Taking CSR to the next level with crowdfunding

For businesses today, it makes sense to maintain a corporate social responsibility program. Giving back to the communities where they operate increases the company’s value in the eyes of stakeholders. Majority of consumers admit that corporate philanthropy also affects their choice of brands and stores to support.

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While nearly every type of business, from small companies to large organizations, has sought to do its part in providing help to society through CSR projects, current methods can’t keep up with the pace of needed changes. Good intentions may not be enough when companies do not know the best, most direct way to give back to the community. Likewise, the intended beneficiaries of social responsibility may not always be able to communicate their needs to the entities that could provide the necessary aid.

This is why companies seeking greater impact of their CSR projects should look no further than the possibilities opened by modern technology. These days, an emerging method is through online fundraising. Through sites that call attention to social realities, individuals pool their resources and donate to support a proposed solution to problems.

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Companies looking for better ways to donate can turn to crowdfunding sites to improve their current CSR programs. Through available technology, the process of gathering donations and bringing people under a single cause has been made easier than it was before. What used to take months to complete can now be done in a matter of days.
 
In addition, crowdfunding allows companies to participate in worthy causes in a highly transparent channel. The other participants and recipients of the donations know exactly how companies have helped the cause and businesses get the immediate boost to their image.

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Alex von Furstenberg does his part to help communities through the Diller-von Furstenberg Family Foundation. Visit this website to learn about the organization’s goals and methods.

Fundraising for charities: Fun is the key

Fundraisers are how most charitable organizations raise money or other resources for the causes they represent. Traditionally, fundraising consists of people going door-to-door or roaming the streets and asking for donations.

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Nowadays, however, there are many ways to do a fundraiser, and while these can be tiring, the key to a successful fundraiser is fun. After all, a charity event that has guest enjoying their time is likely to generate more donations.

One important thing that people should remember when doing fundraisers is that the more unique and exciting they are, the more people will be encouraged to support them.

This website lists some great fundraising ideas:

• Slave auctions. While real slave auctions may raise some concerns, a slave auction fundraiser works like a traditional auction, where people can bid to have a “slave” (usually a volunteer) for a day. The highest bidder will have the volunteer cook, do the dishes, or perform other household chores for him or her.

• 24-hour event. A 24-hour event can be something simple, like a marathon or a basketball match, or something unusual, like video gaming or tea drinking. The participants will have to pay to join the event, the winner of which will receive an award or a prize.

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• Eating competition. People love to eat, and this may be the reason why people love attending eating competitions. Participants pay to eat hotdogs, pancakes, or even hamburgers for a certain length of time, and the winner gets an award.

A fundraiser is not just a great way to raise money for a chosen cause but also an opportunity for guests to get to know each other and have fun.

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Most of Alex von Furstenberg’s philanthropic efforts are done through the Diller-von Furstenberg Family Foundation. Visit the foundation’s website for more information.

Online vs. offline fundraising: The facts

A lot of organizations out there may be wondering what kind of fundraising they should do in order to get more donations. And with the advent of the Internet and social media, online fundraisers are fast becoming very popular.

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However, this question remains: Which of them is better?

An infographic by Connectad.ca provides the following facts:

• Offline fundraising is still the preferred vehicle, as 90 percent of donations come in offline.

• Online donations are growing at a very fast rate, with more people donating online every year. In addition, this growth represents both the total revenue and the amount of donors.

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• Online donors are younger (22 to 55 years old), have higher incomes (32 percent of them earn more than $100,000 a year), give more the first time (an average of $62), and give more over time ( at around $118 to $197) than offline donors, who are older (45 to 75 years and older), earn less (only 18 percent of them earn more than $100,000 a year), give less the first time (an average of $32), and give less over time (around $51 to $72).

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As donors acquired from online fundraisers who donate through multiple channels are worth more than thrice those who use only a single channel, perhaps it is safe to say that the best solution for charities wanting to maximize their cash flow is to use multiple channels, both online and offline.

Alex von Furstenberg is committed to changing lives and making a difference, and makes these possible through the Diller-von Furstenberg Family Foundation. You can find more information about Mr. von Furstenberg’s philanthropic efforts by visiting this website.