Fund Raising Goes Viral

I thought it would be good to point out some worthy causes that have recently seen very large spikes in donations thanks to social media campaigns.

Before the end of 2009, Drew Carey pledged $1 million dollars to LIVESTRONG in return for 1 million follows on Twitter. In essence, we have a celebrity offering to give money in support of charity and all people have to do is add their name to the list. People love to associate themselves with good causes and giving them an appealing reason to recruit new followers has resulted in explosive word of mouth advertising for this campaign.

Another fund raising initiative that has gone viral is Red Cross's push for donations in order to provide aid for the survivors of the devastating. Within 24 hours, they have raised $1 million dollars in support of Haitian survivors. All people have to do is text to pledge their $10 donation and the money is charged to their cellphone bill. The key thing to note is Red Cross has made it extremely easy for people to donate. Texting to donate is extremely quick with no need to phone in or mail anything. Bypassing the barriers that delay or hinder people from taking the step from deciding to donate to the act of donating is extremely important.

These fund raising campaigns have been amazing for generating attention, but I wonder how they will fare in the long run? I hope they are not a novelty that will wear off over time.