E-Philanthropy

Online giving, specifically in response to your direct-mail appeals, is a quickly evolving phenomenon that can no longer be ignored. In fact, it’s a big part of the reason we’ve been hearing over the past couple of years that direct-mail fundraising results are declining.

They're like Groupon for bargain-hunting do-gooders.

Two daily-deal websites based in the Nashville area have a charitable twist to their local online coupons: Part of the money goes to a local nonprofit.

Though much smaller than monster websites such as Groupon and LivingSocial.com, SharingSpree.com and RunDaisy.com are trying to break through consumers' and shop owners' daily-deal fatigue in a multibillion-dollar industry.

Online giving continues to lead the changing nature of fundraising with social and mobile channels now emerging as well. Thankfully there is useful information that is actionable for all nonprofits.

The humanitarians behind Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, a charity that raises money for 170 children’s hospitals across the country, are always looking for new ways to fundraise. The end result came in the form of the new hospital-themed social game Hospitopia. Created by CausePlay, a social gaming company that was founded on the idea that games can make a difference, Hospitopia allows users to build and manage a virtual hospital while generating real funds to help children.

Blackbaud announced the release of its 2010 Online Giving Report, which provides the most comprehensive review of online giving trends currently available in the nonprofit sector. The report found that online giving grew 35 percent in 2010 and accounted for 8 percent of all fundraising.

Nonprofits can alert donors that, when they shop online at various retailers using Buy4.com, eligible purchases will provide commissions of 1 percent to 30 percent to their favorite charities.

Foundation Source, provider of support services for private foundations, announced the launch of Foundation Source Access, a new online platform that connects nonprofits with private foundations in order to help them raise money easily and cost-effectively. Access introduces private foundations to discover and fund a wide range of the latest and most urgent fundraising projects for support. Access also serves as an innovative philanthropy network, allowing nonprofit and foundation peers to share lessons learned and strategic insights.

Saying they eschew outside fund-raisers, several South Shore nonprofit organizations are objecting to a California-based website’s unauthorized use of their names and information.

The organizations, including the Plymouth-based Friends of the Ellisville Marshes and the Carver-based Friends of Myles Standish State Forest, say a new website called Charity Blossom asks people to make “pledges’’ of contributions to them and to other registered nonprofits.

Even in a tough economy, online philanthropy at eBay clicked. Making it easier for people to donate to their favorite nonprofits and high-profile celebrity auctions pushed charitable donations in 2010 from eBay sellers and buyers to a record $54.8-million, a 7-percent increase over 2009.

To donate, people could give a percentage of anything they sold or add a contribution to anything they bought, and nonprofits could sell items to raise money.

Oxfam and PayPal have joined forces to launch 100% giving, a groundbreaking new partnership that sees PayPal paying for the running costs on every donation made to the charity in February via oxfam.org.uk/giving. This means that for the first time ever, a UK charity is offering a donation scheme through which 100% of every donation is guaranteed to go directly to the cause.

The initiative follows a new Oxfam report showing that people are often deterred from giving because part of their donation usually goes towards the charity's running costs.