Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Tips for a successful badge
1. Build a Great Badge.
The best badges have a personal photo, a compelling and tangible reason to give, and a clear call to action. Use the limited space on the badge to make a strong, authentic appeal, and consider including your name in the text. Use the “my video” link to link to video or online slide shows if you have them.
2. Donate to Your Own Badge.
People like to feel they are part of a larger effort. It’s not inspiring to see zero donations on a badge, so donate to your own badge to get fundraising momentum started for your cause.
3. Post the Badge on Your Site, Blog(s) and Email Signature.
Put the badge on your website, blog or AIM Page. If you have a MySpace page, you can feature a link to the badge URL. You can also put a link to the badge URL in your email signature. Put a photo in the signature that is hyperlinked to the URL to grab more attention.
4. Send a Link to the Badge to People in Your Email Address Book.
Send the badge link to people in your email address book. Ask for donations and encourage these contacts to forward your email to others.
5. Ask Bloggers to Join Your Cause.
Go to technorati.com and search for blogs that are focused on your issue. Tell bloggers about your campaign and ask them to post on your efforts. They have a circle of active readers who are likely to care about your cause.
NOTE: you will need Flash Player in order to see the charity badge on a web page; if you or any of your supporters do not have this, you can use the 'link to your badge' option from the tab that says 'share'.
I'm a charity; how can Six Degrees help me?
Six Degrees, a site created by Kevin Bacon in partnership with Network for Good, is a way to engage your supporters in fundraising for you with their own friends and family online with charity badges, which are fundraising widgets. This approach of person-to-person fundraising is often called "viral fundraising," and it's a new way your most loyal donors can help you. Because Six Degrees gives you a tool to fundraise anywhere online, it's a great approach to getting bloggers involved in your cause and for tapping into your supporters to integrate into social networks like MySpace. Consider it a creative, easy, and low-cost supplement to the fundraising you already do via your website and email.
Your charity can create a badge for your supporters - or you can ask your supporters to create their own. Here's how it works:
-You go to SixDegrees.org and click on "create a badge"
-Create a badge for your charity by uploading photo and text and generating a Donate button for your organization - this takes about 5-10 minutes
-We give you the code to display the badge on your website and share it with your supporters
-The badge tracks in real time the number and amount of donations
-You can create as many badges as you want, and you can invite your supporters to create their own badges if they'd rather design their own, instead of using yours
-Any badge created at Six Degrees during our matching grants campaign is eligible for the matching grants (details)
-There's no charge for creating badges. The only fees involved with the program are the Network for Good transaction processing fees, which are 4.75% of transactions. We give donors the choice of covering that fee for the charity or deducting it from the donation (details)
-You can log in to your Network for Good Donation Tracking Report at any time to obtain information on the donors that have supported you through the badges
We've had hundreds of nonprofits participate in Six Degrees, and their organizations and supporters have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars. You can read about some of them here.
If you are looking for some additional information, below is a white paper on this topic and a link to teleconference with best practices.
>The Wired Fundraiser
>11 Steps to Success with Social Networking
Your charity can create a badge for your supporters - or you can ask your supporters to create their own. Here's how it works:
-You go to SixDegrees.org and click on "create a badge"
-Create a badge for your charity by uploading photo and text and generating a Donate button for your organization - this takes about 5-10 minutes
-We give you the code to display the badge on your website and share it with your supporters
-The badge tracks in real time the number and amount of donations
-You can create as many badges as you want, and you can invite your supporters to create their own badges if they'd rather design their own, instead of using yours
-Any badge created at Six Degrees during our matching grants campaign is eligible for the matching grants (details)
-There's no charge for creating badges. The only fees involved with the program are the Network for Good transaction processing fees, which are 4.75% of transactions. We give donors the choice of covering that fee for the charity or deducting it from the donation (details)
-You can log in to your Network for Good Donation Tracking Report at any time to obtain information on the donors that have supported you through the badges
We've had hundreds of nonprofits participate in Six Degrees, and their organizations and supporters have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars. You can read about some of them here.
If you are looking for some additional information, below is a white paper on this topic and a link to teleconference with best practices.
>The Wired Fundraiser
>11 Steps to Success with Social Networking
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Looking for a charity?
If you aren't sure which charity to add to your charity badge, think about the types of things that have inspired you to take action in the past or they types of causes that have caught your attention recently in the media or locally. Your favorite charity is in our database which includes all 501(c)3 charities in the US. Anything from your Alma Mater, Save Darfur or the shelter around the corner.
