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CHARITY
Raise Good Money in a Hurry
by Elizabeth Kountze
Howard Dean's presidential campaign demonstrated the power of online fund-raising when 2,600 supporters raised $3 million on their personal Web pages. The lesson wasn't lost on charities, which increasingly are encouraging their volunteers to use customized Web pages to help spread the good word and raise cash for worthy causes. Kristin Seiffert, a student at Georgetown University, in Washington, D.C., is among the new breed of high-tech foot soldiers. Earlier this year, her mother, Faye Magneson, a doctor in South Bend, Ind., was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) -- Lou Gehrig's disease. When Seiffert, 19, visited the ALS Association's Web site to sign up for a fund-raising walk this fall, she discovered that she could set up her own Web page to encourage friends to donate.
Although she calls herself "technologically illiterate," it took Seiffert only 20 minutes to customize her Web page, complete with a photo of her mother in doctor's scrubs and a note: "Mom, know that I'm with you every step of the way." Seiffert then e-mailed her friends a link to her page.
It worked. Over the next few weeks, she watched as friends, family and acquaintances contributed through her page. Charging a donation to a credit card was easy, and a receipt was e-mailed to each donor. In just over a month, she surpassed her $1,500 goal.
Grass-roots giving
If the thought of asking friends for money makes you queasy, the Web removes the awkwardness of a face-to-face request. It's faster than mailing a letter, and the setup costs you nothing. You'll also be able to reach more people. "The chain of people who do this is amazing," Seiffert says. One donor was a high school friend's ex-boyfriend -- who lives in Mexico. "That could never have happened without the Internet," she says.
Donors can track your progress toward your goal and write messages to encourage others to join in the effort. They may even be able to create a Web page linked to yours. Through such efforts, Seiffert's friends raised an extra $270 for the ALS Association.
The one downside: A transaction fee, generally 3% to 7%, is levied on each contribution. But that's not unreasonable, says Patricia Freiberg, director of the ALS Association's 140 fund-raiser walks. She notes that the automated accounting provided by the Web approach eliminates other administrative costs. "One way or another, you have to pay for the work," Freiberg says. Bennett Weiner, chief operating officer of the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance, concurs. And, as Seiffert says, "there is no way I could have raised even half the amount without the page."
If the charity you choose doesn't offer a template for a personal fund-raising page, visit JustGiving.com. At that site (which claims 5% of each donation), you can create your own page to raise money for any legitimate charity. New Yorker Kevin King, 31, used it to raise more than $3,000 for a small scholarship fund. Within five weeks of the time he personalized his page and e-mailed contacts, he doubled his $1,000 goal. "When you know someone's got a personal connection to something, that makes you want to donate," says King.
Web fund-raising requires precautions. If you're not sure a charity is legitimate, look for an accountability report at www.give.org. Also, make sure the site explains where the money goes and assures secure transactions.
--Research: Katy Marquardt |
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