E-Philanthropy
In 1997, as executives of the World Bank, Mari Kuraishi and Dennis Whittle created an event, known as the Development Marketplace, at which social entrepreneurs from around the world seeking funds from the bank pitched their ideas for fighting poverty.
Inspired by participants who suggested the need for an online marketplace operating continuously to connect social entrepreneurs with philanthropic investors, Kuraishi and Whittle left the World Bank and created the GlobalGiving Foundation.
Launched in 2003 and located at globalgiving.org, the online marketplace has handled over $28 million in giving from nearly 101,000 donors to over 2,600 projects, including 700 currently posted on the site, with annual giving through the site doubling each year, on average.
April 21, 2010, Chronicle of Philanthropy — Large nonprofit organizations continued to invest in online fund raising in 2009.
Of the 176 charities that responded to The Chronicle's survey of online giving, 71 groups provided information about how much they spent on their Internet fund-raising efforts in 2008 and 2009.
Never before have the barriers to online fundraising been lower. Over the past couple of years, the challenges associated with the cost and technical expertise required to deploy online fundraising programs have just about disappeared. These developments have changed the rules of the game for professional fundraisers—putting the power of online programs firmly in their hands. Getting creative and demonstrating the courage to try new things have instead become the barriers.
In the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti, important lessons are unfolding that underscore how the nature of fundraising is evolving as a direct result of technology and social media.
Dallas, Texas, Feb. 16, 2010 — e-Miles, an interactive advertising channel that rewards consumers for the time they spend viewing ads online, announced that they helped raise over $115,000 for Haitian relief efforts. Monies collected went to: Habitat for Humanity, World Emergency Relief, Soles4Souls and Feed The Children.
“Do more with less.” You hear it from your boss, or maybe even your board in these tough times. Exasperated, you look back at your last six months: You’ve cut costs, backed off your most expensive programs, and maybe even made some painful staff decisions. So, now what?
Lynn Edmonds, president, L.W. Robbins Associates
Loyal donors are being conservative but holding on. Since the spring, we have seen a slight increase in giving in some audiences but not all. And in certain cases, we have been able to reactivate lapsed donors by decreasing the gift asks.
Los Angeles, CA, November 10, 2009 — Ad.ly is a unique Twitter platform that is connecting Twitter users, also known as publishers, with top-tier advertisers allowing for the publisher to make money from ads sent through their Twitter feed.
November 16, 2009, USA Today — What happens when you put $5 million in the virtual hands of over 300 million Facebook users? We are about to find out.
Austin, Texas, November 17, 2009 — Convio today announced the winners of its third annual Innovator Awards as revealed at a ceremony last night at the Convio Summit, the company’s annual conference where more than 650 nonprofit clients, partners and industry thought leaders gather as a community to share common experiences and effective strategies in email marketing, online fundraising, online marketing, social media and advocacy for nonprofits. The Innovator Awards recognize clients who have shown innovation and achievement through the use of Convio’s online fundraising and donor management software and services to better engage supporters to help fulfill their missions.