Once you have a solid, well-designed, up-to-date Web site, you can begin to take steps toward raising your site to an even higher level. E-mail marketing, online donations, and other technical services are available that will help you "kick your site up a notch."

E-mail Marketing

It is important to get out the word about your site and the features that it offers to visitors. One of the best ways to advertise your site, your calendar of events, and other important topics is through e-mail.

There are literally dozens and dozens of vendors that offer e-mail newsletter services. These companies typically offer templates that allow you to send graphical, HTML e-mail messages as well as simple, text-based messages. In addition, these services let you track the delivery and effectiveness of your e-mail newsletters. Such services vary greatly in cost and complexity, ranging from relatively simple $25 per month services up to $500 per month advanced, high-volume services. Vendors that offer more modestly-priced solutions include:

• GotMarketing offers Campaigner
• Roving offers Constant Contact
• Topica offers Email Publisher
• GroundSpring offers EmailNow
• RealMagnet offers MagnetMail

Online Giving

Though many donors are still not comfortable giving online, the practice has finally begun to gain in popularity and acceptance in recent years. As the potential for online dollars has grown, so has the number (and quality) of service providers that can assist you in your online fundraising efforts:

• Donate.net provides a cost effective on-line donation solution with seamless integration, complete security, and total support. They are already working with several local Hillels and the company was founded by a former Hillel student, Eric Miller (eric@donate.net or 404-874-7421)
• Network for Good, formerly helping.org, is one of the Internet's leading charitable resources. The organization's goal is to connect people to charities via the Internet. This site is backed by the AOL Foundation, the Cisco Foundation, and Yahoo!
• GuideStar is the national database of U.S. charitable organizations. They offer tools that help non-profits lower fund-raising costs while assisting donors to give with greater confidence.
• GroundSpring offers an online donation processing service that provides a simple, cost-effective and easy way for non-profits to process credit card donations.
• CharityBox.com provides non-profits and charitable foundations with a quick and easy way to begin accepting donations and event registrations on-line.

Technical Resources

Don't ever feel that you have to do everything yourself. There are plenty of companies that are interested and excited about working with non-profits to take their sites to a higher level. The following companies provide technical services and solutions geared toward non-profit organizations:

• Groundspring.org is a non-profit organization that provides simple, affordable, and integrated services for small to medium-sized non-profit organizations to help them become effective users of Internet technology.
• TechSoup offers non-profits a one-stop resource for technology needs by providing free information, resources, and support.
• CompuMentor is one of the nation's leading non-profit technology assistance organizations. They help non-profit organizations use technology more effectively to achieve their missions through a combination of hands-on consulting services and online resources.
• TechFoundation is a non-profit organization that delivers technology, expertise, and capital to help other non-profit organizations serve humanity. They envision a world where non-profit organizations can access the same resources to serve humanity that businesses use to create wealth.

Last modified: December 2, 2005