I read a great blog article today on http://www.change.org/ entitled "Establishing a Culture of Generosity." It is part of a series on undergraduate social entrepreneurship. I was fascinated first by the inherent inclusion of charitable giving in the overall concept of social entrepreneurship. I very much like the idea that young people are philanthropically motivated and it appears that with the advent of social media, giving something back to the community, even the global community, is easier than ever.
The article implies that students are in an environment where they want to help one another. Greek organizations help each other and are duty-bound to give to charities. Student organizations have leveraged the desire to want to do something to make social change works well by mobilizing others to donate to a cause. Microgiving is the new trend, when a student simply needs to text in a code to make a $5 or $10 donation.
I am inspired by colleges and universities that encourage students to volunteer and to donate. In creating a culture of generosity, one needs to make sure to include all aspects of how someone can give. That includes gifts of manhours, skills, and money (the proverbial "time, talent and treasure"). I am inspired even more when parents begin to cultivate a philanthropic spirit in children. Parents can set an example by their own volunteer support, charitable attitude, and donations. My favorite gifts to receive at Dayton Children's are those from kids who saved their birthday money or asked for donations to help sick kids rather than ask for presents for themselves at birthday time.
Last year, we had an eight-year old girl, Allison, donate $250 to the NICU at Dayton Children's. She said, "I already have enough toys. I wanted to do something for the hospital because they saved my life when I was a baby." From a stewardship perspective, our NICU staff did everything right. When Allison came to make her donation, the entire staff came out to thank her and take pictures with her. They asked a new mom to bring her baby to the window so Allison could see how small she was at her own birth. The nurses presented Allison and her five-year old sister with tiny baby diapers for their dolls. We then invited the entire family to share their story on the annual Children's Miracle Network Telethon. There is little doubt in my mind that this made a positive impression on Allison and she'll likely donate again and again because it made her feel good and important. And she was.
The Peter Pan Children's Fund is an amazing organization that encourages children' to give to pediatric hospitals. By participating in the Peter Pan Birthday Fund Club and collecting donations, the Peter Pan Children's Fund will match those gifts with an additional $100.
Churches can teach children about generosity by having kids participate in offerings. When I was growing up, we had our own tiny offering envelopes. My brothers and sisters and I would put in a quarter of fifty cents and these donations would be collected during Sunday School.
I participated in Blue Birds and then Camp Fire USA growing up. These organizations, like Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, instilled a sense of importance for volunteering. My dad was extremely active as a founding member of his Lions Club and we went to dozens of fundraisers and community service projects. For years, my mom was the epitome of a community volunteer. She and a friend managed a Storytime Workshop at the local library (my mom is an artist and she would illustrate stories as her friend told them...magical!). She was active in the church, a professional sorority, SPURS, and our school PTA. I hope parents are setting the same kind of example mine did about the importance of volunteering and donating time and resources.
Microgiving is the rage now with the ability to text donations. Mobile applications are being developed at lightening speed. Facebook Causes offer all types of innovative ways to mobilize donations. There are hundreds of examples of how people have raised money using Twitter. Charitable giving is fun and a cool thing to do, especially for college students. Philanthropy is an affordable thing to do.
The definition of philanthropy means caring for mankind. It is a myth that philanthropists are wealthy individuals capable of giving millions. Yes, those wonderful people do exist, but millions of people became philanthropists during the last few weeks following the earthquake in Haiti. It's not so much the amount of the gift but rather that you made a gift at all that makes you a philanthropist.
The visibility of giving is helping create a culture of generosity. It has people asking themselves, "What can I do?" It is setting the example for children to understand they have a moral obligation to help others in need. I encourage parents to help their kids find a cause to believe in and then find a way for them to volunteer or save their allowance or holiday gift money to make a donation. Whether that is animal welfare, the environment, sick children, global hunger is irrelevant. Something touches children and their first instinct is to want to help. By fostering that caring nature, you'll be creating a culture of generosity that can only grow as kids mature. When they reach college, that attitude to want to help, to want to make a change, to want to make a diference for others should be well entrenched. Colleges won't have to establish a culture of generosity. It will be just a natural part of the experience.
Showing posts with label donation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label donation. Show all posts
Monday, February 1, 2010
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Where Hope for Haiti Now Failed: Blew It With Technology
Like millions of others, I watched the Hope for Haiti Now on Friday, January 22. I was moved by the stories and the video clips from Haiti. I was inspired to help, as I have been since this tragedy struck. I don't care where the earthquake struck. Tragedy is tragedy. Politics at a time like this does not matter. I was pleased I had the resources to be able to do something. I believe this Telethon was a good thing. It was a little depressing. I would have loved to have seen some musicians carry forth a few more upbeat and optimistic songs that carried a message of hope, but nevertheless, the show was impressive.
Until you tried to make a donation.
I would like to know just how many more millions of dollars could have been made last night had Hope for Haiti Now been better prepared for the volume of phone calls. If tens of millions of people can successfully vote for American Idol contestants, why wasn't it easier to get through on the phone lines?
But it got worse. Did you try to make an online gift? Impossible. Whoever designed this website should be banished from the technology world forever. I bet the 16 year old boy that lives next to me could have a designed a better, and more importantly, a more functional website. I tried for hours to make a donation online only to be greeted by a message to try making a gift online later. What??? Are you kidding me? Were they so unprepared as not to imagine the volume of people that would try to make an online gift? That was the epitome of bad technology planning.
So, my next attempt to make a donation was to go to one of the featured charities. My next surprise was that not one of the charities was linked to this site. In the words of my favorite ESPN broadcasters before Monday Night Football, "Come on, man!" That is Web Design 101. Perhaps they didn't hot link these because they wanted people to make donations on the Hope for Haiti Now page. But really, that's just more bad management. I would presume other people besides me wanted to read up on what the charities were doing in the relief effort. No, that was impossible unless you had to navigate away from the site to search for these charities.
