Change.org, the leading online social network for nonprofit organizations, and Network for Good, the Internet's leading fundraising resource for nonprofits, announced Thursday a partnership to extend Change.org's social networking tools to the 1.5 million organizations on Network for Good's giving system.
The initiative builds on the explosive growth of social networks and the early success of many nonprofits in harnessing these networks to increase awareness, expand their bases of support and raise funds.
"Our partnership will enable Network for Good's large and rapidly growing nonprofit community to start using the next generation of online donation tools and to leverage the power of social networking technology to raise more money online," said Change.org's founder and CEO, Ben Rattray. "Network for Good has established itself as the backbone of online philanthropy, processing donations for more nonprofits than any other organization and helping to raise more than $145 million online. We're excited to be a part of that legacy."
The dramatic rise of online social networks has been one of the defining trends of internet use in 2007, and there are now over 100 million users of online social networks in the United States alone. Change.org is the first organization to customize this technology for the nonprofit sector, and last month launched a new service to allow nonprofits to create their own branded social networks on its platform. This service enables nonprofits to transform their online fundraising efforts by using social networking technology to personalize their communication with donors, build community among supporters, and provide their activists with tools to spread viral fundraising campaigns across the web.
"When someone with a cause has a keyboard, it changes philanthropy forever. We've seen technology give even the smallest nonprofits the ability to raise money on their own websites, and now we're seeing the newest technology - social networks - enable giving to those organizations anytime, anywhere online," said Bill Strathmann, CEO of Network for Good. "As a true innovator in this area, Change.org is the perfect partner to help the thousands of nonprofits we serve gain from this advancement. Together, we're making fundraising ‘good to go.'"
Highlights of the partnership include the following:
- Network for Good will process all donations made through Change.org, and all nonprofits with social networks on Change.org will be able to use Network for Good's giving system to track their donations and manage donor data.
- Collectively the two organizations will offer nonprofits exactly what they need to succeed on the web - from donation processing and donor management tools to fundraising widgets and social giving communities.
The partnership is Network for Good's second venture this year focused on using social fundraising technology to advance online philanthropy. In January Network for Good launched SixDegrees.org with Kevin Bacon, which builds on the small world phenomenon to benefit charities by allowing supporters to create badges, which are fundraising widgets that people can design themselves to raise money for any charities and place anywhere online - including blogs, Web sites and social networks.
Members of SixDegress.org have raised over $1 million since its launch, and Network for Good's partnership with Change.org aims to further this success by offering a full suite of social networking and fundraising tools to nonprofits and extend the use of social networking technology to a broader audience of organizations and donors.
About Network for Good
Network for Good (www.networkforgood.org) is the Internet's leading charitable resource, providing tools for nonprofits to raise money online, email supporters and manage their relationships with donors. Network for Good also enables donors to support or fundraise for any nonprofit online through its giving portal networkforgood.org, sixdegrees.org and partner websites. Network for Good has raised more than $145 million online for more than 30,000 charities since it was founded in 2001 by AOL, Cisco Systems and Yahoo! Network for Good is an independent, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
About Change.org
Change.org is the leading online social network for social change, connecting nonprofits and donors worldwide and empowering each to magnify their impact. Change.org's platform hosts social networks for more than 1000 nonprofit organizations, including Amnesty International, CARE, The Humane Society, and Environmental Defense. Change.org also empowers users to create their own virtual organizations on its site, enabling them to share ideas with likeminded people across the globe, create social fundraising communities, and launch grassroots activist campaigns. Change.org is a social entrepreneurship venture founded by former classmates from Stanford passionate about making a difference and is located in San Francisco, CA.