Online Giving
I claim no expertise in online giving. I do not know the best vendors or software programs. I know ACH transfers cost the organizations very little in fees, Reward Credit Cards the most. But that is about it.
Well, I also know online giving is up dramatically at our congregation. We have gone from 10% given online to 40% in three years.
And one other thing. I know your non-profit or congregation needs to get in the game. Making it easy to give online will increase donations. Find some 25 year old to investigate the options and get with it.
John Kiloran is CEO of @Pay, a company that assists non-profits with online giving. Below are two of his thoughts on trends in online giving. These thoughts are excerpted from his January 5, 2018 article, 7 Key Ways Online Giving Has Changed Over the Past Year.
1. Increase in mobile giving
Every year that passes brings more and more functionality to our mobile devices, and charitable giving is no different. Specialized software enables nonprofits to gather donations through mobile-optimized donation forms as well as text-to-give platforms.
Mobile giving isn’t just used as a substitute for paper donation forms. Especially using the latest software solutions that integrate your text-to-give campaigns with other aspects of your fundraising strategy, mobile giving can be used for:
- Social media fundraising: Most social media activity occurs on smartphones, the same platform used for texting. The innovative text-to-give software integrates buttons and links on social media profiles with SMS messaging to deliver a seamless experience.
- Fundraising events: Instead of remembering to fill out and return paper donation forms or bringing cash or checks to drop in a donation box, donors can text their donation amount to a specific phone number to give during events.
- Data gathering: You can learn a lot about your donors’ communication preferences and other important information by analyzing the data transferred into your CRM by your mobile giving software.
If you want to take advantage of the mobile giving trend in the new year, check out helpful tips from the mobile giving experts at @Pay.
2. Advancement of online giving technology
The range of technology available to facilitate online giving has greatly expanded in the past year, especially when it comes to integrated software solutions.
Software that connects your fundraising records to other areas of your nonprofit is becoming more sophisticated and widely used. It’s easy to see why nonprofits love this technology when you think about the options an integrated solution makes possible:
- Connect fundraising event planning to your CRM to see who shows up to your events.
- Connect fundraising to communications to send automatic thank-yous to donors.
- Connect special fundraising, like crowdfunding or peer-to-peer, to event planning to host popular events like charity walks, runs, and rides.
Because of these advancements in online giving technology, your nonprofit can do much more than just accept online donations. Instead, you can use sophisticated fundraising technology to connect your giving with other elements of your nonprofit operations.
That integration will make your operations smoother and more efficient in the new year!