Buddy Lollis has a problem executives of many nonprofits might be pleased to have.
Habitat for Humanity-North Central Georgia has a glut of potential volunteers with no efficient way to marshal them.
The vast majority of the nonprofit’s volunteer and donor base comes from corporate sponsors, foundations and churches. Members coordinate their builds and gifts by virtue of belonging to the group.
But many prospective volunteers — individuals unaffiliated with companies and civic interests — who have much to give sometimes don’t get the chance.
“We’ve got a backlog of these people who don’t have a way to get involved,” Lollis said.
That led to the genesis of My Habitat.
My Habitat — a social networking engine like MySpace or Facebook — would let users create personalized Web pages where they can tell their “Habitat Story,” solicit donations, set fundraising goals, recruit volunteers and coordinate work dates with Habitat families.
The nonprofit’s idea has made it a finalist for this year’s Technology Innovation Award given by TechBridge. If it wins, the Habitat chapter will receive $25,000 in TechBridge consulting services, $25,000 in Microsoft åsoftware and a $5,000 cash grant.
Lollis got the idea while volunteering in a Relay for Life cancer walk last spring.
Relay, the biggest fundraiser for the American Cancer Society, uses a sophisticated social networking program to coordinate walkers and collect donations. Why can’t Habitat, Lollis said, do the same?
After researching the issue, North Central Georgia Habitat found some chapters outsource to third parties for online donation engines. But contractors take a cut of gifts — 6.5 percent or more — and Lollis said his group wanted something it could control.
North Central Georgia Habitat officials don’t expect My Habitat to supplant institutional givers. About 90 percent of the nonprofit’s funding comes from corporate sponsors, the government and churches, Lollis said.
But My Habitat could help the chapter tap into scores of individual donors and volunteers who aren’t affiliated with major organizations and therefore often wait on the sidelines for opportunities to lend a hand.
Lollis conservatively estimates the program could help the group raise $160,000 annually, or enough money to build two additional houses a year once fully operational.
North Central Georgia Habitat has built 175 homes since it was founded in 1992. Habitat families aren’t given homes. They purchase their new houses through a zero-interest mortgage financed by the organization. Future homeowners also perform 300 hours of sweat equity.
The donation target on a typical Habitat build is $80,000. Lollis said about 250 volunteers work on a normal house, meaning each volunteer would need to raise about $320, “which we think is a very realistic number.”
Traditional nonprofit fundraising — direct mail campaigns, golf tournaments and galas — are cost- and labor-intensive.
“We’re thinking this may be a more efficient way to raise funds to build more houses,” he said.
From parent-teacher groups to international charitable trusts, nonprofits are increasingly using social networking tools to leverage their fundraising and organizational resources.
The Arthritis Foundation and United Way are among the charitable groups that have, or are about to launch, major branded social networking tools.
“Facebook isn’t for young kids anymore,” said Beth Kanter, a consultant to nonprofits based in Boston. “We’re in the age of social media and more and more people are using these tools.”
The largest growth segment on Facebook, Kanter said, for instance, is 30- to 49-year-olds.
Habitat for Humanity
- Founded: Habitat for Humanity-North Fulton started in 1992, joining with Cherokee, Forsyth and Dawson counties in 2006
- Mission: Eliminate poverty housing and homelessness by building adequate, basic housing for families
- Impact: Built 175 homes since 1992
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