Software/Technology

Copywriter Jenny Nicholson thought a game to raise awareness about poverty and homelessness would help Urban Ministries tell its story. The result is SPENT, a game launched Feb. 8. In its first month it attracted more than 500,000 visitors who played the game more than 870,000 times, with the average visitor spending more than 10 minutes on the site.

The game, which has been played by visitors in more 155 countries, has generated nearly $11,000 in contributions from more than 500 donors, with the average donor giving roughly $20.

E-donations facilitator Nadanu today launched a new platform called MyCharityBox that lets non-profits easily collect funds from donors.

A user registers with Nadanu’s Push-K platform and then “drops coins” which represent monetary donations from a donor’s credit card, PayPal or Authorize.net into a graphic designed to look like a traditional coin box for their favorite charity.

The eCharityBox is programmed to wait until it hits a predetermined amount; when “full,” it sends the donation on to the chosen charity.

JustGiving will be launching a direct debit function to its website in the next one to two weeks following a significant rise on regular giving on the site.

The sponsorship website currently allows regular gifts to be made via credit card, but will be introducing a new tool to enable donors to set up regular direct debit gifts, which JustGiving expects will attract a different kind of donor.

Serial entrepreneur Nate Drouin launched a free, online peer-to-peer fundraising platform that allows anyone, or any organization, to create and manage all online fundraising activity. Fundraise.com puts the industry‘s best tools in the hands of campaign managers and donors, including a free iPhone app, mobile-optimized website, sharing with Facebook and Twitter, widgets and a traditional website. The service returns 92.5 cents per dollar donated to the cause and accepts all major credit cards.

A couple of weeks ago, social-game company Zynga announced an ambitious goal of raising $2 million for victims of the earthquake and related disasters in Japan.

Not only has the “FarmVille” maker exceeded its goal, but today it said pop star Lady Gaga would be donating $750,000 to Zynga’s fundraising efforts with Save the Children, bringing the total amount it has raised to more than $3 million.

Nonprofit organizations like The Wilma Theater in Philadelphia rely on the generosity of their supporters and patrons to maintain their missions, meet future objectives and fund their daily activities. Facing enormous competition and with limited budgets, marketing and fundraising efforts must be carefully crafted and targeted to provide the greatest potential return on investment. This article describes how The Wilma Theater undertook a geographic gap analysis project, with help from Azavea.

Sage North America announced several major enhancements to Sage Fundraising Online, its flexible fundraising and event registration connected service that helps nonprofits increase giving, participation, and overall support online. A nonprofit can use Sage Fundraising Online to create and embed donation, event registration, and personalized fundraising forms anywhere on the web to allow donors and participants to fundraise on their organization’s behalf.

Grizzard Communications Group and Convio Inc. announced that they have partnered on a new solution for nonprofit organizations that integrates Convio’s online marketing and fundraising platform and best practices model, known as Convio Go!™, with Grizzard’s direct response strategies and capabilities for implementing integrated campaigns. The new offering, Go! Forward, gives nonprofit professionals access to Convio’s online marketing tools and Grizzard’s direct marketing resources.

Sage North America introduced Sage Grant Management, a new Web-based grant receiving product that helps nonprofit and government organizations maximize their funding potential by tracking grants and providing transparency at the organization, program, and grant level. An integrated development and financial management solution, Sage Grant Management helps organizations strengthen collaboration, build pipeline management, and optimize success measures so they can better serve their missions, constituents, and communities.

Google wants in on the nonprofit technology front and is offering nonprofits a special way to use Google Apps. The Google blog outlines the program, which includes an application process to weed out those deemed unworthy.