The answer to that question depends on your goals. Do you want to:

1. Raise money for an existing charity.
2. Start your own organization.

If you want to raise money for an existing charitable organization, you do not need your own 501c3. If you just want to encourage your readers to donate to a specific charity, it’s easy to link to the charities website or to provide donation information. If you’d like to get more involved, contact the charity and ask if you can volunteer or organize a fundraiser on its behalf.

If you want to start your own organization, determine if the organization will have fundraising needs. If you want to ask others to donate or apply for most grants, you will need either a 501c3 status for your organization or a fiscal sponsor.

If your organization/cause  has no expenses (for example: it consists of you organizing a monthly blog carnival or regular Twitter discussion using a specific hashtag), you may not need either a 501c3 status or a fiscal sponsor.

You might be wondering what a “fiscal sponsor” is.  A fiscal sponsor is a 501c3 that lends their legal status to your project. Obtaining and maintaining a 501c3 status is a lot of work. It requires a board and often an accountant, and it can be expensive to get started.

If you have a great idea but lack the funds to pay start-up costs, a “fiscal sponsor” may be the best option. There are different kinds of fiscal sponsorship: “projects” and separate entities. If you are incorporated/registered, you could qualify as a separate entity. Otherwise, a “project” may be a good option for you. You will want to define a formal agreement with your fiscal sponsor regardless. To learn more about “fiscal sponsorship,” check out the Fiscal Sponsorship Directory.

At a time when bloggers are trying to define what it is they “do”, adding charity into the mix creates another layer of complexity.

What factors might bloggers consider in deciding whether or not to use their influence for a charitable campaign?

Who is Benefiting?

Most of the bloggers with whom we spoke immediately focused on the question of who is benefiting from the campaign.

In a small survey of blogger members of Collective Bias, bloggers’ expectation of payment increased significantly if the campaign involved corporate branding or linking to corporate sites or microsites, versus linking directly to the benefiting charity. One blogger responding anonymously added, “Anything that promotes a corporation in any way should be paid for. They can’t just say it’s for charity and get free advertising.”

The Goodness of Our Hearts

A smaller number of bloggers surveyed believed that any campaign in support of a charity should be done on a volunteer basis.  One blogger explained, “I think working with charities should be done from the goodness of our hearts. I consider it a form of volunteering and people don’t get paid for that (even if they use their professional skills to do so).” And while 100% of the respondents had volunteered without pay to help with a corporate charitable campaign, only 56% had ever received payment to promote such an effort.

Courtney Velasquez, who owns Detroit Mommies and currently serves as the Community Director of Collective Bias, received a stipend for her involvement with two ConAgra-sponsored campaigns, Child Hunger Ends Here and No Kid Hungry.  Velasquez acknowledged that brand trips can be a lot of work for the blogger: “[The Child Hunger Ends Here trip] was super cool because we got to meet movie stars in L.A. but it was a lot of work, too. We were doing physical labor while we were there.”

Steff Childs, Director of Corporate Communications at ConAgra Foods, agreed: “As we were planning the program, we determined that a small compensation was appropriate as we truly value our blogger partners for their influence and the role they played in the campaign. This was an extended partnership that ran for months and by enlisting their help, we provided the bloggers with a stipend to compensate them for their time involved in the program, which included coordinating a local fundraising rally.”

Although Velasquez believes the stipend is justified to cover her childcare costs, time away from work, and the considerable effort she put into the campaign, she says she would have supported the campaigns without monetary compensation: “It is the charity; it’s not the company. If it is for children and hunger, I’m there.”

And it is clear that ConAgra has found a passionate advocate. Instead of organizing just one rally, Velasquez lead five and continues to be an activist in her local community. Velasquez is a savvy blogger and social media professional and acknowledges that “there is something in it for [the corporations] and I know that.” Still, she explained, “Because [ConAgra] does the charity work they do, they hold a place in my heart now.”

Follow Your Heart

What about working directly for charities? If a charity has the budget to pay a public relations firm, should they expect pro-bono work from professional bloggers?