And that is exactly what I did. I navigated away from the Hope for Haiti Now webpage to seek out these charities and see what they were doing. They had fascinating stories, live blog posts, twitter feeds from Haiti, video messages, and detailed information about how gifts were to be used. I made my choice there to support one of the charities directly and made my gift to Oxfam America, as I was particularly impressed by their efforts to provide just the basic necessities of live: water, shelter, sanitation, and food. A pop up window comes up immediately when you go to the site to make a gift. It was a seamless way to make a gift and to feel like you were making a difference. I felt good about making my donation. I never needed to go back to the Hope for Haiti Now website.
Hope for Haiti Now: Good concept, ridiculously bad planning in regard to use of technology. And if you wanted to take it further, Hope for Haiti Now wasn't doing anything to promote the use of social media. No mention of where to follow the Telethon. No mention of which celebrities were tweeting. No mention of where to become a Facebook fan. Plain and simple, this Telethon missed the technology boat. The sin of that knowing that countless people probably didn't make a donation. What could have been a technology home run turned out to be a shanked foul ball.
Side note: I just checked on the Hope for Haiti Now website and it has markedly improved. The donation system works and there is information about the global conversation on Twitter about the relief efforts and a link to the Facebook Cause page to make a donation. There is still no hot link to any of the featured charities though. That's really a shame, as Hope for Haiti Now could have done a much better job promoting the extraordinary efforts of these organizations.
Here's what I hope: Those people moved to give did what I did. They sought out a place to make an online gift and gave as generously as possible. Whether it was to the Red Cross, the Clinton/Bush Haiti Fund, Oxfam, Project Hope, Children's Miracle Network or dozens of other reputable charities doing God's work. Giving was the right thing to do. I gave for the right reasons. I just gave through an alternate route. I didn't give up. And that's what I hope happens for the Haitian people -- that no one gives up.
Until you tried to make a donation.
I would like to know just how many more millions of dollars could have been made last night had Hope for Haiti Now been better prepared for the volume of phone calls. If tens of millions of people can successfully vote for American Idol contestants, why wasn't it easier to get through on the phone lines?
But it got worse. Did you try to make an online gift? Impossible. Whoever designed this website should be banished from the technology world forever. I bet the 16 year old boy that lives next to me could have a designed a better, and more importantly, a more functional website. I tried for hours to make a donation online only to be greeted by a message to try making a gift online later. What??? Are you kidding me? Were they so unprepared as not to imagine the volume of people that would try to make an online gift? That was the epitome of bad technology planning.
So, my next attempt to make a donation was to go to one of the featured charities. My next surprise was that not one of the charities was linked to this site. In the words of my favorite ESPN broadcasters before Monday Night Football, "Come on, man!" That is Web Design 101. Perhaps they didn't hot link these because they wanted people to make donations on the Hope for Haiti Now page. But really, that's just more bad management. I would presume other people besides me wanted to read up on what the charities were doing in the relief effort. No, that was impossible unless you had to navigate away from the site to search for these charities.
And that is exactly what I did. I navigated away from the Hope for Haiti Now webpage to seek out these charities and see what they were doing. They had fascinating stories, live blog posts, twitter feeds from Haiti, video messages, and detailed information about how gifts were to be used. I made my choice there to support one of the charities directly and made my gift to Oxfam America, as I was particularly impressed by their efforts to provide just the basic necessities of live: water, shelter, sanitation, and food. A pop up window comes up immediately when you go to the site to make a gift. It was a seamless way to make a gift and to feel like you were making a difference. I felt good about making my donation. I never needed to go back to the Hope for Haiti Now website.
Hope for Haiti Now: Good concept, ridiculously bad planning in regard to use of technology. And if you wanted to take it further, Hope for Haiti Now wasn't doing anything to promote the use of social media. No mention of where to follow the Telethon. No mention of which celebrities were tweeting. No mention of where to become a Facebook fan. Plain and simple, this Telethon missed the technology boat. The sin of that knowing that countless people probably didn't make a donation. What could have been a technology home run turned out to be a shanked foul ball.
Side note: I just checked on the Hope for Haiti Now website and it has markedly improved. The donation system works and there is information about the global conversation on Twitter about the relief efforts and a link to the Facebook Cause page to make a donation. There is still no hot link to any of the featured charities though. That's really a shame, as Hope for Haiti Now could have done a much better job promoting the extraordinary efforts of these organizations.
Here's what I hope: Those people moved to give did what I did. They sought out a place to make an online gift and gave as generously as possible. Whether it was to the Red Cross, the Clinton/Bush Haiti Fund, Oxfam, Project Hope, Children's Miracle Network or dozens of other reputable charities doing God's work. Giving was the right thing to do. I gave for the right reasons. I just gave through an alternate route. I didn't give up. And that's what I hope happens for the Haitian people -- that no one gives up.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Great News for Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago
When I hear great news for charitable organizations, I like to share it. Today I read that Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago received a $16 million gift from the Kenneth and Anne Griffin Foundation to establish an emergency care center at its new facility, the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago.
Per the article that appeared on the Philanthropy News Digest:
The funds will be used to create the Kenneth and Anne Griffin Emergency Care Center, which will open on the campus of Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine in the summer of 2012. The new facility will include additional examination rooms, major trauma/resuscitation beds, and an expanded triage area to allow rapid assessment of arriving patients — substantially increasing the hospital's emergency care capacity and improving patient response times. The facility also will feature state-of-the-art technology, including dedicated diagnostic radiology suites and a CT scanner.
This is a good example of what passionate board members can do. Anne Griffin has been a member of the Children's Memorial Medical Center and Children's Memorial Foundation board of directors since 2005. She and her husband, both successful business people in Chicago, fully understand the value of a the pediatric emergency care provided to more than 65,000 children treated there annually. There is additional detail about the gift in the Children's Memorial Hospital press release.
Congratulations to Children's Memorial Hospital, the city of Chicago and the thousands of children that will benefit from this family's exceptional generosity!
