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?
