8- SOLID REASONS ALL NON-PROFITS NEED A WEB SITE...Written by Thom Reece
© 2005 Thom Reece All Rights ReservedA nonprofit organization can take advantage of Internet in at least eight profitable ways: - Public Relations & Publicity
- Enhanced Public Education
- Increase & Expand Fundraising
- Improve Volunteer Recruitment, Recognition & Support
- Better Delivery of Services
- Stronger Advocacy
- Improved Research
- Dramatically Enhance Communication
Let us look at brief examples of each of these uses in turn... Publicity Good sites gain attention. Attention or awareness is exactly what all non-profits need... it accelerates fund-raising efforts,and enhances all following essential needs:Public Education There's a fine line between grabbing public's attention and educating public about an important social problem or cause.Whatever mission statement of your non-profit organization is, it needs to be presented with clarity to various "publics" that all non-profits must influence if they are to be successful. All organizations have several different "publics" which they must influence in a positive way in order to achieve their organizational goals. Some of these "publics" are: - centers of influence
- community organizations
- government officials and departments
- other non-profits
- volunteers
- donors
- etc. etc.
A properly constructed and strategized web site can reach all of these "publics" cost effectively and with immediate calls-to-action. Fundraising Large sums of money are now changing hands over Internet. One early barrier to online fund raising was perceived insecurity surrounding online financial transactions. With dramatic improvements in online secure data transmission, this is no longer an issue. Now there are multiple ways for donors to make direct donations without worrying. Several companies offer secure methods for performing online financial transactions. PayPal and Amazon now provide free mechanisms for proper transmission of credit card donations to non-profits... eliminating need for non-profit to own and manage their own credit card merchant account... and saving organization on transaction fees. Another advantage of online credit card donations is that they are usually for larger amounts... and given more often during year. The biggest single benefit of a well crafted non-profit web site is fact that you are now opening up entire online world... almost a billion users (and growing) worldwide... to your organizations needs and goals. It is not unusual for organizations to recieve substantial donations from complete strangers living in foreign countries. These folks will have found you on world-wide-web, feel an affinity to your goals... and donate money using your online form and their credit card. Building a donor database allows organization to "go back to well" seeking additional donations for specific projects, needs, or general support. Web donations will iron out peaks and valleys of your revenue flow. Volunteer Recruitment Volunteer recruitment and management is a well developed and proven use of Internet. The Internet allows for a new and powerful way for people to support non-profits by becoming virtual volunteers. Virtual volunteers have more control over their time and ease of working from home because they take advantage of convenience of online communication. All factors that motivated volunteers face-to-face still operate forcefully over Internet. A spirit of community and personal relationships thrive abundantly in cyberspace. Of course, many non-profits have effectively used their web presence for recruiting volunteers that show up on their premises. Recognizing volunteers... a vital component of developing a strong volunteer, is made simple and easy through a web site.
| | A Simple Business TestWritten by Bruce McCurtain
I'm often asked to review people's ideas. Sometimes they want financial support, sometimes they just want confirmation that idea they have is worthwhile. When you approach a bank about your pet project they'll ask for a business plan, as well they should. By time you reach your local lending officer they expect you've done your homework and are not just "vetting" your idea. Business plans are long, involved and necessary when you need financing. When people ask me for specific financial support for their idea, I usually ask for a business plan. No plan, no cash. But writing an entire business plan for every single business concept is time consuming and counterproductive. For those just looking for advice I like to ask for a very simple review. Usually I know answer (or close enough) before I ask. What is important is that you learn answer. The review looks like this. Imagine that your idea is well funded, marketed and accepted. That your
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