On a side note, this hospital has a great tagline that no doubt serves as a powerful daily reminder as to its mission: "Where kids comes first." It reminds me of the excellent mission that is visible at every entrance at Primary Children's Medica Centerl in Salt Lake City: "The child first and always." Both of these are excellent statements of the hospital's purpose and what drives everything from clinical care to customer service. They are simple, powerful, effective and leaves no question as to what the number one priority is for every person that comes through their doors.
Per the article that appeared on the Philanthropy News Digest:
The funds will be used to create the Kenneth and Anne Griffin Emergency Care Center, which will open on the campus of Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine in the summer of 2012. The new facility will include additional examination rooms, major trauma/resuscitation beds, and an expanded triage area to allow rapid assessment of arriving patients — substantially increasing the hospital's emergency care capacity and improving patient response times. The facility also will feature state-of-the-art technology, including dedicated diagnostic radiology suites and a CT scanner.
This is a good example of what passionate board members can do. Anne Griffin has been a member of the Children's Memorial Medical Center and Children's Memorial Foundation board of directors since 2005. She and her husband, both successful business people in Chicago, fully understand the value of a the pediatric emergency care provided to more than 65,000 children treated there annually. There is additional detail about the gift in the Children's Memorial Hospital press release.
Congratulations to Children's Memorial Hospital, the city of Chicago and the thousands of children that will benefit from this family's exceptional generosity!
On a side note, this hospital has a great tagline that no doubt serves as a powerful daily reminder as to its mission: "Where kids comes first." It reminds me of the excellent mission that is visible at every entrance at Primary Children's Medica Centerl in Salt Lake City: "The child first and always." Both of these are excellent statements of the hospital's purpose and what drives everything from clinical care to customer service. They are simple, powerful, effective and leaves no question as to what the number one priority is for every person that comes through their doors.
Friday, January 1, 2010
If I Had a Million Dollars
I love that song by the Bare Naked Ladies "If I Had a Million Dollars." It always gets me to think about what I would do if I had a million dollars to give away. I can think of dozens of charities worthy of that kind of support. I know which organizations I would support. But my purpose here is to pose the question: Who would you support and why? What charity drives your passion? What would you want to transform with that kind of donation?
I posed a similar question on the Tri Sigma Facebook page and within two minutes, there were dozens of responses as to what members would do if they could give $1 million to Tri Sigma. I am impressed with the answers. Our membership is far more aware of the pressing needs of the organization than our leadership realizes. Now, the goal is to find those sisters who really could donate a sizable gift to benefit our Sorority.
As development professionals, we are constantly seeking donations that make a transformation to our organization. We know what the needs are. We are not always as effective at sharing that message. But how many of us stop to ask what a donor would do if they could give us a million bucks? What inspires them? What would make them feel great about giving? Do we offer them the options to fuel their passions? Do we spend the time listening to donors about what their interests are or how they desire to make a difference and then work hard to find a fit for them?
What if the donation were less than $1 million? Shouldn't we give donors the opportunity to select what is most fulfilling to them, regardless of the dollar amount? Yes, we all have priorities and it is our responsibility to market those and share the need. We will find donors who believe in helping those. But for those who are not supporting us, could it be that we aren't asking the right questions? Shouldn't we ask more questions about what they want to help and why they want to help in a particular area? I think we would be impressed with the answers and we may find more loyal, devoted donors who give in one area...but then realize how many other ways they step up.
If the experience of giving is personal, powerful, fulfilling, exciting, and allows the donor to feel like they are making a change in an area of great importance to them, won't they in turn remain more loyal contributors and continue to help in other areas? I believe that answer is yes. It starts with asking the initial questions and then taking a step back to listen to their answers, not your own.
I posed a similar question on the Tri Sigma Facebook page and within two minutes, there were dozens of responses as to what members would do if they could give $1 million to Tri Sigma. I am impressed with the answers. Our membership is far more aware of the pressing needs of the organization than our leadership realizes. Now, the goal is to find those sisters who really could donate a sizable gift to benefit our Sorority.
As development professionals, we are constantly seeking donations that make a transformation to our organization. We know what the needs are. We are not always as effective at sharing that message. But how many of us stop to ask what a donor would do if they could give us a million bucks? What inspires them? What would make them feel great about giving? Do we offer them the options to fuel their passions? Do we spend the time listening to donors about what their interests are or how they desire to make a difference and then work hard to find a fit for them?
What if the donation were less than $1 million? Shouldn't we give donors the opportunity to select what is most fulfilling to them, regardless of the dollar amount? Yes, we all have priorities and it is our responsibility to market those and share the need. We will find donors who believe in helping those. But for those who are not supporting us, could it be that we aren't asking the right questions? Shouldn't we ask more questions about what they want to help and why they want to help in a particular area? I think we would be impressed with the answers and we may find more loyal, devoted donors who give in one area...but then realize how many other ways they step up.
If the experience of giving is personal, powerful, fulfilling, exciting, and allows the donor to feel like they are making a change in an area of great importance to them, won't they in turn remain more loyal contributors and continue to help in other areas? I believe that answer is yes. It starts with asking the initial questions and then taking a step back to listen to their answers, not your own.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Columbus Foundation Launches PowerPhilanthropy
From time to time, you'll see organizations doing amazing things to provide great services to the community. The Columbus Foundation recently launched a new program that provides an excellent, user-friendly opportunity for community donors: Power Philanthropy
The following information comes from the Columbus Foundation website: www.columbusfoundation.org.
What is PowerPhilanthropy?
As someone who cares about charitable giving, you want to know that your efforts will make a difference. You understand that supporting a nonprofit organization is more than check-writing—it’s an investment in your community.
At The Columbus Foundation, we want to help build your understanding of nonprofits and topics that interest you, so you can give wisely. PowerPhilanthropy, a new online tool, was developed with you in mind.
As a simple, searchable database, PowerPhilanthropy:
Connects you with nonprofit organizations and programs that strengthen the community;
Enriches your knowledge of the nonprofit sector by delivering in-depth portraits of hundreds of local organizations. These comprehensive portraits tell stories and offer vital information about programs, finances, management, and services.
