Fundraising is a priority for most nonprofit organizations. Online giving, specifically, is fast, low-cost and has wide reach, but it also raises new challenges for philanthropy, ethics and public policy:
- Charities and nonprofits, such as CanadaHelps, use their platforms to acquire donors and solicit funds digitally, while others, like MakeWay offer a platform for back-office support. Estimates are that online giving rose by 17% in 2018 in Canada, and new data indicates an even higher increase this year. Many organizations still struggle, however, with how to execute or expand online fundraising.
- Crowdfunding, often in times of crisis or personal hardship, has become popular through digital platforms, such as GoFundMe and Facebook, with one academic estimating that, as of 2020, crowdfunding will raise $34 billion globally. While this way of giving seems simple — someone asks, people give – it’s actually complicated and sometimes nightmarish.
PANL Perspectives offers fundraising strategies and tips – and, more broadly, examines the challenges for organizations, donors and public policy in Canada.
