Online Tools for Web 2.0 Fundraising

Web tools allow volunteers and other stakeholders to start fundraising campaigns for your organization. This can help you reach people with whom you may not otherwise have had contact. The web allows your supporters to customize and personalize their own messaging. Web tools allow for easy reporting and information gathering on your donors. You can easily track who gave money, how much, and when they donated. The web is also great for bringing attention to mini fundraising campaigns based around a specific project or event.

This movement (of asking people you already know to raise money) is sometimes known as “citizen philanthropy.” You may also hear it referred to as “viral” or “person-to-person” fundraising. Web tools give fundraisers a voice they never had before. With the rise of interactive tools, social networking, and widely-read blogs, the average person can now publicize his or her interest in a cause—and attract significant attention.

This tutorial will review four tools for online fundraising: Causes on Facebook, Network for Good, AlumniFidelity, and FirstGiving. Each tool presented will be “graded” using a report card template. The report card explains the tool’s cost (if there is one), key benefits and drawbacks, level of security, and time required for both initial setup and ongoing maintenance. It also rates how difficult the tool is to administer and the skill level required for a user.

The comparison table outlines basic features and customization options and compares the four tools reviewed. You can download these documents and add to or adapt them for your own organization. Please click the icon to learn more about the report card and comparison table.