10 May 2012 1 Comment

Donate Now Button series: Communicate your ideal donation method


Your donors may be unaware of the number of choices they have to contribute to your organization. Let’s change that. 

Not all donation methods are created equal

Some donation processes are preferred by some organizations over others; for example, perhaps processing checks is a pain for your volunteer-run organization. Be sure to clearly list your preferred donation methods, whether it be online or by check, making it clear that there are multiple options for your donors to contribute is important.

Equate donations to physical impact

Another great way to suggest a donation amount to your donors is by outlining contribution tiers. One popular strategy is to show what possible donation amounts are equivalent to and what they will achieve toward your mission. Many nonprofits that tier their donation amounts put the average donation as the lowest tiered option, hopefully enticing their supporters to donate above and beyond the actual average.

Here are a few examples of donation tiers:

  • $25 will feed an orphan for a month
  • $50 will pay a math teacher’s monthly salary
  • $100 will pay for a community’s doctor visit

 

Ask your supporters to pay any service or processing fees

Another strategy is to simply ask your donors to pay any service or processing fees for online donations (which they can do when donating on FirstGiving). It’s only a little more for the donor, but saves your nonprofit a lot in the long run. We find that donors, on average, are willing to cover fees on 40% of donations, sometimes higher depending on the organization and the type of request. This ultimately brings your online processing fees down considerably.

 

Want to also take donations on Facebook? Look no further! 

 

Photo Courtesy quinn.anya 2009

by Dan Fonseca in Nonprofit Resources Tags: ,