Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

Online Non Profit Fundraising

Thursday, June 13th, 2013

Online Non Profit FundraisingOnline non profit fundraising is quickly becoming more and more popular by the day. There are so many things that can be done online. But online non profit fundraising is one of those things that are indeed quite fulfilling. The thing is that there are many people who want to help out. There are many people who would want to lend a hand to the people who need help. Alternatively, there are many people who need help. There are many causes that need supporting. This is where the charitable institutions and nonprofit organizations come in. They bring online non profit fundraising to the people so as to make sure that the people and the causes that need help will indeed get the help that they so direly need.

The best thing about online non profit fundraising is that they are very accessible. It doesn’t matter where the cause and the donors are. For instance, the charitable institution that is bringing the cause online is based in the USA, the fundraising event is going to be held in South America, and the event is going to be for the people in Asia. People from all over the world can do to the online non profit fundraising website and still be able to donate. As long as there is internet connection, one can visit the online non profit fundraising site and he will be able to donate as much as he wants. This is how great online fundraising is. This is why more and more charitable institutions and nonprofit organizations are turning to online non profit fundraising for the needs of their supported causes and fundraising events.

These online non profit fundraising sites are not just advantageous for the charitable institutions and the nonprofit organizations. The donors are likewise able to get quite a lot of advantages with these wonderful innovations. When someone donates to the cause of their choice, they are given access to the website of the cause. Here, the donors will be able to see the activities that are related to the cause or fundraising event. He will be able to see as well the other donations that come in that event. These online non profit fundraising sites practice full transparency. Here, they make sure that the donors will see exactly where their money goes. This way, the donors will see that they are indeed able to help out. They will be able to reassure themselves that they are doing what they need to do to help out those who are in need.

There are so many different online non profit fundraising sites out there. This is why it is always important to get to know the ones that are legitimate. Check out the contact numbers of the fundraising website. Check out their addresses as well. By doing this one can be able to check and make sure that the fundraising campaigns are legit. This way, people are able to make sure that they are donating to the right campaigns and that they are able to help the people that they want to help out.

Disaster Relief: 3 fast ways to find out how to help

Tuesday, May 28th, 2013

Over the course of the last decade, our planet has been unfortunate enough to have faced a seemingly endless stream of natural disasters. From the devastating tsunami that struck Indonesia in 2004 to the powerful tornado that tore apart communities outside of Oklahoma City just last week, it seems as though we can hardly catch our breath before the newscaster is back on our screen with another breaking story of Earth’s unpredictable power.

But with great devastation, there also comes great unity. When Hurricane Sandy hit the east coast in October of 2012, the many beaches, boardwalks, and communities of Long Island, the Jersey Shore, and Staten Island became all but completely unrecognizable. Many lost their homes, businesses, and their peace of mind to harsh flooding and water damage.  However, within all of this chaos and loss, we began to witness incredible acts of human kindness.

Thousands of individuals banded together in an effort to provide support and relief to those affected by the storm. Within less than 8 months, thanks to the unwavering support of communities and charities all over the country, many of these beaches will be ready to reopen to the public by the summer.

It can be hoped that the same kind of support will be extended to the victims of the Oklahoma tornadoes, and there are many ways that you as an individual can reach out to lend a hand in their recovery.

What You Can Do:

Contact your local Red Cross or Salvation Army Chapters. They’re two of the largest organizations that provide relief in times of disaster with thousands of locations all over the United States. You can learn what they’re doing in your area, and how you can volunteer or donate. Whether it’s simply giving blood, donating spare clothing, or even traveling to the site of the disaster, every bit of support is critical to the recovery of those affected.

Listen to the radio. With constant news updates, local radio stations are one of the quickest and most efficient ways of learning about donation drives and relief efforts going on in your area. Many organizations reach out to stations to spread the message of their events and on many occasions, they even team up together to further extend their fundraising outreach. You can also listen in for phone numbers that allow you to text a code for quick donation.

