Friendraising events are most successful when heavily supported by content on the Internet, which means the largest cost will likely be in man-hours expended. However, by hosting a non-fundraising event, you lower the threshold to new “friends” who are potential volunteers, if not future financial donors.

Yes, we believe that there is value in these online philanthropic campaigns, although not for much longer. Like most things, it’s best if you get in the game early. If you don’t, others will have figured out loopholes or ways to stack the deck, despite all efforts to prevent them from doing so, and winning will become virtually impossible (pun intended).

The take-away from Archway’s example is that collaborations can be highly successful – but all parties must have the same core values. Make sure to allow adequate time for extensive research first. The benefits will be worth it.