Online giving services for charities improve again
Howard Lake | 1 October 2009 | Blogs
Several months ago I wrote a blog trying to simplify the choice charities faced regarding which online fundraising services to use.
I concluded then that all the major services add value, depending on what the charity is trying to achieve. What I couldn’t see was a good reason why charities wouldn’t use more than just the largest player, JustGiving.
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Virgin Money Giving‘s recent launch moved the game along and introduced a healthy dose of price competition which gave charities even more reason to register with multiple services.
And today, the guys at Bmycharity have made the latest move in what has been a fast-changing market space throughout 2009. By removing all of their charges, Bmycharity is now offering a free service to charities ie; more of the donations go towards the cause.
Undoubtedly there will be a few sharp intakes of breath as people acknowledge that this will mean some sponsorship and advertising will appear on the Bmycharity site. But, if it is done sensitively and sensibly as suggested above, WHO CARES?
I for one can put up with a banner advert if it means more of my donation goes to my charity of choice. And the thing is, so can our supporters and donors.
On reflection, I stand by my original conclusion with even more conviction. As a charity fundraiser why wouldn’t I use as many of these services to reach more supporters as possible?
Why wouldn’t I give myself the chance of exposure to a large audience beyond my supporters?
Just please don’t tell me it’s because we don’t have time! How can you not have time to take advantage of a free service which supports your fundraising targets?
Congratulations to Bmycharity on a brave move which I hope moves the game along positively for both the online donation providers and their charity customers.
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.