A charity badge is like an interactive advertising banner personalized with your very own messages and images and ready to accept donations. The way your badge looks, reads, and feels should reflect you. And the language you use should express why this charity means so much to you.

Describe your charity through images. For example, if you're raising funds for an environmental organization, go ahead and upload a snapshot from your vacation to the national park you want to help preserve.

Help jump-start your fundraising effort by being the first to contribute to your charity badge. People are more likely to make a donation when they feel like they’re part of a larger effort already underway.

The America's Giving Challenge ends on Jan. 31, 2008 at 3pm EST. Use this end date to create a sense of urgency in any copy you write. Encourage potential donors to give now rather than put it off and risk missing the deadline.

When it comes to fundraising through charity badges, it’s more about the messenger than the organization. Start with the people you know first. Send friends, family, and colleagues an e-mail with a link to your badge.

If you’re a member of a social networking site, like Facebook, post your charity badge on your Profile page. From there, it’s easy to share it with the friends in your different online networks. Got a blog? Post your badge there, too.

Blog search engines can help you locate bloggers who write about your charitable cause or related issues. While you may not know these individuals personally, you do have a common interest. Ask to have information about your charity and your fundraising efforts included in their next posting.

The real fundraising power of the charity badge lies in its ability to be passed from one person to another. It’s the online equivalent of word of mouth. Your fundraising campaign will really take off as it reaches people far beyond your own personal network. So, ask your e-mail and social networking contacts, the readers of your blog, and those with their own blog to pass it on and on and on.