Sandy Rees

For six years, the Ronald McDonald House’s annual Rockin’ Auction was a traditional, ticketed dinner-dance held in a local venue.

This fall, the fundraiser went online.

Accessing the auction through the Ronald McDonald House Web site, bidders registered a screen name and a credit card number. Over a span of three weeks, they could log in to keep tabs on their items of interest or up their bid before the boards closed.

“We made $64,000, which was $25,000 more than our previous best, and we had bidders from 15 states,” said Jane Kaylor, Ronald McDonald House executive director.

Nonprofits are turning to the Internet to raise money, broaden donor bases, save on the expense of fundraisers and invite feedback from supporters.

“The trend that has really emerged over the past year or so has been the increasing adoption of social media to build relationships that result in greater involvement and engagement with supporters,” said Kevin Trowbridge, a Lee University professor.

Mr. Trowbridge said Web sites such as YouTube and Flickr enable organizations to share their visual content with target audiences.

He said Facebook makes giving a “communal activity” in which individuals may share their cause with friends and encourage them to become involved.

“This is a wonderful example of positive peer pressure,” Mr. Trowbridge said. “While the majority of users on Facebook are under 30, the fastest-growing population of Facebook users are over 30.”

These young professionals are the next generation of donors that nonprofits seek, he said.

Social networking sites allow nonprofits to “hook people” by sharing compelling stories, said Sandy Rees of Loudon, Tenn., a self-employed fundraising coach.

“Social networking is a powerful tool that allows nonprofits to engage donors in a two-way conversation; whereas the typical nonprofit conversation, like a newsletter, is one-way,” she said. “Now the newsletter is used to drive people to the Web site.”

The Children’s Home Chambliss Shelter is one of six local nonprofits that has partnered with Northgate Mall to raise funds online through thegivingspree.com. In exchange for a donation, the donor receives shopping incentives at mall stores.

“We are on Facebook, but this is the first time we’ve tried an online fundraiser,” said Katie Harbison, director of development with the shelter. “It seems like most of our donors are the type who want to mail in checks, but there is an upcoming generation of younger donors who are online the majority of their day. We’re going to be looking to these kinds of options because this is where our new donors are.”