“Fundraising is an integral part of keeping charitable organizations afloat in the 21st century. The internet and social media have significantly changed the way that charitable organizations conduct fundraising activities in the past decade, and 2015 is no exception.
In 2015, fundraising events are taking on a wide variety of forms. Crowdfunding campaigns, such as those hosted on sites like Kickstarter or GoFundMe, allow individuals to donate money quickly and easily to causes they care about. Through social media promotion, these crowdfunding campaigns can reach a much wider audience than ever before. Charitable organizations are also relying on grassroots efforts such as collecting donations at events or through events that people volunteer at.
Online auctions have also become an increasingly popular fundraising tool in recent years. Utilizing online auction sites like eBay or even their own websites, nonprofits can offer items for sale to their supporters. Supporters are able to donate money by bidding on items, helping to support the mission of the organization as well as purchasing something of value for themselves.
The traditional forms of fundraising are still being used as well. Direct mail letters and emails are still popular methods for collecting donations from loyal supporters. Phone calls from volunteers or staff members can also be used to collect donations from supporters who may not be familiar with the organization’s mission or methods of fundraising.
No matter what form it takes, fundraising has been essential to nonprofits and charities over the years and will continue to be so into the future. With technological advances like crowdfunding and online auctions, it’s becoming easier and more accessible than ever for donors to make a positive impact on the causes they care most about.”
As the world of fundraising evolves, there has been increasing pressure on charitable organizations to diversify their sources of funds. 2015 has seen a variety of trends in fundraising which offer exciting new opportunities for charities to reach out to donors and increase their financial resources.
One area that has seen a substantial rise in popularity is online crowdfunding, in which individuals and groups can publicly solicit donations from supporters around the globe. A good example of this is the recent launch of the crowdfunded book publishing platform Unbound, which enables writers and authors to raise money to bring their work to life. This trend allows charities to reach beyond traditional fundraising sources, into a much larger pool of potential donors.
Another popular trend is cause-related marketing, which takes advantage of existing consumer habits by partnering with companies who donate a portion of each sale to charity. This can be a great way for charities to take advantage of existing consumer activity and still benefit from additional revenue streams.
The importance of technology has also come into play in the world of fundraising. Email appeals, social media campaigns and mobile donation apps are ways in which charities can engage with their donors more directly, cutting out costly overhead needed for traditional methods of outreach.
Finally, phone-a-thon campaigns that have been around for decades still remain an effective fundraising tool. Telemarketers share relevant stories about the charity’s cause and ask potential donors for contributions – garnering greater results than online campaigns and allowing for more personal relationships with supporters.
2015 has proven that there are creative new ways for charities to engage the public and increase their financial resources. By taking advantage of available technologies and making use of relationships with individuals and businesses, fundraisers have potential to explore limitless possibilities for growth and success in this evolving landscape!