If you’re like many of the nonprofit folks who read my blog, every dollar you raise is important.  You’re looking for every opportunity to raise money for your good cause.  And right you should.

Here’s something I ran across recently that I thought you might be interested in if you haven’t seen it yet.  It’s called Microgiving.

Microgiving is a crowd funding website that lets you raise money online to fund a project, cause or entrepreneurial idea. If you’re looking to raise money, set up a crowdfunding campaign. This allows you to test your concept from day one. In addition to providing you with funding, you can even link to an existing website or Facebook profile from Microgiving, which will help give your site more credibility to visitors, and will help in boosting your traffic, which means more money in your pocket!

To learn more or create a campaign, click sign up. Good luck!

You’ve stuck your toe in the water to see how it feels, but you remain noncommittal. You don’t want to be left behind, but you either aren’t sure what to do or aren’t willing to invest the time (or money) to do it well. After all, everyone else is on Facebook, so you have to be there too, right?

Here are some surefire signs that you are an amateur Fundraiser online:

1. Your nonprofit doesn’t have a website. A website is a MUST for every nonprofit. Most people will check you out online before they decide to make a gift. If you don’t have a website, you don’t appear to be taking yourself seriously. Potential donors are likely to move on to someone else.

2. Your website is obviously outdated, with information about events that happened over a year ago. It’s not enough to just have a website; you MUST keep it updated and fresh. If your website is basically an online brochure, and nothing ever changes, why would anyone visit more than once? If someone visits your website and they read about your upcoming dinner in May of 2005, they may get the sense that you aren’t organized or aren’t in business anymore.

3. There is no Donate Now button on your website. Your website MUST have an easy-to-find Donate Now button to facilitate online gifts. Without it, you’re leaving money on the table.

4. Your marketing materials are all business, with no stories that connect people to your cause. People give to people. Make sure everything you send to potential donors includes something about why you do what you do and how they can help make a difference.

5. You use a Gmail or Yahoo email account (or something similar). Your email needs to have your website domain address. Otherwise, you look a little “fly-by-night.”

6. You don’t use a subject line when you send email. A blank email subject line can look like spam. Always put something, even if it’s just a word or two.

7. You have no email signature. It’s easy to set up an email signature that gives your full name, title, link to your website, physical address, and a note about your organization. Without it, you are wasting precious real estate!

8. On Facebook, you use your profile for your business. This is a big no-no. Profiles are for people. Pages are for organizations. Rumor has it that Facebook removes profiles that are set up for organizations.

9. On Twitter, you’re an egghead. When you create a Twitter account, it gives you an egg graphic until you upload a photo. An egghead is a sign that you’re a newbie and haven’t quite figured out what you’re doing.

10. Your Facebook or Twitter status hasn’t been updated in weeks. This is as bad as a website that’s out of date. It’s a sign that you haven’t quite figured out how to use social media. It’s social after all, which means you have to interact.

11. On LinkedIn, you use your first name and last initial. This is definitely noncommittal! LinkedIn is a great resource for connecting with other professionals and companies, so you have to appear professional to get the most out of this networking site.

12. For your blog, you use a Blogger blog. Integrate your blog as part of your website. Putting it somewhere else means that you’ll have to work twice as hard to help people find it. The benefit of including your blog on your website, and updating the blog regularly, is that search engines like new content and will rank you higher because you have an active site.

13. On your blog, you have only a couple of blog posts and they’re really old. If you’re going to blog, then do it. Commit to writing something at least once a week for at least 3 months. Anything less says you’re goofing around. Remember, you don’t have to write a thesis, just a few paragraphs about your organization, the cause you are serving, client stories or anything else interesting about your nonprofit will work.

Professional fundraisers are vital to the success of every nonprofit. If you recognize any of the above items at your organization, then it is time to step it up. Invest in yourself, your career and your cause. Otherwise, you are treating your job as a hobby, and that isn’t helping anyone.

If you’re going to do it, do it right. Spend the time to learn or find a volunteer to help or outsource. People are becoming smarter about online tools and they’ll spot an amateur right away. And they may not take you seriously.

