Philanthropy is Going Digital

Arianna Huffington of the Huffington Post wrote:

"...the Internet is definitely energizing philanthropy and changing the way that we give. According to the ePhilanthropy Foundation, online donations have skyrocketed, going from $250 million in 2000 to close to $7 billion in 2006."

Its not surprising really. The internet just makes it so easy. Whether you have funds to give or you're a fundraiser, there is something out there for you.

Here's a round up of the great stuff online for Digital Philanthropists:

• If you need help deciding who to give to . . . Let the Donation Dashboard help you choose.
• Are you a non-profit needing software to manage your fundraisers and keep up with your donors? Try Kimbia!
• Are you a Woman with money to give? Take a look at the Women's Funding Network and Women Moving Millions .
• Love Ebay? You'll love it even more if you take a look at Mission Fish - a fun way to fundraise or to give.
• Want to be a bit retro and hold a raffle? Visit TicketPrinting.com and get some eyecatching raffle tickets printed. You can even design your own!
• Be sure your donation really is going to a good cause with UniversalGiving. They connect donors and volunteers with top-performing, quality organizations all over the world.

What are your favourite tools for online giving?

Giving to Charity can Help you Feel Richer

Image by Getty Images via DaylifeWhen we feel that we don't have enough to share, its easy to justify a little selfishness. Its hard enough to look after our own families in these uncertain times, let alone trying to help anyone else, right? So we choose not to give to charity for now. We'll do it when we get a payrise, or the economy picks up, or when the kids leave home . . .

Brent Kessel, author of Its Not About the Money, stated in a recent interview

Many of us think, when I have enough, then I'll be generous. The irony is...you can't be giving money away and feel like you don't have enough. The act itself changes the message you tell yourself.

The time to be generous is NOW. We need to manage our money mindfully and make giving a priority in our budgets. By being grateful for the things we have and working to cultivate a mindset of abundance we allow ourselves to contribute more to the people and causes that need our help.

If we all give what we can spare, no matter how small an amount, then together we can make a difference.

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Social Media for Social Change

Image via WikipediaIf you are a part of a non-profit organisation looking to go digital, then this is the site for you. Social Media for Social Change believes that Social Media is a powerful tool to help non-profit organisations make a difference. Check out their article 'Seven Reasons Social Media Tools is a Pertfect Fit for Non-Profits' by Meg Fowler.

And for an example of a not for profit organisation that has used social media to do great things visit Epic Change. Epic Change has raised some $50,000 to build a school in Tanzania, using primarily social media and e-mail. They are definately an organisation worth emulating when it comes to using these tools effectively.

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NPO Referral Programme

FirstGiving is a great platform for Non-Profit organisations (as long as they are registered in the USA) to raise funds online.

It offers tools to help your organisation reach more people, and turn your donors into fundraisers. Firstgiving deals with the money side of things for you and makes administration easy. And its FREE for your organisation to use - or you can pay for a Branded Premium Account.

Take a look at FirstGiving here

And have a look at the FirstGiving Blog entry "Share the wealth of fundraising ideas"

"Nonprofit organizations who refer other nonprofit organizations to us can earn three months of free Firstgiving service for each referral who joins for six months or raises at least $5,000. So share the wealth and tell your peers about Firstgiving."

Let the beauty that we love be what we do ~Rumi

Image by Torsten Hofmann via Flickr "Something beautiful happens when one gives. For a brief moment, the recipient and donor share space and time, either real or imagined, where both acknowledge a commonality, a connectedness that is part of our sense of humanity. Something tweaks the heartstrings of the giver, persuading him to part with hard earned dollars for the sake of a stranger. The beneficiary, in the act of asking, humbles herself, admitting an inability to survive without the kindness of strangers." . . read more at the GiveForward blog

GiveForward is a unique new tool that makes it simple and even fun for individuals and organizations to fundraise or donate online. Fundraisers, promote your causes with photos, videos, event calendars, and more! Donors, find projects you care about and give as little as $1 to as many causes as you like!

Philanthropy for the Little Guy

I just read a great post about Philanthropy for the Little guy over at PixVox

"But looking back on the original interview, I recall feeling more than a bit smug about Bill [Gates]. After all, how could someone with so much, be so unwilling to share it? I mean, hey, if it was my money I’d give it away. Not a moment of hesitation on my part. No sir, I might even give all of it away, move to a tenement flat and live on ramen noodles and rice. Or would I? After all, in some respect, Gate’s fortune is relative. To an upper middle class couple like us it dwarfs our earnings. But to a goat herder on the Serengeti or a homeless family in Portland, our lifestyle must look every bit as enormous. So there I sat, smug but slightly defensive. I knew I wasn’t much different from Bill, except for the cash. We were two peas in a pod, focused on making money with limited concern for those around us."

