Advantages of Fundraising on the Internet
Disadvantages of Fundraising on the Internet
 | It is a new medium that non-profit organizations are already using.
Many charities are now using computers for desktop publishing and database
management. They already have the physical resources to use the
Internet for Fundraising. |
| The World Wide Web is rapidly growing and "pages" of hypertext
can be browsed complete with pictures, graphics and even sound and video
clips. |
| Your website can become a resource for recruiting volunteers, establishing
memberships, distributing newsletters, collecting donations, providing chat
rooms that for example can be used for 24hr real time counseling services,
connecting people through bulletin boards and listservs. See Fundraising
Tactics for more info. |
| If a non-profit organization has a newsletter or magazine, there is an
opportunity to put these publications on-line, and if they have regular
advertisers, they can be charged an Internet supplement to be put on your
web site. |
| An e-mail database can be used to nurture a strong, committed
relationship between a non-profit organization and members. |
| Instead of contacting people via the telephone or mail, organizations
will be able to establish a relationship via an e-mail or through an
interactive site. Personally, I think the telephone is more intrusive than
e-mails because people check their e-mails when they want to and they are
usually much more attentive. You don't have to worry about calling at
the wrong time. You allow the recipient to decide when you can
communicate your message. |
|
The Internet is capable of reaching a wider audience |
| The Internet can help in finding potential grants. It will help you locate
potential funders and does provide some more up-to-date information than
even the most current written publication can. |
| The Internet can help in identifying new members and donors, as well as
maintain and support existing ones |
| Charities are also encouraged by the size of donations made
on-line. WAMU, a Washington public-radio station, held a brief year-end campaign, starting in the second week of December, using on-air spots to broadcast the station's Internet address and urge listeners to make a gift by December 31. The effort raised $20,500 on line, with an average gift of $106, compared with $85 from people who telephoned the station to make a gift. |
|
An advantage of on-line gifts is that they are generally made by credit card.
Fund raisers don't have to worry whether
donors will make good on pledges or remember to send in their check. |
| Your site can be a demonstration of your
organization's progressiveness |
|
Many charities, they say, cannot yet tell whether their
on-line gifts are simply the result of Americans' growing fascination and
comfort with on-line financial transactions and the strong economy that is
causing all types of giving to soar -- or a sign that the Internet truly is
building a bigger community of donors. |
|
While on-line fund raising has the potential to save
non-profit groups big dollars in the long run, few charities are seeing real
cost savings yet. Because on-line transactions still produce only a tiny
share of gifts for most charities, the vast majority of non-profit groups
are continuing to use on-line solicitations as a supplement, not a
replacement. |
|
Few charities are doing enough to bring people to their Web
sites -- or are providing compelling enough information to persuade visitors
to give money and to do so repeatedly. |
|
Political candidates are doing well with e-mail
solicitations but many of charities are reluctant to try that approach out
of concern that they may offend some people. |
|
Non-profits are going to have the recurring costs of getting
traffic to its site, whether you are talking about managing promotions with
companies, buying or getting banner ads on other Internet sites, or getting
print and TV ads." |
| The costs might all be worthwhile if charities start to see an increased
share of their gifts coming from the Internet. But so far, even groups that
have been the most successful say their on-line gifts are still only a small
percentage of overall gifts. |
|
Its hard to get noticed among all the other web sites |
|
There is a possibility of failure due to unfamiliar technical breakdowns |
|
Must know the legal complexities associated with some aspects of online fundraising.
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This site was created by Rachel A. Broom, a student at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. She is currently working towards her masters in public administration. This page was last updated December 3, 2000 and is copyrighted.
