Would you make a donation via social media?
Social media has become more of a necessity than a luxury;
the free or sometime low cost marketing social media provides has become a part
of many organizations business models. From creating blogs, to advertising, to
entertaining, to donating; social media has become a vital operational key in
businesses. Visual.ly compiled four categories by which donations are made via
social media: individual donations, event fundraising, causes, and peer-to-peer
fundraising. Nonprofit organizations have moved from the ‘donation can in a
grocery store’ or ‘selling baked goods’ to having a strong presence on social
networks (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc.). According to Visual.ly, in 2012,
98% of nonprofits were on Facebook.
Giveforward.com was the company my friend shared; it starts by creating a profile including the reason for the fundraiser and the beneficiary’s story. You can add photos as well as give updates, in my case, it kept us informed on hospital or specialist visits and test dates and results. Once the link is shared then monetary donations can be made as well as hugs can be given. This website gave friends and families the opportunity to make a contribution without sharing financial information with the beneficiary, without being physically present to help, as well as encouragement. Because giving is as easy as clicking a link, the opportunity to give isn’t confined to sending a check in the mail or attending an event. Visual.ly states that, “Friendly persuasion also comes into play, with a friend’s mention of their donation leading 68 % of their contacts to learn more about the foundation and 39 % to give to that charity”.
From the donations collected on Giveforward.com, a ‘small’ processing fee of 7% is charged to the beneficiary to receive the collected funds. Justgive.org charges a 4.5% processing fee of the donations made as well as a $10 check reissue fee if the check is stale dated and needs to be reissued. According to marketwatch.com, a significant drawback is the low maximums the sites may set for receiving donations. Even though Facebook doesn’t charge a processing fee, the maximum donation feature is set at $25. Security and privacy is a big issue that tags along with convenience when making donations via social media; giveforward.com uses 128-bit SSL encryption, which is bragged to be the highest level of security on the internet.
I am still struggling with giving Facebook access to my
financial information. How do you feel about making
donations via social media?
When reading about this the first thing that came to my mind was scams. Not sure of how safe each of the sites listed were but with all the internet hacking and scammers desperate for money it is hard to not think about it. I just feel that if I wanted to really donate to help someone out, I don't think I would be able to get myself to do it via facebook or the internet. Safety is always a concern of mine when dealing with the internet but from reading this I do want to actually check out those sites just to see if they actually seem like the real deal or not. Thanks for the post I thought it was a really good issue to discuss further.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Taylor that when you see anything requesting money on a social site you immediately think fraud. It is kind of like seeing those homeless people on the street holding up their cardboard sign asking for money. The first thought is scam. Then the second is the emotional guilt. I was wondering if there is a way to check and see if the site and the request for money are legitimate?
ReplyDeleteMelissa Williams
@ Taylor and Melissa, security and privacy is still my biggest concern. I attempted to make the donation with the hope that they would accept payment via PayPal; this is my security blanket when making purchases on line. I have a deep trust for my bank as well as PayPal for not being penalized when fraudulent activities occur on my accounts. As far as the legitimacy, it’s just like opening a business. It’s easy as going to a state website and applying for a tax id number and a fictitious name certificate. The true disadvantage I saw with these cites was the processing cost. As far as how they store and protect our information, they claim to have to most high tech security systems that “cannot be hacked”. If the state of S Carolina was hacked for personal and financial information was hacked, anything is possible.
ReplyDeleteI guess I don't totally agree with donations through social media. However, I have so many friends that run marathons that raise money for them and the easiest way to reach family and friends from all over the country these days in order to help raise this money is through social media. You see people do this for things such as marathons, cancer foundations, benefits, relay for life, and the list continues. So I guess when it comes to situations like that I can see it as completely okay because really it is the easiest way!
ReplyDeleteI'm not really too keen on the idea of entrusting social network's with my credit card information. Although, I guess we do trust Facebook with all of our other information so I guess it makes sense. I can see how social media fundraising can be a powerful tool as your friends would be notified and encouraged to also contribute once you had made a donation. If Facebook advertised the extent to which they protect sensitive financial information I might be more inclined to make a donation. My decision would also depend on the reputation of the charity.
ReplyDeleteI am not sure if I feel comfortable giving to non-certified causes, such as to a social media friend in need. I do not really have an issue giving through social media, as long as it is a verified non-profit. I have found that while I would like to assume no one would misuse donations, I would rather not give them that option. However, I can see how using social media can be beneficial for good causes because of the fast and wide-spread means of social networking.
ReplyDeleteReading all these posts confirms I am not paranoid, thanks for stopping by!
ReplyDelete