Fundraising and Friend‐Raising on the Web

Citation

Fourie, I. (2001), "Fundraising and Friend‐Raising on the Web", Online Information Review, Vol. 25 No. 2, pp. 131-141. https://doi.org/10.1108/oir.2001.25.2.131.4

In the preface the editors explain that “fundraising and friend‐raising with the World Wide Web combine science and art and in an unpredictable and often delightful mixture”. The ultimate aim of fundraising is to get people, or preferably large companies, to part with their money in favour of the library. Fundraising is “sitting next to someone and getting them to write you a check”. The Internet offers numerous ways to achieve this, and to acknowledge the contributions of donors.

This book has a very practical touch and relies heavily on the editors’ personal experiences in fundraising at the University of Pennsylvania, where the Library has been using the Web since 1995 for public relations, constituency‐building, and the solicitation of gifts. The book is based on their philosophy of “ready, fire, aim” – you should first try things out on the Web and then wait to see if it works. The purpose of this volume is to share the editors’ experiences on what works and what does not, so that others can avoid similar mistakes. They share resources, strategies and advice on topics such as donor recognition in cyberspace, future prospects for collecting small donations with digital cash, what pioneering Web fundraisers are doing, improving your Web initiatives, and delivering your site directly to prospective donors on disc, CD‐ROM or paper.

The book consists of three parts. Part 1 deals with gifts on the Web. It includes chapters on fundraising and friend‐raising, major gifts and money on the Internet. Libraries should appreciate the importance of fundraising, and the need to move beyond the traditional methods. The Internet offers numerous possibilities that should be grasped. Gifts and donations should, however, always be recognised, for example, through “cyber‐plaquing”.

Part 2 deals with examples of sites, for example, The American Red Cross <www.redcross.org> site, which is considered an example of a model site that should be studied by anyone who wants to use the Internet for fundraising. Another chapter deals with Pennsylvania University’s Library Web site for friends and benefactors. The last chapter in Part 2 deals with the so‐called rich sites and cool sites, and offers advice on how to ensure that your Web site is information‐rich, involvement‐rich, product‐rich and entertainment‐rich.

Part 3 concerns publishing on the Web. Chapters in this part deal with aspects such as getting your site started, developing your site, the players in the team, the issue of bandwidth and the benefits of a Web‐enabled CD. The book also includes an epilogue on The Wired Development Initiative, and two appendices on choices for fundraisers, and developing Web sites. It also includes a basic index.

This is a well‐bound, easy to handle and easy to read, paperback publication. It includes extensive lists of Web sites, but unfortunately no references to printed sources. This is a pity, since Web sites easily become outdated. A few references to printed sources on Web site design for libraries would have been especially useful. This book is recommended to all librarians interested in using the Internet for public relations. It also offers valuable advice to other non‐profit institutions. It should, however, be borne in mind that it follows a very practical approach, with no explicit theoretical support. As it was published in 1998, some of the Web sites may also be out‐of‐date.