Community Fundraising 2.0

Bryan Miller suggests that the decline in direct marketing response rates need to be countered with Community Fundraising 2.0. For this he introduces the role of a community fundraiser, who equips “inspiring key individuals” with the knowledge and the tools to do the fundraising for your charity.

Sounds like a great idea, and some organisations already utilise this approach as well as Internet applications have been developed for this particular use. The causes application for Facebook seems to be a pretty good example of a simple way to implement this concept for charities, and I know a few charities which can’t wait until it is available for the UK.

I believe it’s also a great concept for less known charities. As well as it being a great tool to build trust. Once your charity is endorsed by someone, his peers or reference group is easier to convince of your trustworthiness.