The Nonprofit Matrix is an online directory and guide to Application Service Providers (ASPs) and portals offering web-based services for nonprofits and charities.
MATRIX
NEWS 
October 2nd, 2007 at 12:25am
Another step taken by Google into the nonprofit world by launching a program allowing nonprofits to sign up for their own YouTube channel and host their own videos, public service announcements. calls to action and more. Additionally, the channels will allow non-profits to use Google Checkout to collect donations without being charged any fees.
From the press release:
YouTube Nonprofit Program participants will receive:
• A premium channel on YouTube that serves as a nonprofit’s hub for their uploaded videos. Through the channel, people can connect with a nonprofit via messages, subscriptions, comments and more. Nonprofits will also receive enhanced channel branding features and increased upload capacity.
• Designation as a “Nonprofit” on YouTube that clearly identifies organizations as a nonprofit for YouTube community.
• The ability to embed a Google Checkout donation button on their channel and video watch pages, allowing people to quickly and securely make a contribution directly from YouTube. Starting today, nonprofits who offer Google Checkout for Non-Profits as a donation option — whether through YouTube or on their own sites — will receive 100 percent of donated funds, as Google has committed to processing all donations for free through at least the end of 2008.
• In the coming months, nonprofit channels will have a centralized area on YouTube, making them and their videos more easily discoverable.
> Find out more here
September 28th, 2007 at 01:17am
Google seems to be getting interested in the multi-billion dollar nonprofit sector with the announcement of a special suite online donation processing tools for nonprofits. Google Checkout for Non-Profits gives access to Google Checkout e-commerce system, and builds in specific tools for creating and publishing online donation buttons, plus a set of API functions for integrating data with internal donor-management systems. Google is offering this whole system for free (0% commission + $0 transaction fee) until the end of 2008.
A couple of excerpts from the announcement:
Google Checkout for Non-Profits is a fast, convenient donation process that helps you attract more donors and increase online giving to your organization – and you can use it to process donations by charging credit or debit cards for free until 2009.
For donors, it enables you to complete a donation with just your Google login, and it helps you track your giving in a convenient and central place
Google Checkout for Nonprofits is available only to registered 501(c)(3) nonprofits in the United States. However, nonProfits in the UK can use Google Checkout UK (http://checkout.google.co.uk/), which is also available for free (until the end of 2007).
> Visit Google Checkout for Nonprofits
August 29th, 2007 at 10:53am
An article in the recent NonProfit Times technobuzz newsletter addresses the impact of online fundraising tools, including ASP services, on traditional fundraising event management.
The article profiles the experiences of Big Brothers Big Sisters in reviving their annual social bowling event using new online fundraising tools and revamped management practices, and draws conclusions and recommendations for other organizations looking to integrate online fundraising tools into their traditional social fundraising events.
Here’s an excerpt:
To avoid choosing an ASP that has few but not nearly all of the functionality you require, consider the following:
- Your organization’s work flow process;
- Programmatic fundraising process;
- Needs based on what’s happening now; and,
- Each ASP has a product with a functionality that might meet some of those needs, so ask other like nonprofits: what do they use? What’s working and what’s not?
What differentiates one ASP from the next is the scope of what each ASP claims it can do. You need to understand how the ASP software works for online registration, donor registration flow, donation processing, etc.
> Read the full article “Clicking For Event Registration Not As Simple As You’d Think“
August 15th, 2007 at 09:20am
Firstgiving has released a new widget that allows users of the Facebook social networking site to display, track and promote their Firstgiving personal fundraising campaigns directly on their own Facebook profile pages.
This means that you can show your entire list of friends exactly what you are doing for charity and rally your Facebook community for support! It also means that your friends will be able to see your progress as you near your goal, and get to your fundraising page from your Facebook profile. (from Firstgiving’s announcement)
Widgets for social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace allow people to add customized content, such as photos, blogs, music and clickable forms, to their own personal profile pages. Widgets specifically designed for nonprofits have been developed for fundraising, advocacy, recruitment and promotion of causes and campaigns.
> More about Firstgiving
> More about fundraising widgets for nonprofits
August 7th, 2007 at 10:12am
Blackbaud has announced the acquisition of the eTapesty on-demand database service in the second major shakeup of the online software-as-service market. This year has already seen the acquisition of online advocacy service GetActive by Software-as-service giant Convio.
