GlobalGiving: A new way to raise funds

GlobalGiving is a charity fundraising web site that gives social entrepreneurs and non-profits from anywhere in the world a chance to raise the money that they need to improve their communities. Since 2002, GlobalGiving has raised $89,870,460 from 333,667 donors who have supported 8,404 projects.

The background to GlobalGiving goes back to 1997 and two World Bank Executives who were seeking to develop innovative ways to tackle poverty. They created the World Bank’s Development Marketplace, a first-of-its-kind event where people from around the world competed for World Bank funds. The event’s success unveiled the enormous potential of a global marketplace for philanthropy, and participants asked for a real marketplace that was open year round and operated virtually. The two executives, Mari and Dennis, saw the brilliance of this idea, left the World Bank and launched GlobalGiving.

Nearly fifteen years later GlobalGiving works as an online fundraising platform for organizations all over the world. The online platform benefits from a large network of individual donors and corporate sponsors as well as offering organisations a unique set of online tools and trainings.

Here is what people are saying about GlobalGiving…

“…demonstrating just how much the internet is really changing the world.”

-David Kirkpatrick, Fortune

“…creating an ecosystem of communities where people and institutions can invest their knowledge, expertise, and money in ideas and programs that increase prosperity among people living in developing countries.”

-Hewlett-Packard Company

“… a kind of turbo-charged global want ads section where project leaders can advertise their needs and funders can find them.”

-Bruce Jacobs, Philanthropy Magazine

“After the dramatic successes of the 1998 marketplace and the clear triumph of the expanded 2000 version, Kuraishi and Whittle left the World Bank to pursue an even more ambitious market-based approach to development.

-Robert Wood and Gary Hamel, Harvard Business Review

“…represents the application of eBay to international aid. Like eBay it is meant to let the “market” – in this case the development aid – clear at a minimum cost without any bureaucratic interference.”

-Jim Fallows, Atlantic Monthly

We have compiled a series of illuminating facts about GlobalGiving that will give you an insight into the impact they have made on charitable organisations around the world.

Since 2002, GlobalGiving has raised $89,869,978 from 333,660 donors who have supported 8,403 projects.

Each week, about 40,000 individuals visit GlobalGiving’s website

GlobalGiving received $13.9 million in donations in 2012 through partnerships with dozens of American and international corporations including Nike, Dell, Lilly and Discovery.

GlobalGiving’s projects raised close to $1 million during matching campaigns in 2010.

Giving tools such as tribute cards and fundraisers make it easy for nonprofit organisations to expand their donor base and encourage donors to stay connected.

GlobalGiving’s well established reputation ensures donors and companies are confident that their money will reach their target. All organisations and projects featured on the site are carefully vetted to ensure maximum accountability and transparency.

How can I get my project on GlobalGiving?

The platform works with registered organisations to raise money and organise donors for specific projects in communities all over the world. Unlike a traditional foundation, GlobalGiving does not provide grants. Instead, they offer organizations an easy-to-use fundraising and donor management system, fundraising tools and training, and access to our corporate partners and media outreach.

To start fundraising on GlobalGiving:

1. Nominate your organization to join GlobalGiving

2. Once you have submitted your nomination form, GlobalGiving will ask you to complete their application process, in which they request additional information and documentation about your organization.

3. Organisations that successfully complete the application process will be invited to participate in one of GlobalGiving’s Open Challenges, during which organisations have 4 weeks to raise $5,000 from 40 donors.

4. Open Challenge participants that successfully raise at least $5,000 from 40 unique donors will be invited to become long-term members of the GlobalGiving community

All donations go through the GlobalGiving Foundation, a registered 501(c)3 organization in the USA, which receives a nominal 15% fulfillment fee. This helps cover the cost of operating GlobalGiving – finding and vetting projects, providing training and support to project leaders, attracting donors, and maintaining an innovative, informative web presence. It also includes the fees assessed by vendors for credit card processing, mobile giving, wire transfers, and other fees charged by financial institutions.

Most donors choose to make an incremental contribution at checkout to cover this fee and ensure that 100% of their donation goes to the project(s) that they have selected to support. This results in an average of 90% of all funds donated getting to the grassroots project(s) selected.

To learn more about GlobalGiving and to apply for your organisation to be featured click here.