Promoting your non-profit organization is one of your key tasks as a fundraiser. After all, no one can donate funds if they don't know where they're needed. The Web gives you access to a global noticeboard that you can use to get exposure and recognition for your non-profit, and setting up an entry on any of these sites is easier than you might think.
#1 – Charity Navigator
Charity Navigator lists hundreds of different non-profit organizations split up across several key categories, including the environment, education, health and animals. It enables visitors to search for charities based on name or interest, and to see current “hot topics” where help is urgently required.
Each charity gets its own page complete with organization information, including contact details and related news stories. Donors can also review the financial performance of each charity and check out an “Accountability & Transparency” score that's calculated by Charity Navigator.
Sign up to be listed on Charity Navigator and your non-profit gets its own individual set of pages, complete with a “Donate Now” button and social media tools for sharing details with others.
Most of the hard work is done for you automatically (like news stories collected from the Web), so you only need to provide some key details about your organization to get started. You may find that your charity is already listed on Charity Navigator, as the site often publishes new pages based on information from the IRS.
#2 – JustGive
JustGive can make a real difference for non-profits looking to get the word out about their cause — it provides registries for a broad range of charities, events and individuals, and you can set up a special “Donate Now” button that lets donors offer funds directly over the Web. You are automatically listed on the JustGive site if your organization has 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, and listings are handled by a body called GuideStar.
Through the site's features you can upload videos, images and documents explaining your charity's goals and purposes, as well as writing out a mission statement that acts as a call to action and an explanation of the type of work that you do.
You'll find JustGive a well laid out and professional-looking site, and the payment system couldn't be easier to use: you can have it set up for repeat donations, if required, and give donors the opportunity to add their names and email addresses to your database if they wish to. It's also possible to incorporate the JustGive donation button on an external website if you already have one set up on a different domain.
#3 – NonProfitList
There are now more than 40,000 charities listed on this site, though you're organization will need to be approved before your profile goes live. One of the best features of the site is that it enables potential donors to narrow down the list of non-profits based on location: the front page displays a map of the US so visitors can click through to particular states or search for a city name instead.
Each non-profit listing includes details of the organization, links to a website and social media accounts, and a “Donate” button. You can add information about your current campaigns, put out a call for volunteers or supplies, and get comments from potential donors on the site itself. To add your organization to NonProfitList you'll need to have a designation 501(c)3 non-profit status with the IRS and then fill out a simple Web form that will only take a few minutes to complete.
#4 – Network for Good
Sign up for membership on the America's Charities website, and not only do you get a prominent listing on the website, you also get access to a huge range of resources to help you with your financial management, campaign promotions and other aspects of running a non-profit organization.
Not every charity is accepted — you must go through a rigorous screening process first — but if you do get a place on the website you can reach up to 10m potential donors with your campaigns.
America's Charities has been running for over 30 years now, and you can rely on its expertise and wide reach. The website highlights recent success stories, as well as making it very straightforward for potential donors to find you, whether by searching for your name or browsing through a list of the available categories.
The “Give Now” button included on your organization's online profile includes support for repeat donations and the option for dedications to be included.
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