According Marc Chardon, Blackbaud’s Chief Technical Officer, “From a long-term perspective, we believe that Software-as-a-Service offerings in the nonprofit sector will grow in importance. With the acquisition of eTapestry, we have positioned Blackbaud to participate in an early-stage, high-growth trend with a company that has a proven solution, customer base and growth track record.
The official announcement on Blackbaud’s website states that eTapestry will continue to operate as a subsidiary of Blackbaud, with co-founder and CEO Jay Love remaining at the helm.
> Read the press release
July 25th, 2007 at 05:13pm
Microphilanthropy blogger Peter Deitz has released a benchmarking study (published on the TechSoup website) on how much non-profits can expect to raise through a group fundraising event or strategy. The study looked at five popular platforms for group fundraising (ChipIn, Firstgiving, GiveMeaning, SixDegrees, and JustGive.org) and compared data from a variety of group fundraising campaigns achieving High/Low and Average benchmarks.
Aggregate results reported include: (1) the average donation size to group fundraising campaigns; (2) the average number of donors; and (3) the average amount raised by individual campaigns.
From the report’s conclusion: Group fundraising is an exciting technology rising from the social-networking sphere, offering organizations a unique opportunity to reach new donors while still engaging the most steadfast supporters. If you can invest the time and effort necessary to meet the benchmarks referenced in this article, it might be time for your nonprofit to take its first step into the promising world of group fundraising.
>Read the report (on TechSoup)
A detailed comparison of Group Fundraising service providers is available here:
> About Microphilanthropy’s Group Fundraising comparison chart
July 24th, 2007 at 04:36pm
Convio has announced a new online organizing tool to support online/offline 3rd party events and grassroots fundraising initiatives.
The Personal Events tool is designed to help an organization’s supporters or members to organize and market their own personal events around a cause, theme or campaign. Using Personal Events, individuals will be able to schedule, post and promote an event, manage RSVPs and create opportunities to donate, all within the official “web presence” of the organizations or causes they support.
According to Tom Krackeler, Vice President, Product Management for Convio, Inc., the scalability and flexibility of the product creates opportunities for a wide variety of events and opportunities. “Animal welfare advocates could host dog walks, environmental organizations might create nature hikes, a public radio show focused on jazz might have individuals host listening parties, still others might have birthday parties, reading groups, legislative call parties or movie nights”
> Read the full press release
July 23rd, 2007 at 10:51am
TechSoup, the popular resource for all things tech and nonprofit has taken the wraps off a new blog. According to lead blogger Britt Bravo, the new blog will be offering “more about projects, ideas, resources, and events related to Web-based innovations with a social impact, and less on how-to’s.”
Current top posts on the blog are:
> Visit the new TechSoup Blog
July 23rd, 2007 at 09:25am
Papilia has announced the immediate availability of social network fundraising within their solution for donor-centered communication for nonprofits. Papilia recently completed an integration of the popular peer-to-peer fundraising tool ChipIn into their Fundraising Toolkit.
From Papilia’s press release:
“Donor to donor fundraising with Papilia is the online version of throwing a house party for your friends and asking them to contribute to a cause. With the availability of My Fundraising Toolkit on the Papilia platform, fundraising staff are no longer alone in their fundraising efforts.”
Read the full press release here.
For a demonstration of Donor-to-Donor fundraising with Papilia, click here.
July 18th, 2007 at 09:29am
Idealware has released another in their “A Few Good Tools” series of compact overview guides of online tools for nonprofits. This new guide focuses on tools for running online auctions.
Real-life auctions have a long history in the nonprofit sector and online actions have been a popular fundraising tool for some online charities since the rise of eBay in the early days of the Internet. eBay is a popular tools for running online charity auctions, but there are a wide variety of other web services available to meet the diverse needs of the nonprofit sector.
Idealware’s guide covers the basics of how to organize and run a successful online auction, including:
- planning the overall approach
- acquiring items to auction
- reaching out to those you want to participate
- purchase fulfillment and shipping of auctioned items
- choosing the right tool for your auction
The guide also profiles several of the leading online charity auction service providers such as MissionFish, cMarket, Benefit Events and others.
> Goto Idealware: A Few Good Online Auction Tools
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