5 Tips on Online Fundraising for NPOs by Carla Ferreira, GivenGain

1: Know your audience.  Are you targeting donors in the work environment? Then you have to be on Linkedin.  Are you targeting volunteers who like to share photos from events regularly? Then you need a file sharing account like Picasa Web Albums. Is your audience predominantly on Facebook, then that is where you need be more active.  

2. Setting up social media accounts but not actively using them, is like buying a great car but not driving it.  The vehicle is there, but you’re not getting anywhere.  Fundraising through digital platforms has the potential to increase your income and awareness, but you need to actively drive and manage the campaign.

3. Monitor your social media accounts.   Your followers or fans can certainly add value, but beware of people posting inaccurate information or comments that might be harmful to your cause.

4. Integrate your social media campaigns with electronic and print media.  E.g. in all newsletters encourage your supporters to ‘like’ your facebook page and follow you on Twitter.

5. Managing your organisation’s online presence takes time - save time by making use of social media platforms that are integrated with each other. GivenGain is integrated with Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Picasa, Flickr and YouTube.  There is even a Facebook app for GivenGain, which means that your supporters can make secure online donations while visiting your Facebook fan page.


Contact Carla of GivenGain for more advice and assistance to set up and manage your organisations online fundraising programmes. Her email address - carla@givengain.com 

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