5 Best Online Fundraising Ideas for Nonprofits

Published on: 03 August 2021 Last Updated on: 05 March 2024

We live in what is perhaps the most unpredictable time of the century. There is a pandemic out on the streets and we have been forced to abandon our ways of interaction. Businesses have been forced to adapt almost overnight, bringing about a radical shift in operations. Nonprofits have also been forced to do the same. In just the last year the importance of fundraising platforms has risen exponentially.

Fundraising has been the key to the operations of any and every nonprofit. Lately, the more commonly relied-on fundraising methods have been made redundant. A lot of nonprofits have been forced to go back to the drawing board and reevaluate ways to gather funds. Luckily the existence of text messaging platforms for nonprofit can easily get into the middle of it and utilize the same channels to make their ends meet.

Why does online fundraising work?

The reason is simple; we live in times where people are willing to lend out a helping hand, anywhere, anytime. Nonprofits simply need to host events online and let their donors know that they are very much active and are trying to make a difference in their communities irrespective of the condition. Sending your message across and showing them the work you are doing can appeal to all kinds of donors.

Nonprofits can quickly adapt using fundraising platforms to reach out to donors and volunteers using the same methods that businesses rely upon. These channels have now become the normal way to work through and nonprofits have realized that they also need to be malleable. The pandemic has changed our understanding of what normal is and donors will be understanding. This is why hosting events, and especially fundraisers online has shown a lot of promise.

Let us look at five great ideas you can use to supercharge your online fundraising campaign.

Five great online fundraising ideas

1. Peer-to-peer fundraising

The most innovative and proven way to raise funds online is through peer-to-peer fundraising. P2P fundraising accounts for nearly a third of every online donation. The idea is to use the credibility of your donors and their contacts to gather funds for your nonprofit.

A great statistic is that ¼ emails sent by P2P fundraisers to their peers result in a donation. It might seem meager, but it is staggering when you compare it to the fact that 1/1250 emails from nonprofits result in a donation.

Nonprofits can encourage donors to raise funds and run campaigns on their behalf. They can enlist the help of fundraising platforms to build their campaigns and send emails to their peers. Nonprofits can set up these directly on their websites. They can even use a personal appeal and a social sharing button on their website for direct encouragement.

2. Email flash fundraiser

Another third of every donation made online comes through Emails. Yes, even in this day and age when instant messaging is the norm, E-mails more than do their part to raise funds. It is one of the older ways to gather funds and chances are your nonprofit has already finished its email fundraising campaign for the year. No worries, there are no limits to how many times you can leverage email fundraisers.

A great idea would be to select a day and conduct an email fundraising blitz. You should not choose a popular day such as Tuesdays. Enough organizations are running Giving Tuesdays. Instead, choose a day that has symbolic importance to your organization or its cause. Your emails should build up a narrative that highlights your cause, the day, and a call to action. Urgency is the key and the better you express the need of the hour, the more likely you are to receive donations.

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3. A drive for donation matching

The idea behind donation matching is to encourage people to contribute, knowing that in the grand scheme of things the total donated amount will be big. Use the frenzy created by your flash email fundraising campaign to launch a drive for donation matching. You can secure a match from a company and advertise it in your email campaign.

Donation matching is a good way to keep the interest afloat and to attract the younger crowd. Studies show that millennials are more likely to donate if they know companies are going to be matching their donation.

Donation matching can also be used to boost a fundraiser. If there is a noticeable decline in the donations, launch a donation matching drive amid another campaign to acquire more funding.

4. Crowdfunding

There is this misconception amongst nonprofits that crowdfunding is meant only for individuals. This fact could not be further from the truth. Nonprofits can use crowdfunding to amass a wealth of funds in a very short period. They can also use crowdfunding to appeal to a whole new group of donors.

Through crowdfunding, nonprofits can gather funds for specific causes and projects. Nonprofits can easily set up a page on crowdfunding sites. They also have social sharing options to further promote your cause.

PRO TIP: Before you choose a crowdfunding site, check if they have an easy-to-use UI, integration with compatible software, a mobile-friendly page, and space to tell your story.

5. Prospect research

While this may not qualify as an idea as such, prospect research can help you land big philanthropists for your donation pool. Nonprofits can conduct thorough research to identify prospective donors. Doing so can help them focus on donors that can make a difference.