For bloggers who are concerned about being viewed as professionals, Christy Matte, of QuirkyFusion.com and MorethanMommy.com, offered this advice: “Try to ignore who is getting paid for what, because a non-profit has a limited budget. Instead, look for a non-profit that wants to build a relationship with you and who you feel is making a positive difference in the world.”

Shilonda Downing, the founder of Virtual Work Team who blogs at Virtual Assistant Blogs, urged bloggers to “follow their hearts.” While she believes “there is nothing wrong with expecting to be paid for promoting a charity event or organization,” she added, “if [bloggers] feel a real connection to an event and have the time, by all means do a portion or all of the work for free.”

Volunteer Work, Media Coverage, or Paid Work?

The nature and level of the blogger’s involvement is also a factor in determining whether or not payment is expected.  This is still a controversial topic in the blogging world and a number of categories of work came up in conversations with bloggers.

For non-profits, corporations, and public relations firms that view bloggers as media,  the idea of paying bloggers for coverage is a foreign concept.  Christy Matte explained, “Non-profits frequently ask bloggers to cover their news/events, which bloggers often look at as pro-bono work. In fact, the non-profits are treating bloggers like media, whose job it is to put the news out there. ”

Matte suggested that bloggers consider what they normally write about on their site: “For example, if a blogger normally talks about charitable campaigns or ways to shop for good on their blog, it seems a bit silly to refuse to do it for free simply because someone else asked.”

Stephanie Azzarone, President of Child’s Play Communications, also encouraged bloggers to support causes in which they believe: “If bloggers feel a cause is a worthy one they should post about it. If they don’t, then they shouldn’t.  Simple equation. If they have historically supported a specific cause, it is fair for a company or an agency or the organization itself to approach them for assistance in further promoting that cause.  Really, why not put in a little more effort to make an even bigger splash for something you genuinely believe in?”

Beyond Editorial

Some campaigns involve much more extensive branded promotion however.

Kimberly Coleman, founder of and lead blogger for Mom in the City and an advisory board member of Bloganthropy, said, “In my opinion, if companies are requesting anything beyond editorial coverage for branded campaigns, then they should be paying bloggers.  I have done unpaid charitable programs in the past and (given a charity that I’m passionate about) I might do one in the future. However, I think that companies should monetarily compensate bloggers for their time and energy.”

Stephanie Azzarone also drew a distinction between editorial coverage of causes and events and other types of promotional work: “I don’t believe that bloggers should be paid for simply posting about a cause, just as I don’t believe they should be paid for posting about a product, unless there is an established, ongoing ambassador relationship with a brand. Host a twitter party or a live event and invite all your social media friends? Then the blogger should get paid. Serve as an ongoing ambassador for the company’s cause? Think about who is benefiting most – the corporation or the cause itself. Then make a choice: Do it for free out of your personal passion for the cause — or request payment. Either, in fact, is reasonable.”

John Andrews, Founder and Managing Partner of Collective Bias, which hires bloggers for many types of campaigns, does not believe that the charitable element alters blogger compensation: “Anything that you are going to ask someone to do as a marketer that you would normally pay people to do, you should pay a blogger to do.  I don’t think it changes that dynamic. Cause marketing activities for a brand [are]  another piece of learning about the brand, just as any other part of the brand’s story.”

When Lines Blur

The title “blogger” encompasses a wide range of people, including amateurs who journal for their own growth and established professionals who have added blogging to their list of services, and everything in between.  When a regular contractor is asked to donate some of his or her services for a client’s charitable campaign, the line between volunteer work and paid work may become fuzzy.

Teajai Stradley is the Internet Idea Girl. When Bob Cook Homes, a long-time and valued client, signed on as the primary builder for Extreme Makeover: Home Edition in Wichita KS (will be aired April 17 on ABC), Stradley was more than happy to donate some of her time. “They were working for free, they didn’t even have to ask me to do the work pro-bono. I was on board immediately.”

