To the Point: Online Fundraising in Six Easy Steps

So, this is the year you get serious about online fundraising. Here is my six-point checklist for developing a kick-butt online fundraising program in 2010.

1. Build a list.

Before you can start to fundraise online, you have to have an audience to solicit. So get started right away building your list. Collect e-mail addresses at events; include a link to your e-newsletter in every print publication you send. Consider doing an e-mail append. In addition, set aside a budget for ongoing acquisition. Why? Because people change their e-mail addresses! According to the eNonprofit Benchmark Study (e-benchmarksstudy.com), you can expect approximately 20 percent of your e-mail addresses to go bad each year. To make up for this attrition, you need to engage in acquisition to continue to grow your list.