Whether you have a big, volunteer-heavy fundraising event coming up, or just want to handle your regular supporter outreach duties more efficiently, you can save money and time by using easy-to use, free online tools.

1. Email is a friendly, most-often acceptable method of staying in touch with volunteers and supporters. Sure, some folks do not want unwanted emails clogging their inboxes—that’s why you always want to include an opt-out option in every email. You might be surprised how often a well-written, informative email from your organization will be opened by most of your email list. More important, emails are easy to forward and share—so you get more bang for your effort!

Make sure you capture emails from interested donors, supporters, and volunteers at every opportunity to build a solid email list.

2. Re-think expensive printing projects. Do you need to pay for the design, printing, and mailing of event announcements? If you wish to impress recipients with a nicely-done invitation to a big event, then consider skipping additional mailings. Will an email blast do for a save-the-date request and RSVP reminders?

3. Avoid another expensive mailing project next time you want to solicit donations for a special project or year-end campaign by allowing donors to give through your website. Replace the typical mailed letter and response envelope with a nicely-designed email containing a link to an online “Donate Now” button. There are dozens of online donation services available to nonprofits and charities. Just do a Google search and get started!

4. Promote it yourself! Garner support for your cause across town, throughout your region, and even around the world through online media and social networking sites. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and GroupMembersOnly are fantastic ways to create a buzz while creating community and informing potential supporters, donors, volunteers and clients who may not know about your organization. All are user-friendly, easy to set up and maintain, and not as time consuming as you may have heard. The effort you put towards social network promotion may surprise you!

Using free online tools to promote your event or fundraise for your nonprofit organization can save you time and tons of money!

Got volunteers? Great! Need volunteers? Here’s where to find them:

Word-of-mouth: the oldest way to communicate a need is still viable. Let your friends and family know that you need volunteers. Ask them to spread the word. You never know whom they will see in a day, so your perfect volunteer might just be waiting to hear that they are needed.

Social media: SM is the new word-of-mouth. Word spreads online much faster, to larger groups, than ever before. People are plugged in, online, and receiving information almost 24 hours a day. Why not take advantage of this accessible audience? Here are two ways to get on the SM bandwagon—and remember, it’s not a fad, and it’s not going away!

1. Facebook: If your nonprofit has not set up a Facebook page yet, put that on your to-do list. Facebook has 350 million users—in fact, if Facebook were a country, it would be the 4th largest in the world! You are missing out on a great deal of free exposure for your charity if it has no Facebook presence. Go here and get started!

2. Twitter: More and more nonprofit organizations (NPOs) are on twitter. Why? Because it is one of the easiest ways to keep in touch with your supporters, the community, and potential volunteers. Twitter can also help you connect to resources, other NPOs and tons of current, useful information—about politics, the economy, fundraising, management, and scores of more topics. Start a twitter account for your charity, search for people who have similar interests, find the twitter lists that your community members are on, and you’ll soon have a nice network of followers and resources delivered to your desktop all day, every day!

Craigslist: Craigslist is free. Craigslist is visited by hundreds or thousands of people in your community every day. A simple “volunteers needed” ad is all you need to reach out to potential volunteers. And if you’re conducting background screening on your volunteers, you won’t need to worry about the type of person who answers an online ad.

If your NPO needs new volunteers, these quick, easy and FREE tips just might be the best way to find them!

Remember to screen volunteers properly to protect your staff, other volunteers, and clients.

Developing a strong presence on social media outlets is a proven marketing tool for businesses and non profit organizations. Increasing awareness for your cause, making it easier for supporters to donate time and money, and promoting events are just a few ways that Facebook and Twitter are used successfully by non profits every day.

And now, social media savvy non profits have an advantage—by spreading the word quickly, they can compete for cash through America’s Giving Challenge, a daily giveaway that rewards causes with the highest number of donations each day through November 6, 2009.

Non profits that connect with supporters through a regularly-updated website, blog, email newsletters, and on social media sites like YouTube, Facebook and Twitter have already built the infrastructure that allows them to take advantage of a contest like this. Causes was built on Facebook, with the sole purpose of putting power, in the form of dollars, in the hands of the people. Every 24 hours, whichever charity gets the most donations—of any amount—gets $1,000. Second highest number gets $500 each day.

The grand prize for the contest awards $50,000 to the non profit that gets the highest number of individual donations. Second prize is $25,000, and $10,000 goes to each of the next five causes.

It’s easy to sign up your cause, donate to a cause, and see how the contest is going. (Today’s leader is Overseas China Education Foundation, with 101 donations.) Set a goal for your organization to gather 100, 150, or 200 small donations, and you could be in the running for the $1,000 daily prize. And the way social marketing works, you could soon see thousands of donations for your cause, along with increased awareness, more volunteers, and engaged supporters!

