|
|
|||||
|
|||||
| Path: Main Street : Resources & Library : Book Reviews : Book Review |
Fundraising on the Internet: Recruiting and Renewing Donors Online
Edited by Nick Allen, Mal Warwick and Michael Stein
168 Pages. US$29.95 Cdn$40.00 including shipping. Published by Strathmoor Press."The Internet is not a fad, nor is it the future. It is now!" says Canadian consultant Michael Johnston in his chapter on fundraising online. With this declaration in mind, Fundraising on the Internet offers excellent suggestions for taking advantage of this emerging medium and concrete examples of how other nonprofits are doing so already.
Along with a primer on basic Internet tools and vocabulary, the book sets a conceptual framework to differentiate online fundraising from other forms of direct marketing. Mal Warwick's chapter on "What you already know about raising money online" offers a particularly helpful series of comparisons between Internet fundraising and various direct mail pieces, including surveys, directories, merchandising and membership renewals.
He also sketches some of the major "translation" challenges of moving from traditional direct response to online dialogue, including the demands of two-way communication, questions of frequency and timing, letter length and linkages versus competition. These caveats about direct dumping of print information are a valuable reminder that while similar marketing principles can apply, the Internet is a different medium and must be developed as such.
Online fundraising, as has been noted elsewhere, is not likely to replace your other fundraising mechanisms. However, it can be a powerful addition to your mix of giving opportunities and relationship building tools. As Nick Allen notes, up to 30 per cent of donors calling the American Red Cross' toll free number say they found the number on the organization's the Web page.
Fundraising on the Internet is not a technical manual for establishing a web presence. It is slightly heavy in its use of online images (20 from World Wildlife Fund's site and 16 from The Nature Conservancy site alone!), but these references may be helpful for those organizations which do not yet have access to the Internet. The list of online resources and reference materials is very helpful but we noted the occasional incorrect site address (usually not too difficult to remedy with a quick search engine query). The real strength of Fundraising on the Internet is its comprehensive and thoughtful commentary on the fundraising potential of the medium, and its valuable examples from those organizations that are already creating success stories online.
Buy the book:
International: buy through Amazon.com: Check availability
|
|||