Soon, though, she was working overtime to support the project and it was not always easy to draw the line between her paid work and her charity work.  Stradley explained, “I am sure there is a way you could be very firm, the PR agency on the project sure was. But it came off as cold and callous. Everyone was pitching in where needed but when you get someone who is towing to a line it really rubs people the wrong way. It’s a charity – be charitable.”

Creative Compensation

Compensation may sometimes take other forms besides cash.

Christy Matte said that non-profits on a budget can sometimes offer bloggers access to resources: “Bonus points if they will link back to your site, offer you some other perks, or maybe let you use a spare desk now and again.”

Pro-bono work for a non-profit can also be a way to build a portfolio. Stephanie Azzarone explained, “Bloggers should keep in mind that even if they are not compensated for promoting a cause, they (as well as the charity) still benefit. Pro-bono participation, if significant, gives bloggers greater visibility and positions them in a positive way, increasing their standing both among peers and among companies and agencies.”

John Andrews pointed to the “Bag It Forward” campaign for Elmer’s (for which I served as an ambassador). This initiative not only compensated bloggers but also gave them the opportunity to purchase and donate supplies to a family in need in their own communities. “In that process,” Andrews explained, “the leaders  were catalysts for that community. The work they invested was earning them something for a cause they are passionate about.”

Charity Begins at Home

Companies look at the bottom line when considering which charities to support and several professional bloggers and marketing and public relations specialists suggested that bloggers learn to do the same.

Ultimately, it comes down to learning to say “no, thank you” if you do not have the time or the campaign is not right for you. Matte noted, “Bloggers are often expected to do a wide variety of things for free. That doesn’t mean that a blogger should feel obligated to do so.”

John Andrews suggested that bloggers take a page from the most successful corporate charity campaigns and consider if the project is a fit.  “If it is not aligned with your philosophy or your brand…[you're] doing all this good work, which is great, but how does it reflect what is going on with the brand?”

Closely aligning your blog with a particular charity or cause not only makes sense for building a brand, it can help bloggers establish boundaries to protect their time.

Shaping the Future

Corporations know the value of cause marketing and we are likely to see more of it in the future. Moms and millennials, the same groups most likely to turn to blogs for product advice, are also the ones who place the highest value on product associations with charitable causes. According to the 2010 Cone study, 92% of moms want to buy a product supporting a cause (versus 81% average) and 93% are more likely to switch brands (versus 80% average).

There is a natural synergy between social media and cause marketing.  Bloggers who work with brands and are passionate about causes may want to consider how charity efforts fit into their own goals.

Do you volunteer for corporate charity campaigns? Do you expect to be paid when promoting a company’s charitable campaign? How would you like to see these campaigns including bloggers? Which campaigns have you seen that are effective?

Photo credits: Big Idea Poster; do it pro bono; Donating is Fun; Money at Hand

The ability to use our social media influence to amplify our volunteer efforts may be especially important to those of us with young children.  Traditional volunteer opportunities are not always a fit when you have to worry about coordinating extra childcare and balancing your regular volunteer schedule with children’s activities and unexpected illnesses.

And yet, it may be even more important to volunteer when we have young children–as a type of “spiritual maintenance” and a social outlet for ourselves and also to set an example for our children.

If you are looking to volunteer with your children, here are some expert tips for teaching children about giving and volunteering…and one of them is to utilize social media!

Children from the Little Dolphin Preschool collecting change for a project with The World is Just a Book Away.

1. Model Giving:

You can talk about charity all day long but what your children will really notice is what you do to make the world a better place. Alexis Boian, Executive Director of the Young Philanthropists Foundation (YPF) explained:

“The number one place children learn to give is in the home. When asked by parents how to ‘teach’ giving, my first response is always ‘What do you do to give back?’ and ‘Do they see you do it? Is there an opportunity for them to do it with you?’ Creating a culture of giving in the home is very important.”

2. Look to Other Kid Role-Models:

Sometimes the role model is another child. Gabe O’Neill founded Kids Are Heroes with his then 9-year-old daughter to recognize the efforts of young volunteers and tap into this inspirational power:

“…there is no doubt our site is a catalyst. We feature more than 150 children from US, Canada, Europe and Africa and we are just getting started. Evan Ruderman is a boy who was influenced by two children from our site. Joey bakes cookies each Christmas to get kids toys and goes to Evan’s school. Evan met MaryMargaret at one of her fund raisers and learned more about Kids Are Heroes. About 8 months later, he was featured. He took Joey’s idea of baking cookies but wanted to support pediatric cancer research.”

