people about it in a professional manner, and let them know how they can help.

As kind of a side note: if/when you do explicitly mention fundraising or ask for donations, make sure you include direct links to information about how people can contribute or even a direct link to an online donations page if your organization does that. There is nothing more frustrating than being ready and willing to take some action, only to have to go dig through several pages to find out how to actually do it. Direct links can help to get rid of that. Actually, in case you don’t have something like this already, a page that includes your organizations needs and clear instructions for how people can contribute is really important. My experience with that is people contributing time/skills to an open source project, but I expect it is very similar for people contributing financially to non-profits. Also, I’m not sure if by “fundraising” you mean individual donations or something more like large-scale corporate sponsorships or what. Maybe this won’t apply to you, but hopefully that is of some value…

]]> By: Michael Ben-Nes http://www.asmallchange.net/using-blogging-to-fundraise/comment-page-1/#comment-53 Michael Ben-Nes Thu, 03 Jan 2008 10:11:18 +0000 http://www.asmallchange.net/?p=28#comment-53 Hi Jason, If you are interested in a new alternative for online fundraising, take a look at GiveStream ( http://www.givestream.com ). It offers a set of free and easy-to-use online fundraising and community-building tools that help nonprofits create their own branded easy giving center. Ill be happy to discuss this further with you. Hi Jason,

If you are interested in a new alternative for online fundraising, take a look at GiveStream ( http://www.givestream.com ). It offers a set of free and easy-to-use online fundraising and community-building tools that help nonprofits create their own branded easy giving center.

Ill be happy to discuss this further with you.

]]> By: Leo http://www.asmallchange.net/using-blogging-to-fundraise/comment-page-1/#comment-36 Leo Thu, 03 Jan 2008 00:39:23 +0000 http://www.asmallchange.net/?p=28#comment-36 “Ask, is blogging a good way to connect with our audience?” That line skips a step. Who’s your audience? Specifically is a blog the right way to connect with them? If you write it, will they come? No guarantees. A CEO can blog up a storm, but if it’s not reaching the intended audience, what’s the point? A blog is nothing more, or less, than a communications tool. It’s an appropriate tool for many things, and the wrong tool for many more. Examples: You might use a blog to keep major donors informed. Perhaps it’s a way to keep politically minded supporters informed of efforts and opportunities. Perhaps it’s a way to keep peers (other NP’s) informed of your efforts, or to spark inter-organization discussions. It is a good way to connect with your actual clientèle? THAT depends on what you are - social service agency? Probably not appropriate. An arts organization? Could be dramatically effective. Blogging isn’t something you do, it’s a tool you use while doing something else: communicate with an audience. Understanding that audience is key to being effective. “Ask, is blogging a good way to connect with our audience?”

That line skips a step.

Who’s your audience?

Specifically is a blog the right way to connect with them?
If you write it, will they come? No guarantees.

A CEO can blog up a storm, but if it’s not reaching the
intended audience, what’s the point?

A blog is nothing more, or less, than a communications tool.
It’s an appropriate tool for many things, and the wrong tool
for many more.

Examples: You might use a blog to keep major donors
informed. Perhaps it’s a way to keep politically minded
supporters informed of efforts and opportunities. Perhaps
it’s a way to keep peers (other NP’s) informed of your
efforts, or to spark inter-organization discussions.

It is a good way to connect with your actual clientèle?
THAT depends on what you are – social service agency?
Probably not appropriate. An arts organization? Could be
dramatically effective.

Blogging isn’t something you do, it’s a tool you use while
doing something else: communicate with an audience.

Understanding that audience is key to being effective.

]]> By: Chris D. http://www.asmallchange.net/using-blogging-to-fundraise/comment-page-1/#comment-34 Chris D. Wed, 02 Jan 2008 17:52:07 +0000 http://www.asmallchange.net/?p=28#comment-34 To add my $.02 to this...I agree with quoted comment "Don't ask 'should we blog'"...however, blogs are the new cell phone. Everybody has one, everybody thinks there's is the coolest, and everybody wants your number. Just having a blog doesn't make you stand out. What can you do to make yours unique? What are you going to provide to me, the reader, that goes beyond "Uh, we need cash to fund our program, here's the project we did last weekend." Think about the reader selfishly. What are THEY going to get from it? What can you give them for their most precious commodity, time? What's the over the top thing that seperates you from every other company blog out there? Seth Godin (http://sethgodin.typepad.com/) coins this "The Purple Cow." As in, cows are boring...you see a lot of them on the side of the road. But what if you saw a Purple cow? Wouldn't that be amazing, and something to tell everyone about? ~Chris To add my $.02 to this…I agree with quoted comment “Don’t ask ’should we blog’”…however, blogs are the new cell phone. Everybody has one, everybody thinks there’s is the coolest, and everybody wants your number. Just having a blog doesn’t make you stand out.

What can you do to make yours unique? What are you going to provide to me, the reader, that goes beyond “Uh, we need cash to fund our program, here’s the project we did last weekend.”

Think about the reader selfishly. What are THEY going to get from it? What can you give them for their most precious commodity, time? What’s the over the top thing that seperates you from every other company blog out there?

Seth Godin (http://sethgodin.typepad.com/) coins this “The Purple Cow.” As in, cows are boring…you see a lot of them on the side of the road. But what if you saw a Purple cow? Wouldn’t that be amazing, and something to tell everyone about?

~Chris

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