Donations are the lifeline for nonprofit organizations (NPOs). The best part is there are a myriad of options when it comes to accepting online donations. No matter what cause your NPO is working for, it has never been more convenient to set up a channel for online fundraising than now.
The effectiveness of the online donation tools depends on your individual circumstances. So, let us look at each of them and find out which one may be worth looking into.
Quickest Ways to Start Accepting Donations on Your Website
There are several methods that are the easiest and fastest ways to start accepting donations on your website. However, some of them are more viable and effective than others. Here is a comprehensive description of them ranking from the fastest to the slowest.
Fastest: Add a Widget
Widgets are modern tools you can embed into your nonprofits organization’s website. However, it is substantially independent from the host’s web page with limited or no interaction with the hosting company.
Donors visit your profile, click on the widget that takes them to online payment to make donations. You do not have to interact with the donors or make a sales pitch.
Not so Fast: Email Your Donors
While email is another great way to accept donations, it involves some manual processing. Whether a donor shows interest or you approach potential donors asking for help, email can help you in both.
However, you will have to send them an email with a sales pitch and link to make payments. There can also be instances where you may have to send several reminders to the donors making it a tiresome way to collect donations online.
Other Options: Paper Handouts
This is the old school way of accepting donations. This is a painstakingly long process with setting up stalls in malls and public places, making long and loud speeches about the cause your NPO supports. You also have to deliver paper handouts and wish upon your stars for some of the interested people to get back to you with donations.
So, finding the middle ground is the best way where you can interact with the donors without too much hassle. Let us look at how.
Use Emails to Promote Your Donations Form
Instead of leaving it up to website visitors’ goodwill gesture or chasing them on the streets, emails allow you to promote donation forms with minimal efforts. Here are the steps to do so with ease.
Share Your Cause
In order to connect with potential donors you must strike an emotional chord with them. For that you must share your charitable cause to get them behind you and make frequent donations.
Use Storytelling to Share Donor Stories via Newsletters
Create a story around your cause to make a deep impact on your potential donors. Plus this can make you stand tall amongst the rest of the competition.
Add a Trusted Donation Acceptance Partner
Adding a trusted donation acceptance partner takes most of the hassle away from you. They can help you promote your NPO and its cause and accept donations on your behalf using their existing resources and connections. This can be a cost saving way to collect donations online.
Add a Donate Now Button to Your Emails and Email Signatures
Adding a call-to-action can help you entice potential donors. Therefore, embedding a “Donate Now” button within your email and email signatures will tempt the reader to click and make their contributions.
Ask Your Donors to Go Paperless
Most people are becoming environmentally conscious and like to support companies who limit their carbon footprint. Therefore, going paperless will increase your credibility in the market. Here is what else you can do.
Share Your Cause in a Donation Letter
A donation letter helps make your case. You can share this donation letter as a way to convince potential donors.
What Should Your Donation Letter Say
Your donation letter must tell a story and explain the cause and why you believe supporting it can make a difference.
Emphasize How Easy Donation Process Is
You can explain how easy it is for a donor to contribute their donations. Simply mention this process in small pointers.
Use a Shorten URL Tool in Your Mailers to Get Your Donors to Your Website Widget
If you wish to increase your chances to get online donations, adding a shortened URL is an effective tool to do so. For example, it can change a long and hefty URL and convert it into a concise URL link to send your donors to your donation making link.
Are You Ready to Start Gathering Donations Online?
If you are a nonprofit organization looking for ways to collect, then this article can help you accept donations online. Emails can help you embed a direct link so accepting stock donations online is easier, especially when Stock Donator handles the full process on your behalf.
