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The Guide to Approaching Charities on the Internet

A personal guide to approaching charities on the internet.

Author: Connectthru Editor

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Giving to charity is not only noble, but it makes us feel good. That said it may be a little selfish if it’s for personal reasons, but alls well that ends well if it does some good in this world. Just as today’s businesses know that the Internet is neither trivial nor optional, so too have charitable non-profits learned how vital an effective online presence is. In order to thrive today, charities need a significant web profile because their online format showcases the qualities that the public cherishes in a charity – a sense of informed belonging and benevolence. By bringing charities and their donors closer together the Internet is a boon for goodwill, but still, people should be as cautious as ever with donations.

The goal of most charities is to build connections with the public in order to promote a cause. The interactive space has evolved to be more than just an informational depot; it’s become a hub of interactivity, thanks largely to the emergence of community building Web 2.0 functions. Features that promote interactive outreach, like picture and video sharing, messageboards, and comment panels – on even the simplest blogging platforms, all play to a charity’s strengths. Interaction is a vital social appeal, a key ingredient for successful charity-donor relationship- online.

Awareness of issues counts, but more often action counts more. Let’s say the volunteer fire department for a small town is in dire need of a new fire engine. What good would just getting the word out do? Sure, the villagers might know the story, but unless a channel of action is presented to the populace the burg will remain short one fire engine. Therefore, a charitable organization is mobilized and charged with the task of raising money. And today, they go straight online for an informational website with features to collect online. This is a basic and terrific scenario that even small budget concerns can avail themselves to today – a steep cut in operating costs.

There is a utility in the logic that the net makes response available online immediately. No pledges, no costly mailing campaigns; funds can be dispatched instantly, or nearly instantly, by PayPal, credit card, or electronic check. What a godsend for bookkeeping and what a break for operation costs! This efficiency also helps make online charity more effective – which is not lost on the donor.

A basic measure of the success of a charity is the amount donated by the public. Believe it or not, in an age where e-commerce seems to be conquering all online might be relatively more important to charity than it is to business.

With the power of the Internet comes responsibility, though. It’s imperative for online charities to respect donors and not a) to oversell either the charity or, worse yet, b) to sell donor information. Unfortunately, this practice has occurred and can make the old adage “it only takes a few bad apples to spoil the bunch” relevant.

Therefore, donors should be prudent before exercising their charitable inclinations online. Here are some important factors for potential donors to consider:

• Be sure of your charity – There are ways to verify your charity, like checking for its claim for tax-exempt status on its website. You can also check with the United Way, Better Business Bureau, and community information centers regarding the status of the charity. Also, many charities have similar sounding names, double check and make sure of your intended recipient.

• Inquire – Good charities encourage more than donations, they wish to answer questions and provide information, often from FAQ sections. Use them. The deeper you dig, the clearer the nature of your charity will reveal itself.

• Give safely – Don’t give up confidential information as an online donor until you are sure that the submission page is secure. “https://” should be before the secure page url instead of the common http://. When in doubt, contact the charity.

• Give direct – If your charity tries to steer you to a third party in order to donate, don’t play Sherlock Holmes and investigate – just find another charity. There are plenty of them.

• Ensure privacy. - Make sure you know what will be done with your information, who has access to it, how you can remove/edit it and what the charity will do with it.

• Know how your donation is used – Part of your gift is to know precisely how your money is used. A proper charity will be forthwith in providing info.

• Accountability – Good charities keep their donors close with newsletters. The Internet makes them even closer! Use the net to keep on top of your charity. Not only is it the easy thing to do; it’s the right thing to do.

Giving makes you feel good. And giving the right way makes you feel even better. Be smart, be generous, and be informed.

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The Guide to Approaching Charities on the Internet