Development

I recently came across two articles that caught my attention, both having to do with utilizing the internet for fund raising.  We all have questions like, "How effective is that online donation button we have on our website?"  "Are the elderly, often the target population of a giving program, comfortable with going online to make their charitable gifts?"  "What are some innovative approaches to raising money online?"

Nonprofit organizations face a common issue of needing to raise funds from multiple sources to support their programs. Unfortunately, grant applications from different funders usually vary in proposal format, documentation requirements and budget templates, which can present a significant challenge, particularly to smaller to mid-sized organizations. Moreover, applications for smaller grants often call for the same demanding proposal and reporting requirements as the larger ones, which often strain their limited capacity.

We've all seen it: donors are holding off on making charitable gifts, smaller gifts are being given, there are fewer new donors and campaigns are slowing down. Smaller returns on investments are squeezing individual donors and foundations alike. During such difficult times, what should organizations do to maintain their fundraising operations? Last week I attended a forum sponsored by Citizens Bank entitled, "Fundraising in a difficult economic environment" which featured keynote speaker Ruben Orduña, VP Development at the Boston Foundation. He offered up some practical suggestions of what you can do to weather the economic storm.