Reach out through your social networks.In times of hardship, it’s likely that you’re not the only one looking to help. Facebook and Twitter are both great ways to find groups that are mobilizing on behalf of a cause as well as gather other friends to join in on your efforts. Don’t be afraid to contact someone who you may not know that well. The support of others is so vital to the recovery of disasters and social media is such a new and incredible way to reach out to others in ways that have never been possible in prior years.

We here at Karma411 extend our deepest sympathies to all of the victims and their families affected by the Oklahoma tornadoes. It is with the power of the human heart and our nation’s ability to stand together in times of need that will ultimately be the foundation that brings these affected communities back together.

Tips from the Development Team: Krista Ranker

Thursday, May 23rd, 2013

We spoke with Krista Ranker to learn what online tools her development team has implemented to help make event communications and planning easier on her team.  Here is what she had to say.

Let’s face it, very few of us have a career that stays within our loosely written job description, and most carry a workload that takes more than eight-hours a day to complete. This is the norm for me as a Development Assistant — a position I’ve only been in for one-year, but one that I’ve quickly had to adapt to. Before I started, I asked the Director if I should bring anything — she said “shoes, because you’ll hit the ground running”– she wasn’t kidding. However busy my day might be, I know that there is an array of online tools designed to help you use your time efficiently.

Social Media: We’re all aware of the change in communications from flyers to status updates and tweets, making it important that your social media presence remains constant. Make your posts short and sweet, and use photos old and new. From there, you can utilize reporting such as Facebook Insights or Google Analytics to determine which of your posts received the most feedback and during what time of day there was the most activity.

Something as simple as an online or paper calendar also helps in keeping ahead of significant dates related to your cause and organization. This will help you and your team schedule in advance as many communications as possible around important dates and events in the calendar year.

Remember that social media is a two-way street; it’s not just for advertising your organization. Make sure to post a video, an article or ask a question. This will add traffic to your social media site and get your audience engaged.

Eblasts: We all use them, make sure you share them to your social networks. I use OpenMoves and take advantage of not only their social sharing but also their support center and training webinars. Don’t be hesitant to ask questions or look for help.

Event Sites: When you get on board with a company such as Karma411, who provides online fundraising and event management solutions for nonprofits, you should feel relieved. Event sites allow you to more easily receive and track donations, sell event tickets and sponsorships and have supporters fundraise on your behalf through peer to peer sharing on their own social media sites. It’s a great way to not only generate more awareness and activity to your cause and event but to easily manage every last detail.

QR Codes: QR codes are scannable codes that you can put in your printed materials (save the date cards, invitations, posters), which connect the user through their smart phone to your digital web content, such as an event site. They’re a quick and interactive way to get your audience more engaged. You can easily search for an online QR code generator to create one. It’s free and it shows that your organization is on top of new technology.

Make sure to also search for local event sites where you can post your upcoming events on community calendars to further extend your audience and outreach.

The access to online tools is right at your fingertips. Take a little time out of your day to familiarize yourself with what some of these tools can do and both you and your organization will be eternally grateful for the results and peace of mind that they will bring.


–Krista Ranker is Development Assistant at a prominent not-for-profit organization on Long Island.

Branding, Sponsorship and the Online Thank You

Tuesday, May 21st, 2013

You go to great lengths to create events that are fun, creative and have an element of excitement.  You go to great lengths to understand what has worked in the past and what didn’t.  So much of your time is spent crafting and designing ‘save the date’ cards and direct mail invitations. Why not channel those efforts right onto your event site? Creating an event site that captures the look and feel of your direct mail pieces and your organizations’ brand can help shine a light on your team as thought leaders and forward thinkers.  Fundraising event planning is not a new concept, but creating a mini-website about your event is. This is a site that can not only describe your event, but provide a platform to thank the groups and individuals that contributed to the success.

Mercy Haven, located in Islip Terrace, NY, created a fully branded golf event site using our tools and took advantage of the ability to create more than just a page to sell tickets to their golf event.