Today’s post comes to us from my friend Gail Perry. I found it helpful and thought you would, too.

Holiday giving is expected to be over $48 billion this year, and at least $6 billion will be online, based on a new study by Convio.

43% of donors will give via direct mail and 21% from online appeals.

And 40-60% of those online gifts will be made in the last two days of the year.

Don’t forget that online donors are wealthier, higher-dollar and younger donors.

Here’s what they are looking for:

1. They want to feel good about their gift.
Remember that your donor is making a personal, emotional statement with their gift. They are not shopping for hardware or bath towels.

Talk a lot about the good they are doing. Put evocative photos on your donation page.

Make your post-gift finish page warm and fuzzy. Send a lovely thank you note that touches their heart.

2. They want to feel connected to the cause.
In the Convio study, 74% of people said they responded most to emotional solicitations that provide info on the people, animals or places in need of their assistance.

Get yourself and your organization out of the way.

Don’t ask for your organization, instead ask donors to help the animals, trees, kids, sick people, students, artists, whoever you are serving and helping.

As I like to say, “You gotta play that violin” and make the emotions stir!

3. They want to know where the gift is going.
They want to know exactly what their gift is accomplishing – and the impact it will have. Lay it out clearly and don’t mess around.

Recap your outcomes and accomplishments for the year, and let them know what’s next.

Be specific.

4. They want holiday gifts that will support your cause.
Help your donors make gifts, and offer easy shopping for nontraditional gifts. Try these opportunities:

“Last minute holiday gifts” – promote gift memberships that your donors can give to others. The World Wildlife Fund sends a “Last Minute Ways to Say Happy Holidays” e-mail that suggests adopting an animal on someone’s behalf online.
“Avoid the crowds and shop at home” – buy from our shop on line and ship to those on your gift lists.
“Holiday e-cards for your family and friends” – a green alternative that can promote your nonprofit AND carry a donation to your cause.

5. They want to be reminded.
It’s ok to remind your loyal donors about the need and how they can help.

They’re busy, busy, busy. And repeating your appeal is always more powerful and successful than a single ask that goes out as a stand-alone effort.

Check out this sample year-end email campaign that had three messages going out the last week of the year:

December 23: a “holiday support” email
December 29: an email emphasizing tax deductible giving opportunities
December 31: a final “last chance to donate” email

6. They want choices.
And all donors have a different vision of how they want to help you and how they want to give.

So be sure to offer them a variety of ways to support you and different giving opportunities all tied to specific results your organization achieves. .

7. They want an uncomplicated check out.
Remember that a majority of would-be donors never make it through the process to complete their gifts. Some stats show that 98% of visitors to an organization’s donate page do not complete their gift.

Make your donate page seamless and easy to whiz through.

Check out this list of the 11 Deadly Sins of Donate Page Design from Seachangestrategies.com. Be sure you avoid these common mistakes in nonprofit donate pages:

Cluttered pages
Unintuitive layouts
Unclear directions
Too long, complex forms
Unnecessary fields
No address or phone number
Error messages are confusing

8. They want back up data on your results.
Be sure your web site is up to date and conveys credibility.

Remember that over 65% of ALL DONORS will probably check out your web site before they write a check or make a gift, according to Kivy Leroux Miller of nonprofitmarketingguide.com.

9. They want to donate quickly.
Make it easy for impatient online donors who are in a hurry. If you make it difficult for them, they’ll be gone – probably to another nonprofit’s site.

Make your home page on your site optimized for donations. Put an extra large “donate now” button right on that page. (Yes, size does matter!)

And try adding a photo on the inside of the button so that it has a human face. (Dogs and children are wonderful.)

Check out Network for Good’s three tips for the best donate button: make it big; put it above the fold, and create a simple, easy-to-use contribution form.

10. They want it simple.
Since they are busy, busy, busy, don’t over complicate your site or the ask. People visiting your site at year-end are there for one purpose only – to give.

Put the ask right up front and make it easy for them.

These strategies will help you bring in lots and lots of online gifts. Before you know it you’ll be zooming past your fundraising goals for year-end!

Happy prospecting and may generous donors flood in to your site and your cause!