You’ll be able to easily manage your giving, safely and securely online, from anywhere at anytime. Start connecting to the nonprofit of your choice. Find out how you can experience the power of philanthropy.
This website highlights types of giving; how to make a gift; has information for professional advisors; has an outstanding knowledge center where you can download PDFs on anything from strategic planning to nonprofit governance; includes an event calendar; and has resources on grant making. And that's just in section 1 on "Find Information."
In the next section, "Connect with Idea and People", you can create a user profile and gain access to the following:
The following information comes from the Columbus Foundation website: www.columbusfoundation.org.
What is PowerPhilanthropy?
As someone who cares about charitable giving, you want to know that your efforts will make a difference. You understand that supporting a nonprofit organization is more than check-writing—it’s an investment in your community.
At The Columbus Foundation, we want to help build your understanding of nonprofits and topics that interest you, so you can give wisely. PowerPhilanthropy, a new online tool, was developed with you in mind.
As a simple, searchable database, PowerPhilanthropy:
Connects you with nonprofit organizations and programs that strengthen the community;
Enriches your knowledge of the nonprofit sector by delivering in-depth portraits of hundreds of local organizations. These comprehensive portraits tell stories and offer vital information about programs, finances, management, and services.
You’ll be able to easily manage your giving, safely and securely online, from anywhere at anytime. Start connecting to the nonprofit of your choice. Find out how you can experience the power of philanthropy.
This website highlights types of giving; how to make a gift; has information for professional advisors; has an outstanding knowledge center where you can download PDFs on anything from strategic planning to nonprofit governance; includes an event calendar; and has resources on grant making. And that's just in section 1 on "Find Information."
In the next section, "Connect with Idea and People", you can create a user profile and gain access to the following:
- PowerPhilanthropy Projects that have been reviewed and vetted for inclusion into our nonprofit database;
- Call to Action Projects that feature high performing programs that have received support from the Foundation; and
- Current Initiatives that have been cultivated by the Foundation to address broad community issues.
The final section, "Give Wisely" is the prize and not only educates donors on how to make a gift, but links them up to support various community charities.
This is a terrific "one stop shop" and an excellent example of using a website as a very useful tool to support the community. Kudos to the Columbus (OH - of course) Foundation for their thoughtful establishment of a digital tool that makes giving a simple task and for giving the community easy access to key information on charitable giving.
Monday, December 17, 2007
YouTube Welcomes Non-Profits
It's been far too long since my last post. No excuses except that a job change had me wrapped up in my own professional world getting adjusted to a new position. I've returned to the world of fundraising and am the new Director of Annual Giving for the Children's Medical Center of Dayton. But have no fear, my interest in utilizing emerging technology for fundraising has not diminished and I am returning back to the Electric Philanthropy blog.
And all in good time to learn that YouTube has set up a special program for non-profits. Check out the website: www.youtube.com/nonprofits.
This is a perfect scenario for those who want to launch an electric outreach campaign but may not have the resources to hire a company to create their materials. This gives your non-profit the chance to tell a compelling story without having to spend big bucks to do it.
YouTube allows non-profits to create their own "channel." It is your job to promote that to donors and constituents but it certainly provides a simple way to broadcast you messages and post videos with a strong message. Here's how they explain what is offered:
And all in good time to learn that YouTube has set up a special program for non-profits. Check out the website: www.youtube.com/nonprofits.
This is a perfect scenario for those who want to launch an electric outreach campaign but may not have the resources to hire a company to create their materials. This gives your non-profit the chance to tell a compelling story without having to spend big bucks to do it.
YouTube allows non-profits to create their own "channel." It is your job to promote that to donors and constituents but it certainly provides a simple way to broadcast you messages and post videos with a strong message. Here's how they explain what is offered:
Your Nonprofit channel includes:
*Premium branding capabilities and increased uploading capacity
*Rotation of your videos in the "Promoted Videos" areas throughout the site
* The option to drive fundraising through a Google Checkout "Donate" button
As an incentive, the first 300 non-profits to sign up will receive a video camera from Casio. You'll need to rush to it to quality. Join groups like the American Cancer Society, Autism Speaks, Friends of the Earth and several others that have jumped in and been an early adapter of this program.
Be adventurous and put your message out there in a new way. You may be surprised by who is watching your channel and can reach a whole new target audience.
Monday, May 28, 2007
An Easy Way to be a Philanthropist
What is your definition of a "philanthropist?" Do you conjure up thoughts of Bill Gates and Warren Buffet, billionairres committed to changing healthcare and poverty global-wide? Do you think of men like Rockefeller or Carnegie, industrialists who made so much money that it still goes to work today? How about the wife of McDonald's legend Ray Kroc who left millions upon millions in her estate to benefit education and other charities?
Do you ever think of the plumber who lives across the street? How about your mailman? Your hairdresser? Yourself?
WordNet defines "philanthropist" as someone who makes charitable donations intentended to increase human well-being. The American Heritage Dictionary has a similar definition: The effort or inclination to increase the well-being of humankind, as by charitable aid or donations. Note: Neither definition describes how much one has to give to be considered a philanthropist. My favorite description is "the love of humankind in general."
Anyone can be a philanthropist. It simply means you give to help others, primarily because it is the right thing to do.
I was recently watching a news show and it profiled an innovative charitable organization that is nearly entirely web-based called www.DonorsChoose.org. that allows teachers to post needed items for their classrooms. In an era of substantial educational budget cuts, many teachers are in need of equipment and educational resources for their classrooms. This is particularly true in poverty-stricken areas, inner cities, and areas hit by disasters such as school districts in Louisiana and Mississippi.
The items posted are for things any philanthropically-minded person could support on any budget. Donors can search for projects to support based on geographic region, subject, special needs, amount needed for funding, or type of program. Donors can donate any amount that can fully fund a program or partially support a program. When doing a search, one can see what percentage is needed to complete a grant request.