Committee Page: Highlight and thank your committee who has worked so hard to put your event together.  This is the public thank you that can keep them engaged and on board to help in planning your next event.

Sponsor page: Give your sponsors a web presence.  As your sell each sponsorship, place their logo on a page within the site to highlight their support of your event. You can make their logo clickable and drive additional traffic to their sites.  This could be of tremendous value, especially if you are trying to attract new sponsors.

Other page ideas: A schedule of the day, honoree bios, and, of course, an “About Us” page are all ideas for additional sub pages which you can easily create on your event site, rather than cramming it all onto one page a downloadable PDF.

Take advantage of the tools and support available to you.  Our team will be glad to help you take the steps.

Get the Kids Involved in Fundraising

Tuesday, May 14th, 2013

As the mother of a 5 year old, I know how easy it is to get children that age excited. I also know how easy it can be to motivate them and get results.  As great as it would be to get the very little ones involved, most 5 year olds lack the computer (and spelling, reading and typing) skills needed for actual fundraising either on or offline.  They can lend a hand, for sure, but to really make a positive impact on your thermometer the next age group may prove to be an untapped channel for your organization.  Tweens and teens spend more time online than any other age demographic and are the earliest adopters at the forefront of new technology especially social media.

Why does it seem as though this group is so often disregarded when it comes to fundraising?  Perhaps it is because of their limited personal spending power. Despite this, they do have ability to exert some power over the wallets of their parents and relatives. Having friends and an active social life in and outside of the classroom is the biggest motivator for this group. By mobilizing this new audience you can find yourself a creative way to reach new heights in fundraising and develop new followers for your cause. In order for this approach to work, you need to apply online peer to peer tools, also known as crowdfunding tools, to make it work. Tools like a personal page that each tween, teen and adult can share on behalf of your cause are a great way to start generating more outreach.

Take the lead of the Just Like Me Project. The Just Like Me Project is a joint initiative with the Center for Creative Development and The Long Island Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (LICADD). This interactive, peer-to-peer program empowers students to make healthy decisions about drug use and other vital issues. Utilizing art as a compelling tool for self-discovery and self-expression, Just Like Me brings kids together through community art projects to address issues of substance abuse and other social concerns. They have partnered with Chris Gates Tae Kwon Do to host a Kick-A-Thon and are using Karma411’s tools to enable each Tae Kwon Do student to have a sharable page and participate in the fundraising.  Don’t forget the kids; they can become the strongest advocates for your cause and start paving the way as your future leaders.

Good Luck to all of the Kick-a-thon participants!

How To Host A Charitable Holiday Party!

Sunday, December 16th, 2012

Happy Holidays!

The holiday season is upon us, which means it’s the time for eggnog, gift giving, and holiday parties! Here’s how to make your gathering more meaningful by giving guests an opportunity to donate to a cause you care about:

  1. Charge a cover – let guests know that the proceeds will go to the charity that receives the most votes at your party! Write out a list of 5 non-profits that mean the most to you, and have each guest write their choice on a ticket they receive in exchange for the cover charge. Allow guests to purchase as many tickets as they want!
  2. Host an auction – ask guests to bring an item each to raffle off, and then charge for tickets. It’s a win-win – guests will go home with a prize, and you can donate the ticket sales to the charity of your choice!
  3. Instead of giving out party favors, make a gift to a nonprofit in the name of each guest.
  4. Give toys – ask each guest to bring an unwrapped toy to donate to Toys For Tots.
  5. Create a customized fundraising campaign for your nonprofit on Karma411 to raise funds and awareness prior to the day of your party!

