Life happens. An accident, terminal illness, a natural disaster.assist. Perhaps you’ve been asked to help someone’s loved one with medical expenses, or to help a specific family recoup losses in the wake of a natural or other disaster. Raising money online to get you through those times can be a necessity.
The most important thing to remember when navigating the challenge of how to raise money online is that it’s okay to ask for help!
These types of individual fundraisers typically occur without affiliation with a nonprofit organization – and the requested support typically comes from individual donors, whose gifts go directly to the individual(s) in need or to a bank account set up on their behalf. For individual fundraisers, this means more of the money raised will make it to the beneficiary.
Online fundraising websites charge a service fee, which pays for the online payment service provider and for the company to run the business. Choosing the least expensive isn’t always the right move. Choose the provider that fits your needs and has the best online outreach.
Individual fundraisers can be powerful, timely support systems for those in need, and in some cases may be among the sole sources of support for the cause at hand.
Best online fundraising resources
Here are some of my favorite resources
MYMFunding.com – This is my personal favorite as it charges a total low fee of 6.8% + 30¢ per donation and no hidden fees! No Fundraiser has EVER been charged a fee from MYM.
Facebook ~ go here on how to set up a fundraiser on Facebook
Advantages to online fundraising
1. Your potential reach has seriously expanded.
Integrating online fundraising with social sharing was a huge deal for personal fundraisers – by making fundraising pages compatible with social media like Twitter and Facebook, users can cast a wider net, increasing the number of potential donors.
2. You have 24/7 access to your fundraiser.
Finally, first time fundraiser organizers are able to keep up with their fundraising campaigns literally 24/7. For many beneficiaries who are recovering from medical hardships, access to encouraging comments and a growing donation count through their site or mobile app gives them the hope they need to keep fighting.
3. You can share your story however you see fit.
Users can easily post media to their fundraising pages, letting their personality shine through their fundraisers. You can personalize your page by adding photos and posting video or text updates, so you can really make your fundraising page your own.
4. You can feel safe about it.
These fundraising sites use state-of-the-art encryption technology to make sure donors’ financial information doesn’t end up in the wrong hands. Look into a site’s security options before starting a fundraising page to make sure it’s right for you
Getting Started
If you are a first-time fundraising organizer here are some steps to successful fundraising.
1. Define a goal
You don’t have to get carried away with setting a specific monetary goal, but it’s good to think about what you hope to achieve with your fundraiser. The main purpose of this is to give your potential donors a clear idea of where exactly their donations will be going.
2. Know your options
Depending on what your goal is, there are several ways to raise those necessary funds. There are loans, grants, restaurant fundraisers, trust funds, nonprofit partnerships and online fundraising. It’s important to research all your options before starting your fundraiser, to be sure the method you’ve chosen is really the best way to reach your goal.
3. Choose a platform (or platforms)
Choose which platform is best suited to your needs. You can use a combination of tactics to raise more money, both on and offline.
4. Organize your campaign
Stay organized when planning a fundraiser. Keep track of donations, remind yourself of your final goal and schedule mini-goal deadlines.
5. Get word out
Advertise your fundraiser. Share your fundraising page on social media, through email and by word of mouth. Contact your local newspaper to see if you can advertise and get media coverage. Solicit help from local businesses – sometimes they’re willing to donate or help organize fundraising events. The more visible your fundraiser is, the more donations you’ll receive.
6. Show your appreciation
Thank your donors. Simple, personalized thank you letters are an easy way to show your appreciation and strengthen those relationships with your donors.
Pushing fundraising efforts to the web has changed the way people think about raising money. It’s also had a significant positive impact on the success rate of fundraisers. And in the end, the beauty of fundraisers is seeing people come together to help reach a common goal – and with a little help that goal doesn’t have to be hard to reach.