The theory is simple: Teachers Ask. Donors Choose. Students Learn.
There are hundreds of requests to browse through. And making a donation to support an interesting project does not require a major gift. This is an extremely easy way for someone to make an online tax-deductible gift that can truly make a difference, even if the gift is small. Many of the projects can be fully funded with a donation for less than $200. Any project can be funded in part by donating $10 or $20.
Be on the lookout for a thank you note and a photo from the children you supported. Teachers are encouraged to communicate the results with donors of how your gift was put to use.
Have kids? Consider introducing them to the idea of charitable giving by having them select a project to fund with their allowance once a month. Make a gift to support these programs in honor or memory of someone. Want a creative way to recognize a special teacher? Donate to a project in that teacher's name.
DonorsChoose.org is one of the easiest ways I've seen for someone to make a gift in an amount comfortable for themself but have the opportunity to target it to a special program. Many charities would prefer unrestricted gifts, so if giving for a specific purpose to help children with their education is something of value, check out the website. Better yet, play around and actually make a donation. Not only will you feel good about your gift, you may be inspired by the creativity American teachers are demonstrating in an effort to help this country's most challenged students become interested and engaged in their learning. To date, nearly $13 million has been donated to 568,670 students just through www.DonorsChoose.org.
If you are building your own charitable giving website, give some thought to:
Do you ever think of the plumber who lives across the street? How about your mailman? Your hairdresser? Yourself?
WordNet defines "philanthropist" as someone who makes charitable donations intentended to increase human well-being. The American Heritage Dictionary has a similar definition: The effort or inclination to increase the well-being of humankind, as by charitable aid or donations. Note: Neither definition describes how much one has to give to be considered a philanthropist. My favorite description is "the love of humankind in general."
Anyone can be a philanthropist. It simply means you give to help others, primarily because it is the right thing to do.
I was recently watching a news show and it profiled an innovative charitable organization that is nearly entirely web-based called www.DonorsChoose.org. that allows teachers to post needed items for their classrooms. In an era of substantial educational budget cuts, many teachers are in need of equipment and educational resources for their classrooms. This is particularly true in poverty-stricken areas, inner cities, and areas hit by disasters such as school districts in Louisiana and Mississippi.
The items posted are for things any philanthropically-minded person could support on any budget. Donors can search for projects to support based on geographic region, subject, special needs, amount needed for funding, or type of program. Donors can donate any amount that can fully fund a program or partially support a program. When doing a search, one can see what percentage is needed to complete a grant request.
The theory is simple: Teachers Ask. Donors Choose. Students Learn.
There are hundreds of requests to browse through. And making a donation to support an interesting project does not require a major gift. This is an extremely easy way for someone to make an online tax-deductible gift that can truly make a difference, even if the gift is small. Many of the projects can be fully funded with a donation for less than $200. Any project can be funded in part by donating $10 or $20.
Be on the lookout for a thank you note and a photo from the children you supported. Teachers are encouraged to communicate the results with donors of how your gift was put to use.
Have kids? Consider introducing them to the idea of charitable giving by having them select a project to fund with their allowance once a month. Make a gift to support these programs in honor or memory of someone. Want a creative way to recognize a special teacher? Donate to a project in that teacher's name.
DonorsChoose.org is one of the easiest ways I've seen for someone to make a gift in an amount comfortable for themself but have the opportunity to target it to a special program. Many charities would prefer unrestricted gifts, so if giving for a specific purpose to help children with their education is something of value, check out the website. Better yet, play around and actually make a donation. Not only will you feel good about your gift, you may be inspired by the creativity American teachers are demonstrating in an effort to help this country's most challenged students become interested and engaged in their learning. To date, nearly $13 million has been donated to 568,670 students just through www.DonorsChoose.org.
If you are building your own charitable giving website, give some thought to:
- Posting specific needs
- Allowing donors to restrict their gift to fund a specific project
- Allowing donors to make full or partial donations
- Display how much is needed to fully complete a project (take the % one step further and use a flash-based gauge to visually demonstrate progress)
- Browse projects
- Set up a gift registry so people may select projects they want to fund and friends can make a gift to support those favorite projects
- Establish a giving blog that allows donors to spread your charity's message to their own personal readers
- Make online giving simple with easy to follow steps
- Make it personal; have the beneficiaries write personal thank you notes
- Offer your donors a widget to download from your website; You can send updates via the widget to show how much money has been raised, send gift giving reminders, share a great story and keep people in touch with your message and organization
- Allow your donors to interact with you and help spread your message virally
- Create a MySpace page where donors committed to your organization can have your organization as a friend
- Provide donors with items (i.e. your logo with a key message, wallpaper, etc.) that they can copy the coding for their own MySpace page
There are endless ways you can create opportunities to interact with your donors and constituents. Find your favorite charities online and look at what they do to keep you engaged. Then look for ways your own organization can replicate the concepts. Be innovative and creative. Try to make charitable giving something fun for people of all means to become philanthropists and help humankind.
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
What Every Foundation Needs
I should make that headline a recurring title. Or a book someday. Today's recommendation comes from a little known item that the Stelter Company provides. If you don't have this on your website as a planned giving tool, shame on you. This is a fantastic utility...and I get no residual benefits for promoting it!
At one point, I was interviewing with the Make-A-Wish Foundation. A wonderful organization that provides incredible services for critically ill children. It is hard not to become fascinated by the work they do. And believe me, their development officers love that about the organization and they have a website that makes giving simple. But they take it one step further. They make planned giving simple. How?
The Make-A-Wish Foundation allows donors to build their own planned gift right on the website using a very easy to follow interactive decision tree. It is likely built on something like PG Calc and is a service that Stelter provides. It walks donors through a series of easy to understand questions and literally builds the best planned giving option for them based on the answers. How great would it be for a donor to build this gift and then print it off and have it ready to be used. Instant planned giving opportunity that takes about 15 minutes or less.
