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August 06, 2007
Friendraising before fundraising
Here in Austin, as in Chicago and cities across the nation, busy sidewalks are sometimes filled with teams of young and ambitious people hoping to persuade passersby to give money to their cause.
But they are wasting their time. The collateral pollution of spammers, scammers and phishers who disguise nefarious intentions to steal your money are turning street-team awareness-generators or money collectors into dinosaurs. Sure they can wear matching t-shirts or official-looking badges, but the scams we're increasingly subjected to online is making all of us wary of people we don't already know offline.
Social networks are replacing old-school street teams. Social networks do the work of street teams and create hoped-for network effects: they create friends, spread knowledge and as some political social networks are demonstrating, raise significant dollars. And they can do it much more efficiently than street teams.
Social networks work for cause-driven organizations because they focus on friendraising before fundraising. They create the necessary social capital that makes raising budgetary capital more efficient, eliminating the need for street teams, cold-calling or mass-market appeals.
Friendraising before fundraising creates better friends who will lend you their time, their attention or if you do an exceptional job of creating trust, their money.
Other blogs that reference Friendraising before fundraising:
Interesting post on a blog called the "Church of the Customer Blog" and you also have a category called, "Customer Evangelism." I'm a Christian and have served as a deacon in church at one time. Churches are the one of the original "social networks" and are known for the fundraising among their members and occasionally from external sources.
It's ironic that most people are turned off from giving and bad press is broadcast when it looks like that is the primary focus. It important to show that you are actually doing the "work you were called to do" and being good stewards with those funds.
have you reviewed http://www.zooped.com social network yet?
Great entry! Awareness of "Web 2.0", social networks, etc. seems like it's coming like a locomotive. You can't stop it, and if you want continued success you either need to get on board or you'll get run over.
I've seen some evidence of people trying to "game" the system, but I think it's harder than just trying to beat a search engine's algorithm.
Keep up the great entries!
-Roger
Catchy phrase. "Friendraising." I'd merely like to add that some street teams might actually work better than soc nets, since many people still prefer actual humans to their avatars.
Ben:
Thank you for noting that FriendRaising is about more than just money! When Community Benefit organizations realize that friends are not money trees, they find friends who will volunteer, give advice, make connections, and anything else they need. Like in real life, real friends help however they can.
Ironically, once folks are real friends, they usually donate more. But rather than money being the goal, it is simply a byproduct. The goal of those friendships is friendship!
But as David noted, raising friends in a community organization cannot be limited to Web 2.0. When the work is about building a better world, face-to-face interaction and engagement make a huge difference.
I have spent so much of my professional life counseling organizations on this subject, that I wound up writing the nonprofit sector’s only manual on the topic (the book’s intro is downloadable here
http://www.help4nonprofits.com/FriendRaisingBook.htm )
So thank you for spreading the gospel of FriendRaising. It really can make all the difference in the world.
(Sorry this is so long - it is just very close to my heart!)
Hildy Gottlieb
Author, “FriendRaising: Community Engagement Strategies for Boards Who Hate Fundraising but Love Making Friends”
One of my favorite phrases "love people, use money... not the other way around".. looks like you adhere to that thought process as well... great post!
Regards,
Mark South
praise the Lord,
I am a church Evangelist I am looking for some supportes who willingly support our cause to carry on our visin among North Indians . I am a Hindu Convert who accepted Christ as saviour in the year 1995 and I am working among Punjabi Hindus. I have a vision to start a new ministry registered with the Government rules. I am looking for someone to help me to carry it in and pls pray for me,and help me.who will help me.
can you send me 50$ per month for starting a new church in the non-christan people. Kindly keep this in mind and send us your reply as guided by the Holy Spirit
With much regards and blessings to you all
Bible,says.(2corinthians-9:9)-(james-4:17)
I shall be thankful to you.
With much love .
your’s in christ
Darpen masih
