Whether your group has a website or not, there are several different ways to fundraise online. Read Part 1, if your group already has a website, or Part 2 if your group doesn’t have a website.

Part 1. IF YOUR GROUP ALREADY HAS A WEBSITE

Asking for donations on your website:

- If your site already has a lot of visitors,
then simply adding a “Donation” button might be all you need. PayPal.com offers a very simple way of accepting donations online: supporters can pay by credit card or through direct debit and there aren’t any set-up fees. You only pay a small percentage on each amount donated.

- If your site has only a few visitors,
you can add donation buttons to your site, but you should also spend some time promoting your site on the web. With simple marketing techniques, including social media marketing and e-mail campaigns you can easily increase the amount of visitors to your site. The more visitors you can attract to your site, the more people can learn about your cause and donate to your cause!

Read more about increasing traffic to your fundraising website:
>> The Basics About Internet Marketing SEO When You Raise Funds Online
>> Promote Your Fundraiser On The Web With Social Media Marketing

Selling products online to raise funds

You can also sell products online in order to raise funds for your group. You could create your own online store, but an easier alternative would be to set up your own hosted store on a site like CafePress.com, or create an account with an online charity mall like iGive.com or Giveness.com. Setting up your non-profit with eBay is also a viable option: you can benefit from eBay sales, sell donated goods and services on eBay, or even hold an online auction!

Again, the more visitors you can attract to your site, the more people can learn about your cause and support your cause!

Another very lucrative fundraiser is an online magazine fundraiser. Two popular online magazine fundraising programs are at MagFundraising and FastTrackFundraising.

Read more about Running A Successful Online Magazine Fundraiser.

Once you’ve set up an account with any of the services above, you can simply send visitors from your site to the respective sites and each sale will generate income for your group!

Be sure to collect e-mail addresses!

Any type of online fundraising will be easier and more lucrative, if you have a substantial e-mail list, since it is important to send out periodic messages to remind people to buy through your site, or other websites’ programs your group is signed up with. Having a website isn’t even necessary for some online fundraisers, since all the ordering, e-mail management and payments are done through the fundraising company’s website. However, having your own website can greatly contribute to the amount of visitors taking part in your online fundraising efforts.

Get into the habit of always collecting e-mail addresses at functions, meetings, or on your website. Of course, assure anyone who signs up that you won’t use their e-mail addresses for anything else, but for the sole purpose of keeping them informed about your cause.

People will appreciate being updated on any fundraising efforts and successes. Be sure to include a link to your website in each e-mail.

For more about fundraising online, visit our “Fundraising Online” category where you can find articles like Create Your Own Website!

If your group doesn’t have a website, but you’d like to raise funds online, go to
Raise Funds Online - With Or Without Your Own Website! Part 2
for information on how to raise funds online without your own website, or how to set up your own website if you’d like to have one!

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