The Non Nonprofit

Sunday, May 27th, 2012
The Non Nonprofit - For-Profit Thinking For Nonprofit Success – a book by Steve Rothschild.
The career story of Steve Rothschild, author of The Non Nonprofit, perhaps warrants a book of its own. Rothschild rose to corporate success as the executive vice president of General Mills, a Fortune 100 company, only to then leave the corporate world and found Twin Cities Rise! (using his own money). Rise! works to combat inner city poverty in the Minneapolis area by providing long term job training to low-income adults.
Rothschild possesses a keen sense for the modern challenges faced by nonprofits and social enterprises.
Through the story of Rise!, as well as through case-studies of other inventive social organizations, Rothchild identifies seven key principles for long-term success, applicable to any social venture looking to boost impact:
1. Have a clear and appropriate purpose
2. Measure what counts
3. Be market driven
4. Create mutual accountability
5. Support personal empowerment
6. Create economic value form social benefit
7. Be learning driven
I particularly like the last principle.  Being a constant learner is one key to success.
Rothschild meticulously demonstrates the value of each principle in numerous, varied circumstances.
Nonprofits attempt to tackle society’s most challenging problems with few resources and financial support from state and federal governments has recently dwindled. In meeting these challenges, Rothschild’s for-profit geared principles delve into economics, strategy, philosophy, psychology, etc. Incorporating these principles simply demands the courage to change.
The book reinforced part of the Karma411 value to me.  Karma411 can help Non Profits achieve their goals easier and faster.
I would recommend this book to any current or prospective social venture leaders looking to improve their results and achieve their purpose.

John Murcott Talks Starting Karma411, The Influence of Informal Messaging And Much More On Image Talk Radio!

Tuesday, December 20th, 2011

Social Media Reach

This morning John Murcott, CEO of Karma411 appeared as a guest on Image Talk Radio to discuss Karma411, social media channels, the power of user-generated content, and a different way for nonprofits to attach value to supporters with the show’s hosts Brian Cohen and Joann Dobrowlowski.

John began by talking about why he felt there was a need to create Karma411, saying that social media is becoming increasingly important for all organizations. “Traditionally they [nonprofits] focused their message on more formal channels like newsletters, their website, and collateral they print,” he said. “Now, more of the information that people get about these organizations is from informal channels, like Facebook and Twitter. Normally those interactions are a lot less formal, but they are a lot more credible.” The interactions John references are considered more credible because it has become apparent that people respond more favorably to something that a friend or colleague recommends. John added that in creating Karma411 he wanted to provide a channel with similar tools and features to that of Facebook, but focus the activity on raising awareness and money for causes.

Joann posed a question that has arisen in many conversations we have had with nonprofits; why should nonprofits look to new methods of fundraising, especially when they have used the same methods for years and have very limited budgets? John responded by saying that current fundraising channels are becoming less effective; government grants are more difficult to get, and it is becoming harder to raise money through traditional forms of outreach. In addition, there has been a cultural change – more and more people are looking for their friends’ opinions when they are buying something, whether it is a product, movie or a book. John believes that people take the same approach when they are looking to support a cause; people are more likely to support a cause if someone, like a friend or relative, asks them to do so.

“You need to energize a smal group or a kernal of supporters who care about your cause; let them share, let them post, let them tweet. Let them tell their friends about the cause and why it’s important to them, and then that starts a viral effect to their friends and their circle, and the network grows. You’re taking advantage of a social trend and applying it to causes. It’s a nice combination of a trend that’s very successful and a category of business that is finding it more and more difficult to raise money.”

One point that was brought up a significant amount of times throughout the interview was the strength of social media platforms and how all of the content created on these platforms is user-generated. Such platforms enable people to interact by sharing ideas and thoughts, and both companies and nonprofits can benefit from the passion, interest and content that their consumers and constituents add.

When asked about Karma411′s current projects, John informed Brian and Joann that Karma411 works with nonprofits directly, as well as with companies on projects that benefit nonprofits. For example, he said, Karma411 is currently working on a project with Major League Baseball where the site being built supports different cancer organizations. This project is an example of a company implementing cause-related marketing, which is something John says will only increase in the future because of its huge financial benefit to the company and the organization.

