Promoting your fundraiser with a widget can really help increase traffic to your page.  What is a widget and how is this magical creature supposed to help your fundraiser?  Good question.  A widget is a little box that you can paste in your blog or website that gives people a sneak peek at your fundraiser.

If you don’t have a blog, ask your friends to post the widget on their blogs or websites.  This is an easy way for them to show you support and help spread the word about your fundraiser.

Actually getting the widget into a blog or website may seem a little scary to those who aren’t very familiar with ‘code’ or the language that tells your computer what the widget should look like, but I promise it isn’t as bad as it seems.  Don’t worry, until I started working with GiveForward widgets and their code kinda scared me too.

So how does it work exactly?  Well first go to a fundraiser page and click on the link that says “Grab this fundraiser’s widget!”.  That link will lead to a window that looks like this:

Once this window opens, copy the code on the right.  Next, go to your blog or website and paste it into your main text entry box.  Once you’ve pasted this code, preview it to ensure it looks correct.

Not sure where your main text entry box is?  Check with your blogging service.  Here are a few links to some of the main blogging services and what they say about adding widgets:

• WordPress
• Blogger
• Tyepad
• Live Journal

Fundraiser organizers will see new functionality starting this week.  We are excited to share that we are now assigning a personal fundraising coach to each fundraiser started on GiveForward.

What does this mean for users?  It means you get the exact level of personal attention that you want.  Is this your first time fundraising?  Our coaches are

happy to help you figure out the next steps and share their tried and true fundraising tips, just email them at info@giveforward.com or give them a call at 312-957-6113.

Are you an old pro at fundraising and just want someone to call on if you get stuck?  They’re there for that too.

Plus having a personal fundraising coach also means you get a nice glossy photo of your coach with your introductory email.  Always a nice perk.

We hope that you guys enjoy working one-on-one with our coaches as much as they enjoy working with you.

One of the cool things about being a medical fundraising tool is that at GiveForward we get to see all of the creative and inspiring ways that friends and family fundraise on behalf of their loved ones.

We wanted to share one such story about Jason Noble, who was diagnosed with cancer.   Friends came together to help raise money for Jason and his wife, Kristin, to cover the cost of everyday expenses that exist outside of insurance coverage.

The unique thing about their fundraiser was the way the organizers encouraged donors to get involved.  In exchange for a standardized donation amount, donors received a collection of 12 art prints that were donated by artists from all around the United States.

The organizers assumed it would take at least six weeks to reach their goal of $15,000.  Instead, during the first day donors from the U.S., Australia, Sweden, Belgium, Germany and Canada had donated.  Within 12 hours of its launch, their fundraiser met and surpassed its goal, raising over $16,000!

Now, over a year later, Jason is on the road to recovery thanks to the support of his amazing group of friends.  We were inspired by not only the work Jason’s loved ones put into this fundraiser but the creativity they showed in their efforts.  A big GiveForward high-five to everyone involved in this exceptional fundraiser.

Fundraising doesn’t have to be tough.  GiveForward’s team is here to help you get started with a few easy steps to get your fundraiser up and going.

Here are the best of the best from our Fundraising Coaches:

1. Personalize your fundraising page. People want to know the person behind the cause.  Explain who or what you’re fundraising for and why it is so close to your heart.  If your friends and family see that you are passionate about your cause they are more likely to give generously.  Need inspiration?  Check out these ideas on how to personalize your page.

2. Get the word out. The more people you tell about your page the better it will do.  Talk about it with everyone you meet, you never know when someone might be interested.

• Email everyone you know!  Even if you haven’t spoken to them in years you’ll be surprised how many people will decide to donate.
• When you reach out to your friends and family, ask them to share your cause with their friends and family.  We have an easy to use “Tell-a-friend” button on your page, encourage them to click away!
• Set up a Facebook group that includes a link to your GiveForward fundraising page.  This is another easy way that friends and family can spread the word to their networks as well.  Tell people to invite others and get the word out there.

