The internet has merged into the fabric of our lives over the last decade and many of the fundamental activities have been taken online. One of them is fundraising. Fundraising has mostly been a community thing till recently but with the relatively recent international calamities such as the Tsunami and Katrina has bought around a huge fundraising exercise online with a large percentage of success.
A decade ago it would have been hard to convince someone to donate online or to expect to raise funds via the internet. The permeation of internet has made this idea come of age and today more and more organizations either big or small are venturing in this direction. What started off as a small effort to get a close knit community to contribute has now become a substantial movement where any organization looking to raise funds for a cause is turning to the internet as a valid forum.
One of the key reasons of success of online fundraising has been the low cost of set up and the vast group of people who can be tapped for requests for contribution. Technology is an excellent enabler for such ideas and today there are companies dedicated to developing solutions for the fundraising industry.
So if your organization is looking for raising funds for a worthy cause and are not sure of how to create interest in it, then you should definitely give online fundraising a chance. Online fundraising does not mean asking someone to contribute just because the money is needed. Instead it can be made fun where a game or a challenge can be marketed and all money received though this channel would be used for the cause in hand. Many a times, it is also possible to get corporate sponsorship for such kind of fundraising ideas.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/do-online-fundraising-ideas-work-66451.html
About the AuthorWendy Carmile can get your fundraising idea juices flowing with her exclusive articles at: fundraising ideas and creative fundraising ideas.
1. Increased Reach
Email makes it possible to contact supporters, family, and friends from different geographic locations as well as those within close proximity. Fundraising campaigns can now reach potential supporters from coast to coast and not just those at arms length.
2. Increased Safety
Since there is no door-to-door selling involved in an online fundraising campaign, there is no need to approach strangers when asking for money. The added safety of using the internet to fundraise brings a sense of relief to parents as well as team members.
3. Reduced Risk
A burden faced with many traditional fundraisers is the potential cost associated with left-over inventory. A referral or affiliate program is an example of an online fundraiser where there is no need to purchase or carry inventory. Your group is paid for referring products regardless of the quantity you sell. There is no longer a need to purchase large quantities of inventory that you may never be able to sell.
4. Add Variety, Customization & Creativity
Unique web based services give teams the opportunity to create customized goods from T-shirts, to team posters and calendars. Traditional fundraising products are outdated and carry little benefit or value to your supporters. The internet brings with it so much more choice in terms of items you can sell in order to fundraise. You can now fundraise with books, travel, magazines, sheet music, board games, movie passes and much, much more.
5. Reduced Costs
Running an online fundraising campaign can be very inexpensive. Email accounts are free and many companies offer free website hosting packages. With referral programs the merchant is responsible for carrying the inventory, shipping the products and any costs associated with the online transaction including credit card processing.
6. Speed of Success
Most web based fundraising programs provide you with instantaneous real-time tracking of sales and lead conversions. Additionally, it is so quick and easy to email a promotion your supporters.
7. Ease of Coordination of Effort
A traditional fundraiser usually involves purchasing inventory, handing out inventory, counting and managing stock, delivering goods sold, organizing volunteers, and booking rental space. An online fundraiser can all be done in front of a computer using email and your website as a communications tool.
8. Results
Because most online programs are free to set up and join having only one sale will usually result in a profit, or will more than likely cover all of the costs associated with your campaign. With some online fundraising campaigns there is no break-even point to worry about and normally no minimum number of sales is required to insure a profit.
9. Fun
Surfing and shopping online is not only fun for your group but your supporters as well. They will take pride in supporting your group and have the opportunity to conveniently purchase items they can actually use and benefit from.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/advice-articles/9-reasons-your-group-should-be-fundraising-online-64042.html
About the AuthorAyana Forward is the author of Raise Money…Without Selling: Effective Web Based Fundraising. Visit InstepFundraising.com for more information on online fundraising programs including 5 project plans.