Towards the end of the conversation Brian asked John a question that perhaps might never have a concrete answer: how do you attach value to a supporter? The clearest way to value them, John said, is by how much money they donated the previous year. Moving forward, however, there is another type of person who could be just as valuable – a connector, such as someone who has a lot of Twitter followers.

“Who will be more important? Someone who donates $10,000, or someone who has 10,000 followers? That’s a difficult question  to answer, but to have 10,000 people listen to what you say, and if that person can say I really support that cause, I gave $10, would you do the same? That can have a very significant impact. Moving forward, nonprofits are not only going to be interested in people who can give a lot, but people who are very connected, very socially minded and influential in the blogosphere.”

Listen to the interview in its entirety here!

Listen to internet radio with YPI Consultants LLC on Blog Talk Radio

EAC’s 6th Annual Party To Protect Children!

Friday, September 9th, 2011

On Thursday, October 27, Education & Assistance Corporation will celebrate Halloween by holding its 6th Annual “Party to Protect Children” at the Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury, NY from 6 to 8:30pm.

Proceeds from the party will benefit a very special cause – helping EAC protect at-risk children, highlighting the Suffolk County Child Advocacy Center at The Pat & Mary Bagnato Place For Kids. The center is a very special, inviting place for child victims of physical and sexual abuse.

Interested in attending? Show your support and start fundraising today! Visit EAC’s “Party to Protect Children” site where you can learn more about the event, purchase tickets, become a sponsor, and create a fundraising page. Creating your own fundraising page is quick and easy – just fill out a short form, set your fundraising goal, write a message of why you support EAC, and upload a photo (if you’d like to add a personal touch). After following these simple steps you’re ready to send your page out to all of your friends and family to ask for their support!

The night will begin with a dinner party, where Paul Tonna, Executive Director for The Energela Partnership at Molloy College, his wife Carol, and William Lindsay, Presiding Officer of the Suffolk County Legislature, will be honored for their dedication to helping Long Island’s at-risk children.

Families of all ages and sizes are welcome to attend this evening that is sure to be filled with delicious treats, halloween-themed games and exciting prizes!

Fair Media Council’s First Ever Summer Social Media Bootcamp!

Wednesday, July 20th, 2011

David Mathison, Jaci Clement & Guest

On Friday, July 15 the Fair Media Council held their first ever Summer Social Media Bootcamp at Briarcliff college on Long Island. Guests began arriving at 7:30am donning shorts and flip flops – a dress code requirement stated on the event’s registration form. “It’s summer, it’s Friday, and I want to be comfortable,” said FMC’s Executive Director, Jaci Clement.

Jaci kicked off the event by explaining how media consolidation and the news media has made it harder to get the message out. This is why we have to Get Media Savvy, she said, dropping FMC’s well-known tag line. Without delay, Jaci introduced the event’s Keynote Speaker, David Mathison, an internationally recognized media consultant, author, talk show host, hi-tech entrepreneur, and event producer who is recognized for his award-winning book BE THE MEDIA.

BE THE MEDIA was featured in the NY Times after Mathison sold over 5,000 copies in just 11 days via his website, Twitter, and Facebook. Mathison is also the founder and Executive Producer of Home Aid, an annual campaign and event to benefit the homeless. Mathison began his Keynote by asking the audience what they wanted to learn about; social media and Google+ won by a dominating show of hands.

“Find a goal and work backwards,” said Mathison. “You shouldn’t waste time on social media; you can spend time looking at pictures, but to be effective you need to focus on your goals.”

Mathison also noted the importance of using LinkedIn to make connections, adding that he doesn’t add the person down the street, but rather, finds targeted LinkedIn contacts such as Ken Kragen of “We Are The World.” Mathison went on to speak about Google+, stating that it’s “+1″ button is now on more sites than Twitter’s “Tweet” button. Google+ offers deep engagement, allowing users to create separate circles of connections they make. “I can follow Google CEO Larry Page on Google+,” Mathison said. “I can’t friend Mark Zuckerberg on Facebook.”