Friday, March 31, 2006

Innovations in Online Direct Response Fundraising Drive Results :: PNNOnline ::

Innovations in Online Direct Response Fundraising Drive Results :: PNNOnline ::: "Innovations in Online Direct Response Fundraising Drive Results
Posted by: taitchison on Friday, March 31, 2006
Topic Expert Opinion


As nonprofit organizations accumulate experience with planning and executing online programs, best practices are emerging — particularly in the area of online direct response fundraising. Likewise, technology advances in Internet marketing and fundraising are enabling more sophisticated approaches and, consequently, stronger results. Here’s a look at best practices and technologies that nonprofits can use to establish more effective direct response fundraising programs.


Building constituent email files


There is growing appreciation throughout the nonprofit sector for the importance of building constituent email files. Today's Internet savvy organizations realize that having a constituent's email address allows them to cultivate, motivate, mobilize and solicit constituents at nominal costs. They also realize that having an email address and communicating in an integrated fashion lifts donor value.

Afternic.com Facilitates $200,000 Sale of Domain Name Donated for Philanthropic Cause

Afternic.com Facilitates $200,000 Sale of Domain Name Donated for Philanthropic Cause: "Entire Proceeds of Sale, Including Afternic.com Fee, Donated to the Boston Foundation

Leading domain-name exchange Afternic.com today announced facilitating a six-figure transaction in which the seller donated the entire proceeds to a major community foundation. The seller's philanthropic act, in turn, inspired Afternic.com to contribute its transaction fee to the foundation, as well.

In what is possibly a first-of-its-kind gift using an appreciated Internet moniker as currency, Tom Bird, a Massachusetts entrepreneur, donated the domain name Farm.com to The Boston Foundation, a 90-year old community foundation with $700 million in assets, after learning the value of the URL had soared since it was first registered in the 1990s."

Thursday, March 30, 2006

NewsForge | Penguin Day Seattle employs FOSS for good works

NewsForge | Penguin Day Seattle employs FOSS for good works: "Free and open source software can help save the world. That was the point of Seattle's Penguin Day, which brought together nonprofits and FOSS advocates looking to support this other community.

The event, held last weekend, drew organizations from around the country and around the globe, including Maryland, New York, Ohio, Texas, Washington, D.C., Canada, the UK, and Turkey.

There was no shortage of give and take between open source advocates and nonprofit representatives looking for software that is less expensive, more flexible, and closer in line with their community ideology."

Wednesday, March 29, 2006

The gift of words - The Boston Globe

The gift of words - The Boston Globe: "The gift of words
Nonprofits can reap from sale of donated Internet addresses

By Jenn Abelson, Globe Staff | March 29, 2006

When Tom Bird started receiving six-figure offers for his domain name, farm.com, the Massachusetts entrepreneur this month made an unlikely move: He donated the Internet address to the Boston Foundation."

Monday, March 27, 2006

Silicon money | CNET News.com-"Reversing long-held philosophies, the industry has doubled its spending on lobbying in six years,

Silicon money | CNET News.com: "Reversing long-held philosophies, the industry has doubled its spending on lobbying in six years, according to CNET News.com research. This special report chronicles the causes of the strategic change while highlighting the big spenders.

Companies shift strategy, take the offensive
Technology industry lobbying has become increasingly aggressive, raising questions about its tactics.
Chart: Federal lobbying expenditures
Chart: Political contributions

Nonprofits are true powerbrokers
Trade organizations have amassed more than $1 billion in fighting battles for the industry.
Chart: Nonprofit and trade association spending"

Proposed FEC Rules Would Exempt Most Political Activity on Internet

Proposed FEC Rules Would Exempt Most Political Activity on Internet: "Proposed FEC Rules Would Exempt Most Political Activity on Internet

By Zachary A. Goldfarb and Thomas B. Edsall
Washington Post Staff Writers
Saturday, March 25, 2006; Page A04

The Federal Election Commission last night released proposed new rules that leave almost all Internet political activity unregulated except for the purchase of campaign ads on Web sites.

'My key goal in this rule-making has been to make sure that the commission establish clear rules to exempt individuals who engage in online politics from campaign finance laws,' said Chairman Michael E. Toner, a Republican."