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Faith Leaders Nonprofit Leaders 5min read

Looking for a Mobile Donations Service? 5 Things To Consider

A mobile donation service allows organizations to collect offerings from patrons, members, or the general public through simple steps. This is often done through an app or website. Once set up, the organization can accept funds readily, without high fees.

With a range of options out there, it’s best to take some time to choose the right mobile donation service. The good news is some services make the entire process a breeze.

How Do I Accept Donations Online?

There are multiple ways to accept donations online. One way is to set up a third-party software tool, like Givelify. It allows your website visitors to send money to your organization in just a few simple steps. You do not have to purchase expensive or complex software. Rather, simply provide some basic information and viola! Then, your patrons can do several things:

  • Visit your website to send you money.
  • Download an app to their phone to keep sending funds to your organization.
  • Follow a call to action to your giving link from a blog post, social platform link, or email.

If you have members or others interested in donating to you who are younger and mobile-savvy, chances are good they want a way to donate that’s efficient and connected. Mobile donation services may make it easier for nonprofit organizations and religious groups to connect with their most likely donors.

Considerations for Selecting a Mobile Donation Service

The hardest part of getting a service like this is knowing what to look for in one. Here are a few key considerations essential to choosing a service.

#1: The Cost

Any service you consider needs to be affordable. Some services charge a significant amount of money for signing up. Others charge a monthly fee. This gets costly over time.

A better option is to look for an option that charges a simple fee. It’s one that you know to expect and do not have to guess at month-to-month. Or better yet, free.

For our partner organizations, they can get started with Givelify for free. No monthly or signup fees forever. Just a low 2.9% + 0.30cents when donation is processed.  

Also important, there are no contracts with Givelify’s service. That’s key because some companies lock you in for months or a year at a time. That can be hard to manage if you get stuck with a service that you do not like.

#2: Complete Donation Management

Another core component of a donation service is management. That is, the donation platform should make managing each donation easy. This includes tracking each donation by who donated, how much, and when. That can be vital for tax reasons.

A nice benefit of using a service for tracking donations is that it saves time. If you have people tracking these donations by hand, it’s taking time away from other tasks. Most organizations can’t afford to lose time, especially from volunteers. Why not let the system do it for you instead?

#3: Managing Success

Look for a mobile donation service that helps campaigns succeed. With a giving app like this, you gain some key insights. That includes:

  • Insightful data about who is donating and where they are
  • Analytics to break down donation data
  • Easy management of campaigns
  • Tools to understand trends and data metrics

Also important is having support when you need it. For example, at Givelify, you get a success coach. This is a person who works with you to handle every step of the process. That includes signing up and increasing mobile and online donations. Working together to support your cause is always a good thing.

person reviewing donation analytics on a mobile tablet

#4: A Strong Support System

What happens if the app falters? What if you don’t understand a feature? Your patrons may have questions you do not know the answer to – what do you do?

The best donation services provide insight and support. That includes a helpful customer success or support team to answer all of your questions. It has to be easy to reach out to that team, too. For example, if you need to call, the company should provide a phone number. Believe it or not, some don’t. Email and online connectivity services, like chat services, are also important considerations.

Be sure the service you use makes it easy for you to get information. You also need to know they can help your donors resolve problems fast.

#5: It Has to Be Easy to Use

There are a few things that make a system like this easy to use:

  • It offers multiple ways to give. That includes custom links, website integration, and mobile options.
  • Communication is easy even for bilingual users.
  • The site has to be safe and secure.
  • It needs to be available globally. Your donors may be on vacation and want to give!
  • Choose one that offers a responsive design that’s easy to follow even for un-savvy mobile users.

How Do I Set Up a Donations Account?

A part of the best service is making it easy to sign up for a mobile donation service. Givelify makes that process fast. Fill out some basic information online. Ask all of the questions you need, if any. Feel good about the entire process.

Givelify’s Launchpad makes it simple to get started. We work with charities, churches, other places of worship. You need a fast but easy solution for donations.

You Can Get Started Right Now

Set up mobile donations in under 5 minutes right now. Givelify wants to make sure you’re getting the most out of our service. When you are ready, sign up and get started today.

About the Author

Giving Illustration

Luis Orozco is a contributing writer. His passions and expertise are nonprofit fundraising and development. He uses Givelify to support his local church and the social justice causes.

Luis Orozco