Friday, 22 August 2008

Small budget, big plans: fundraising for charity through social media

Where did August go? ICAWC suddenly seems a lot closer and as the days go on I’m increasingly nervous yet excited about my presentation.

The biggest challenge for any presentation – especially in an afternoon slot – is keeping it vibrant. Thanks to a variety of blogs and community sites I have plenty of illustrations to show delegates just how well free Internet resources can attract the attention.

Isn’t ‘free’ the best word a charity fundraiser could ever hear?! And the best part is that it doesn’t mean compromising in order to avoid paying for a service. The social web is all about the people and organisations on it making it work for them.

The social web is a very exciting arena for charities to exist in. When I talk about how to start an informal dialogue with donors and fundraise without asking for money, it’s just the tip of the iceberg. There’s such potential for a two-way conversation between supporters and non-profits that both can learn and benefit from.

‘Online fundraising’ is so much more than just having a donate button on a website (although that is pretty vital!). I look forward to sharing my thoughts with the ICAWC delegates, and learning from them in return.

Alexandra Roumbas, Dogs Trust

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