TV presenter Ben Fogle is backing a new guide to help fundraisers harness the power of social media to raise more money for their charities.
The guide will help fundraisers involved in all types of sponsored activity increase the percentage of online donations in the UK (currently only seven per cent), by helping them get more support from their social networks through tools such as blogging, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.
In a list of tips put together with the Institute of Fundraising, the TV presenter suggests being as creative as possible in fundraising to gain maximum attention.
Whether it’s fancy dress, silly stunts or ambitious world record attempts – a creative angle will really help capture the imagination of people online and make sharing the fundraising experience that bit more entertaining.
Ben said: “If you want to get your fundraising challenge noticed and raise the maximum amount of cash, think outside the box to get your friends and followers to take notice. This is a classic tactic for making people sit up and listen.
“It works equally well online as it does in the real world. Creative charity stunts like world record attempts stand out on social media and are brilliant fun to get involved with.”
Sarah Tirrell, from the Institute of Fundraising, added: “Social media is a great fundraising tool as it is a quick and easy way of garnering support. Online giving sites combine the ability to reach a wide ranging audience, with a secure and simple way for people to donate, making it beneficial for all users.”
BT launched the MyDonate service in April and guarantees that 100 per cent of all monies donated go direct to the charities (excluding credit/debit card charges).
Thousands of UK registered charities are also expected to sign up to MyDonate over the next year, enabling as many people as possible to give more money to their favourite charities.
The new guide can be downloaded from www.bt.com/mydonate