3. Send updates. This ties into personalizing your cause.  By keeping friends and family updated on the progress of the fundraiser and the cause, people will be much more invested in the outcome and will be inclined to encourage others to get involved.  Plus, while some people may donate the first time around, for most people it takes 2-3 friendly reminders to get them to make a donation.  It is OK to be respectfully persistent.  Read more here about how and when to send out email/Facebook updates.

4. Be strategic. While it is important to let everyone know about your efforts, we suggest emailing your closest friends and family first.  This is a great way to build momentum.  Your inner circle of friends and family will tend to be the most generous donors and if they donate first they can set the tone.  If colleagues and other acquaintances head to your fundraising page and see donations from others, they will be more likely to follow suit and make similar sized donations. Read more about strategic fundraising.

5. It is OK to adjust your goal. Again, building momentum can really impact how successful your fundraiser ends up.  People love watching how their donations bump that little needle up on your fundraising meter.  But if your goal is too big, donors may feel like their contribution didn’t have much of an impact.  By setting a modest goal for yourself and quickly reaching fundraising milestones like 10% and 25% of your goal you can build a lot of momentum and get your donors excited about helping you reach your goal.  If you end up flying through your fundraiser and think you need to increase your goal – go for it! Read more about why people who set modest goals end up raising more money.

6. People like to win stuff. A great way to get people to donate is by offering them a raffle prize.  For instance when you email your contacts you might include a note that you will be raffling off a $25 Starbucks gift card to the first 25 people who donate.  This creates extra incentive and encourages people to donate sooner rather than later.  Check out more tips here.

7. Tell your story. Local media is usually more than happy to write about your efforts, particularly if you are holding an event such as a fundraising dinner or bake sale.  Check out our simple tips to learn how to get your story in the paper.

8. Make your campaign go viral. The most successful fundraising campaigns are the ones that go “viral” on the internet.  The results can be incredible with hundreds of people donating across the country and raising thousands of dollars for a cause.  Although not every campaign will go viral, here are some tips to help get you there:

• Make sure to get off to a good start with a big donation off the bat.  This will give you great momentum and get people talking about your campaign.
• Ask friends and family to spread the word.  When you send out your email appeal, make sure to ask everyone to forward the email to others or share the GiveForward page by using the “Tell-a-friend” button.
• Start a Facebook group with a link to your fundraising page.  Invite all your “Facebook friends” and ask five “real friends” to invite everyone they know to your group as well.
• Create a 24 hour Facebook Awareness Campaign where everyone donates their status message for one day.  Learn how here.
• Get bloggers involved.  If you know anyone who blogs, reach out to them.  Bloggers are always looking for new content but make sure it fits in with the theme of their blog (ex. if they’re a mom who blogs about parenting, make sure to highlight how your fundraiser is helping kids).

9. Thank your donors. Make your mom proud by displaying your good manners and thanking people who have supported your fundraiser.  When you create your fundraising page you can draft a thank you message that automatically goes out whenever someone makes a donation.  Additionally, you can send a thank you email to each donor individually by logging into your account and clicking on the “My Donors” tab.  From there you can send a personalized thank you email.  For those who go the extra distance by spreading the word to others or making a big donation, make sure you go the extra distance for them as well and send a hand-written note.

10.  Have fun! Last but not least, always remember to have fun.  Fundraising shouldn’t be a chore but a way to spread the word about something you care about.  If you’re excited and positive about the fundraiser’s progress your friends and family will be too.

For more information about BBB accreditation:  Click here.

One of the exciting new features of GiveForward: 2011 edition (that we promised you in a past blog post) went live today: LiveChatRoulette! Just Kidding. It’s LiveChat!

Don't click me- I'm not a real button!

Customer service has always been the highest priority at GiveForward.  Our fundraising coaches are now available via LiveChat to answer any and all questions.  Whether it’s regarding the set-up process of your fundraiser, making a donation, or just fundraising strategy in general; our highly trained staff of friendly & knowledgeable coaches can guide you with tips and tricks of the trade.

