Make Donations Seamless for Your Nonprofit With These 8 Tips

Donations are the life force of your organization. Without contributions, nonprofits would find it hard to perform even the most basic tasks, right? 

Giving to Nonprofits: How to Make Donations Easy

In order for donors to make donations effortlessly, your organization may need some extra help. So, here are some tips!

Tip #1: Your Donation Page Should Be Easy to Access

Whether your donors are logging into your website through their desktop or mobile device, the donation page should be easy to find for any user. Once there, it’s important that the page design ensures a good user experience with simple navigation and clear step-by-step instructions. You want visitors to be able to learn about your cause and give their gift without wading through a lot of confusing clutter.

Tip #2: Explain Your Mission Clearly and Concisely

Emotion drives giving. For a donor to connect emotionally, it’s important that they learn about the heart of your cause. Who do you help and why?Your mission statement should not only be visible, but easy to digest in order to form a connection between your cause and the donor. What’s more, include this mission statement on your donation page to ensure it’s always front and center of the decision-making process. 

You may also, with the permission of corporate donors, publish the names of your most generous donors. This will give other donors the confidence that there are big names out there who believe in your mission and back your cause.

Tip #3: Allow Donors to See Where their Gift Goes 

Break down the projects as far as you can without losing your donors in the numbers. Installed safe drinking water for a family in Africa? Tutored local kids? Provided medical care for an underserved area? Let your donors know! Details will give them a clear idea of what you do and what it takes to embark on these types of initiatives. Donors want to know that the cause they’re backing uses donations wisely and makes a difference in the world. 

Thermometer tools, graphs, goal charts, or live trackers are easy to add to a site. You can also incorporated these helpful visuals into mobile apps or donor software. 

Tip #4: Invite them In and Share the Wins 

One of the main reasons donors may choose not to give is little to no engagement. This could either be not asking for donations or only engaging at solicitation. Instead, build a relationship with your donors.

Start with images and testimonials that define and support your cause. Give frequent updates. Then, when your nonprofit meets a goal or target, let your donors know they had a hand in making a difference. There is nothing more rewarding for them. It shows them that they were part of the journey, every step of the way.

Tip #5: Make Your Donation Links Visible 

Each interaction with a donor should give them the opportunity to donate to your cause. That means great visibility on every page of your website. Make sure your donate link is embedded throughout your content and all your pages have a donation button. 

High visibility means that your cause remains top of mind as your donors work their way through other content on your site. What’s more, it’s possible to incorporate a donate link in a pop-up function just before a potential donor decides to leave your site. 

Tip #6: Simplify the Gifting Process 

Instead of having just a link or a menu tab available for donations, you can take it a step further and customize the widgets. Make the donation options easy with radio buttons depicting general donation amounts. This should take your donors straight through to the payment page to process. 

Of course, it’s still necessary to allow donors to set their own amounts. This should be a separate option, requiring an extra step or two. 

It’s also worth noting that not everyone wants to fill out pages of information. Keep the donation process simple and if you’re hoping to snag a returning donor, encourage them to register a profile. Better yet, get them to download a nonprofit donation app. 

Likewise, it’s important to offer the option to donate as a one-time-gift or on a regular schedule. If you have a donor who prefers to automate their giving, offer them that choice.

Tip #7: Make it Fast 

Whether you’re opting to create a donations page on your site, integrate donations software, release a donations app, or a combination of all three, it’s important that it’s fast. 

Industry experts recommend that your site loads in little over 3 seconds. Any longer than that and site visitors may hop to other pages. 

Tip #8: Consider a User-friendly Donation Tool 

One of the best ways to engage donors is by offering them multiple opportunities to donate. Mobile apps and purpose-built donation software allow your donors to use the tool with the sole purpose of donating. It’s important that these tools are simple, low-cost, and secure to allow effortless donation. 

How to Get Donations Online

The simplest way to get donations online is to integrate donation software with your site. This allows you to create a donation form, integrate payment options, and a host of other extras. This streamlined donation process requires little to no manual intervention from you or your staff. 

What to Say When Asking for Donations

Asking for support can be tough and requires finesse. The best way to ask for support is to leverage your cause and meet your donors where they are. Be sincere, honest, and respectful, even when the answer is no. It’s essential to thank your donors and let them know that their contribution is valuable.

If someone is unable to give, thank them for their time and let them know that you would love to hear from them in the future! 

The Bottom Line 

At the end of the day, your nonprofit needs to engage donors to meet certain obligations. You depend on them! They have the willingness to give but need a simplified process. By providing donation software, a streamlined donations page, or a purpose-built donation app, your nonprofit bridges the gap for donors. Sign up with Givelify and get set up for mobile donations in under 5 minutes.