the net and the 3rd sector
Every organization needs an online presence. Not for profit organizations perhaps even more than traditional companies. Although almost every NFP has a website, not every NFP is using the Internet effectively. A few of the key uses an NFP needs to capitalize on are:
i) Communicating Key Messages and Providing Information. Making sure the message is consistent through out the website is key. Also, it is important that a NFP site be well designed and free of clutter and stale information. Other aspects include having contact information on every page within a site and a lot of information on the topic, particularly if the NFP is cause or disease based.
ii) Staying up to Date with Various Publics. A great way for an NFP to encourage dialogue and keep visitors coming back is to have a blog on its site. Blogs provide an excellent forum for people sharing a similar situation – living with leukemia for example – to converse and share ideas and resources.
iii)Fundraising. A big one. There’s no question that the ability to donate to an organization online has distinct advantages, such as anonymity and no schedule constraints. However, simply having a “Donate Now” button on a website is not enough to entice and maintain donors. The actual interface to enter financial information is only part of the equation. Building a relationship with potential donors is also important as is maintaining that relationship after a donation has been received. A big part of giving means donors want to know their money is being put to good use. That involves managing contact information so donors, if they choose, can be on a mailing list for newsletters and annual reports, or receive information about upcoming events. In some cases, it may be worth the expense of having the donation page on an organization’s webpage link to an outside fundraising firm. Some innovations include immediate tax receipts, personalized thank you emails, and for the organizations, completed databases of donors.
Here are some excellent resources if you are looking for more information.
One stop shopping for NFPs. Tonnes of information regarding technology, trends, news, jobs and more. An essential research tool and Canadian to boot.
philanthropy.com
American version of Charity Village with an extensive cache of scholarly articles about NFPs. Lots of information about fundraising in particular.
firstmonday.org
Another great American resource with heavy focus on fundraising and the sociology of NFPs and community organizations.
mediainfocenter.com
An all purpose site for strategies on dealing with the media.
canadian diabetes association
Two NFP sites from organizations that “get it”
michael
6 comments November 2, 2006
