ClickYourSupport for Nonprofit Fundraising and Awareness

ClickYourSupport image courtesy of clickyoursupport.org

Working in nonprofit fundraising as I do, I’m amazed at the increasing variety of online fundraising platforms currently available to nonprofits. These platforms can be used as stand-alone or can be integrated into existing efforts to increase the reach and effectiveness of the fundraising or volunteer recruitment campaign through the use of social media and other technologies. I have featured a number of them here on the Miratel blog even though they arguably can be seen as our competition. Ultimately, we support any channel that helps advance the mission of worthy causes especially in these difficult times. I’ve been happy to write about CovergeUS, Razoo, Give2gether, Kickstarter, Kiva City, Givmo, Broadcause, Startsomegood, Donorschoose and FirstGiving among others and that continues today with an exciting new platform, ClickYourSupport. ClickYourSupport is different in a very good way.

We are in an era where social media has exploded in popularity and revolutionized how we interact with family, friends and colleagues. While some organizations have made great strides in integrating Facebook and Twitter into their nonprofit fundraising initiatives, others are hesitant and still haven’t made much progress in that direction.  For those that do participate, only 48% with a presence on Facebook raised any money in all of 2010 and 28% of those raised more than $1,000. These statistics lead you to question how exactly this social media revolution is helping nonprofits when you would think they can most benefit from this engaging platform due to its accessibility, reach and popularity.

Enter ClickYourSupport. Created and launched in September 2011 by Social Edison a start-up technological company founded by Richard Cooperstein (former Head of International Business Development and Strategy at Facebook) and internet veteran Danny Kastner (previously, the founder of successful startups Music Interactive, POPstick and FanRocket). Together they created an exciting suite of social marketing technologies for large for-profit organizations and developed an impressive portfolio of products that are being provided to nonprofit organizations at no cost.

Click Your Support is a global charity initiative, hitting social networks September 2011. We’re working with companies, celebrities, brands and individuals to rally and get behind their favorite nonprofits.

Available to any 501(3) registered charitable organization, current participating nonprofits include: American Cancer Society, Ronald McDonald House, American Heart Association, SmileTrain, Scholarship America, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International, Earthworks, Refugees International, Futures for Children, Braille Institute and Students Against Destructive Decisions.

Philanthropists new and old, social networkers small and large all can share in their support of their desired nonprofit and engage their network of Facebook friends and Twitter followers, to make a donation as small as a one dollar. They can share information about the charity and therefore create an awareness that otherwise would not be there.

Having only launched with Facebook to start, users download an application, where they list their favorite charities, list their personal mission and invite other friends to join the cause.  Fully integrated with Facebook, it gives users the opportunity to network, promote a cause they are passionate about and help take social media and nonprofit fundraising and awareness integration to the next level.

This application goes beyond just clicking ‘Like’ or ‘Follow’ which in many cases one then forgets about the charity, or forgets to follow up and learn more about their mission and goals or make that much needed donation.  ClickYourSupport makes very effective use of the largest social networking platform in the world to support excellent causes raise funds and awareness.  I’ve clicked my support for ‘Click Your Support’ and ‘SmileTrain’ an organization who conducts nonprofit fundraising campaigns to help fund millions of children with unrepaired clefts in developing countries get the corrective surgery they need to help them live full lives.

Which nonprofit will you ClickYourSupport for?

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zexCbmRbniI&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

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Miratel Solutions is a Toronto call centre, eBusiness, and letter shop mail house specializing in professional fundraising services including telephone fundraising, online fundraising, lottery services, donation caging, donation processing and other donor management services. We are committed to our CSR business values and advancing the missions of the non-profits we proudly serve.