3. Work Together:

Don’t underestimate the power of working together as a group. Working together multiplies your effectiveness and also gives kids a social incentive for getting involved with a cause. Plus, the experience of working with a group benefits the young volunteers. Pam Lennox, CEO of Girl Scouts of Citrus Council, located in Central Florida, said that when the girl scouts work together, they show advanced problem-solving, cooperation, and leadership:

“In girl scouts, we teach them to be proactive. When ever you have a group sharing solutions, an idea can be refined and taken from vague to concrete. If I am close to an issue, I may not be able to be creative in that moment but I can talk to my friends and draw on their ideas. They all bring their own creativity and experiences to the issue.” And when the girl scouts donate the money they raise, Lennox pointed out, they must reach a decision together about how to spend that money.

4. Start Small:

If it is easy for adults to get overwhelmed by all the pressing issues facing the world today, it is even more important that we keep it simple for children. The message that small acts of kindness count will resonate with children who are often very aware of their own relative size and power in the world. Even pennies can add up to big action. Penny Harvest has enabled students to raise $347,501.29 in New York City during the 2009-2010 school year and $756,273.19 nationally–all in pennies. Penny Harvest Executive Director, Teddy Gross, explained:

“Giving pennies is a tangible way for children to see the immediate results of their hard work [...] The very nature of using pennies demonstrates how incremental change can make an impact. One Student Leader’s reflection from JHS 190 in Queens states it best, ‘The most important thing I learned was how ‘every penny counts.’ I chose this as the most important thing because people don’t realize how every person (no matter what age) can help make a difference in this world.’”

5. Keep Projects Close to Home:

Younger children may have trouble understanding abstract problems halfway across the world. If they can see how an issue affects their community and their neighborhoods, they may be inspired to help out. Silvana Clark, parenting author, advises parents to help children choose specific projects where they can see the effects.

For example, “Have them make “Bedtime Snack Sacks” where they decorate lunch bags with stickers and glitter. Put a granola bar, juice pack and a small Happy-Meal-Type-Toy in the bag. Collect 10-12 bags and have children go with you to a woman’s shelter where the bags go to kids as a bedtime treat.”

Clark says her adult daughter is living proof that the habit of giving is formed early. Sondra Clark, now 21, raised $95,000 for Aids orphans in Africa and wrote her seventh book, 77 Creative Ways Kids Can Serve, by the age of 16.

6. Make the Project “Relatable”:

Even if you chose a cause far away geographically, the idea may still be close to the children’s hearts. The World is Just a Book Away helped the children of Little Dolphins by the Sea preschool raise money to buy books for school libraries in Indonesia. James J. Owens, founder, explained why the children connected so strongly with this project:

“Books are a very important part of the Little Dolphins experience and treasured by the children and their families. The teachers and parents took this opportunity to teach the children about Indonesia and that if the children did chores and saved their money, they would be able to buy books for children who didn’t have any. I believe that showing the children the types of books that would be purchased and pictures of the children and the libraries in Indonesia really helped to bring the project to life for the children at Little Dolphins and their families.”

7. Go Where the Kids Are:

If you want to get school-aged children involved in giving back, give them familiar platforms for launching their charitable work. For many kids today, online is where they meet, exchange ideas, and get motivated to change the world. Lee Fox, founder of KooDooz, a “cause-based” social networking site designed to give kids proven ways to address humanitarian and community challenges by connecting their passion to their cause., said:

“Today’s kids live in a digital playground that has been fortified with educational information and enriched with cause content. In terms of motivating this group to volunteer or do something to help a cause, Club Penguin’s Global Citizenship initiative “Coins For Change” for Haiti is top of mind. This is where members donate their time and the coins they earn playing games in the virtual world to make a difference in the real world.”

