At http://www.firstgiving.com any individual can set up a simple fundraising web page to raise funds for any US registered nonprofit organization page then send their community of friends and family there to collect donations online. Firstgiving transfers the funds automatically to the designated organization.

The classic use of the site is when people set up these pages when they are participating in events like running marathons for charity ,but the catalyst for raising funds can also be a more personal event like a birthday or a tribute to a loved one . Last spring a bunch of guys set up pages to raise money for a variety of causes while growing moustaches!

It’s free to set up a page and free to donate. Firstgiving charges a transaction fee (5%, plus 2.35% credit card processing fees) on donations before they are transferred to the charity. Online fundraisers raise on average 2-3x more than those who use traditional methods, more than covering the “cost” of raising money online, and there’s less hassle since we transfer the funds and provide donors with a donation acknowledgment.

Just thought you might be interested in what we’re doing; thanks for publishing such useful information. Will keep reading.

Regards,
Laurel Thakuria
Marketing Director, Firstgiving
617-591-2121 x1006