The Build Your Own Planned Gift while powered and supported by Stelter, is designed to look like the remainder of your organization's website. No link to another site, no confusing questions, no hard language to figure out. I saw it as the Turbo Tax of planned giving. So easy (and actually pretty interesting) to use.
A little extra benefit...any tool like this can be measured and tracked. From the backend, staff can see who visited this section and used the tool. They can see where a donor completed the process or stopped midway. In either case, that is the perfect opportunity for a development officer to pick up phone and find out what questions the donor had and how you could count on them to join your prestigious planned giving site.
I will give the Make-A-Wish Foundation a flunking grade because I used the tool and stopped right before signing the dotted line. No one followed up with me. In fact, I even called them to ask some questions and still no one ever bothered to follow up with me. Guess what organization missed out on the chance to be included in my will?
Here's where I would emphasize my usual point: Just because you have an interactive website and great technology does not mean you skip the fundamentals of fundraising. Fundraising will always depend on personal relationships. Planned giving officers need to do their job and not rely on tools to do it for them. Tools simply help with the engagement process and opens a door for further conversation. Don't cheat the process!
All that being said, this is a great tool to educate donors, introduce concepts, provide a non-threatening and easy to use utility, use the tracking functions to learn about the behavior of your prospects, and take another positive step in building relationships and ultimately securing valuable resources for your future.
To learn more about the Gift Planning Tools, check out www.stelter.com.
To build a dynamic website and use the most cutting edge information and technology, contact Mediasauce at www.mediasauce.com or 317-218-0500.
At one point, I was interviewing with the Make-A-Wish Foundation. A wonderful organization that provides incredible services for critically ill children. It is hard not to become fascinated by the work they do. And believe me, their development officers love that about the organization and they have a website that makes giving simple. But they take it one step further. They make planned giving simple. How?
The Make-A-Wish Foundation allows donors to build their own planned gift right on the website using a very easy to follow interactive decision tree. It is likely built on something like PG Calc and is a service that Stelter provides. It walks donors through a series of easy to understand questions and literally builds the best planned giving option for them based on the answers. How great would it be for a donor to build this gift and then print it off and have it ready to be used. Instant planned giving opportunity that takes about 15 minutes or less.
The Build Your Own Planned Gift while powered and supported by Stelter, is designed to look like the remainder of your organization's website. No link to another site, no confusing questions, no hard language to figure out. I saw it as the Turbo Tax of planned giving. So easy (and actually pretty interesting) to use.
A little extra benefit...any tool like this can be measured and tracked. From the backend, staff can see who visited this section and used the tool. They can see where a donor completed the process or stopped midway. In either case, that is the perfect opportunity for a development officer to pick up phone and find out what questions the donor had and how you could count on them to join your prestigious planned giving site.
I will give the Make-A-Wish Foundation a flunking grade because I used the tool and stopped right before signing the dotted line. No one followed up with me. In fact, I even called them to ask some questions and still no one ever bothered to follow up with me. Guess what organization missed out on the chance to be included in my will?
Here's where I would emphasize my usual point: Just because you have an interactive website and great technology does not mean you skip the fundamentals of fundraising. Fundraising will always depend on personal relationships. Planned giving officers need to do their job and not rely on tools to do it for them. Tools simply help with the engagement process and opens a door for further conversation. Don't cheat the process!
All that being said, this is a great tool to educate donors, introduce concepts, provide a non-threatening and easy to use utility, use the tracking functions to learn about the behavior of your prospects, and take another positive step in building relationships and ultimately securing valuable resources for your future.
To learn more about the Gift Planning Tools, check out www.stelter.com.
To build a dynamic website and use the most cutting edge information and technology, contact Mediasauce at www.mediasauce.com or 317-218-0500.
Monday, April 16, 2007
Cool Kiosk Concept
I don't carry cash. I don't carry my checkbook. I do carry my credit/debit card that deducts money only from my checking account. It functions like a credit card, but I don't amass debt. I think it is one of the best concepts ever. One card. Easy to put in a pocket. Easy to use everywhere.
Except church.
I just read in the March/April edition of AFP's Advancing Philanthropy about churches installing kiosks that allow parishoners to make their weekly offering by swiping their debit card. They only allow debit cards because they don't want the congregation going into debt. It's a convenience to their worshippers to make their tithe as simple as possible.
Why not install these kiosks in central areas for donors to give to their favorite cause? This would be something that could be in every shopping mall in the country for people to give when the spirit moved them (like during the holiday shopping season). Organizations with annual conventions, meetings and conferences could install them for donors to make a contribution when they are the most motivated about the purpose of the charity. The use of a touch screen that guided people to make their gift would be simple service to donors.
Yes, donors can make their gifts online at any time. But a visible kiosk with the novelty of giving at an opportune time, may be a new way to acquire new donors. Bank ATM machines ought to consider giving their customers the opportunity to make a donation either to a selected charity or to select from a list of registered non-profit agencies.
This would be an ideal concept for United Ways to utilize. They could install kiosks in company lobbies for employees to make their donations. Perhaps these are only installed during peak "drive" times so the novelty remains fresh. (Consider this the old "Girl Scout Cookie" fundraising technique: offer the ability to make a donation only during a very specific time.)
Making gift-giving a simple and convenient opportunity should be the goal of all development officers. Watch for kiosks to start popping up all over the place. If you are the first to try something new, all the better!
Except church.
I just read in the March/April edition of AFP's Advancing Philanthropy about churches installing kiosks that allow parishoners to make their weekly offering by swiping their debit card. They only allow debit cards because they don't want the congregation going into debt. It's a convenience to their worshippers to make their tithe as simple as possible.
Why not install these kiosks in central areas for donors to give to their favorite cause? This would be something that could be in every shopping mall in the country for people to give when the spirit moved them (like during the holiday shopping season). Organizations with annual conventions, meetings and conferences could install them for donors to make a contribution when they are the most motivated about the purpose of the charity. The use of a touch screen that guided people to make their gift would be simple service to donors.