What is Twitter? How does one tweet, or join a twibe?  Where is your town’s next tweet-up? If you have no idea what I’m talking about, here are the details: Twitter is a social media platform that allows users to communicate with each other in short updates, or “tweets,” of 140 characters or less. It is an online phenomenon, with over 21 million unique users in June, 2009—compared to only one million a year prior (according to The Nielsen Company). Users segment themselves into large groups, or “twibes,” by industry, interests, or any number of distinguishing features. It’s easy to find other tweeters in your line of work, or who share hobbies or an interest in the same cause—like charities. And often these folks get together to network or socialize face-to-face, at “tweet-ups.”

Studies show that more and more non profits are turning to Twitter as a way to spread their message, raise funds, and recruit volunteers. The American Cancer Society twitters. So does Lance Armstrong’s LIVESTRONG Foundation. In fact, Lance announced the recent birth of his son via Twitter.

In Santa Barbara, CA, an executive with the local American Red Cross chapter met resistance when she suggested the group should have a Twitter presence. She was allowed to test it for two months, in the middle of which a major wild fire broke out. She was able to send out instant information about the location of the fire, evacuation plans, and locations of shelters. The number of Twitter users following the Red Cross rose quickly—and kept climbing—from under 200 to over 700.

People expect quick answers these days—and in the case of an emergency such as a wildfire, they expect an organization like the Red Cross to provide it.

Other non profit organizations with a presence on Twitter include the World Wildlife Fund, PETA, the Nature Conservancy, UNICEF, and Save The Children. The Humane Society of the United States engages their followers by asking for feedback and commentary on news items involving animal rights and animal cruelty, while The National Wildlife Federation offers energy conservation tips and facts about animals.

Twitter is an easy and effective way for non profit organizations to expand their support base, engage with their donors and meet new ones, recruit volunteers, and even raise funds as they raise awareness. Plus, there is so much information and advice out there, just for the asking. Where else can you have the ears and expertise of thousands of plugged in people at once? Even more important, you can gain valuable insight by listening to your followers and building relationships. Learn how to get started on Twitter, then sign up for an account and start tweeting!

A report by the Corporation for National and Community Service’s Volunteering in America shows that about a million more people volunteered in 2008 than in the previous year.

What accounts for the surge in volunteering? Teens and young adults! The study shows that young people are increasingly interested in serving their communities and making a difference. Of the one million new volunteers, 441,000—almost half—were between the ages of 16 and 24. This age group makes up 21.9 percent of all volunteers, with a total of 8.24 million young people volunteering in 2008.

Teens and young adults are increasingly interested in assisting others. Among first-year college students, nearly 70 percent (the highest rate since 1970) believe it is essential or very important to help other people in need. President Barack Obama’s call to volunteerism, as well as an increase in service requirements in US middle and high schools, may have contributed to the uptick.

If your nonprofit organization (NPO) needs additional volunteers, consider reaching out to the teen and young adult group. They are likely more aware of volunteer opportunities and needs as growing numbers of their peers communicate their involvement.

And if you already enjoy the help of young people in your NPO, ask them to reach out to their friends. The Volunteering in America study shows that people who do not currently volunteer are more likely to do so if asked by a trusted friend.

You will enjoy a much greater rate of success promoting your cause to this age group if you utilize the same social networking communities that they do—such as Facebook and Twitter. It’s easy to create a fan page on Facebook and set up a Twitter account. With a small time investment, you can communicate with thousands of potential volunteers at once, while they learn more about your cause and your need for volunteers.

The rate of volunteerism in America has not declined, despite the challenging economy. Now is a great time to recruit new volunteers—and teens and young adults are a great group to target!

In our last post, we discussed the merits of starting a blog for your nonprofit organization (NPO). Blogs are a great way to keep in touch with and engage your supporters. You can also gain permission to update them on your NPO through email blasts and newsletters.

In this age of digital communication, it’s vital that you regularly engage the people interested in your organization. But you can’t do it without a healthy mailing list. How can you expand a wimpy mailing list to make your efforts pay off?

Make the ask: Provide a sign-up sheet at business events, health fairs, farmers markets, and community events so interested attendees can provide their email address. Make it clear that they are agreeing to receive news from your NPO. You could even provide a small incentive, like a bumper sticker or key chain with your organization’s logo, to everyone who signs up.

Utilize your website: Along with a form for in-person events, your website should have a newsletter sign-up form on every page. Make it easy for supporters to find it, and they’ll fill it out. Be sure to make it a quick and easy process. Test it often to make sure the form functions properly.

Leverage fundraising events: When people sign up online or purchase tickets for fundraising events, capture their email address at the same time—and let them know they’ll be receiving occasional correspondence.

Don’t miss opportunities in your office: Allow people to sign up for your newsletter at your reception desk.

Speaking events: If a member of your NPO’s board of directors or management team is speaking to a group, provide a sign-in or guest book to capture the names and email addresses of interested attendees.

Ensure privacy: Include language such as “Your privacy is important to us. We will never sell or disclose the information you provide us with.” This helps you overcome a great hurdle to obtaining email addresses. People want that assurance.

Finally, ask your newsletter recipients to pass it along to their friends and families who might be interested in your organization. You’ll find many signups will occur as a result of receiving the recommendation of a trusted friend or colleague.