Prospect research is especially important when it comes to online donors. The reason for that is online donations come in small amounts and it is hard to identify which donors can contribute in a big way. Research can help you land bigger donations.

Final Thoughts

These are just some of the ways you can maximize your donation pool through online fundraisers. By using the right tools and strategies your nonprofit will be back on its feet and perhaps, even run better than it did before.

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Ariana Smith

I enjoy writing and I write quality guest posts on topics of my interest and passion. I have been doing this since my college days. My special interests are in health, fitness, food and following the latest trends in these areas. I am an editor at Content Rally.

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10 Carbon Capture Projects Around the World

Carbon capture projects, and storage projects, abbreviated as (CCS projects), is a climate change mitigation process whereby CO2 emitted into the atmosphere from industrial processes or power plants is recycled. The availability of carbon capture enables the continued use of fossil fuel in generating electricity as it is possible to reduce carbon emissions. For us to achieve a significant reduction in carbon emission, large amounts of CO2 need to be captured and stored. CO2 gas emission is the leading cause of global warming as it brings about the greenhouse effect, which negatively impacts the environment. Globally there are three main carbon capture methods which are: post-combustion, oxy-combustion, and pre-combustion. These capture methods are applicable in various industrial processes like cement and clinker production, water desalination, oil and gas refinery, iron, and steel industry. Don't forget to reach out, why we should care about the environment. Drawing from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2020 data, carbon capture helped capture and store about 40 million tonnes of CO2 globally from power plants and industrial facilities. In order to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, the carbon capture and storage rate should increase at least 100 folds. Many countries in the world embrace carbon capture like Australia, China, Korea, Algeria, Norway, Netherlands, the Middle East, New Zealand, and the most being in the United States and Europe. Most of the carbon dioxide captured and stored in natural gas plants, iron and steel industries, or coal fields is transported via pipelines to oil fields and used in Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR). The wise decision for oil and gas field owners is to consult with professionals with a vast knowledge of CO2 enhanced oil recovery. Consulting companies like Melzer Consulting offer their services to clients like oil producers, CO2 source companies, and research organizations. Some of the resources and projects include transmissive fracture detection, wettability, residual oil zones. CO2 EOR and C02 ROZ school. Carbon Capture Projects Around the World Let's explore some of the carbon capture and storage projects around the world: 1. Petrobras Lula, Brazil Lula oil field is one of the largest ultra-deepwater oil and gas producing fields in the Santos Basin. This oil field produces about a million barrels of oil per day as of 2019 and is expected to reach its peak by 2021. Since 2013, the oil and gas field has incorporated carbon capture; about 0.7 million tonnes of CO2 are recycled and used in enhanced oil recovery annually. 2. Boundary Dam, Saskatchewan, Canada The Boundary Dam is a coal-fired plant located in Estevan, Saskatchewan, Canada, and has six production units. The coal-fired plant was commissioned in 1959. In 2014, the Boundary Dam Power Station completed its carbon capture unit. The captured project used carbon for Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR). Installation of the carbon capture and storage equipment helped convert Unit 3 into a reliable producer of clean-base electricity in the province. The plant is responsible for capturing a million tonnes of CO2 emissions per year. 3. Petra Nova CCS project, Texas, US The WA Parish power station burns coal and gas. The plant has partially retrofitted post-combustion carbon capture equipment. This unit generates 240 MW and captures about 1.4 million tonnes of carbon per annum. The gas is transported via pipeline to West Ranch Oil Field and used for enhanced oil recovery. 4. Abu Dhabi CCS Project, United Arab Emirates Abu Dhabi is the pilot plant with commercial carbon capture and storage facilities in the iron and steel industry. Carbon dioxide is a by-product of the production of steel and iron metals. Instead of emitting the CO2 into the atmosphere, it is captured and transported via pipeline to the region's National Oil Company and used for EOR. Over 40% of the gas emitted proves helpful in crude oil production. 5. In Salah, Algeria Salah is an operational onshore gas plant that began its carbon dioxide stripping and storage back in 2004. The CO2 is captured and filtered during natural gas extraction. The plant was suspended in 2011 over concerns of possible leakage. The plant had stored about 3.5 million tonnes of CO2 in a saline aquifer. The site is currently valuable for monitoring, modeling, and verification for future storage. 6. Uthmaniyah Demonstration Project, Saudi Arabia The Uthmaniyah demonstration project was operational from 2015. Its primary purpose was to capture about 0.8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide released at the world’s largest oil field, Ghawar. The captured gas is transported via a 70km pipeline to the oil fields and used in EOR. 7. CNPC Jilin Oil Field, China The CNPC Jilin oil field was China’s first carbon capture project in Jilin province. The source of CO2 is a nearby gas field responsible for extracting about 22.55% of natural gas. The separated carbon dioxide is transported via pipeline and injected in EOR at the low-permeability oil field. So far, the project has injected over 1.1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide. 8. Quest, Alberta, Canada The Quest carbon capture project is a joint venture between Marathon, Shell, and Chevron Oil designed to capture about a million tonnes of CO2 gas. The hydrogen production facility was designed to convert bitumen from oil sands into synthetic crude oil. CO2 gas is a by-product in the hydrogen production process, and the unit captures, transports, and stores the gas in a deep saline aquifer. 9. Gorgon Injection Project, Australia The Gordon Project is one of the most significant natural gas projects in the world. As of 2020, the project produces an average of 2.1 billion cubic feet of natural gas. The carbon capture unit will capture about 3.3 million tonnes of CO2 stripped from the natural gas. The carbon dioxide is stored in a saline aquifer. 10. Sleipner, Norway Sleipner is an offshore gas field initiated in 1996. The CO2 separated from the natural gas is stored in the Utsira saline aquifer, about 800-1000m below the ocean floor. This large-sized reservoir accounts for about 600 billion tonnes of stored CO2. It is safe to say that carbon capture, utilization, and storage are being embraced by many countries globally. The acknowledgment of the importance of capture, removal, and storage of carbon leads to the launch of carbon capture projects around the world. With the help of new policies and carbon capture, the results may have a significant climate impact. Carbon Capture Efforts in the Future Although carbon capture technologies have yet to be deployed on a large scale, the number of projects under development across the world has been steadily increasing. 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Reasons to Support Nonprofit Organizations That Help Save the Environment

