Firstgiving.com - Simple fundraising tool

Anyone is has been involved in fundraising knows that the most people who hear about the cause, the better. Using the Internet to spread the word about charities and worthy causes creates a larger support and awareness base than could ever be achieved by letter writing and newspaper articles.

Firstgiving.com is an online tool that helps fundraising projects get organized and become successful. As a branch of the UK's Justgiving.com, Firstgiving.com helps individuals raise funds for any non-profit organization in the US. The basic idea is that each fundraising program has its own web page complete with all important information and links that also can directly receive donations. The pages are personalized with a message from the sponsor or creator and photos can also be attached. Once the page is complete, the creator can send a link to the page to all friends and family, who can then keep spreading the news. Links can also be placed in blogs, online profiles and other websites. The fundraiser's cause can be anything from walking across Maryland for Cancer Research to collecting money to rebuild a neighbor's house that was destroyed by a fire. Donations can be made using a VISA or MasterCard, and offline donations can also be made by contacting the fundraiser.