Network For Good, which recently started a monthly teleconference series in nonprofit marketing and online fundraising, has now released a study, The Wired Fundraiser.  Key findings include:

1. People listen to wired fundraisers.  People donate because they trust the messenger, not primarily because of the importance of the cause.
2. Not every wired fundraiser excels, but some can raise thousands for the charities they support.
3. Tools such as widgets and social networks are especially helpful in making personal fundraisers effective.
4. Smart charities embrace the wired fundraiser rather than try to control the process.

I’ve said in the past that fundraising needs to be a joint effort of many departments within an organization, not just development.  But now Katya explains how “technology enables anyone to be a fundraiser, anywhere online.”  As nonprofits, we should give these motivated supporters everything they need to be successful because they will help us to reach audiences that we would have never been able to access, no matter what marketing strategies we use.

More details of the study are summarized in Katya Andresen’s non-profit marketing blog.