8. Organize Off-Site Projects:

If you have trouble finding an organization that allows young volunteers, due to liability reasons, set-up an off-site volunteer project. For example, Ms. Boian, detailed a project to help feed people who are homeless that allows even preschool children to pitch-in:

“The youngest volunteers decorate the bags for food, older elementary students form an assembly line for the packages for delivery, and teenagers organize and lead the project.”

9. Empower Your Children:

Children will be more eager to take action when they believe they can make a difference. And empowering children to help others will increase their own self-esteem, too. Suzy Becker, author of Kids Make it Better: A Write-in, Draw-in Journal, urged parents to respect their children’s unique perspective and talents:

“…As you would in other contexts, let your kids know that their ideas and feelings are important. if they have the impulse to do something, help them do it. Helping kids pursue their talents (interests, skills, and passions) as soon as they’re able to identify them is really important. the uses are as varied as the talents– if a kid likes to draw, they can make cards or flyers. if a kid likes singing, look into an intergenerational sing-along at a nursing home. if a kids dances or is an athlete, maybe a recital or a sporting event becomes an opportunity to collect donations of cash or food or blankets.”

Some online sites to help find service opportunities and ideas for young children.

• Kids Care Clubs gives you materials to help you start your own local volunteer organization for children.
• Find inspiring stories of kids volunteering at Kids are Heroes.
• Penny Harvest empowers children to launch their own fundraisers.
• At KooDooz, kids can connect and discover proven ways to use their passion to address humanitarian and community challenges.
• Both Idealist and Volunteer Match allow you to search for opportunities for children under 12.

What are your tips and resources for teaching children about charitable giving and volunteering?

1. What gave you the idea for Twitter Charity Hats?

You can read all about that here. I posted this today just for you guys! This will explain the journey…

2. Do you have any input on the charities that receive the donation?

Yes. I won’t take anything political and I prefer that the charity be focused on helping children, single mothers, families, etc. I was a single mother myself, years ago.

That said, I’m happy to promote any charity that is helping the homeless, veterans, families, the military, etc. It doesn’t have to be focused on women (as some have implied that I ought to be doing). I understand that there are people with needs – everywhere – regardless of their gender. There are so many charities now that help women and children. I think that the male charities are actually being over-looked these days (drug rehabs, homeless shelters, abuse counseling, etc) in the same way that female charities used to be over-looked. The pendulum has swung the other way. I’m more than happy to support any charity that someone’s heart feels led to support – men, women, children, special needs or seniors. All humans have needs and need to be supported, as I see it.

3. How much money have you raised to date for charity?

$305 but only a few of the businesses have actually made their donations – the rest are coming.

I have more folks to add to this list soon, also! I’ve got over 20 on the wait list now.

4. Is there an archive of past hats?

Just the collage we made for you. However, there are far more than that. We picked a few of the most popular ones to display. Sadly, I left out “Earth Day” – when I wore a grass patch on my head. That was pretty popular, too.

5. Do you also wear hats for charities to raise awareness?

Not yet but I have been thinking of doing that. At this point, my waiting list for the logo hats is at 6+ months. So perhaps I can modify my plan along the way and fit charity hats into the line-up as time allows.

I’m very dedicated to helping small businesses – especially those run by mothers. So the logo hats + charity combined gives me the chance to help two entities at once: both the mother and the charity they select.

6. What feedback have you received from companies after the experience in regards to both their charitable goals and their marketing strategy?

To be honest, nothing as of yet. The people in my community (Mommy Perks) are typically very giving and generous. No one, so far, has even asked me for click rates, stats or return data. I don’t think they care! I really believe they all jumped on board with this simply because they wanted to help and thought the idea was a fun and unique one. That would appear to be the case, anyway.

7. What feedback have you received from your audience and community?

Lots! They are pretty jazzed about the entire concept and many of them have posted, tweeted, blogged or linked to my press release. Merchant Circle featured the press release today. She Posts put up an article about it. Examiner.com has the press release listed. I have people tweet daily telling me what a great idea this is and asking how they can get involved – or simply help to promote it. The positive energy is a big part of why I’m doing this!