You can find Gail at www.gailperry.com. Go and visit her often for more great articles and insights.

Did you know that more money is raised online during the last two weeks of the year than during the rest of the year put together?  Are you ready to take advantage of those last weeks of fundraising? If your website sucks, you may not be as successful as you’d like.

I’ve looked at a lot of nonprofit websites. Many look as though they were thrown together at the last minute or were done in response to someone saying “We need a website.” Some are design nightmares – hard to read with too many fonts and too much text on each page. Remember that people are very impatient online – don’t make them work hard to find the information they want on your site. Others haven’t been updated in years.

Here are some things you can do now to get your website up to snuff.

1. Make sure your organization is clearly identifed on the website. Your name and logo should be clearly visible.

2. Include a photo and story of someone your organization has helped.  Put it on the top of the first page.  Make the story short and concise.  Write it with heart and feeling to engage the reader emotionally.

3. Put a list of your organization’s accomplishments somewhere on the website.  Some people will want to know what you’ve done up to now.

4. Put a large “Donate Now” button toward the top of the navigation bar on every page.  I mean it – every page!

5. Offer information about how the visitor can get more involved. List volunteer opportunities along with an easy way for them to sign up.

There are SOOOO many more things you need to do, like make your site clean and easy to read, but this will get your website unsucked and on the road to receiving donations.

As we approach the deep fundraising season, many folks are asking about online fundraising, so I wanted to share a few things.

Remember that the internet is a tool you can use to raise money.  Just like any other tool, it’s the your skill in using the tool that will determine success – not the tool itself.

It’s definitely NOT a “build it and they will come” model.  Just because you have a website or a Facebook page does not mean people will flock to it and give you money.

Lots of people have asked me how to raise money online and I get the sense that they think it’s something hard or mystical. Actually, it’s not anything magical at all.  It’s simply fundraising using the Internet as a tool.

To make it really easy, I’ve got seven simple steps you can take to get started or crank up your online fundraising efforts.

1. Collect email addresses at every opportunity. Since email will be your primary communications mechanism, ask every chance you get, both online and off.  Make sure you have a sign-up box on your website for people to enter their name and email.
2. Communicate. Send regular, consistent newsletters and updates. You can send a once-monthly newsletter or a twice-monthly update. The key is to send regular information that your audience will be interested in.
3. Have a big, easy-to-see “Donate Now” button on your website. Put it toward the top of the page and make sure it shows up on every page. Make it easy for your website visitors to find the button and respond to it.
4. Tell your story on your website. Make sure your website clearly states who your organization is and the need your organization is working to fill. Don’t make your website visitors wonder who you are or what you’re trying to do. Be sure to include some compelling photos to illustrate your work.
5. Be concise. People are impatient online so keep the text short and to the point. This is not the time to share everything you know!
6. Thank donors electronically. Be prepared to thank people via email when they give online. You’ll likely want to invest in a software or service that can do this for you.
7. Leverage your social media. Use your Facebook and Twitter accounts to encourage people to visit your website and sign up for your email newsletter. This is known as “driving traffic” and helps build awareness for your cause.

Implement these simple tips and your online fundraising efforts will pay off in dollars and time.

Lots of people have asked me how to raise money online and I get the sense that they think it’s something hard or mystical. Actually, it’s not anything magical at all.  It’s simply fundraising using the internet as a tool.

To make it really easy, I’ve got 7 simple steps you can take to get started or crank up your online fundraising efforts.

1.  Collect email addresses at every opportunity. Since email will be your primary communications mechanism, focus on collecting them.  Ask every chance you get, both online and off.  Make sure you have a sign-up box on your website for people to enter their name and email.

2.  Communicate. Send regular, consistent newsletters and updates.  You can send a once-monthly newsletter or a twice-monthly update.  The key is to send regular information that your audience will be interested in.

3.  Have a big, easy-to-see “Donate” button on your website. Put it toward the top of the page and make sure it shows up on every page.  Make it easy for your website visitors to find the button and respond to it.

4.  Tell your story on your website. Make sure your website clearly states who your organization is and the need your organization is working to fill.  Don’t make your web visitors wonder who you are or what you’re trying to do.  be sure to include some compelling photos to illustrate your work.

