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Need Answers?
about fundraising and alumni outreach to be answered by the Tech Program Team, a Mentor, or one of your peers! We'll include one Q&A in each future issue of the eNewsletter. Check out this issue's Q&A below. |
eNewsletter Archives Now you can find all of our previous GIJP Technology Program eNewsletters online! Click here to find a list of all our previous eNewsletters.
Let us know if there is any content you'd like to include in future issues! |
| Attention DPO Users!
Have a question or problem using DonorPerfect Online? Don't forget that DPO has its own tech support services available to answer your questions. This support is included in your annual maintenance agreement, so take advantage of it! Email them at
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Did you know DonorPerfect Online offers a regular eNewsletter with tips for using the system as well as information about updates to the system?
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Online Donations Options |
| It wasn't too long ago that people didn't purchase items on the internet. Or bank online. Or share lots of personal information online via social networks like Facebook.
But times have changed. And more and more people expect organizations to offer them the opportunity to donate online. Therefore, organizations must offer some online donations option.
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Message from Eric Phelps, Director, GIJP |
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Fifteen years ago I was involved in an electronic music group that met once a week for coffee at a diner and stayed connected throughout the week through e-mail. We collaborated on music projects using file sharing (which in those days took hours & hours to download, modify, save and re-send) and developed some interesting recordings. I once asked the group leader, "If we can do all of this on-line, why bother with the coffee?" His reply was, "Because at the end of the day, all of this technology is no substitute for connecting with people."
I have no doubt that many of you have found interesting connections among your staff, lay leaders, alumni and campers online. They are inherent in social networking tools and grow exponentially as we connect with more and more people. (It turns out that my prom date and a former employee of mine are mutual friends with a third person I have never met. The four of us also share enthusiasm for J.D. Salinger and even though we're dispersed across the country, we have all lived within 30 miles of each other at different times in our lives.)
But just as a weekly meeting was important for the composers group, so is face-to-face interaction with your Facebook Fans and Friends. It is not enough to simply know that your donor went to school with the father of your current unit head. Your development team of staff and lay leaders need to convert that "link" into a meaningful connection. You can do this through a note, a call, an event or an invitation to camp. You can tell let them know that you have discovered mutual friendship among the camp network and you can also "file it away" for the time that you do meet one of them face-to-face at a camp-sponsored event. Or better yet, invite them all to coffee with you - because at the end of the day, all of this technology is no substitute for connecting with people.
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Tip of the Month from Susan Gordon, Facebook Causes |
As more and more nonprofits find Facebook to be a useful tool for engaging their constituents, one question always arises: how can I get these constituents to donate? One of the first tools to consider to try to answer this question is Causes. Causes is an application that can be added to a user's Facebook Profile or a nonprofit organization's Facebook Page. It allows users to donate directly to the organization or simply show their support for the organization in a very visible, public way.
Have you had any luck raising money online? Tell us about it! We are sure that others can learn from your experiences. |
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This Month's Q&A - What other ways are available to raise awareness and maybe even some money? |
Question: We have implemented online giving, are sending out regular eNewsletters with stories, photos, and other information, and are actively engaging with our constituents on Facebook. Are there any other creative ways to raise awareness and money?
Answer: All organizations should be thinking about new ways to find and communicate with their constituents. For some additional creative ideas, check out our Webinar on Creative Alumni Outreach Strategies, which was led by JC Cohen and Scott Price of URJ Henry S. Jacobs Camp. The recording offers their strategies as well as some additional ideas provided by the audience.
In addition, you might want to consider Affinity Credit Cards. These are simply branded credit cards - you might already carry one. Any card showing the logo of your University or favorite sports team is an affinity credit card. For nonprofits, these cards also offer the organization a small percentage of every purchase made using the cards!
If you have any other questions you would like us to answer in a future eNewsletter, please let us know! |
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What's Next? |
In our next eNewsletter, you MIGHT find:
- Reviews of Donor Management Systems
- and more!!
Is there another subject you'd like to learn more about? Please contact us with suggestions. | |
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