Online Fundraising

Online fundraising might be for you if you want ongoing income rather than income from traditional church fundraising.

There are a few advantages to making money on the internet.

• Ongoing income. You don't just raise money during a two or three week period like traditional church fundraisers. Fundraising online brings in money continuously over a long period of time.
• No begging. Traditional church fundraising requires you to sell products or services. Online fundraising doesn't require you to approach anyone.
• More money. It's true that you probably make more money in two or three weeks of using traditional approaches. But when it averages out, you will eventually make more money by working online.

Options for Making Money on the Web

There are a couple proven ways to raise money through online fundraising.

eBay

eBay is an online auction site. People offer things for auction. Then other people put in bids for what they want to pay for the item. The highest bidder at the end of the auction wins the item. Payment is paid through a secure online payment system. When payment is received, the seller ships the item.

This could work well for online fundraising.

Have people donate items. Make sure they are actually worth something – don't try to sell worn out items.

Before you list your product, take a look around eBay to see what other people are willing to pay for items similar to yours. That will give you an idea of what you should set the lowest bid at.

Remember, the lower the initial price you set, the more likely people will actually bid on it.

Solo Build It

The essence of this idea is that you create a web site that a lot of people visit. Then, turn that traffic into income.

Can it work?

I earn about $1,000 a month from my web site.

What could your group do with an extra $100, $200, $500 a month?

What Are the Advantages?

• Over time, you will earn much more money than with a traditional fundraiser. Online fundraising, by building your own web site, will reap unexpected results. You will be surprised as you watch traffic increase. And you will be surprised at your ability to earn a profit by writing about things you love.
• You will have a greater sense of satisfaction, knowing that you are really creating value for people – even people all over the world.
• You don't have to raise money from people in your church. After a while, people get tired of being asked to contribute money. With online fundraising, you don't have to ask anyone in your church or family for money.
• You will learn a valuable skill: how to build a business on the internet. The skills you learn can be applied to a personal web site that earns an income – even a full-time income.
• You can work when you want to. Your group may be able to invest five hours a week. Or at times, you might get together for a long Saturday work day. But you have that flexibility to work as much as you want.

What Do You Need to Know?

• It takes work. There's no way around it. You will have to work to earn money online. However, if each member of your group contributes something, the job will be much easier.
• It takes time. Traditional Christian fundraisers involve a few weeks of work. But building a web site will take weeks and even months. And there will be ongoing updates that need to be made.
• There is a learning curve. It takes time to learn how to create a good site. You will have to watch instructional videos. You will have to try things and see if they work.

What Do You Have to Do?

• Choose the best web site software and host. The software is the tool you use to create your web site. The host is the company that stores your web site on their computers so that people can access it from the internet. See this page for our highest recommendation.
• Provide BAM – Brain, Attitude, and Motivation. You're going to have to use your brain – sorry. Bring a positive can-do attitude to your work. And be motivated to pursue your online fundraiser.
• Follow a proven system. It's not enough to just put up a web site. Millions of web sites get nearly no traffic. A few weeks ago I heard someone boast that their site receives about 70 visits a day. My oldest site gets 1,800 visits a day. The difference is that I use a proven system.

The product I use is called, Solo Build It.

• Decide how you will make money with your online fundraising. See below.

How Do We Make Money?

• Google Adsense. Adsense is a program where Google puts ads up on your site. When someone clicks one of the adds, you get paid. With every click, your income goes up. Read this page for more information.
• Ask for donations. Wait a minute – you said we didn't have to ask people for money with this online fundraiser! That's true. You don't have to use this option – You don't have to put up a donate button on your site. But this is different. You aren't putting people into a corner in person and asking them to contribute. You are giving people real value by providing them the information they were searching for. Some people will want to contribute to your cause because they appreciate what you've done for them. This won't be a huge money-maker. But it can bring in some extra cash.
• Become an affiliate. An affiliate is someone who has made a special arrangement with online companies. When someone visits your site, then clicks a special link that takes them to the company's site, and they make a purchase – you get a commission. For example, I am an affiliate with Christianbook.com. If someone clicks that link and makes a purchase, I get paid 10% of the profit. There are literally hundreds of online companies who would love for you to be their affiliate.
• Promote local businesses. If your web site is about things that are in your geographical area, find businesses who will advertise on your site. You write an honest review of their business. The business gives you an ad to put on the page. Then when someone goes to their business because they saw your site, the business will pay you a finder's fee.
• For more ideas on making money online see this page about online fundraising.

Online Fundraising Conclusion

You have a lot of options – as long as you choose the right online fundraising host and software.

Read THE book that explains everything . It's what hooked me. And the book is absolutely free – no strings attached. The videos on the page might be a little corny. But the book is the best read you will ever get on how to build a successful online fundraiser. And again – it's free!