5 Common Themes in Online Fundraising

Show people how they can make a difference
Two of the keynote speakers at the ArtezInterAction Conference — Katya Andresen, chief operating officer at Network for Good and author of Katya's Non-Profit Marketing Blog, and Mary Rowe, who coordinated the New Orleans Institute for Resilience and Innovation and recently was awarded a Bellagio Residency from the Rockefeller Foundation to develop her writing on New Orleans as a prophetic city — each talked about the power of showing people what the impact of their contributions will be. For example, seeing that their $50 donations will help to provide water to a family offers important feedback to donors of how they are helping. Technology can help to facilitate this messaging and feedback cycle.

Understand who your influencers are
Fundraisers are adept at knowing the "capacity" of their supporters in traditional terms. However, capacity takes on a new meaning when you consider viewing your supporter base in terms of who has the ability to reach hundreds or even thousands of people with your message. Take the time to identify those supporters who have widely read blogs, thousands of Twitter followers or who are avid Facebook users. These prospects can help you spread the word and deserve special nurturing.