Here are some tips for jumpstarting your organization's fundraising on GlobalGiving:
1. Link to your project on your own website. Does your organization already have a blog or a website? Put a link to your project on GlobalGiving on the site, with a description of the challenge. Or you can use the widget from your project page, which allows visitors to click right through to your project. Simply scroll to the bottom of your project page and click the button that says “Get this widget”. Choose the appropriate web platform and copy the code onto your site.
2. Email your donors. Reach out to your donor base and thank them. There is button to send a customized donor thank-you email on each donation, found on the donation manager console. Once your project is rolling, be sure to post Project Updates on a regular basis. Donors remember you when you remember them.
3. Mobilize YOUR network. Contact your personal network of friends, family and colleagues. They want to help YOU, so let them know why this is important to YOU, as well as your organization. Encourage your network to become fundraisers on GlobalGiving.com, or if they have a birthday or special event coming up, to create a registry on our site.
4. Have your friends reach out. When you contact your network of friends and family ask them to spread the word to five of their friends too. This is a great way to build your donor base if you’re still growing as an organization. Word of mouth is the most powerful motivator, so encourage your loyal supporters to reach out and help you get new supporters.
5. Contact a friend or relative in the US. If you know someone in the United States, you can encourage them to donate to your cause and spread the word to their networks. Donations to your project through the GlobalGiving.com site are 100% tax deductible for US residents.
6. Have a dinner party. Or throw another event that will bring people together. Face to face is a powerful way to build relationships and develop your network and donor base. Invite your network and have them bring at least one person you don’t know. This will be a great opportunity for you to really connect with new people and tell them about your project.
7. Call your board members. Be sure your board members understand that you are on GlobalGiving. Once they know the benefits of being in the GlobalGiving network, they’ll be encouraged to support your cause.
8. Reach out to local and affinity groups. Don’t have a big network or lots of people to reach out to? That’s ok! Contact community organizations – tell them about your project and how you’re helping the community. Or contact other groups or organizations like yours and tell them about this opportunity.
9. Use Facebook and other social networks. See the links on social media and Twitter on this page to help you understand these valuable tools and how you can use them. Are you on Facebook? Post the link to your project and encourage others to do the same thing. Do you use Twitter? Mention GlobalGiving in your tweet, and we’ll ReTweet it! Blog about your project. Ask others to blog about your project. Do you have video? Put it on YouTube. Do you take great pictures? Put them on Flickr. Keep spreading the word! Learn more about Social Media on this page of the Project toolkit.
