Written by Debbie Leazer
A large percentage of donors that arrive at your website are there with the purpose of making a gift, which means that something else captured their attention and won them over. In these instances, your job is to not sell them, but to encourage them with visuals and information that inspire them to give a larger gift then they had planned.
Providing easy and efficient access to your donate page is a priority and should offer them more than what they expected. A short blurb about a priority project or new emerging initiative will further excite your donor who may decide to make a larger gift – keep it short and sweet!
Online giving provides the opportunity for you to share that you are raising money not just because you can, but because you are trying to accomplish something important. Your messaging and donation choices should align so that a donor can see that a gift in support of a specific endeavor will have an impact.
While there are numerous pros of taking donations online, there are also many cons. Certainly, online donations are convenient and accessible for the giver to contribute from the comfort of their home with various payment methods. These donations automate the administrative burden (donor info, interest, receipts etc.) and provides the organization with tools for tracking and analyzing donor data. This data also provides a better understanding of donor preferences and helps with identifying targeted fundraising efforts. Lastly, online donations provide immediate financial support, especially during time sensitive campaigns or if an emergency were to arise.
The convenience of online donations doesn’t always outweigh other ways of raising funds. Online donations do not provide the opportunity for a personal touch, face-to-face interaction, which could potentially impact a donor’s continuing engagement and future donations. In addition, some donors my face technical barriers or lack access to online payment methods or be concerned of fraud and security breaches.
Online donations should certainly be one of the tools in your toolbox for raising support for your organization. However, you should carefully consider balancing these advantages with the importance of fostering personal connections and local engagement in you overall fundraising strategy.
