Dick McPherson

“Group editing? Many-to-many publishing? If this highly democratic social media sounds tough to control and a bit chaotic, then you already understand a major challenge of the new Internet. These are often called the Wild West Days for Web 2.0. But just as the sherrif, the schoolhouse and indoor plumbing all came to Dodge City, some rules and lessons are emerging as the Web changes. In fact, one development is positively comforting: The new online tools neatly fit the culture and needs of nonprofit organizations.” — Fundraising consultant Dick McPherson, founder of McPherson Associates, in his book, “Digital Giving: How Technology is Changing Charity”.

Well, we’ve got webinar No. 1 under our belts. I was a nervous wreck, even though my part was very small and, by virtue of the nature of webinars, I didn’t actually have to face anyone as I did it. Nope … it was just me, my hard candy and my stress ball, listening as Robin Riggs, Willis Turner, Steve Maggio and Kimberly Seville educated and entertained our audience.

Dick McPherson’s new book, “Digital Giving: How Technology is Changing Charity,” is a comprehensive yet highly digestible volume that marries McPherson’s sage insights with real-life case studies, tips and observations from myriad nonprofit fundraisers and consultants. In it, McPherson, president and creative director of Malvern, Pa.-based McPherson Associates, breaks down e-philanthropy to its essential elements and details how those elements need to be addressed by nonprofits hoping to raise money and awareness online and through other new technologies. Here, an excerpt that outlines tips for success from Katherine Miller, director of communications for the United Nations Foundation, which recently partnered with Sports Illustrated and the