Yes, donors can make their gifts online at any time. But a visible kiosk with the novelty of giving at an opportune time, may be a new way to acquire new donors. Bank ATM machines ought to consider giving their customers the opportunity to make a donation either to a selected charity or to select from a list of registered non-profit agencies.
This would be an ideal concept for United Ways to utilize. They could install kiosks in company lobbies for employees to make their donations. Perhaps these are only installed during peak "drive" times so the novelty remains fresh. (Consider this the old "Girl Scout Cookie" fundraising technique: offer the ability to make a donation only during a very specific time.)
Making gift-giving a simple and convenient opportunity should be the goal of all development officers. Watch for kiosks to start popping up all over the place. If you are the first to try something new, all the better!
Thursday, April 5, 2007
Blog Your Way to Donor Relationships
Just the other day, I read on the collegewebeditors.com blog a recommendation for University alumni associations to offer a blog opportunity. The value of establishing a blog was to create an interactive relationship with alumni and give them a place to reflect on favorite college memories, locations, friends, and experiences. I would suggest Foundations consider the same basic concept.
Take a leap of faith and create a blog on your webpage for your donors -- or prospective donors -- to offer their thoughts. People choose to donate to causes they believe in. Every development officer in the country will likely tell you that while the number of donors they have every year decreases, the amount of dollars raised increases. There is a simple reason for that. People are being more selective in the causes they give to, but they give significantly larger amounts to those charities.
You want to be sure you are one of those charities that keeps donors engaged! A very simple way to provide an interactive relationship is to create a blog. Provide your donors with the ability to share why they are passionate about your organization. Let them explain why they think you are a worthy organization to support. Testimonials are a positive force. Imagine someone looking at your website and considering a gift. If that individual reads impassioned notes about what your organization stands for, why a gift is valuable to them, and why others should support the cause there is no better case for support. A blog creates a grassroots bandwagon.
Yes, there is a risk that someone could post something negative. But consider that an opportunity to address a problem. That person is asking for attention from you to address a concern. Do it! If you impress that person, chances are he will write back in and explain the results of how you addressed an issue. Better yet, other supporters may address the situation and provide their own viewpoint on why that blogger had it wrong. In any case, you have provided a forum for a dialog. It's risky to say this, but sometimes a little negative publicity provides a wonderful platform to make improvements and counteract that negativity.
Blogs give donors opportunities to share their experiences. Fundraisers ought to love the donor who feels such a compulsion to support an organization to write about it. Let the donors...or even better yet...the beneficiaries of support tell your story. You may see such a moving response that it would be worth expanding in a magazine or video testimonial for non-donors to see.
It is important for Foundation websites to be more than a brochure on the internet. Find ways for donors to build a relationship with you. Give them a forum to share their experiences. Respond to them. Call them and thank them for their thoughts. Engage them in conversation and continue fostering that relationship. Broadband technology has created an unbelievable new mechanism for building relationships. Just make sure that you don't leave it between computer screens. Reach out. Take that relationship to the next level. Create more opportunities for on-going connections.
Good fundraisers understand the value of "linkage." A blog may be a simple link that leads to many other opportunities. Don't miss the chance to develop that connection simply because you don't understand the technology. Your donors will and if your charity is one that has meaning and you are finding ways to engage them through multiple venues, you are creating a steady donor. And as that relationship grows and develops, so will the gifts to your organization. How can that be a bad thing? Give it a try.
Take a leap of faith and create a blog on your webpage for your donors -- or prospective donors -- to offer their thoughts. People choose to donate to causes they believe in. Every development officer in the country will likely tell you that while the number of donors they have every year decreases, the amount of dollars raised increases. There is a simple reason for that. People are being more selective in the causes they give to, but they give significantly larger amounts to those charities.
You want to be sure you are one of those charities that keeps donors engaged! A very simple way to provide an interactive relationship is to create a blog. Provide your donors with the ability to share why they are passionate about your organization. Let them explain why they think you are a worthy organization to support. Testimonials are a positive force. Imagine someone looking at your website and considering a gift. If that individual reads impassioned notes about what your organization stands for, why a gift is valuable to them, and why others should support the cause there is no better case for support. A blog creates a grassroots bandwagon.
Yes, there is a risk that someone could post something negative. But consider that an opportunity to address a problem. That person is asking for attention from you to address a concern. Do it! If you impress that person, chances are he will write back in and explain the results of how you addressed an issue. Better yet, other supporters may address the situation and provide their own viewpoint on why that blogger had it wrong. In any case, you have provided a forum for a dialog. It's risky to say this, but sometimes a little negative publicity provides a wonderful platform to make improvements and counteract that negativity.
Blogs give donors opportunities to share their experiences. Fundraisers ought to love the donor who feels such a compulsion to support an organization to write about it. Let the donors...or even better yet...the beneficiaries of support tell your story. You may see such a moving response that it would be worth expanding in a magazine or video testimonial for non-donors to see.
It is important for Foundation websites to be more than a brochure on the internet. Find ways for donors to build a relationship with you. Give them a forum to share their experiences. Respond to them. Call them and thank them for their thoughts. Engage them in conversation and continue fostering that relationship. Broadband technology has created an unbelievable new mechanism for building relationships. Just make sure that you don't leave it between computer screens. Reach out. Take that relationship to the next level. Create more opportunities for on-going connections.
Good fundraisers understand the value of "linkage." A blog may be a simple link that leads to many other opportunities. Don't miss the chance to develop that connection simply because you don't understand the technology. Your donors will and if your charity is one that has meaning and you are finding ways to engage them through multiple venues, you are creating a steady donor. And as that relationship grows and develops, so will the gifts to your organization. How can that be a bad thing? Give it a try.
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Social Networking and Giving
One of the great things to see at successful fundraising events is the energy and enthusiasm when everyone gets involved. Word of mouth giving, prompted by friends asking friends and encouraging participation, is a great way of getting new donors involved. Go to any national sorority event and there will be the Foundation asking for a donation so that sisters can honor other sisters. A small sticker is presented for the recipients nametag. It is one of the most contagious methods of fundraising. Everyone loves to get a sticker...and it nearly always leads to the recipient "passing it forward" by making a gift to honor someone else.
