Jeff Hallett explains why the Web will make a difference to fundraising, although it might take a little longer than expected.
The first of a series of columns in the Philanthropy Journal Online on using the Internet to fundraise has been written by Jeff Hallett, co-founder and Chairman of New Media Publishing, Inc.
On Monday, April 28 1997, the Chronicle of Philanthropy, the newspaper of the non-profit world, made its World Wide Web site available on the Internet.
The site began by offering daily updates on events at the President's Summit on Volunteering, held on April 27-29 in Philadelphia.
Management of GRANTS-L, the e-mail discussion list that was set up to promote external funding for international education and research, has been taken over by Higher Education Processes.
Charities can apply their experience with using the telephone to raise funds by incorporating a call-me button on their site.
This triggers a telephone call to the site owner, or their call centre, asking them to call back the enquirer who clicked on the button on their Web site.
UNICEF is now offering supporters the chance to have an e-mail address that will never change, and will earn income from each subscriber who takes up the option.
UNICEF will receive 30% of all registration fees from a new service from Omnimail. This allows subscribers to keep their chosen address for life.
Corporate fundraisers can be confident that the Internet is a very quick and low cost method of contacting large numbers of UK companies.
A quarter of UK companies has an Internet connection, one in six has a Web site, and 41% use e-mail, according to a February NOP survey commissioned by the Department of Trade and Industry.
Yahoo! is hosting a Web-a-thon for US children's charities.
Yahoo is hosting a Web-a-thon in aid of the Children's Miracle Network and children's hospitals in the US where secure credit card donations can be made. The event runs from 19th May to 8th June 1997.
