Using Online Resources to Increase Fundraising Revenue
You’ve built a Web site to build awareness of your cause. Leverage that investment and keep your constituents donating throughout the year by adding online donation capabilities. Online giving will maximize your fundraising efforts, give your supporters more opportunities to donate, and enable you to make donation easy for new supporters.
Internet Users Donate More Money
According to an April 2006 study by PEW Internet Research, 73% of U.S. adults (about 147 million) are Internet users, up from 66% in a January 2005 survey. Another PEW survey finds that "online givers donate 50% more than donors who do not give online."
Benefits of Using Online Payments
Here are many reasons to enable online payments in addition to the fact that Internet givers contribute more money.
Increased donor convenience. When donations are paid by credit card, you are guaranteed full and immediate payment without the time, cost and aggravation of collecting on pledges. Online payment saves the donor time too.
Improve efficiency. Online payments completely automate processing. You receive payments much faster and with far less effort than with checks.
Reach wider audiences. By using web sites and emails to promote online donations, you target a new generation of donors—without the cost of direct mail or collection of cash and checks.
Generate more recurring payments. Automatic payment function encourages donors to give regularly, and give more. This not only saves the donor work, but also saves you administrative costs. Plus, you’re ensured a regular contribution stream.
Ability to accept payment for anything and everything. In addition to accepting donations, nonprofits can use online payments to securely collect information and process payments for fundraising events, classes, seminars, memberships and tuitions, even school supplies.
Integrated branding and messaging. Make sure your online donors have a consistent, trusted experience on every page of your site. Use your online payment pages to reinforce your branding and message, or introduce donors to a specific cause or to additional causes in your charter. Just make sure your donation pages have the same look and feel as your main organization Web site.
Create more fundraising opportunities. Garner even more support for your cause by including the link to your online donation page in all your constituent communications. Donors can click through to the site and forward it on to friends, family and colleagues.
Sponsor recognition. Your online payments page is an ideal place to recognize key sponsors. Placing the sponsors’ logos, on your donation page recognizes their support and contribution for your mission. In return for this valuable exposure, your sponsors may be willing to underwrite your online donation site or another activity or may even be willing to match some of your donations.
Easy, Secure Fundraising for the Long Run
Retaining donors and acquiring new ones is key in today’s competitive fundraising environment. By making it as simple and secure as possible for donors to give, both online and at live events, nonprofits can maximize their chances to increase contributions and engage loyal, long-term contributors.
Greater Giving can help you get started. The technical details of setting up and managing a secure server to conduct online payment processing can be overwhelming. With Greater Giving Online Payments it’s easy. Our tools allow you to easily create custom, secure web pages where constituents can donate money, register and buy tickets for special events, purchase memberships, pay tuition and more.
With Online Payments, you have the flexibility to change your pages whenever you like, without sacrificing security or accessibility. What’s more, you’re able to see measurable results in at-a-glance reports of donations and other pertinent information. And to bring in more donations, use our convenient "Donate Now" button on your web site, HTML emails and online auctions, or simply list your link in your direct mail. To learn more about Greater Giving Online Payments, go here.