This year, for the first time since 2007, overall giving to nonprofits reached levels not seen since before the recession.   Where was the most growth?  Online Revenue!  According to the Philanthropy Journal, online donations grew 15.4%.  Sarah Durham (author of the nonprofit marketing guide Brandraising) recently tweeted that Save the Children was able to raise over a million dollars in 36 hours by selling virtual radishes.  Here’s a small step you can take to start encouraging online donations:  Get a PayPal Button.  It’s easier than it sounds and can be put right on your Facebook.

CLICK HERE TO OPEN UP YOUR VIRTUAL DONATION DOORS

So you probably won’t raise a million in your first 36 hours, but it’s the start to opening the doors to online fundraising.  If you're still unsure, consider the long version:

SERIOUSLY.

In closing, here is a final thought from a sample potential donor, and a picture of some antiquated donation technology:

We just participated in a fantastic webinar presented by Delia Coleman, the Donor’s Forum Director on Public Policy.  Did you know that registering new voters and offering voting reminders are the actions that take the lowest input from your organization and have the highest return (in the form of people voting)?  It is important to stay nonpartisan, but there is a lot you can do within the legal limits to promote your causes and encourage civic engagement.  The presentation is available for you to view here.

If you have more questions about  your options in an election year, check out these websites:

Make sure to welcome our new interns: Sarah Estes and Johnny Kraps!
If you have any questions regarding the site or just want to share a cool article that you've read, contact them at gwcintern@gmail.com

Sarah Estes is a senior Marketing major at Eastern Illinois University.  She holds a degree in Foreign Languages and Literature, focusing in Spanish, from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. 

Since the age of 12, she has been involved in a variety of volunteer service and nonprofit groups. This position is an exciting opportunity for her to learn more about professional nonprofits, and she hopes to develop a career in the local nonprofit community.
 

Sarah and her fiancé, Justin, reside in Charleston; They live with their terrier, just a short jaunt from her hometown of Mattoon.  She presently serves the community as a 9-1-1 dispatcher.  Travel is her greatest passion, and her free time is most often spent reading, sewing, and spending time with friends and family.

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Johnny Kraps is a senior at Eastern Illinois University, majoring

in Communication Studies with an option in Public Relations.  He is the Marketing and Public Relations intern for The Lumpkin Family Foundation and also works with goodWORKSconnect.org to help foster discussion through social media. 

Inspired by his childhood experiences with UNICEF, Johnny plans to one day work as an External Communications Consultant for them.

At Eastern Johnny is the Vice President of the Public Relations Student Society of America.  Johnny grew up in San Jose, California but moved his senior year of high school to Harrisburg, Illinois.  He enjoys reading Repairman Jack novels, playing music, fishing, and traveling.