If you were the CEO of a not-for-profit organization, which two fundraising methods would you choose (planned sustained giving, grants, corporate gifts, sponsorship, or individual contributions)? What do you perceive to be the advantages and disadvantages of your selected methods?

How is World Vision using its website to solicit funds and donors? Do you believe that its approach is effective? Why or why not?

Answer:

If I was the CEO of a nonprofit organization, I would choose grants and planned sustained giving as my two fundraising methods.

Explanation

I would choose grants and planned sustained giving as my two fundraising methods. Essentially, grants can be described as monetary donations given to nonprofits and can come from a government agency, corporations, or a foundation. On the other hand, planned sustained giving can be termed as donations that mature on a later date even though they are received at the current time. Below are the advantages and disadvantages of the two fundraising methods

Advantages of grants

·        The nonprofit organization can receive huge amounts of funds.

·        One grant can open room for many other grants.

·        Grants can improve the nonprofit organization's credibility and reach.

Disadvantages of grants

·        Writing the grant is time-consuming and tedious.

·        The writer of the grant must be very familiar with how the organization operates and must also be very talented and it is difficult to find a person matches the two.

·        There are restrictions on how the organization uses the funds that they receive.

·        Grants are not long term and most exist for a short period.

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 Advantages of planned sustained giving

·        There is a likelihood of receiving huge gifts.

·        Allows gifts to be donated in a constant manner

·        The donors can receive tax advantages

·        The process of coming up with the planned giving program is relatively easy and cheap.

Disadvantages of planned sustained giving

·        The gifts cannot be utilized immediately they are given and the organization has to wait.

·        It needs detailed planning and anticipation.

World Vision has creatively designed their website and enabled several options for donations and I believe that the method is very effective. In this case, the website has multiple ways to donate which include direct cash donation, child sponsorship option, gift catalog option, and also a grant option through a program named 'Gifts that Multiply'. To enhance the emotional appeal to the donor, there is the use of creative imagery that invokes emotions and hence can encourage donations. I think that this approach is very effective because of several reasons. First, by allowing various options to donate, they are likely to receive more funds. Secondly, the approach is also very transparent and credible since the person or the organization donating will know exactly where the funds will be committed to. This also allows accountability