First Steps

This guide will help you to build a solid foundation toward a successful entry on to betterplace.org. You can find answers to all your technical questions - when to click which button - directly on betterplace.org after you've registered and posted your project. But first we're going to give you some strategic, content-specific tips. Let's get to it.

1. Get Organised

Good internal organisation - with clearly allotted tasks and defined responsibilities - is vital to implementing a social project. Pay attention to the following things:

Define Strategies

How large a roll should betterplace.org play in your fundraising plan? You can use betterplace.org to tap into new donor sources, to manage your onlinedonations more efficiently, or to find new donor target groups. Develop concrete goals which - with help from betterplace.org - can be reached and prioritise the things that you are requesting from donors. At betterplace.org, we refer to these as "Needs", whether it involves money for mosquito nets, school books or medicine, volunteer help or donated goods.

Keep in mind that your projects on betterplace.org must be financed within six months. So you should frame your needs in a way that is financially manageable and easy to grasp. Collecting 80,000 Euros to build a school is neither tangible nor tanageable. Those projects with large financial needs should especially make an effort to reach out to donors beyond betterplace.org. betterplace.org should only be one valuable and indispensable player out of many in your fundraising campaign! Cement, shovels, plaster and other single needs are example of needs that are easily fulfilled over betterplace.org.

Appoint Project Managers

Decide who will act as your main project manager to administer your projects on betterplace.org. Appoint a back-up person. This will spare you long discussions and lots and lots of time. A project manager needs only to have a basic familiarity with using the Internet.

Time Planning

Successful examples on betterplace.org show that it is vital to regularly update your project site. The more time you invest in betterplace.org, the more donations you will receive. Project managers should plan on spending at least 30 to 60 minutes per week to care for your project site. For more information about how to organise this time, check our guide "Project Activation".

2. Get started on betterplace.org

Let's get down to the details. The next thing to do is to sign yourself up - in just a few minutes you can become a member of the betterplace community. Simply go to www.betterplace.org and follow the link "Sign Up", which you can find at the top right side of the page. You will receive further instructions during your sign-up.

Introducing the Project Manager

Now you're ready to setup your professional profile. As project manager, you are the outward face of your organisation. It's important to convey confidence and integrity in your introduction. Give your full name when signing up at betterplace.org; don't use nicknames or cute user-handles.

Be sure to post a photo of yourself in which you are easily recognizable - preferably a portrait of yourself. Do away with sunglasses, hats, or other accessories, which may hinder the viewer from clearly seeing your face. You'll have the opportunity to post other photos on your project site - photos showing the progress of your project, for example.

Describe who you are, what you do and, most importantly, why you are doing it. Was there a deciding moment in your life that spurred you toward this action? This is where you can be personal, describing what you felt when you visited the place that you are now working to improve. Donors will also be convinced by your professional competency. Are you particularly capable in matters pertaining to the area of your project? Your motivation and goals must be clearly discernable.

When introducing yourself, and also your organisation and project, you should attend to this basic rule: use clear, short sentences and don't burden the reader with complicated sentences or foreign words.

Introducing your Organisation

After registering yourself on betterplace.org, it's time to register your organisation, provided you have one. Outline a brief history of the organisation, where it is today, what it stands for, what philosophy makes it tick. What are your goals? What are your visions for the future? Do you already have some successes to tell about? Or was the organisation just recently founded? No problem-just be honest and transparent and your donors will thank you with their trust. Talk about the activities and events that you organise outside of your betterplace.org projects. Highlight your awards and recognitions, quality seals and prominent supporters. Mention the patrons and embassies that have spoken highly of your organisation. Keep in mind that wording is limited to 250 words in the brief description and 2,000 words in the detailed description. In the next step, we help you to describe your project.

Presenting your Project

Project Title

When choosing a title for your project, put some thought into the level of detail. A title such as "Aid for Africa" is too general. In a few words, try to describe your project as meaningfully as possible, since the title is limited to 50 characters. Avoid proper names that outsiders may not be able to recognize, as well as appeals, which might scare away potential donors. Stating information about where your project is located makes it more tangible.

Project Photo

The photograph should relate closely to the theme of your project. A sunset in Africa or the façade of an Asian building is not specific enough. Poorly visible documents, flags, or organisation logos are also unsuitable. Ideally, your photograph should portray the people, animals or objects that are directly benefiting from support. A group-photo of the children who need money for new school books, or a picture of playful orangutans who need a sponsor will entice more visitors to your site than photos whose value is not specifically meaningful. Be aware that photos on betterplace.org are not shown in high definition and that small details in the photos are therefore often unclear.

Project Description

The rule applies here as well: it pays to be transparent. Clearly and realistically describe the concrete measures that you are taking in your project and why you require financial support. This text should differ from the description of your organisation. Justify the overall sense of your proposal and communicate what influence a donor can have directly at your project location.

Avoid using foreign words that may hinder an outsider from further exploration of your project. Close your presentation on a personal note, expressing your gratitude and acknowledging any kind of help.

Keep in mind that the wording is limited to 250 words for the brief description and to 2,000 words for the in-depth description.

Make your Needs Tangible

betterplace.org is characterized by describing help in terms of concrete needs. As suggested above, needs can be anything from plaster for a school building, to Malaria medications, or a sewing machine to outfit a new tailor shop. In order to fulfil as many needs as possible, you should break larger needs down into smaller, more tangible ones. This significantly increases your chances of success as betterplace.org users like to support needs that are smaller than 500 EUR.

Provide your donors with clear descriptions of your needs and costs. A transparent breakdown of costs increases the chances that your project is quickly supported and fulfilled. Consider that potential donors only know what you communicate to them.

It's a good idea to ask an outsider, who is not involved in your project, to read your text and give feedback as to its clarity. Your description of needs must convince others that their support will make the world a bit better!

3. Checklist

Use the following checklist to ensure that you've remembered everything and to show others how you plan to use betterplace.org for your fundraising campaign: Download