Nonprofit organizations deserve your support. If you have enough time and resources, you should support them. Look for organizations that take steps to save the environment. These are the reasons why your support will go a long way. They have clear goals: Not all groups that protect the environment have the same goals. Some of them focus on animal conservation. Others are about preventing water pollution. You can even find organizations that help train future leaders who will challenge people in authority. Choose whatever is closest to your heart and help in whatever way you can. Look at the mission of these organizations and see how you can be of help. You can start from home: If you don't see yourself helping these organizations yet, you should start from home. Some practices will make you understand the value of environmental protection even more. For instance, you can partner with reputable recycling companies like langleyrecyclingkc.com to dispose of used materials. The items you let go of will be recycled. Considering the many benefits of recycling, you're doing the right thing. Eventually, if you see the value of environmental protection, you will consider supporting these organizations. If you don't want to go alone, convince your friends to be with you. You might know people who share the same concern. There are results: If you believe the steps you take at home bear no results, it's understandable. You can help environmental groups in addition to what you do at home. If you join these organizations, you will see drastic changes. It motivates you to do more since you know that your actions have positive results. It’s a wise use of your time: When you have free time, and you wish to relax, it's good for you. Everyone deserves time to be alone and not worry about anything. However, if you have more time in your hands, use it properly. Taking steps to protect the environment is one of them. It feels satisfying since you're doing something not just for yourself. Environmental protection helps create a better world for the future generation. If you have children, you will understand its value even more. These people volunteer their time and resources: Most people running these nonprofit organizations don't get paid well. They're doing the right thing out of their love for the cause. They're also passionate about protecting the environment. If some of them can devote their entire time and resources to keep the organization going, you can do the same. You don't have to be there full-time, but there are ways to support. Nonprofit organizations succeed because of people who are willing to lend a hand. Besides, there are different ways to lend a hand. If you have enough financial resources, you can donate. If you have skills in promoting the organization, you can use them. Ask these organizations how you can be of help and volunteer whenever you're free. The people running them will appreciate whatever you can offer. Read Also: Why Environmental Air and Noise Monitoring Is Really Worth Families Health Dangers Of Chemical Spills On Humans, Buildings, And Environment

