Online fundraising hub Firstgiving.com extends the reach and deepens the pockets of shelters seeking donations

Meredith Emerson’s family memorialized their daughter’s love for animals by raising funds for the Longmont Humane Society through a Firstgiving page.

People can grouse about electronic chain mail all they want, but the fact remains: Many of us read it. If you’ve ever received a forward where the length of the actual message is far shorter than the list of people who’ve passed it on, you have beheld the power of this phenomenon.

Beyond spreading a few laughs or moving stories, though, some shelters have been using this medium to spread goodwill. Through a fundraising website called Firstgiving.com, nonprofits can design their own web pages and mass email the link to request and receive electronic donations.

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