Every nonprofit we’ve spoken with this past week has been awed by the surge in online giving after the tsunami struck. Sure, the Red Cross has collected over $15 Million through Amazon alone but even small nonprofits are raising money – if they’re asking for it.

The first report I got was from Childcare International, a small child sponsorship organization based in Bellingham, Washington. They have 800 email addresses of sponsors (about 25% of the total number of sponsors) and they sent an appeal message on Monday, Dec. 27. By Tuesday afternoon they had $5,000 in pledges - $7 per email sent! Other organizations are reporting December giving totals from three to ten times their projected amounts. See http://www.childcare-intl.org to see what they’re doing.

One of our clients got to work with us Sunday, Dec. 26, even though they were also being hit with a one-foot snowstorm near them. They authorized a keyword buy and began working on an email to sponsors. The keywords have produced over 34,000 visits to their tsunami relief page to date, and together with the email they have raised about ten times their normal December amount online, mostly in the last few days of the month. The keywords have helped generate over 600 new online donors to their cause.

While this is encouraging, it should also be noted that many nonprofits were slow to start online efforts related to this disaster. Some were waiting from orders from international headquarters, who in turn were waiting for word from the field, as the magnitude of the disaster slowly emerged. Still other nonprofit managers were on vacation in the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day and let life pass them by.

Government, For-Profit Firms Pitch In

Besides Amazon, other internet firms have volunteered time, talent, and software. Nigel Ravenhill, Director of Marketing Communications at Napa, CA – based ScanAlert Inc., responded to our email last week with offers of a one-year, complimentary subscription to their “hacker-safe” secure donation processing system (a $1,790 value) for Christian Children’s Fund and Plan USA. Thanks to generous firms like ScanAlert. http://www.scanalert.com.

The US Government is now involved, with a high-profile mission to the area and the recycling of former Presidents Bush and Clinton to head up US fundraising. (http://www.usafreedomcorps.gov)

What About the Rest of Philanthropy?

But what if you are in the other 90% of the nonprofit world? If you are not in international relief, what should you be doing online? Many groups saw contributions dwindle after the September 11 attacks. We would suggest that if you are trying to raise funds not associated with the tsunami that it’s a modified business as usual. Ignoring a story this big will seem absurd to your donors, so recognize what’s happening.

If you are sending an email to raise money for higher education, appeal to the need for more educated doctors or forensic specialists in a time like this. If you are a regional group caring for children affected by violence, make the correlation and acknowledge that the children in Asia are not so different from the ones at home. Maybe you can have your staff psychologist put together a list of helpful hints for parents whose children are seeing very graphic images. Send the tips out to your email list and tell them to pass it along to friends. Don’t stop your search ad campaign. People are continuing to search on topics unrelated to the tsunami.

Most importantly, think about your own disaster plan. What if the emergency was close to home? Are you ready to raise money online at a moment’s notice?

AFP Special Session at International Conference

NPA has been asked by the AFP to lead a special discussion at its International Conference in Baltimore on April 5 (http://www.afpnet.org). The subject is “Tsunami Fundraising: how to prepare for the crises in your world and use the internet to establish your position, reassure your supporters and attract new donors.” It will use many examples from September 11, last year’s BAM earthquake, and current events, so you can learn what to do and what NOT to do before and during an event that shakes your world. As we put this presentation together, we’d love to get your input, results and experiences. Please contact rick@npadvisors.com.

January 2005