Custom products help promote in-memory giving [RECENT YEARS HAVE SEEN an increase in the number of
fundraisers set up in someone’s memory, as a tribute to them and a way of helping others affected at the same time by raising funds for charitable causes. In its 2020 Facebook Fundraising Benchmarks Report, GivePanel found that the stand-out area for increases in the amounts raised by Facebook fundraisers compared to the previous year was in-memory and tribute fundraising, which saw the mean average increase by nearly 84%, from $400 in 2019 to $735 in 2020. And when combining fundraisers from all charities in 2019 or 2020, in-memory and tribute fundraisers raised both the highest mean average and median monetary value. In-memory/tribute fundraising is incredibly powerful on Facebook as people are already connected to friends and family. If a charity does not have Facebook Giving Tools activated they may be missing out on that income – people can’t set up a fundraiser on Facebook if the charity is not present. Charity Digital’s Laura Stanley commented: “This shows the power that in-memoriam fundraising can have: combined with legacy giving, it is expected to be worth £10bn to charities by 2045. Organisations such as WWF and FareShare have already seen the strength it can have and have set up pages on their own sites where supporters can donate specifically in memory of a loved one. “But social media adds another level to this type of fundraising, especially on Facebook, where personal networks are established, users are already connected to friends and family, and the appetite
for fundraising is strong. By fundraising in a person’s memory on Facebook, fundraisers can pay tribute to someone while putting action behind their words; it gives them the chance to do something good for someone they love.” She outlined ways in which charities can help supporters to set up in-memory pages. “For charities, it is important that they help their supporters raise money for them as easily as possible during this trying time,” she wrote. “They can do this firstly by having Facebook Fundraising turned on. Once activated, charities will then be searchable for people looking to fundraise for them – they can’t set up a fundraiser for you on Facebook if you’re not on it. “Charities can also help fundraisers set up their pages more easily using tools like GivePanel, providing supporters with customisable fundraisers, with the option to upload images of those they’ve lost and set the title as ‘In Memory Of’ or ‘In Tribute Of’, depending on preference. GivePanel have recently launched a brand-new feature on their platform which will allow people for the first time ever to be able to set up an In-Memory fundraiser on Facebook.” Research has also shown that those who donate to charities in memory of another are also three times more likely to leave money to that charity in their will. With fundraising on Facebook increasing year-on-year, charities need to take every opportunity and help their fundraisers donate to them as easily as possible, whenever they’re able. q
A small charity with a huge heart [
KIDNEY KIDS SCOTLAND, a very small charity with a huge heart, has for the last 22 years supported Scottish children with renal and urology conditions. The main aim of the charity has always been to enable these children to receive treatment as close to home as possible and minimise disruption to the family unit. In addition the charity helps hospitals all over Scotland, supplying them with much needed equipment and funding posts recognised as being essential. Chronic Kidney disease is a condition that has no cure and that children and their families must learn to live with. IMAGINE your child only being able to drink 400mls in one day. That’s less than two cartons of juice – a can of juice is 500mls. IMAGINE being a parent where you must be home before 8pm every single night to ensure your child gets their daily home dialysis. IMAGINE not being able to take your family abroad or too far away from the hospital because your child cannot go without their dialysis. This HAS to happen in hospital 3 or 4 times EVERY week. IMAGINE your child missing out on school education, social activities, family members’ birthday celebrations, a sibling’s sports day or a family wedding because you need to make sure they receive their life saving dialysis treatment. IMAGINE your child spending their birthday and/or Christmas Day in hospital and not being able to see their friends from week to week. q IMAGINE LIVING WITH KIDNEY DISEASE For more information about Kidney Kids Scotland please visit our website at www.kidneykids.org.uk, call 01324 555843 or email office@kidneykids.org.uk Kidney Kids Scotland can help in many ways
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