To the Point: Online Fundraising in Six Easy Steps

3. Buy some software.

Next, you need software to raise money online. Now, don't panic. Creating the technology infrastructure for online fundraising is relatively straightforward. Just be sure to do your research and talk to your colleagues about their experiences. First, you need an e-mail service provider. An ESP allows you to create, send and evaluate the effectiveness of your e-mail fundraising effort. There are rules about sending bulk e-mail, so choose a vendor carefully. In particular, be sure to use an ESP that has relationships with the different Internet service providers to ensure that your messages get delivered.