Discusses the Growing Problems of Living Alone

Researchers have concluded that living alone, being socially isolated, and feeling lonely can pose significant health risks, particularly in older adults. Although the terms living alone, social isolation and loneliness are often used interchangeably, they are not the same thing. Specifically, living alone and being socially isolated are objective determinations either that a person lives solo, or has few relationships or infrequent social contact. According to the Administration on Aging (a division within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services), nearly one-third (28%) of non-institutionalized adults 65 and older – 13.8 million people – live alone. Despite living alone, however, these adults may or may not be included within the category of social isolation depending on the nature of their relationships and the frequency of their social contacts. In contrast, loneliness is determined on a subjective basis. Loneliness is based on a person’s individual feelings of disconnectedness, isolation, or not belonging. Said differently, loneliness arises because of the divergence between a person’s desired level of social connection and the actual level of connection. To be clear, a person living alone may not necessarily feel lonely, whereas someone living with a number of other people may still experience loneliness. Risk Factors A recent survey of older adults determined that 43% feel lonely on a regular basis. More concerning is that among those who report feeling lonely, there is a 45% increased mortality risk. Steve Cole, the director of the Social Genomics Core Laboratory at UCLA, explains: “Loneliness acts as a fertilizer for other diseases. The biology of loneliness can accelerate the buildup of plaque in the arteries, help cancer cells grow and spread, and promote inflammation in the brain leading to Alzheimer’s disease. Loneliness promotes several different types of wear and tear on the body.” Research has established links between living alone, social isolation, and loneliness to a variety of physical and mental conditions, including high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, a weakened immune system, anxiety, depression, cognitive decline, Alzheimer’s disease, and even death. Indeed, a recent meta-analysis – representing cumulative evidence from 148 studies involving over 300,000 participants – determined that greater social connection is associated with a 50% reduced risk of early death. A second meta-analysis by the same researchers – representing cumulative evidence from 70 studies involving more than 3.4 million participants followed for an average of 7 years – similarly concluded that living alone (objective determination), social isolation (objective) and loneliness (subjective) each had a significant effect on the risk of mortality. Specifically, the analysis concluded that the likelihood of death increased a statistically significant 26% for loneliness, 29% for social isolation, and 32% for living alone. To put those risks in context, the researchers determined that the magnitude of risk is comparable to – and in some cases even exceeds – other well-accepted risk factors such as smoking (up to 15 cigarettes a day), obesity, lack of physical exercise and high blood pressure. Loneliness has also been associated with increased emergency admissions to a hospital, longer length of stays, and delayed discharges. In fact, a November 2017 study concluded that the lack of social contacts among older adults is associated with an estimated annual increase in Medicare spending of $6.7 billion. One Can Be the Loneliest Number, But it Doesn’t Have to Be Greg Bishop, an attorney in Park City, suggests that retirement is a great opportunity to develop the types of connections that can prevent or alleviate the health consequences of living alone, being socially isolated, or feeling lonely. He notes that although there is a general consensus about the potential problem areas, the solutions are more elusive. He explains that although living alone and being socially isolated are determined objectively, the underlying causes are overtly personal. For example, living alone may be the result of the death of a partner or because of a recent divorce, whereas being socially isolated may arise from relocating after retirement or from the children moving away. Given that the underlying causes vary drastically, the solutions for living alone, being socially isolated, and feeling lonely will also differ. In short, there is no one-size-fits-all solution to these issues. That said, older adults will likely benefit from the following suggestions: Proactively stay involved in the lives of your family and friends. Find meaningful ways to connect with them via video chats, phone calls, text messages and letters Establish new social connections – go to the gym, take a dance class, learn to play chess, or join a book club Establish a more meaningful relationship with a church or social groups Look for opportunities to help and serve others. Fred Rogers – the television icon from Mister Roger’s Neighborhood – shared that when he was a boy and saw scary things on the television news, his mother told him to “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” While that advice comforted him as a child, perhaps better advice for older adults dealing with social isolation and loneliness would be to “Look to be a helper. There are always people who are in need of help.” Read Also: Why Do You Need a Queens Personal Injury Attorney 6 Signs That You Need To Hire a Personal Injury Attorney Don’t Battle It All Alone: 5 Reasons Why You Need an Adoption Attorney These Four Qualities Are What You Should Be Looking For In Attorneys!

5 Best Online Fundraising Ideas for Nonprofits

Why does online fundraising work?