Operation Kids™ Tackles Fundraising Through Social Media Implements Widget Technology and Social Networking to Reach Individual Donors

Nonprofit adopts viral new media technology to achieve fundraising goals for New Orleans children's project. Implementing social media and new technology to create a dialogue among donors and advocates.

It helps us identify influencers as well as helps us engage in a dialogue with those interested in what we are doing to help children globally. Instead of just asking for a donation, we're creating a community.

Salt Lake City, UT (PRWEB) October 5, 2007 -- Operation Kids, an international non-profit organization dedicated to supporting children's charities, has taken a unique approach to their latest fundraising campaign: social media.

"Social media allows us to rethink the way we fundraise for projects," said Rick Larsen, president of Operation Kids. "It helps us identify influencers as well as helps us engage in a dialogue with those interested in what we are doing to help children globally. Instead of just asking for a donation, we're creating a community."

In the last few weeks, Operation Kids has launched a widget, developed by mediaFORGE and Cobalt Communications Group, called a Wrap™ that allows supporters to embed the technology in a website, send it to friends and set and measure their own fundraising goals.

As part of their social media initiative, Operation Kids is also developing a blog, an electronic newsletter for sponsors and a new website. Additionally, they have launched a presence on nine targeted social networking sites across the Internet, from which they will be able to network with donors, influencers and those interested in the work Operation Kids is doing.

"In the past, we just solicited donations," Larsen said. "We have realized that the current generation of donors, however, wants to feel a meaningful connection with the organization to which they donate. With this step, we are working to foster that connection through involving donors in new ways."

The current campaign, Operation Kids: Rebuilding Dreams in New Orleans focuses on fundraising for eight New Orleans children's organizations, primarily through the adoption of the Wrap™ and other social mediums.    

The Operation Kids widget can be found at http://opkids.mediaforge.com/nook/.

About Operation Kids:
Operation Kids is a 501(c)(3) non profit organization dedicated to serving the needs of the Whole Child - their education, health, safety and well-being. Founded in 1999 the mission of Operation Kids is to support a global community of diverse, qualified and measurably effective charities, each addressing aspects of the Whole Child. These charities have earned the "OK Charity" designation, which means individual and corporate donors alike can give with confidence and expect accountability and results. All donations go directly to charitable causes.

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