Kickstarter Funding for Your Genealogy Society Project

Still trying to figure out how to find the funds to implement all of your society's new projects?

Have you considered crowdfunding?  Guests Kathleen Brandt (of a3Genealogy) and Maureen Taylor (the "Photo Detective") have each started Kickstarter projects and discuss the finer points of applying for and promoting your project.

This approach serves multiple purposes:

• it allows your society to implement projects without digging into (and usually depleting) the operating account;
• it's a great way to let the community (local, regional, virtual, etc.) know what projects your society is working on;
• it's a great way to get your society's name out there - which could increase your membership (making future funding even easier!)

Think about it.  It's much easier to get a couple of bucks from a thousand people than it is to get $100 from 20 people.  Right?

This type of funding reaches more people faster, and allows more societies and other organizations to raise funds for projects to preserve local, state, regional, or even national history that might otherwise never see the light of day.

Listen to the archived broadcast of "Kickstarter Funding for Your Genealogy Society Project" on the blogtalkradio My Society channel by FGS, or you can listen below:

Check Out History Podcasts at Blog Talk Radio with mysociety on BlogTalkRadio

For more information, check out these articles from our Society Strategy Series:

• Projects for Fundraising
• A First Families Project
• Creating Society Archives
• A Society Project: GPS Locating Cemeteries - Making Cemeteries Easy to Find

Web-based Fundraising Opportunities

Learn ways to afford all those new projects!

It's a new year. You've installed a new board. You've had your roundtable discussions and your society is armed with plenty of new ideas ... but no financial resources to make them happen. What now?

Guest Mark Olsen explains some ways your society can raise money—both actively and passively—so your society can afford to tackle all those new projects!

If your society has an internet presence, there are many genealogy vendors who offer affiliate links that you can put on your website or blog and earn money when people click on your link.  Some vendors also provide discount offers on their services that can only be obtained through your society.

These are excellent options, especially for the smaller society that wants to avoid increasing membership dues.

Listen to the archived broadcast of "Web-based Fundraising Opportunities" on the blogtalkradio My Society channel by FGS, or you can listen below:

Check Out History Podcasts at Blog Talk Radio with mysociety on BlogTalkRadio

For more information, check out these articles from our Society Strategy Series:

• Projects for Fundraising
• Society Web Sites: Plain and Simple
• Incorporation and IRS Regulations
• Bookkeeping 101 for Genealogical Societies

Promoting Genealogy to a Larger Audience

Promoting Genealogy to a Larger Audience

October is Family History Month in the United States.  Are you looking for ways to celebrate this month?

FGS Radio - My Society guest Angie Rodesky talks about her appearance on How the States Got Their Shapes and discusses some of the ways she has been promoting genealogical research to others.

From educational opportunities for children and adults to television shows and church programs, learn how you can effectively get others involved in researching their own family history.  You never know when you might find a long-lost cousin!

You can find even more resources in our Reach Out Series, created to help member societies to engage with the community at large.

Listen to the archived broadcast of "Promoting Genealogy to a Larger Audience" on the blogtalkradio My Society channel by FGS, or you can listen below:

Check Out History Podcasts at Blog Talk Radio with mysociety on BlogTalkRadio

Societies: Creating a Social Media Plan

Societies: Creating a Social Media Plan

Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn, oh my!  With all the social media platforms out there, how do you know where you should to go to create a presence for your society, or if your society should be out there at all?  It's all quite overwhelming ... unless you have a plan.

In this archived episode of My Society, Thomas MacEntee focuses on the finer points of creating a social media plan for societies, including:

• What is a social media plan?
• Why do you need one?  What is the goal?
• How do you get your society leadership on board?
• What is the difference between a social media plan and a social media policy?
• What is the difference between a Facebook group and a Facebook page?
• How do you know your plan is working?

Listen to the archived broadcast of "Creating a Social Media Plan" on the blogtalkradio My Society channel by FGS, or you can listen below:

Check Out History Podcasts at Blog Talk Radio with mysociety on BlogTalkRadio

... and when you're done listening, you can find Thomas' outline and notes here.