We could all do to reevaluate our perceptions of wealth and to adopt an attitude of abundance that will allow us to share generously with others - whether that be our time, skill or money.

Head over to PixVox to read the rest of the article.

The Backyard Philanthropist

Ha"Having a business that specifically supports not for profits and encourages philanthropy it made me think about what philanthropy really is. I went to www.answer.com who defined the word:

• · The effort or inclination to increase the well being of humankind, as by charitable aid or donations.
• · Love of humankind in general.
• · Something, such as an activity or institution, intended to promote human welfare

Wikipedia writes ‘philanthropy may encompass any altruistic activity intended to promote good or improve human quality of life.’

If that is the case, then all of us are philanthropists and it isn’t a label saved for the Gates, the Buffett’s and the Sage’s of the world.

We are ALL Backyard Philanthropists; volunteering our time, supporting the organizations that are close to our heart and living a purposeful life." . . . read more at the PincGiving Blog


PincGiving opens a gateway to online donor and charitable giving. We connect supporters with causes and have online fundraising tools that help you raise money to donate to any of the 1,202,807 charities we have listed in North America, Australia, and the United Kingdom. Put your philanthropy to work at Pinc.

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My 2008/09 Giving Project

Over the last few months I have been working on raising awareness - and ultimately funds - for SALVEASERRA, an organisation in Brazil that is working to reduce poverty, encourage sustainable land use and restore part of the Atlantic Forest (possibly the most engdangered tropical forest area in the world).


I am primarily using the internet to achieve my goal for this project - which is to raise the full amount required for their GlobalGiving 'Trees and Education' project - $60,000. Given that I am a fundraising novice, this is a fairly ambitious target.

I have been using Razoo without a great deal of success. It seems like a site with great potential, but is very quiet and there doesn't seem to be a lot happening there or many active members.

I have also been trying Zazengo. Its a great platform, and it also has the fantastic widget you see in my sidebar. But once again, there isn't a great deal of action/discussion/networking going on.

The other platform I have been using is Care2. I have been a member of Care2 for years and I love the site! I have recently joined several discussion groups related to both fundraising and rainforest protection. I post something at least once a week to try and stimulate discussion. I also have the RSS feed of my How to Make a Difference blog directed there.

So far, these platforms haven't generated a lot of response. But they have meant that SALVEASERRA has a much greater presence in the search engines - which can't be all bad.

I have also created a great toolbar for How to Make a Difference that links to the site and will - when enough people download it - generate a monthly donation for SALVEASERRA. You can download it here.

My other fundraising campaign at the moment is selling fantastic organic cotton t-shirts from WE ADD UP. I have signed up to their affiliate programme and have used a free Google Adwords credit to advertise. It has been moderately successful so far - but I have yet to achieve the $50 payout amount.

I was hoping to have been able to make my first contribution to SALVEASERRA (via GlobalGiving) at the end of August. But it hasn't worked out that way. However, I feel that I have made a positive start. Traffic to How to Make a Difference is increasing slowly but steadily which will help the cause even more.

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• Get your own Tree in the Atlantic Forest

Be a Hero

Image via Wikipedia The internet is a great place to find new opportunities for giving - whether it be your money, time or expertise.

If you are on the lookout for new ways to help people directly - then take the time to join Wish Upon a Hero.

"Wish Upon A Hero is completely free to its users, allowing everyone who registers the opportunity to cast up to three wishes at a time. Because Wish Upon A Hero is designed to help everyone, wishes can be big or small, elaborate or simple, based on financial need or just asking for a simple favor.
Wish Upon A Hero is a unique venue for any individual, organization, or company looking to make a difference in someone’s life, or the lives of countless people. Heroes come in all ages and from all walks of life. All of us, from our nation’s most powerful corporations to individual philanthropists, and those with limited financial means, can be someone’s hero:

• A man who buys uniforms for his town’s little league team.
• A plastic surgeon brings his skill to the aid of an uninsured breast cancer survivor.
• A national appliance retailer that donates a refrigerator to a single mom with a newborn.
• A groundskeeper at Yankee stadium who helps a woman fulfill her father’s lifelong dream of throwing a single pitch across home plate."

Extreme Philanthropy for Passionate Givers

Image via Wikipedia As much as many people want to make a difference and donate money to charity, it is seldom at the forefront of their minds as they work out their household budget. Most of us are too busy trying to afford a bigger house, newer car, flasher tv or more fashionable clothes to see how we can possibly have enough to give anything to charity. . . read more