The Wonderful World of Micro-Donating! How Technology Met Fundraising, Had a Millennial Donor Baby, and Lived Happily Ever After

Wouldn’t it be great if your nonprofit could fundraise around the clock? What if you could bring in revenue while you’re sleeping and from a whole new demographic? There is a way! And, yes, of course, it has something to do with Blue Fox’s favorite thing, technology. We’re talking about the exciting and growing world of micro-donating or micro-philanthropy. 

According to Tech’s Good, The Power of Micro-Donations, “Micro-donations (between $0.25 and $10) are the latest and most disruptive innovation in the world of giving. As technology in mobile payment methods continues to advance, credit card transaction fees have significantly decreased, making it now possible to donate as little as $0.25.” Wow, anyone can afford that!

Even more interesting, in CrowdRise by GoFundMe’s recent social fundraising data report it says, “We found that Millennials and Gen X generations made up nearly 50% of all GoFundMe donors.” What a great way to tap into a whole new demographic!

Let’s give three cheers for technology as a complement to your nonprofit fundraising efforts! Here is our non-exhaustive list of micro-philanthropy platforms that have collectively raised millions of dollars:

• AmazonSmile - Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to your favorite charitable organization when users shop on the smile.amazon.com web browser.
• Causetap - For profit companies choose which interactions will trigger charitable giving (a purchase, newsletter sign-up, or social sharing) for the charity of their choice.
• CharityMiles – Users record their movement to earn money for a charity of their choice with funds coming from the corporate sponsor pool.
• Cheerful – A mobile app facilitating spare change collection on purchases to be donated to charity of your choice. 
• Give2Charity – Users earn points simply by going about their day to exchange for donations.
• CrowdRise by GoFundMe – Users can create their personal fundraising page to collect donations.
• GoogleOneToday – Provides access to real-world photos and quick summaries for users to follow the impact of a $1 donation.
• Razoo - Donors can search for charities, donate quickly, and set up personal fundraising pages for the cause of their choice.
• Spotfund  - App for micro-donating, also offering event ticketing, live auctions, creative agency, etc.
• SwearJar by Slack – When a team member swears on slack, a donation is made to the charity of the week.

Thinking about utilizing one of these applications for your charity? Check out this advice on starting a micro-philanthropy campaign, courtesy of Accesso, Fundraising in an Era of Micro Philanthropy. 

Thinking about utilizing one of these applications for your charitable giving? Well, good, we did our job! Our team at Blue Fox is super passionate about supporting organizations that shape and create change in their communities, no matter how large or small. Well, we made the connection. Now, you go be the change. Better yet, go give your spare change!

Resources: 
• Accesso, Fundraising in an Era of Micro Philanthropy, by Stephanie Horwath
• NC State University, Why Micro-Donations Are the Future of Fundraising, by Gary Wohlfeill
• Tech’s Good, The Power of Micro-donations by Peter Prix
• Quara, What are similar initiatives to AmazonSmile, by Jason Grad

About: Our team at Blue Fox provides customized, boutique financial and back office services for social impact organizations. Services range from standard bookkeeping and payroll services, to coaching and consulting, to full-blown virtual CFO services. Our mission is to disrupt the traditional accounting model through technology, innovation, and a radically client-focused approach that truly empowers nonprofits and social enterprises. For more information call (321) 233-3311, email hello@yourbluefox.com, and visit www.YourBlueFox.com.

---