Event fundraising is a form of social networking. I am surprised that more development officers haven't thought to use social networking sites as a way to generate donations. Friends honoring friends. Non-profit organizations ought to set up a MySpace account. Invite members of the organization to become a "friend" and be listed on the page. You will then appear on their own list of friends. Their friends can read your profile and through the simple act of viral marketing, you are increasing awareness and education about your organization. Have a compelling case and you can increase the number of new donors. Post a calendar of upcoming events, post bulletins of important news, provide a "donate now" link, share what your organization stands for, and provide guest blogs. These are all just simple existing MySpace tools available to create an interactive relationships with your constituents.
On a recent blog for higher education professionals, Collegewebeditor.com, the author encouraged organizations to not only establish a MySpace presence, but to hire professional companies to develop those sites for them.
"...get your MySpace profile professionally designed. First impressions are everything on MySpace. MySpace design is a new field and the really good designers are charging a small fortune ($5-20K) and designing mostly for bands and musicians."
MySpace and other social networking sites are having great success reaching an audience that most development officers crave: the under 40 crowd. Young donors are looking for ways to have an interactive relationship. Non-profit organizations, colleges and universities, and membership organizations have the ability to be ahead of the curve. Give donors or potential donors a method to relate to other like-minded people about a cause they believe in provides a hotbed for fundraising success.
As a philanthropic-minded person, I would happily have linked to my MySpace page all the organizations I feel passionate about. I would check frequently to see who else is interested in that organization. Perhaps I will see someone I know. Or want to know. Perhaps I'd consider attending an event because I received a bulletin announcement. I would definitely be more up-to-date on the organization's news, especially if the organization was proactive in sending material out to their "friends." And never underestimate the power of a good word. If I see something compelling about an organization I believe it, I'll will forward it to my friends. Your list of interested members will rapidly grow. And the investment is minimal.
If you don't believe me, spend some time on MySpace. Like the author stated about, bands have tens of thousands of fans linked to their site. Celebrities have equally if not more friends that they can interact with. And there's something pretty fun about having the hottest new celebrity on your friends list.
Two of my MediaSauce co-workers, Ryan Hupfer and Mitch Maxson, are the authors of MySpace for Dummies. If this is a new concept for you, order the book on Amazon.com and start learning about the extraordinary potential social networking can offer to your organization. And if you do want to have an innovative company involved with designing your page, let me know. We just designed a MySpace page for Kirk Douglas. Kirk, well into his 90s, realizes the potential of broadening his fan base and promoting his books to a different generation. Fundraisers ought to be considering the same thing.
MySpace is a popular site. There is also Facebook, geared more towards the college students and Eons.com, designed specifically to appeal to the Baby Boomer generation in their 50s and above. LinkedIn is a good professional networking site (good way for development officers to stay in contact with each other) and there are dozens of other options. Pick one where you feel you have a strong target audience. And then watch your network grow, your donors get more involved, and your partnerships become interactive and mutually beneficial.
Event fundraising is a form of social networking. I am surprised that more development officers haven't thought to use social networking sites as a way to generate donations. Friends honoring friends. Non-profit organizations ought to set up a MySpace account. Invite members of the organization to become a "friend" and be listed on the page. You will then appear on their own list of friends. Their friends can read your profile and through the simple act of viral marketing, you are increasing awareness and education about your organization. Have a compelling case and you can increase the number of new donors. Post a calendar of upcoming events, post bulletins of important news, provide a "donate now" link, share what your organization stands for, and provide guest blogs. These are all just simple existing MySpace tools available to create an interactive relationships with your constituents.
On a recent blog for higher education professionals, Collegewebeditor.com, the author encouraged organizations to not only establish a MySpace presence, but to hire professional companies to develop those sites for them.
"...get your MySpace profile professionally designed. First impressions are everything on MySpace. MySpace design is a new field and the really good designers are charging a small fortune ($5-20K) and designing mostly for bands and musicians."
MySpace and other social networking sites are having great success reaching an audience that most development officers crave: the under 40 crowd. Young donors are looking for ways to have an interactive relationship. Non-profit organizations, colleges and universities, and membership organizations have the ability to be ahead of the curve. Give donors or potential donors a method to relate to other like-minded people about a cause they believe in provides a hotbed for fundraising success.
As a philanthropic-minded person, I would happily have linked to my MySpace page all the organizations I feel passionate about. I would check frequently to see who else is interested in that organization. Perhaps I will see someone I know. Or want to know. Perhaps I'd consider attending an event because I received a bulletin announcement. I would definitely be more up-to-date on the organization's news, especially if the organization was proactive in sending material out to their "friends." And never underestimate the power of a good word. If I see something compelling about an organization I believe it, I'll will forward it to my friends. Your list of interested members will rapidly grow. And the investment is minimal.
If you don't believe me, spend some time on MySpace. Like the author stated about, bands have tens of thousands of fans linked to their site. Celebrities have equally if not more friends that they can interact with. And there's something pretty fun about having the hottest new celebrity on your friends list.
Two of my MediaSauce co-workers, Ryan Hupfer and Mitch Maxson, are the authors of MySpace for Dummies. If this is a new concept for you, order the book on Amazon.com and start learning about the extraordinary potential social networking can offer to your organization. And if you do want to have an innovative company involved with designing your page, let me know. We just designed a MySpace page for Kirk Douglas. Kirk, well into his 90s, realizes the potential of broadening his fan base and promoting his books to a different generation. Fundraisers ought to be considering the same thing.
MySpace is a popular site. There is also Facebook, geared more towards the college students and Eons.com, designed specifically to appeal to the Baby Boomer generation in their 50s and above. LinkedIn is a good professional networking site (good way for development officers to stay in contact with each other) and there are dozens of other options. Pick one where you feel you have a strong target audience. And then watch your network grow, your donors get more involved, and your partnerships become interactive and mutually beneficial.
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