Below are some samples of compelling charity badges on a wide range of topics that may get you to start thinking....
Below are some samples of compelling charity badges on a wide range of topics that may get you to start thinking....
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Ali's Story
Ali Edwards is a Mom in Eugene Oregon who raised money for Autism Speaks; she has a five-year-old son with autism. She had never asked anyone for money before, but learned about Six Degrees and quickly became the #1 fundraiser on the website by getting the word out on her scrap booking blog.
Ginny's Story
How exciting to see a simple principle like ‘six degrees’ work so effectively to bring such good! The SixDegrees.org challenge to become a celebrity for my own cause has given me the opportunity to raise both money and awareness for the Child Rescue Centre in new ways.
The Child Rescue Centre (CRC) is truly a place of miracles. Many children in Sierra Leone, West Africa endured horrific experiences during their country’s brutal ten-year civil war, which ended in 2002. Some lost whole families and were left to live on the streets. The CRC offers safety and hope to children who have been rescued from their desperate conditions, by providing food, clothing, education, healthcare and a safe, nurturing environment. Helping Children Worldwide supports the CRC with educational programs, operational support, and vocational training initiatives, among other things.
Children who once wondered where their next meal would come from are now able to enjoy their childhoods and make plans for their futures. They have hope and they have big plans! One child hopes to become a lawyer. Several younger children are interested in studying medicine, and one young man wants to be the president of his country when he grows up. Watch the short video below to see the children singing/studying/riding bikes/etc.
Just think - these children in Sierra Leone are just a couple degrees from many caring Americans! It is awesome to see the power of goodness and generosity at work in the lives of so many, and to know its effects will be long lasting in the lives of these children.
To learn more about the history of Sierra Leone’s civil war please watch the Oscar-nominated movie Blood Diamond and read the bestselling book, A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah.
The Child Rescue Centre (CRC) is truly a place of miracles. Many children in Sierra Leone, West Africa endured horrific experiences during their country’s brutal ten-year civil war, which ended in 2002. Some lost whole families and were left to live on the streets. The CRC offers safety and hope to children who have been rescued from their desperate conditions, by providing food, clothing, education, healthcare and a safe, nurturing environment. Helping Children Worldwide supports the CRC with educational programs, operational support, and vocational training initiatives, among other things.
Children who once wondered where their next meal would come from are now able to enjoy their childhoods and make plans for their futures. They have hope and they have big plans! One child hopes to become a lawyer. Several younger children are interested in studying medicine, and one young man wants to be the president of his country when he grows up. Watch the short video below to see the children singing/studying/riding bikes/etc.
Just think - these children in Sierra Leone are just a couple degrees from many caring Americans! It is awesome to see the power of goodness and generosity at work in the lives of so many, and to know its effects will be long lasting in the lives of these children.
To learn more about the history of Sierra Leone’s civil war please watch the Oscar-nominated movie Blood Diamond and read the bestselling book, A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah.
Mary's Story
Mary orchestrated tremendous support for 11th Hour Rescue. She is a member of this 100% volunteer based organization that literally saves dogs at the last minute from being destroyed. This money raised will allow them to continue to care for the dogs in the rescue program and furthers their overall mission of saving wonderful, highly adoptable companion animals in kill shelters....animals whose only crime is they are out of time.
The internet is a powerful tool which the dedicated volunteers of 11th Hour used to reach out to the community to ask for their assistance in taking on the Six Degrees Challenge. The community responded with generosity and allowed us, in three short weeks, to take the 4th badge position. People really wanted to help and were as excited as we were about the challenge.
11th Hour Rescue focuses on the elimination of the “disposable” pet concept and we strive to educate the community on the importance of spaying and neutering animals. Visit us at www.ehrdogs.org
The internet is a powerful tool which the dedicated volunteers of 11th Hour used to reach out to the community to ask for their assistance in taking on the Six Degrees Challenge. The community responded with generosity and allowed us, in three short weeks, to take the 4th badge position. People really wanted to help and were as excited as we were about the challenge.
11th Hour Rescue focuses on the elimination of the “disposable” pet concept and we strive to educate the community on the importance of spaying and neutering animals. Visit us at www.ehrdogs.org
Robin's Story
A 38-year-old mother of two with MS, Robin has dedicated her life to fundraising & advocating for a cure (read her full story). She has her own Perfect Health Foundation & clothing line, is a speaker at MS events, and recruits huge fundraising teams.
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