Written by John Haydon

It’s no secret that fundraising for a nonprofit in today’s economy is hard work. Donations from corporations, major gifts and private grants have all shrunk. Fundraising with social media is uncharted territory where best practices are in their infancy.

However, a recent partnership between givezooks and Plastic Jungle allows non-profits access to a $40 Billion in unused gift cards. And with Christmas around the corner, the timing couldn’t be more perfect!

Recycled fruit cake and giftcards

According to Plastic Jungle, the average household has about $400 worth of unused gift cards in their top dresser drawers. You know, the Home Depot gift card from Uncle Ralph who always forgets that you live across the street from Lowe’s. The Barnes & Noble gift card you wish you could redeem on Amazon. And my favorite, the Exxon Mobil gift card given to the vegan bike messenger who only last week protested at a rally on clean energy.

Turning donors into fundraisers

givezooks! is a social fundraising platform for non-profits that empower individual donors to become fundraisers. The platform embeds sharing on Facebook and Twitter directly into the donation process. This makes fundraising much more effective simply because folks are more likely to donate to a cause if it’s recommended from a friend.

And now, the partnership between Plastic Jungle and givezooks means that friends can convert convert that gift cards into cash for their favorite cause.

To learn more about the givezooks social fundraising, please visit givezooks.com.