Be on the lookout for that brightly colored LiveChat button in various locations all over GiveForward.com.  Leave us a message, pop in just to say “Hi”, or cheer us up with a story about how awesome your fundraiser is!

Even better than knowing that there’s a real human being behind this whole operation (not green & blue GiveForward robots), is knowing exactly who is talking to you.  So feel free to shoot me a message while you’re exploring the site

Happy Chatting!

Erica Trzeciak
Director of User Relations
erica@giveforward.com

How does he type without opposable thumbs?

*Update!  Congratulations to Ramon Castillo who won $500 for have nearly 250 donors in 10 days!  His story is truly an inspiration.  On December 20th, he returned to the jewelry store owned by his family to find his wife being robbed at gunpoint.  His bravery nearly cost him his life, landing Ramon in critical condition.  His friends and family have now raised over $18,000 to help with all of the costs associated with his recovery.  You can help this Houston Hero by donating here.

**********************************************************************************************

Finally. A way for the holidays to bring out everyone’s competitive side.  And you won’t even have to fight angry crowds of holiday shoppers to participate in this amazing contest!

For the last 10 days of 2010, (December 22^nd through December 31^st) fundraisers on GiveForward can compete to win an extra $500 for their cause!

The fundraiser that has the highest number of donations received between December 22^nd and December 31^st will win $500 towards their fundraising efforts!  Easiest contest requirements ever, huh? It doesn’t matter if your fundraiser is just starting out or in its last few weeks; anyone can participate and anyone can win!

We’ll keep you updated on the standings to see who’s in the lead.  By the time 2011 is here, we’ll be making a $500 donation to the winner’s fundraising page- what a way to ring in the New Year!

Questions? Comments? Just want to spread some holiday cheer in our general direction?  Contact us anytime at info@giveforward.com

Happy Fundraising,

The very merry GiveForward Team

Hint: This works as a great icebreaker at holiday parties when you are stuck talking to your long lost cousin-in-law [once removed] and you’ve hit that awkward silence way too early.

We used to tell our members at GiveForward that there are three Ps to successful online fundraising: personalization, promotion, and persistence.  Recently, however, we came to the conclusion that it was time to update this basic strategy for the 21st century.  We now tell our members that if they want to be successful they need to follow the three Ps and an F.

The F, of course, stands for Facebook.  Over the last few years, we’ve seen that almost every medical fundraiser that has raised more than $10,000 on GiveForward has does so because of Facebook – it is simply the most effective tool for getting the word out about a fundraiser and getting it to spread quickly.  Here are four of the best strategies on how to use Facebook to help you reach your goal.

1. Create a Facebook Group.

Creating a Facebook group will allow you to get the word out about your fundraiser and keep your friends and family informed with news and updates.  As the group organizer you can send messages to all group members and use it as your platform to ask for donations.  Make sure to invite a few of your friends to become group admins and encourage their friends to invite their friends as well.  The larger the group, the greater the potential for donations.

read more…

GiveForward co-founder Ethan Austin has yet another fun and insightful guest post up on StepByStepFundraising.com, and this time it’s all about using Facebook to raise money. It turns out the website perhaps most commonly used in direct opposition to productivity can actually be used to great benefit by organizers of medical fundraisers.

In this blog, Ethan suggests four of the best, most simple strategies to apply to your Facebook usage as you work towards achieving your goal. The four things I would like to suggest you do now: read the post, adopt the techniques, raise those funds, and poke us.

GiveForward users new and old can benefit from reading the six online fundraising tips our Co-Founder Ethan Austin provided in his guest blog on StepByStepFundraising.com. Ethan based these steps on the things he has seen since GiveForward’s inception. Many of them came from GiveForward users themselves, so you know they’re good ideas. Now stop reading this blog for a few minutes and go read that one.