WisconsinGives.com Free Platform Helps Non-Profits Meet Fundraising Goals

Wisconsin-based non-profit organizations have a new tool at their disposal for raising money by leveraging the exponential power of online fundraising.

The new site, found at WisconsinGives.com, uses a crowdfunding model popularized by sites such as GoFundMe.com that Wisconsin-based non-profits can use to supplement their traditional fundraising and campaign initiatives. The fundraising website provides access to potential donors wherever the internet is available.

“This is a tool that allows non-profit organizations to retain 100 percent of money raised for their projects,” said site founder Nicole Schneider, a local non-profit leader. “Fundraising techniques have changed. There is a need to capitalize on a larger volume of one-time donations. We saw this in the recent election cycle. The feedback I received from local non-profits was that the established sites took too much of their donation in operational costs and transaction fees.”

The site is available to legally recognized non-profits based in the state of Wisconsin. Website staff will vet the organization’s mission and non-profit status. It is not available for an individual’s fundraising efforts. In accordance with IRS regulations for non-profit organizations, WisconsinGives.com will not disperse payments to individual persons or any organization involved in disaster relief.

Through WisconsinGives, Nicole and Paul Schneider have agreed to fund all transaction fees and site operation costs. They are also offering opportunities for Wisconsin businesses to partner with them through a corporate sponsorship program. A minimum commitment of $2,000 per month gives sponsors the option of placing their name or logo on the Wisconsin Gives site.

“Our goal is to get more money into the hands of non-profit organizations so they can fulfill their mission and continue the good work that they do each day,” Schneider said. “This is a no-lose arrangement, since account setup is free and organizations retain every penny of the money donated to them. Donors have the satisfaction and the peace of mind that every dollar they commit went to the organization they select, not for site administration and transaction expenses.”

Schneider invites donors to create a profile on the site and monitor the impact of their giving. “Nearly everyone can have a positive impact in Wisconsin. Give up your coffee once a week, forgo eating out one lunch and give that $10 dollars a month to your favorite charity. It makes a difference,” says Schneider.

How WisconsinGives.com Works

Non-profit organizations and donors can create a free account at WisconsinGives.com, which will go live upon validation of the mission and non-profit status by the website’s staff

Describe your target project or organizational mission, set a fundraising goal, and share your account page with the world. Campaigns that attract the attention of potential donors through descriptions, photos and stories typically fare the best.

Donors can set up their own profiles and have the option of attaching their name to their donations or donating anonymously.

For more information or to create an organizational or donor account, please visit https://www.WisconsinGives.com.

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