Promote Online Giving

Social networking has taken hold of Internet users like fire on a dry prairie. Through online avenues like Facebook and MySpace, users connect regularly with family, friends, and long-lost acquaintances. This regular and easily-accessible connection allows users to effortlessly promote their favorite charitable causes. Read on to find out how you can make use of your social network to promote online giving for the causes you believe in.

The old-fashioned way to give

Historically, fundraising organizations have always reached out to donors through the mail. And we're not talking email, here. Non-profits send millions of letters via snail-mail every year. Each letter is directed to a potential donor, and in an ideal case that donor responds to the letter by mailing out a check or credit card number. By and large, this type of fundraising has been most effective for donors age 60 and up.

The new era of fundraising: Online giving

With the advent of the internet, raising funds for non-profits has gotten a lot easier. Anybody wishing to donate to a charity can now easily access that charity's website. Once online, they'll typically find a link that allows them to donate online with a credit card.

Online giving also saves charities a little extra money when it comes to soliciting donations. Instead of spending 25%-30% on promoting fundraising interests and mailing donation requests, most charities pay only about 5% to credit card companies to process the donations.

How social networking is reshaping philanthropy

Online giving offers several advantages: It's cheaper for charities. It's quick and easy for donors. But best of all, it allows access to a whole new generation of donors.

Most people who donate online are between ages 20 and 50. This means two new generations of donors are now accessible to non-profit organizations.

Better yet, these new donors are heavily involved in social networking. A social network is essentially an online community of people who share the same interests or are connected in some way. They may be related, they may have gone to the same school, or they may work for the same company.

These new donors have an easy way to spread the word about donating to causes they believe in. If they see something online that promotes a charitable interest of theirs, they can easily email the link to everybody in their social network.

This means word is spread effortlessly, quickly, and at no cost to charities.

The boom of online giving

When online giving was first made possible, it accounted for between 2% and 3% of total giving in the U.S. In the past couple of years though, online giving has increased by 50% per year.

Online giving is booming for several reasons. As mentioned, it's easy to pass along information about non-profit websites. It's also simple to email links and video feeds to friends and family. Social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace make it even easier to spread the word thanks to dedicated community links to specific charitable interests.

More importantly, individuals are 100 times more likely to donate money when asked by a friend or family member. This makes online giving much more powerful than anonymous requests for donations that come through the mail.

Social networking and positive publicity

You probably agree, it's nice to be recognized for the causes you believe in. This is why most non-profits send donors thank you cards and mini gifts (like address labels). It's also been proven that such gestures of appreciation motivate donors to keep giving.

When it comes to online giving, you can still enjoy that glow of praise. When you donate to an online charity through Facebook or MySpace, your profile reflects the places you've donated. Charities with their own social networking pages often list the names of donors, providing an additional pat on the back to those who give online.

Essentially, online giving through social networking provides public recognition for being altruistic.

Other ways to donate to causes online

If donating through social networking sites isn't for you, you can still take advantage of online giving. There are organizations that make it possible to turn everyday purchases into charitable contributions.

Online giving made doable

Giving back is not only a great way to support charitable causes, it's also good for you. Countless studies cite numerous emotional benefits to helping others. Now, thanks to online charities, giving online is easier than ever before. So go ahead ' take a few seconds to click and donate, and then be sure to tell your social network about what you did. Think of it as spreading good all around ' it's good for charities, good for your social networks to know about, and good for you.