March 20, 2014
Two programs, one in Northwest Indiana and one in Chicago, are prime examples of how the speed and ease of digital giving produces amazing results. In early February, NWIgives held a 24-hour online donation blitz that began at midnight on a Wednesday. The event provided a way for hundreds of people in the area to support local nonprofit organizations.
Organized by the Lake Area United Way and Legacy Foundation, the event raised money for more than 100 nonprofits that serve the Northwest Indiana area. According to the blitz website, the event raised more than $248,000 from 828 unique donors. One nonprofit, Forest Ridge Academy, saw donations in excess of $14,000 in the one-day period.
And online giving isn't just about raising funds. The Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago also encouraged website visitors to share from their hearts rather than from their wallets. Leading up to Valentine's Day, the hospital asked people to fill out a very short form on the website and leave a personal message. Each personalized form was to be printed as a Valentine for a child at Lurie Children's. The goal was to garner 10,000 submissions so that a unique card could be given to every child in the hospital.
After submitting the card, the next pages thanked visitors for their gesture and provided ways to share the campaign on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest or through e-mail. It also ended with a call to action reminding individuals they could do even more by making a donation to Lurie Children's.
Embracing the Web for fundraising
While individual donations are not always as large, utilizing the Web to draw attention and raise funds for a nonprofit is something all organizations should be doing. In the case of Lurie Children's, the valentines were a gesture that will certainly brightened the day of sick children at the hospital. Beyond that, subtly reminding those who participated of the importance of supporting the organization with a financial gift was likely very effective.
While social media and the Internet often lead to impulse buys, a similar effect is seen with calls for donations. If an organization can express its need and mission effectively over Internet channels, it's possible to capture some funding from individuals browsing the Web.
Content presented by First Nonprofit Companies, the leading provider of state unemployment insurance solutions for 501(c)(3) nonprofit employers.
Ready to chat? Get in touch today to request a no-obligation savings evaluation.
We’ve been a member of First Nonprofit’s Unemployment Savings Program since 2011 and highly recommend joining. The program is terrific and allows us to earn interest on our own funds while still meeting the state’s requirements on unemployment payments. In addition, the staff are great and always helpful sorting out any questions we may have. Thank you all!
CCSCT was approached by First NonProfit to discuss its Unemployment Savings Program and ways the program could significantly reduce the amount of unemployment taxes we were paying. At the time, our agency was paying approximately $80,000 per year. First NonProfit conducted an analysis to determine if making the switch would be in our best interest, and it clearly was based on our circumstances. The first year on the program, CCSCT saw a 70% reduction in its unemployment costs and each year, continues to experience further reductions as a result of having minimal claims. Some additional benefits of the program including having a fixed annual cost, an interest-baring reserve account, professional unemployment claims management and representation at all unemployment hearings. This has been one of the best decisions we have made.
We first started using First Nonprofit’s Unemployment Savings Program when we were a small startup nonprofit. We didn’t have an HR department and needed expertise in the event that an unemployment claim was made. We knew we were eligible to be a reimbursing employer, but weren’t sure how to navigate that process. They made it easy to set things up, plan for, and then manage claims when they came at a very reasonable cost. The amount of time and stress they’ve saved us dealing with all this has been worth way more than the cost. We’ve now grown to a large nonprofit and do have an HR department but have no plans to stop using their services. I highly recommend them to every nonprofit I come into contact with!
Throughout our membership in the Unemployment Savings Program, First Nonprofit understood our demands, community dynamics, and the importance of seamless services; that allowed us to serve our constituents better.
Because INCS advocates for the operating conditions that allow charter public schools to provide high quality public education, partnering with First Nonprofit was an easy decision. First Nonprofit’s unemployment programs provide our member schools two operating elements crucial to their ability to provide high quality public education: savings and budget certainty. Capable, committed teachers are the key to student success. By participating in the unemployment insurance savings plan, charter public schools gain peace of mind and are able to invest more money in their teachers.
It has been our sincere pleasure to maintain a strong, vibrant business partnership with First Nonprofit. We greatly admire their strong industry knowledge, technical expertise, constant professionalism, knowledgeable and dedicated staff. They are always extremely responsive, personable and provide us with the necessary guidance and recommendations on a numerous variety of employment scenarios.
NYCON members who use First Nonprofit’s programs enjoy enduring savings and improved efficiency. Our association knows that success, because from the beginning, we achieved the same great benefits. Great savings, seamless technology, and responsive service. NYCON highly recommends First Nonprofit’s remarkable unemployment solutions.
Visually Impaired Preschool Services has been a client of First Non-Profit since it was first offered as a benefit of VisionServe Alliance. We completed a thorough evaluation of cash savings to our agency before taking advantage of this wonderful benefit and it has been a very wise decision. Our experience with the processes from accounting to claims have been professional, expeditious and easy.