5.  Be concise. People are impatient online so keep the text short and to the point.  This is not the time to share everything you know!

6. Thank donors electronically. Be prepared to thank people via email when they give online.  You’ll likely want to invest in a software or service that can do this for you.

7. Leverage your social media. Use your Facebook and Twitter accounts to encourage people to visit your website and sign up for your email newsletter.  This is known as “driving traffic” and helps build awareness for your cause.

Have you started a blog for your nonprofit organization and then got stuck trying to come up with content?  If you don’t consider yourself a writer, it can be daunting to pull something together a couple of times a week.  Here are some ideas for content:

• Tell stories about people you are helping.  A story ALWAYS works!  Remember to keep it short and compelling.
• Re-use stories from your print newsletter.  Don’t worry – people won’t remember them.
• Re-purpose information from email blasts.
• Listen to what front-line staff are talking about and write about that.
• Invite guest bloggers in – clients, staff, Board, volunteers, and donors.  Be specific with them when you ask.  Ask them to write a short paragraph or two of 250 words MAX.
• Ask questions in blog posts and invite readers to comment.
• Post summaries of events or activities with photos.
• Summarize press releases or link to current news stories.
• Report back from an event or conference.
• Highlight the expertise of staff or volunteers
• Tell about the work of volunteers, the impact they’re having or the number of hours of time that have been donated.
• Share a couple of pertinent statistics of your work (for example “our animal shelter saw a 10% increase in adoptions this month”).

Once you get in the habit of writing these short blog posts, it will become easier and you’ll get ideas for content in lots of places.  I have several clients who are telling part of a story in their print newsletter, then telling the rest of the story on their blog along with photos or video.  It’s a great way to encourage people to visit and read the blog.

I came across a really wonderful resource that I wanted to share.  It’s called Movie Mondays and you can find it at www.501videos.com.

Chris Davenport offers a short video on fundraising every Monday.  Sign up to get an email each week with a link to the video.

I saw my first one this week and was impressed.  It’s a short video and gave me a few quick points on major gifts.

Go sign up at www.501videos.com.

This is from Margaret Battistelli at Fundraising Success Magazine:

I just want to let you know that the FundRaising Success Virtual Conference & Expo is scheduled for May 20, 2010. We have an exciting agenda scheduled, including our keynote:

Where It’s At! A fundraising guru opens the virtual conference with Top 10 Tips for fundraising in 2010. Plus lots of Q&A time to have your burning questions answered, presented by Roger Craver, Founder of Craver, Mathews, Smith & Co; Editor-in-Chief of The Agitator; Founder and CEO of DonorTrends (10:15am – 11:15am ET).

The event is free to attend, and you can access all of the interviews, presentations and panels without even leaving your office. We’ve also lined up many other industry-leading speakers for this unique event. I hope you’ll check it out.

Here are the details:

When: May 20, 2010

Time: 10:00am – 5:00pm ET

Where: Your Computer – It’s Virtual

Register now – again, it’s a free event:

http://event.on24.com/r.htm?e=196478&s=1&k=40ED318EC222F27AFF222F6750567E3F&partnerref=Keynote_PressRelease_4_8

Hello from sunny Baltimore!  I’m here for the AFP Conference (which starts today!) and will be speaking on Tuesday about fundraising with blogs.  I’ve been looking for good examples of nonprofit blogs to share in my presentation and along the way, I’ve noticed something that I want to share with you.

I’ve seen lots of different blogs representing a variety of organizations, but I’ve seen something conspicuously absent from many – an easily-seen “Donate Now” button.

Why go to all the trouble to write a blog and have a wonderful site if you aren’t going to ask folks for a gift? 

On a few blogs, I found a link to donate, but it was hidden at the bottom of the page or on a different page.  You need to make it prominent toward the top of at least the front page.  Ideally, it should be in the navigation structure so that it can be seen from any page or post on your blog.

So, if you’re a nonprofit blogger, go now and have a look at your blog.  Can you find a “Donate Now” button?  If not, make plans to get one.  Quick!