Raising funds is at the core of survival for most Not-For-Profit (NFP) entities, and keeping pace with the latest fundraising techniques, methods, attitudes and data can exhaust NFP leaders. If only we could automate the process so that it doesn’t absorb every waking moment of our lives.
Well, the latest trend in fundraising does just that. ‘Crowdfunding’ (or ‘Crowdsourcing’ in some forums). are web platforms that provide a vehicle for people and organisations to raise funds for all manner of commercial and social ventures. Part of the premise is drawing small amounts of funds from large numbers of people via the web. Crowdfunding has already proven successful and now the NFP community is leveraging the technology as well.
The latest site into the arena is Chuffed, (www.chuffed.org ) an Australian entity launched in March of 2013 to assist the NFP community in raising much-needed funds. The blurb on the chuffed web site says:
‘Chuffed is Australia’s first non-profit crowdfunding service dedicated to not-for-profit and social enterprise projects. Its mission is to connect generous Australians with awesome social organisations via compelling, engaging online fundraising campaigns. It is proudly supported by its Founding Partner, the Telstra Foundation.’
The process is very simple – .you create a free account with Chuffed, follow the prompts to create your campaign, submit it in draft form to Chuffed for some free advice on how to maximise your campaign, and then publish on the net and wait for the donations to role in.
Chuffed (or indeed Crowdfunding as a concept) may not be suitable for every NFP in every situation, but it is certainly one more tool available to assist in the critical matter of fundraising, and may be worth taking a look at.
Want to find out how the Avondale Business School can help your organisation?, simply contact Warrick Long at the Avondale Business School.
P: 02 4980 2168