8. You have a wait list–why do you think Twitter Hats have such an appeal?

Well, as I wrote about in the “Trip down memory lane” post, the hats became a hit on twitter a few months back. People wanted to know “What’s next?” It became a game of sorts and friends/clients would DM, asking me about the hats and wanting to know if I would have a hat up for a particular holiday, etc. When I told people about the Twitter Charity Hats they immediately jumped on the idea. No questions asked.

Where else can you globally promote your small business for a $20+ donation to charity?

9. Which is your favorite hat so far and why?

Of all the hats, including the pre-logo ones? The World Turtle Day hat was super creepy but got a LOT of laughs. I also love the Pull-Up hat – that’s probably my favorite one. That hat was the turning point for everything, though, so it holds a special diaper-like place in my heart. LOL.

Of the Charity Hats, I’d say that Ficklets is my favorite so far (it goes up tomorrow). My daughter insisted on making the ASL sign for “I love you” and the story behind this photograph holds great value for me – emotionally and spiritually. That said, I love them all. Each one has special meaning in its’ own way.

10. If you could support one charity, which would it be?

Goodness. Just one? I don’t think I’d make that choice but if I had to I’d most likely choose to support a single mom charity – or a group that helps young mothers (I was a young mother). I also feel very drawn to Foster Care, Adoption Agencies and Homeless Shelters. My father ran a homeless shelter in Oregon during my youth.

My son lost is right eye as a baby and wears a prosthetic eye. So I’d love to donate to an organization that helps to pay for prosthetic eyes (they are very expensive).

11. Any special plans in the works for the future? A calendar of Twitter Hat Photos? Expanding the effort to include other Tweeters?

I’ve considered both options, yes. I don’t take each photo until the hat is ready to launch but I do plan to display them all in a post soon. “A look back” so to say.

Regarding other tweeters – if they wish to join in, they certainly may. At this point I’m pretty busy just keeping track of my own hats/list but at some point, I could invite others to join the mission, sure!

12. What’s your favorite Twitter application?

I don’t use any! I’ve tried several, for fun, but I stick with plain old twitter (as one of my followers calls it). Just plain old twitter works great for me.

I do like www.friendorfollow.com and www.mrtweet.com. I also enjoy using www.tweetgrid.com if I’m hosting a party on twitter.

I spoke with one of the organization’s founders, Jeanine Cozzetti, to determine their organization’s needs.  They had already done an excellent job working with local organizations to secure donations:

• They had a space for collecting and assembling donations at the church.
• They had well-established relationships with Island Harvest, the local fire department, and college campus youth organizations for collecting food and warm clothing.

We talked about reaching out to corporations for future years and she said that this year they could use more volunteers, so we concentrated on social media volunteer recruitment efforts:

• V4LI already had a facebook group page and a touching YouTube video of their volunteers Feeding the Homeless in 2008.
• Their website was leading to an error screen.  I got to work creating a simple website and in the meantime used the facebook page for the landing page.
• I launched a @Volunteer4LI on Twitter and used We Follow to find Long Island people on Twitter.

I hit the jackpot when I found Long Island Tweet-Up (@LITweetUp).  As soon as I messaged individual twitterers about the event, they began to re-tweet out the details.  Within hours, Volunteer 4 Long Island had dozens more fans on facebook and messages coming in from interested volunteers.  Jeanine was astounded by how effective and quick a few simple tweets could be in recruiting more local volunteers than they even needed.

By recruiting local people on twitter who have demonstrated an interest in their community, Volunteer 4 Long Island was able to efficiently reach their target volunteer audience.  Once volunteers reached the facebook page, they could join the group, making it easy for the organization to message them about future events.  When they joined, they also further spread the word through their facebook profiles.

Building Twitter Lists and Facebook group or fan pages is an effective way to establish and maintain a local community of volunteers for your organization.  Both Twitter and Facebook have applications that enable you to target your message locally and then empower your messengers to share with their friends and followers.

What is your social media charity project volunteer recruitment success story?